Bitcoin mining refers to the process miners use to permanently add Bitcoin transactions to the blockchain. Miners add these transactions using a cryptographic hash function: a mathematical process taking input data of any size and performing an operation on it such that it returns output data of a fixed size. Miners solve a block by combining all inputs with an arbitrary piece of data called a 'nonce', and the resulting hash begins with a prescribed number of zeroes. Miners use powerful computers and need a lot of power to reach the solution through trial-and-error since there is no easy way to predict the right nonce. Many use mining farms with a lot of powerful equipment or mining pools to combine their resources and split the proceeds. Successful miners earn newly minted BTC from the unreleased supply, adding fresh coins to the network. A process called Bitcoin halving reduces the amount of BTC a miner receives approximately every four years. Find out more in our University article on Bitcoin mining.