Mining means searching for an input whose SHA-256 output falls below the difficulty target. There is no shortcut, which is precisely the point: the only way to find one is to try enormous numbers of possibilities.
Bitcoin Cash uses the same algorithm, so identical ASICs can point at either chain, and miners move between them as relative profitability shifts.
This definition is educational and not financial advice. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.
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