Antminer L9 vs L11 Hydro: The Best Litecoin and Dogecoin Miner in 2026
Antminer L9 vs L11 Hydro: The Best Litecoin and Dogecoin Miner in 2026
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Michal Beno
Chief Executive Officer, OneMiners · 2 September 2026
Scrypt mining is the one corner of the ASIC market where you get paid twice for the same work. Litecoin and Dogecoin share a merge-mined chain, so every hash your machine produces earns both coins simultaneously — no extra hardware, no extra electricity, no split. The interesting part is that Dogecoin now supplies the large majority of that revenue, which means a Litecoin miner is, financially, mostly a Dogecoin miner. This article compares every current Scrypt machine on what it actually earns.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Which is the best Litecoin and Dogecoin miner: the Antminer L9 or the L11 Hydro?
The L11 Hyd 2U is the better machine and the L9 is the better purchase. The L11 Hyd 2U produces 35 GH/s at 0.165 J/MH and nets about $11.80 per day at $0.0480/kWh — more than double the L9. But it costs $16,415 against $2,999, so it pays back in 45.7 months against 20.3 months for the L9. Per dollar invested the L9 wins decisively. The L11 Hydro earns its premium only when rack space, power capacity or machine count — not capital — is your limiting factor.
Litecoin and Dogecoin both use the Scrypt algorithm, and since 2014 Dogecoin blocks have been merge-mined alongside Litecoin. A miner submits one set of Scrypt work and is eligible for rewards on both chains. This is not a trick or a pool feature — it is how the chains are designed, and it means Scrypt hardware has two revenue streams by default.
The split between them is not what most people assume. Dogecoin emits 14.4 million DOGE per day against Litecoin's 3,600 LTC, and although Litecoin's unit price is far higher, the sheer volume of Dogecoin emission dominates the result.
Chain
Daily emission
Price
Revenue per GH/s/day
Share
Dogecoin
14.4M DOGE
$0.08092
$0.4568
86.6%
Litecoin
3,600 LTC
$48.90
$0.0704
13.4%
Combined (merge-mined)
—
—
$0.5272
100%
Per gigahash per second per day, computed from each chain's own network hashrate on 2 September 2026. Any Scrypt profitability figure that credits only Litecoin understates real revenue by roughly 87%.
The most common mistake in Scrypt calculations
Running an L9 or L11 through a Litecoin-only calculator. Litecoin supplies just 13.4% of the revenue these machines earn; Dogecoin supplies 86.6%. Every figure in this article credits both chains, because that is what the hardware actually collects.
What a gigahash actually earns
$0.5272
Revenue per GH/s per day
87%
From Dogecoin
2,501 TH/s
Litecoin network
5
Current Scrypt machines
At $0.5272 per GH/s per day, the arithmetic for any Scrypt machine is simple: multiply its gigahash rating by that figure for gross revenue, then subtract electricity. An L9 at 17 GH/s grosses $8.96; an L11 Hyd 2U at 35 GH/s grosses $18.45.
Every Scrypt machine compared
Machine
Hashrate
Power
Efficiency
Price
Net/day
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
17 GH/s
3,570 W
0.210 J/MH
$2,999
$4.85
Antminer L9 Hyd 2U 27 GH/s
27 GH/s
5,670 W
0.210 J/MH
$5,699
$7.70
Antminer L11 20 GH/s
20 GH/s
3,680 W
0.184 J/MH
$5,154
$6.30
Antminer L11 Hyd 6U 33 GH/s
33 GH/s
5,676 W
0.172 J/MH
$16,995
$10.86
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
35 GH/s
5,775 W
0.165 J/MH
$16,415
$11.80
Every current Scrypt machine in the OneMiners catalogue, at $0.0480/kWh, crediting both Litecoin and Dogecoin.
₿ MINES LITECOIN + DOGECOIN
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
35 GH/s5,775 W0.165 J/MHHydro
The most powerful Scrypt machine available: 35 GH/s at 0.165 J/MH.
The L11 Hydro is unquestionably the superior machine. It is also, at today's prices, the worse investment — and by a wide margin. This is the single most important finding in this comparison.
Machine
Price
Price per GH/s
Net per $1,000/day
Payback
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
$2,999
$176
$1.62
20.3 months
Antminer L9 Hyd 2U 27 GH/s
$5,699
$211
$1.35
24.3 months
Antminer L11 20 GH/s
$5,154
$258
$1.22
26.9 months
Antminer L11 Hyd 6U 33 GH/s
$16,995
$515
$0.64
51.4 months
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
$16,415
$469
$0.72
45.7 months
Price per gigahash is the quickest way to see which Scrypt machine is genuinely good value. Note that it ranks almost exactly opposite to raw performance.
