There are already malicious websites using hidden windows to mine XMR, but to the benefit of the person in control of the site rather than the people who pay the electricity bills:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/11/sneak...
The answer to the question "should I mine [coin x]" in order to make money is usually "no". You should mine that coin because you care about the network's security and decentralization or not at all. If you have access to next-generation mining hardware or cheaper-than-normal electricity, you might have a case for "yes". Or, as you indicate, if you have a malicious way to run the miner or mostly-malicious-"not-too-clearly-disclosed-to-end-user", that is almost certain to make money.
I stopped as I was unhappy with the effects of proof of work on electricity supply and the wear on my GPU, but the amount I mined at current market price is worth around 3x that, making it quite a bit more profitable.
Of course, if you believe the value will increase at some future point you're most likely better off just buying the coin and hodling it :)
Yes: https://whattomine.com/coins
Actually, I'm using a computer mining Moneros at 2000H/s in a closed room to help dry a damp wall. The rig converts 250W Power to heat (for the wall) and produces Moneros worth $200/m - leaving me $100 after paying for electricity the computer and the air dehumidifier consumed.
Assuming m = Monero I think you will be in for a good surprise.
Extremely unlikely. Even GPU mining with good hardware cuts it close with energy consumption depending on your energy costs.
But then there's the cost of the hardware which may be difficult to recoupe.
What? This is seriously wrong. ROI fluctuates between 200-600% for XMR and its derivatives.
There seems to be a bit of disagreement over this.
Let me ask it another way, would it be worthwhile for someone too lazy to replace the dead battery in their thermostat to mine some coins to add a little heat to their apartment and make a couple bucks in the process?
Is there any coinhive alternative? That would be a progress.
Think about it: they're hosting a WASM blob on their site for which they don't have the source code and can't tell with certainty what exactly it's doing.
With so many faces on their team page (and a dog!), you'd think they'd have the resources and competence to build something of their own.
It should take only 1% of profit instead of CoinHives 30%.
Another option is to build your own. I published one of the more unapproachable aspects, which is an Emscripten-compiled implementation of the Cryptonight hash function [0]. One could slap a basic WebSocket proxy on top of existing mining server, and the adding the coordination logic in Javascript in the client.
