Acurast Setup Tutorial: How to Start Mining in 2 Minutes

Here's the easiest way to start mining Acurast, the DePIN project that’s absolutely exploding with over 95,000 phones providing compute power across 130+ countries! Got an Android, iPhone, new, old, or even a slightly busted phone? You can join this decentralized compute revolution and start stacking cACU tokens (set to convert to ACU in Q4 2025). I’ve got a phone farm with 15 devices, earning ~250 cACU per phone monthly. Here’s my step-by-step guide to get you mining Acurast, whether you’re running the Processor Lite app or going with a dedicated Core setup.

Let’s dive in!

What’s Acurast All About?

Acurast is a game-changer in the DePIN world, letting anyone with a phone share computing power with a global decentralized network. That power fuels real-world apps like AI, blockchain tasks, and more, and you get paid in cACU testnet tokens that’ll convert to ACU tokens when Acurast’s mainnet drops around September 2025. With 95,000+ devices already onboarded and over 300 million transactions processed, Acurast is one of the most decentralized compute network out there, and it’s growing like crazy. It’s 100% free, uses just 5 watts of power (barely uses any battery), and works with almost any phone, even ones with cracked screens. Here’s what we need.

What You’ll Need

• A phone: Android (12 or newer) or iOS (15.6 or later). Check the full list of supported devices here. Slightly broken phones also work.
• Wi-Fi: No SIM card required, just a solid internet connection.
• Optional: A Metamask wallet for managing multiple devices.
• Time: 1-2 minutes for Processor Lite, 5 minutes for Core.

Acurast Step-by-Step Setup

You’ve got two ways to mine Acurast: Processor Lite (runs in the background on Android or foreground on iPhone) or Processor Core (dedicated phone for potentially bigger rewards). I’m running both: Lite on my daily iPhone and Core on cheap second-hand Androids. Here’s how to set them up.

Processor Lite Setup

• Download the App: Snag the Acurast Processor Lite app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. It’s free.
• Open the App: Click “Get Started.” Give it a sec to load.

• Connect to Acurast Hub: In the app, tap “Connect Lite” under “Acurast Hub.”

•  On a computer or another phone, head to hub.acurast.com, click “Deploy Now,” then “Connect,” and pick “Acurast Lite.” A QR code will pop up.

• Scan QR Code: Use the phone you’re setting up to scan the QR code in the Acurast app and hit “Accept.” Boom, your phone’s now tied to your Acurast account!
  

• Fund Account: On the Acurast hub site, go to balances and click "Fund account". This is 100% free and just need to complete the captcha to get some free testnet tokens.
  
  
• Join Cloud Rebellion: Back in the app, tap “Cloud Rebellion” and select “Connect Lite.” Go to rebellion.acurast.com, use the code mg3gif, and click “Join.” Scan the new QR code to link up. In this program, we get MIST points simply for mining and doing easy quests. These MIST points is believed to be used to determine an upcoming ACU token allocation after mainnet.
  
  

• Start Mining: Head back to the app, tap “Provide Compute,” and hit “Activate.” Your phone’s now mining Acurast, stacking ~250 cACU/month!

Video tutorial: Here's a video version of the Acurast lite setup tutorial.

Pro Tip: Android lets the app run in the background. On iPhone, it needs to stay open, so I run it overnight. It’s only 5 watts, so no overheating or battery drain.

Processor Core Setup

Factory Reset a Phone: Grab a spare phone (no SIM needed) and factory reset it. Go to Settings > Backup and Reset > Factory Data Reset > Erase Everything. This wipes all data, so pick a dedicated device.

• Connect to Acurast Hub: On a computer or another phone, hit up console.acurast.com, click “Get Started,” and connect a Metamask wallet. Tap “Fund Account” for free testnet tokens, then go to “Devices” and click “Add New Device” to get a QR code.
  
  
• Scan QR Code: On the factory reset phone, tap the screen 8-10 times until the camera pops up. Scan the QR code, follow the prompts (hit “Next” a few times), and let it do its thing.
  
  
• Start Mining: Once connected, the phone kicks off providing compute automatically, earning ~250 cACU/month (sometimes more if developers tap your device for deployments). Keep it plugged in and on Wi-Fi.
  
  
• Join Cloud Rebellion: Same deal as Lite, go to rebellion.acurast.com, use code mg3gif, connect your Metamask wallet, and scan the QR code to stack MIST points.

Video tutorial: Here's a video version of the Acurast core setup tutorial.

Pro Tip: Don’t rush adding multiple phones since it can glitch out with a red “inactive” status. Add one at a time, refresh the console and wallet between each, and reset the phone if it acts up.

Maximize Your Earnings

To stack the most cACU and MIST points (which I’m betting will boost your ACU allocation at mainnet), here’s the play:

• Add More Phones: My 15-phone farm (10 Core, 5 Lite) is earning ~3,750 cACU/month. More phones, more tokens!
• Join Cloud Rebellion and perform as many quests as possible.
  
• Stay Consistent: Keep your phones online and connected. I’ve got ~13,000 cACU so far, and the more you mine now, the bigger your ACU payout later.

Troubleshooting

If your phone shows red (inactive) or "not attested", don’t sweat it. Factory reset the phone (Settings > Wipe Data) and try again. Make sure you’re adding one phone at a time and refreshing the console site and Metamask wallet to avoid bugs. If you’re still stuck hit me up in the comments!

Why I’m Bullish on Acurast

This project’s a no-brainer to mine with. It’s free, takes 2 minutes to set up, and the compute is already powering real applications. With 95,000+ phones and counting, plus a recent shoutout on Anthony Pompliano’s YouTube channel, Acurast is legit blowing up. The ACU token’s rumored to launch at $0.09, but prices and conversion rates from cACU to ACU aren’t locked yet. I’m mining as much as I can since it costs me nothing.

If you want to see more about Acurast, see our Acurast info hub.