The L9 costs $176 per GH/s. The L11 Hyd 2U costs $469 — 166% more for hardware that is only 21% more efficient. On pure return of capital the L9 is the clear answer, and its 20.3 months payback is the quickest of any Scrypt machine in the catalogue.
Why the pricing looks like this
New-generation hydro hardware carries a launch premium, and the L11 Hydro is early in its cycle while the L9 has been shipping long enough for pricing to normalise. This gap typically narrows over subsequent production batches. It is worth re-checking the per-gigahash figure at every purchase, because the ranking above is a snapshot of today's prices rather than a permanent property of the hardware.
Efficiency and density: the L11's case
Capital efficiency is not the only thing that matters, and there are three situations where the L11 Hydro is straightforwardly the right machine.
Power capacity is capped. At 0.165 J/MH against 0.210 J/MH for the L9, the L11 Hyd 2U converts a fixed power allocation into more hashrate. Per megawatt it delivers 6,061 GH/s against 4,762 GH/s for the L9.
Machine count is the operational burden. Reaching 35 GH/s takes one L11 Hyd 2U or 2.1 L9s. Fewer chassis means fewer ports, less cabling and less labour.
You expect the network to grow. A lower joules-per-megahash figure is what keeps a machine profitable as difficulty rises. The L11 Hydro breaks even at a lower revenue level than the L9 and will still be earning after the L9 stops.
Machine
Units per MW
Hashrate per MW
Net per day
Net per year
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
280
4.8 PH/s
$1,358
$495,801
Antminer L11 20 GH/s
272
5.4 PH/s
$1,713
$625,275
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
173
6.1 PH/s
$2,043
$745,696
One megawatt of connected load, filled entirely with each machine. This is the comparison that matters once contracted capacity rather than capital is your limiting factor.
The megawatt table is where the L11 Hydro finally wins on economics as well as engineering. If your constraint is contracted power rather than purchase price — the normal situation for a hosted operator with a fixed allocation — more hashrate per megawatt translates directly into more revenue from the same contract.
Dilution risk on a small network
Here is a risk that Bitcoin miners never have to think about and Scrypt miners absolutely should. Your revenue is a share of a fixed daily emission. On a small network, one machine is a meaningful fraction of the total — which means new machines arriving dilute your share fast.
The honest way to measure it is parts per million: what share of its own network does one machine represent?
Machine
Coin
Parts per million of network
Machines to double the network
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
LTC + DOGE
13.99 ppm
71,466
Antminer L11 20 GH/s
LTC + DOGE
8.00 ppm
125,066
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
LTC + DOGE
6.80 ppm
147,136
Antminer S23 Hyd 3U 1.16 PH/s
Bitcoin
1.27 ppm
786,724
Antminer S23 Hydro 580 TH/s
Bitcoin
0.64 ppm
1,573,448
Lower is safer. A Bitcoin flagship is a rounding error on its network; a Scrypt machine is not. This is the structural risk of mining a smaller chain, and it is the reason to size an altcoin position deliberately.
The sensible way to hold Scrypt hardware
One L11 Hyd 2U is 11 times more dilution-exposed than a Bitcoin flagship. That is not a reason to avoid Scrypt — the current returns are real — but it is a strong reason to size the position rather than concentrate in it. Most experienced operators pair a small amount of altcoin hashrate with a Bitcoin base, so a single network's difficulty spike cannot take the whole operation with it.
Profitability at four rates
How every number on this page was produced
Bitcoin figures use a hashprice of $37.85 per PH/s per day, derived from a BTC price of $76,768 and a network hashrate of 912.6 EH/s (difficulty 125.81T) on 2 September 2026. That is block subsidy only — transaction fees are excluded, so the revenue side is deliberately conservative. Zcash uses 1,440 ZEC per day to miners (80% of emission after the development fund) against a 24.48 GSol/s network. Scrypt credits both chains a merged-mining unit actually earns, Litecoin and Dogecoin. Electricity is charged at the OneMiners network average of $0.0480/kWh unless a table states otherwise, with no performance or management fee, because OneMiners charges none. Payback assumes difficulty and price hold still, which they never do — treat it as a ranking tool, not a forecast.
Electricity rate
L9 17 GH/s
L11 20 GH/s
L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
Nigeria (lowest) $0.0364/kWh
$5.84
$7.33
$13.41
USA / Georgia $0.0455/kWh
$5.06
$6.52
$12.14
Network average $0.0480/kWh
$4.85
$6.30
$11.80
Home power $0.1200/kWh
$-1.32
$-0.05
$1.82
Net profit per machine per day, after electricity, before any other cost. Green is profitable at that rate; red is not. Home power is the reason so many machines only work inside an industrial facility.
Note the bottom row. At home electricity prices of $0.1200/kWh, every Scrypt machine in this comparison loses money — the L9 by $1.32 a day and the L11 Hyd 2U by $1.82. Scrypt margins are thinner than Bitcoin's, which makes the electricity rate the single decisive variable. These machines are only viable on industrial power, and that is precisely what a 7-year fixed contract at $0.0480/kWh across 20 sites is for.
