Image: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/Contributor
Hacking. Disinformation. Surveillance. CYBER is Motherboard's podcast and reporting on the dark underbelly of the internet.
Everyone wants more Robux, the in-game currency for the hyper-popular Roblox ecosystem. Players can earn that digital cash by trading items they’ve acquired, playing certain Roblox games, or creating new cosmetics to sell to other players. Players can also buy Robux from Roblox itself with real money.Some websites offer an enticing, and unauthorized, alternative: tools that claim they can mine Robux using the player’s computer. “Make ROBUX whenever you want at the push of a button,” the website for Buxify, one of the miners, reads.In reality, these miners are doing something a little different. They use a player’s computing power to mine cryptocurrency, and then automatically trade that currency for Robux. The tools are essentially cryptominers that we’ve seen hackers deploy, but specifically marketed towards Roblox players, some of which are children. (Roblox told Motherboard its “largest growing population” of players are 17-24 years old, and that most of its players are over 13.) Sometimes the miners do make this cryptocurrency mining explicit. In Buxify’s case, it did not.
Do you know anything else about the Roblox underground? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, or email[email protected].
Gaming platform Roblox is valued at over $60 billion and is played in some form by over half of all children in America. At least some of the people who have downloaded Robux mining software do appear to be children, according to posts on social media.Buxify’s website did not make the cryptocurrency mining clear to users. In Motherboard’s own tests with downloading the software, the program itself never mentioned that it mined cryptocurrency.
A screenshot of Buxify. Image: Motherboard.
However, PD, the pseudonymous owner of Buxify, readily told Motherboard how the app works and mines cryptocurrency when asked.“Basically it utilizes the user’s PC to mine cryptocurrency at a purposely conservatively safe, default setting (both temperature and % usage limits) and uses API's to automatically convert that earned crypto to Robux,” PD told Motherboard in an online chat.PD said that Buxify gets a slice of the cryptocurrency mined by the program. “It's actually a really fair split for the user,” they said.PD added “we're doing our best to be as transparent as possible and reward the user for that sort of trust relationship using our software.” The tool also has a “daily jackpot,” where users can earn entries into a lottery to win more Robux by keeping Buxify running.
A screenshot of BloxCrusher's website. Image: Motherboard.
Before PD confirmed to Motherboard that Buxify mines cryptocurrency, Motherboard provided a copy of the Buxify software to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.“According to the website, after the installation of the app, the user will be able to mine Robux coin. Instead, once the user launches the mining function in the app, it starts mining Etherium, Ravencoin and Ergo coins for specific wallets (one wallet for each cryptocurrency),” Kaspersky told Motherboard in an email.Before receiving the Buxify file from Motherboard, Kapersky did not flag the software as malicious, according to scan results on malware search engine Virus Total. