No. Merge mining Tari reuses the proof of work you already do for Monero: Tari's commitment travels inside the Monero coinbase transaction, and the Monero block stays a normal valid block. Your XMR rewards are unchanged and the XTM rewards are additional. The real costs are the merge mining proxy, a Tari node and pool support.
Last refreshed September 9, 2026
| Coverage scope | Answer family | Mining | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable fields | merged mining definition, coinbase extra field mechanism, parent-block validity, proxy architecture | Dynamic fields | which pools support Tari merge mining, proxy, node and XMRig versions, Tari's algorithm set and apportionment, which change by consensus-constants activation height |
Your Monero rewards do not change. Merged mining is defined as mining more than one cryptocurrency without additional proof-of-work effort. The hashing you do is Monero hashing; Tari simply accepts that same work as valid on its own chain.
The Monero block is still a normal Monero block. Tari's commitment is a small tag in the extra field of the Monero coinbase transaction, a subfield Monero already reserves for merge mining. The Monero network validates and rewards the block exactly as it would any other.
XTM is additional, not subtracted. If your hash also meets Tari's merge-mined difficulty, you earn a Tari block too. Tari's own tokenomics describes merge mining as a way for existing RandomX miners to increase their revenue.
The mechanism, from RFC-0132 and the Bitcoin Wiki's merged mining specification.
| XMRig solo | XMRig with the Tari merge mining proxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of work | RandomX | RandomX, the same hashes |
| XMR rewards | Monero block rewards | Monero block rewards, unchanged |
| XTM rewards | None | Tari blocks when the same hash meets Tari's merge-mined difficulty |
| Software running | XMRig plus a Monero daemon or pool connection | XMRig, Monero daemon, the merge mining proxy, a Tari base node and a Tari wallet |
| Changes to XMRig | None | None; XMRig points at the proxy instead of the daemon |
| Pool requirement | Any Monero pool | A pool that supports Tari merge mining, or solo through the proxy |
You run more software. Merge mining Tari means running MoneroD, XMRig, the merge mining proxy, a Tari base node and a Tari console wallet. The hash rate cost is zero; the operational cost is not.
Your pool has to support it. In a pool, the pool builds the block template. If the pool does not insert the merge mining tag, your shares earn Monero only. Check the pool's own documentation before assuming a Tari payout.
Merge miners share a quarter of Tari's blocks. Tari mainnet runs four independent proof-of-work algorithms, each targeting 480 seconds, and RandomX merge-mined with Monero is one of them. Merge miners as a group earn about one Tari block in four, and your share of that tracks Tari's merge-mined difficulty, not Monero's.
Profitability is a separate question. Whether XTM is worth the extra node and wallet is a question about prices, electricity and hardware, none of which the protocol answers.
Why Tari wanted to be merge-mined. An auxiliary chain borrows the security of an established proof-of-work network without asking miners to divert hash rate. That is why Tari, from early Monero contributors, chose to merge mine with Monero rather than compete with it for RandomX hash power.
Why miners agree to it. For the miner it is a free option: the same work, an extra chance at a block. Tari's tokenomics frames it as a way for existing RandomX miners to increase their revenue and keep mining both chains.
| Parent chain | Monero, RandomX |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary chain | Tari (XTM), RandomX merge-mined algorithm |
| Share of Tari blocks for merge miners | About one in four, alongside SHA3x, RandomX on Tari and Cuckaroo 29 |
| Where the commitment lives | Extra field of the Monero coinbase transaction |
| Miner software changes | None; XMRig connects to the proxy |
| Additional processes | Merge mining proxy, Tari base node, Tari console wallet |
| Effect on XMR block reward | None |
Do I need a different miner to merge mine Tari?
No. XMRig connects to the Tari merge mining proxy instead of directly to the Monero daemon. The proxy implements the merge mining protocol, so the miner itself runs unmodified.
Can I merge mine Tari through a regular Monero pool?
Only if the pool inserts the merge mining tag into the block templates it hands you. A pool that does not support Tari merge mining pays Monero only, regardless of what you run locally.
Does merge mining Tari change Monero's difficulty for me?
Nothing on the Monero side. Monero's difficulty and your share of Monero blocks are unaffected. Tari checks the same hashes against its own merge-mined difficulty, so XTM rewards depend on Tari's network conditions.
How much of Tari's block rewards go to merge miners?
About a quarter. Tari mainnet runs four independent proof-of-work algorithms, each targeting 480 seconds, so RandomX merge-mined with Monero produces roughly one Tari block in four. Your XTM comes from that share, split by your fraction of the merge-mined hash rate.
Can I merge mine Tari on a CPU?
Yes. RandomX was developed by Monero contributors and adopted from release 0.15 to favour general-purpose CPUs and discourage ASICs. Merge mining adds no extra hashing, so the same CPU that mines Monero earns Tari too.