Mining
Folding@Home uses participants' computing power for medical research, and eligible participants may qualify for Atto mining rewards. This work is separate from Atto's ORV consensus, which uses representative voting rather than competitive proof-of-work mining. Each Atto transaction still includes lightweight anti-spam work.
By putting your computing power to good use, we create a fair and meaningful way to distribute attos to supporters of valuable causes.
Folding@Home participants may receive Atto under the current reward policy. Eligibility, rates, calculations, timing, and continued availability are variable.
Here’s how to get started:
Installation
Step 1: Install Folding@Home
If you haven’t already, download and install Folding@Home.
Mac & Windows
Download the client from folding@home and follow the installation instructions.
Ubuntu & Debian
wget https://download.foldingathome.org/releases/public/fah-client/debian-10-64bit/release/fah-client_8.4.9_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i --ignore-depends=policykit-1 fah-client_8.4.9_amd64.deb
To ensure the Folding@Home client starts automatically:
sudo systemctl enable --now fahclient
Step 2: Create an Account
Go to: https://v8-4.foldingathome.org
Fill out the following fields:
- Passphrase (and Confirm Passphrase)
- Username — use your Atto account without the
atto://prefix - Team — enter
1066107
Do not send miner rewards to an exchange deposit address!
- Exchange deposit addresses are for personal deposits only, mining payouts are not supported.
- Rewards sent directly from the miner may not be credited and can be permanently lost.
- Repeated mining payouts to an exchange can trigger risk controls; your account may be restricted or locked.
You can change your username and team later, but if you start mining, incorrect values will prevent you from receiving rewards for completed work units.
Step 3: Add a Passkey (Optional but VERY Recommended)
A passkey is a unique 32-character token that links your work to your Folding@Home username. It unlocks the Quick Return Bonus (QRB), which can boost your points by 2× to over 10× if you consistently return work units on time with a success rate of 80% or higher.
How to get your passkey (takes less than 30 seconds):
- Visit apps.foldingathome.org/getpasskey
- Enter your Folding@Home username and email address
- Click Get Passkey – the token will be emailed to you
- Copy the 32-character passkey from the email
Add it to your account
Click the gear icon at the top right:
Paste your passkey and save:
Bonus points apply only if you use a passkey, complete 10 successful bonus-eligible WUs (to activate) and maintain an overall ≥80% successful WU return rate. Partial returns do not earn bonus points.
Step 4: Start folding
Now it's time to shine! Open the Folding@Home interface and click Fold All to begin contributing. Your computer will start working on a unit of research, which may take some time to complete depending on your hardware and system settings.
You can monitor progress, adjust CPU and GPU usage, and choose whether Folding@Home runs only when your computer is idle or continuously.
To maximize your contribution, consider running Folding@Home continuously. You can also enable GPU folding (if supported) to significantly boost your output.
When your username and team are correctly configured, reported points can be tracked for the mining reward calculation.
How Rewards Are Distributed
The reward system periodically checks Folding@Home scores and may distribute rewards for completed work units to eligible participants.
For each distribution cycle, the calculation uses the time since the previous update. The emission rate and cycle timing may change:
- Emissions are allocated per minute at a variable rate
Eunder the distribution policy. - If
Mminutes have passed since the previous update, the cycle allocation isE × Mattos. - This allocation is then split proportionally among eligible team members based on the points they contributed during that period, as reported by the Folding@Home stats API.
For example, an eligible participant whose machine provided 10% of the covered team contribution would be allocated 10% of that cycle's mining reward pool under this calculation.
Your Atto address (used as your Folding@Home username) is what links your contribution to your wallet—make sure it's accurate!
Distribution Policy
The published Growth Stability Index (GSI) design can scale configured distribution rates in response to market data. Whether mining is currently mapped to that mechanism, together with the applied settings and cadence, must be confirmed from current operational records. Reward settings remain variable under the distribution policy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why am I not receiving any rewards?
Reward processing currently runs roughly every 3 hours, although timing can vary. If an eligible completed work unit has not produced a reward after that window, double-check that you’re folding under team 1066107 and that your Folding@Home username is the Atto address where you want to receive rewards. A work unit already in progress when you change your team or username is still credited using the old information.
Can I use my GPU for Folding@Home?
Yes! Folding@Home supports GPU processing for many work units. Using a capable GPU can significantly increase your contribution score compared to using only a CPU. Check the Folding@Home client settings to ensure your GPU is configured correctly.
How often are Atto rewards distributed?
Distribution timing is variable. Under current operations, reward updates and distributions typically happen about every 3 hours.
If the updates aren't frequent, do I lose potential rewards?
A longer update interval does not by itself shorten the calculation period; the reward calculation uses the total time since the previous distribution cycle and each eligible participant’s proportional contribution during that period. The resulting allocation still depends on eligibility, reported scores, and the current reward rules.
Will I receive Atto rewards for incomplete Folding@Home Work Units (WUs)?
Mining rewards are calculated for eligible participants from points reported by Folding@Home. Folding@Home awards points only for Work Units that are fully completed and successfully uploaded, so incomplete or partially processed WUs do not contribute to that score.
Can the Atto mining reward rate change?
Yes. The mining reward rate is variable under the current reward policy. The published Growth Stability Index (GSI) design can scale configured distribution rates, but mining’s current mapping, settings, and cadence must be confirmed from operational records. Check the Growth Stability Index and Distribution documentation for the published mechanism.
How can I check my Folding@Home contribution stats?
You can monitor your personal progress, completed work units, and estimated points directly within the Folding@Home client software. You can also check team stats on the official Folding@Home website, though there might be a delay.
Where can I see my received Atto rewards?
Any mining reward distributed to you is sent to the Atto address configured as your Folding@Home username. You can check that address using your Atto wallet or the explorer.
What happens if I entered the wrong Atto address as my username?
The reward system uses the Atto address configured as your Folding@Home username within Team 1066107. If a reward is distributed while an incorrect or invalid address is configured, it can be sent to that address and become inaccessible to you. Double-check the address before folding.
Do I need to run Folding@Home 24/7?
No, you can start and stop Folding@Home whenever you like. Mining reward allocations are proportional to reported contribution scores, so a higher score relative to the team generally produces a larger share of a distribution cycle when you are eligible.
Your computer is now contributing to scientific research and may qualify for Atto mining rewards under the current rules. Thank you for making a difference!