The verdict
BEST VALUE
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
$176 per GH/s and 20.3 months to payback — the quickest return of any Scrypt machine. The right first Scrypt purchase.
BEST MACHINE
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
35 GH/s at 0.165 J/MH, and $11.80 a day. Buy it when power capacity or machine count — not capital — is your constraint.
BEST MIDDLE GROUND
Antminer L9 Hyd 2U 27 GH/s
$211 per GH/s with hydro cooling and $7.70 a day. Hydro density without the L11's launch premium.
Compare the full Scrypt range at live pricing
The per-gigahash gap between the L9 and L11 Hydro is the number that decides this purchase, and it narrows with every production batch. Check current pricing across the L9 and L11 range before committing capital.
Yes, on industrial power. At $0.0480/kWh a 17 GH/s L9 nets about $4.85 a day — $1,770 a year — and pays back in 20.3 months. On home power at $0.1200/kWh it loses $1.32 a day. The electricity rate, not the hardware, decides the answer.
Is the L11 better than the L9?
As hardware, yes: more hashrate, better efficiency, denser format. As an investment at today's prices, no. The L11 Hyd 2U costs $469 per GH/s against $176 for the L9, and pays back in 45.7 months against 20.3 months.
Do I mine Litecoin or Dogecoin with these machines?
Both, at the same time, from the same hashes. Dogecoin blocks are merge-mined with Litecoin, so a single Scrypt machine earns both. Dogecoin currently supplies about 87% of the revenue and Litecoin about 13%.
How much does an Antminer L11 Hyd 2U earn per day?
About $11.80 net at $0.0480/kWh, from $18.45 gross less $6.65 of electricity. At the lowest hosted rate of $0.0364/kWh it nets $13.41.
Which Scrypt machine has the best efficiency?
The L11 Hyd 2U at 0.165 J/MH, followed by the L11 Hyd 6U at 0.172 J/MH and the air-cooled L11 at 0.184 J/MH. The L9 sits at 0.210 J/MH. Scrypt efficiency is quoted in joules per megahash rather than per terahash, because the hashrates involved are far lower than Bitcoin's.
Can I mine Dogecoin with a Bitcoin miner?
No. Dogecoin and Litecoin use Scrypt; Bitcoin uses SHA-256. An Antminer S23 cannot mine Dogecoin and an L11 cannot mine Bitcoin. The algorithms require entirely different silicon, which is why choosing a coin means choosing hardware.
Does the L11 Hydro need a water cooling system?
Yes. The Hyd variants have no fans and require a pumped coolant loop with heat rejection, exactly like Bitcoin hydro machines. The air-cooled L11 at 20 GH/s and the L9 do not. If you have no loop, the air-cooled machines are the only option.
How risky is Scrypt mining compared to Bitcoin?
Structurally higher, and the dilution numbers show why. One L11 Hyd 2U represents 13.99 parts per million of the Scrypt network against 1.27 ppm for a Bitcoin flagship on its own network — roughly 11 times the exposure. Smaller networks reprice faster in both directions. Size the position accordingly rather than concentrating in it.
Data sources
Bitcoin network hashrate and difficulty: mempool.space mining API, 2 September 2026.
BTC, ZEC, LTC, DOGE, KAS and ALEO spot prices: CoinGecko, 2 September 2026.
Zcash, Litecoin and Dogecoin network hashrate: Blockchair chain statistics, 2 September 2026, cross-checked against difficulty.
Kaspa network hashrate and block reward: Kaspa public API, 2 September 2026.
Hardware specifications, pricing and product photography: the OneMiners live catalogue.
Manufacturer specifications: Bitmain and IceRiver product documentation.
Efficiency-tier revenue spreads and hashprice history: Hashrate Index research.
Share of the global fleet running at a loss: CoinShares mining research.
DISCLAIMER
This article is published for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial, investment or tax advice. Every profitability figure is a scenario built on the market data stated above, captured on 2 September 2026. Cryptocurrency prices, network difficulty, mining rewards and hardware pricing all change constantly, and a change in any one of them changes every result on this page. Mining returns are not guaranteed and no fixed profit guarantee applies. Hardware specifications reflect the OneMiners catalogue and manufacturer documentation at the time of writing. Always run your own numbers against current market conditions and your own electricity rate before purchasing mining hardware.
Antminer L9 17 GH/s
Antminer L9 Hyd 2U 27 GH/s
Antminer L11 20 GH/s
Antminer L11 Hyd 6U 33 GH/s
Antminer L11 Hyd 2U 35 GH/s
Antminer S23 Hyd 3U 1.16 PH/s
Antminer S23 Hydro 580 TH/s
