What Was the Transition from CPU to GPU to ASIC Mining?
CPU mining was the original method, but its low hash rate made it quickly obsolete as network difficulty rose. GPUs offered a significant leap in parallel processing power, making them much more efficient for mining.
The final shift to ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) occurred because they are custom-built for a single hashing algorithm, providing massive efficiency gains over general-purpose hardware like CPUs and GPUs. This evolution was driven by the continuous need for higher hash rates to remain profitable.