KawPow
Verified BaselineRelated Cryptocurrency: Ravencoin (RVN) · Category: GPU Memory-Hard
What is KawPow?
KawPow is a ProgPoW variation adopted by Ravencoin to maintain decentralized, GPU-based consensus against specialized ASIC hardware.
It combines an Ethereum-like memory DAG with randomized computation sequences that change every few blocks. This forces hardware to possess general-purpose graphics compute cores and high-bandwidth memory caches, making consumer GPUs the ideal platform.
Technical Requirements:
- Dedicated desktop or laptop GPU with ≥4GB VRAM (6GB+ recommended as DAG grows).
- OpenCL or CUDA compute runtime drivers.
- Direct PCI-Express bandwidth for DAG initialization.
- Adequate GPU power supply and fan cooling.
Mining Considerations & Thermal Risks
KawPow is one of the hottest and most power-hungry GPU algorithms in existence.
KawPow taxes both memory controller chips and core shaders simultaneously. Cards typically run 10°C to 15°C hotter than on Autolykos2 or Etchash. Power limiting to 75%–80% TDP is strongly recommended.
Most pools charge a 1.0% fee. Minimum payouts generally range between 10 and 50 RVN.
Due to high electrical draw (often 150W – 280W per GPU), miners with residential electricity above $0.14/kWh often operate at a net deficit.
Model Your KawPow GPU Profitability
Simulate your graphics card wattage and power rate against current Ravencoin estimates.