According to the Braunschweig University of Technology in Germany, cryptojacking, i.e. the hijacking of computing power for cryptocurrency mining, is proving to be widespread, but not that efficient in terms of the revenue it generates.
In a study conducted by researchers Marius Musch, Christian Wressnegger Martin Johns and Konrad Rieck, it was analyzed and proven that 1 in 500 most well-known sites (Alexa Ranks) maintains cryptojacking code.
While cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin rely on processor power to solve the “puzzles” of each block, currencies like Monero or Bytecoin rely on memory reserves. So as the average computer cannot compare to graphics cards or ASICs that produce a very large number of Hashes, interest has now turned to Monero and how the owner of each site will use the equipment of its visitors.
The main code we encountered on the sites is CoinHive, and the code is present on the sites either because the owner has put it on purpose, or because the site has been compromised by hackers. So when a visitor loads the site, it automatically starts and "solves" some operations, usually bringing their processor to 100% utilization.
In theory it could work, but in practice the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Taking Pornhub as an example, a site with 81 million visits per day, could earn more than 200 Monero per day, about 20,000 euros (at today's exchange rate of 1xmr = 92 euros), which is much less revenue than what it earns from advertising (about $80,000).
Finally, it is important to mention that while the CoinHive code is running, the visitor's computer tends to freeze, which makes the user experience negative.
