Choose transactions from the pool. Then guess a Nonce — any text — and click Calculate Hash. Keep changing it until the hash ends in the required character.
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Shout "BITCOIN!"
First miner to find a valid hash shouts "BITCOIN!". Everyone stops and the class verifies the block together. If valid, that miner wins the reward.
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Earn & Repeat
The winning miner collects the block reward + all transaction fees. A new block opens and the race begins again. Most BTC after 10 blocks wins.
▾ Key terms glossary (click to expand)
Hash
A fixed-length fingerprint of data. The same inputs always produce the same hash. Change one character and the hash changes completely.
Nonce
A number or text you add to the block data and change repeatedly until the resulting hash meets the difficulty condition.
Difficulty
The condition a hash must meet to be valid — e.g. "must end in 9". Only about 1 in 16 hashes will qualify, so miners must try many nonces.
Consensus
All miners agree a block is valid by independently reproducing the same hash with the same inputs. No trust required — the math proves it.
Block Reward
New BTC created and awarded to the miner who successfully mines a block. This is how new Bitcoin enters circulation in real life.
Transaction Fee
A small amount paid by the sender of a transaction. The miner who includes it in their block collects it — incentivising miners to process transactions.
About The Bitcoin Game
The Bitcoin Game is an interactive educational tool designed to teach the fundamentals of blockchain technology, cryptocurrency mining, and the Proof of Work consensus mechanism in an engaging, hands-on way. Players experience mining blocks, reaching consensus, and managing transactions in a simulated Bitcoin-like environment.
Developed by Guillermo A. Beuchat (LinkedIn profile) — Business Consultant, Startup Founder, University Professor, and Blockchain enthusiast. Copyright free.
If this tool was useful for your class, you can support its development ☕