Correction · 1 October 2026. Unsupported revenue-share ranges and attack-cost conclusions were removed. Merged mining no longer implies that every successful proof solves both chains simultaneously. The original publication date and URL are retained. This is a source-based editorial correction, not an independent security audit.
Merged mining can reuse Scrypt work for compatible chains. It does not mean every hash solves both difficulty targets, or that one accepted Litecoin block automatically becomes a Dogecoin block. Each chain validates its own rules, target and required proof.
What changes in a revenue stress test
Take an explicitly illustrative machine earning $1/day from LTC and $4/day from DOGE before deductions. Baseline gross revenue is $5/day. Hold hashrate, both difficulties and all costs fixed for this first-pass calculation.
| Scenario | LTC · USD/day | DOGE · USD/day | Combined | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 1.00 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 0% |
| DOGE price −50% | 1.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | −40% |
| LTC subsidy halves | 0.50 | 4.00 | 4.50 | −10% |
| Both changes | 0.50 | 2.00 | 2.50 | −50% |
Change the starting revenue split and the percentages change. A single pool screenshot does not establish a permanent DOGE share. Additional merged-mined coins and pool multipliers can also change the amount credited.
The next step is not a fixed hashrate forecast
A miner compares net receipts with avoidable costs and other opportunities. Hardware efficiency, electricity contracts and liquidity differ across operators. Some may stop sooner than others. We cannot infer the resulting network hashrate simply by multiplying it by a revenue decline.
Difficulty responds under each chain’s rules. During a changing-hashrate period, a target block interval is not a guarantee of immediate block timing. The availability and price of attack-scale rental hashpower are additional unknowns. The earlier assertions that Dogecoin would become cheaply attackable or Litecoin’s attack cost could be read directly from its hashrate were withdrawn.
Make the operational case reproducible
- Record simultaneous prices and difficulty inputs, with source timestamps.
- State whether DOGE difficulty is instantaneous or an averaged estimate.
- Apply the written pool deductions for each coin, avoiding double deductions from already-net rates.
- Include cooling, uptime and non-power expenses.
- Change price and difficulty separately before combining shocks.
Try these checks in the mining calculator. Its subsidy-only result is a model, not a pool payout promise. The research archive preserves the frozen inputs behind our latest hardware comparison.
Sources and checks
- Dogecoin consensus parameters and AuxPoW configuration
- Litecoin consensus parameters
- Example pool merged-mining explanation
- Dogecoin subsidy implementation
Sources checked on 1 October 2026. Historical figures are labelled by their reporting period; illustrative calculations are not observed market results.
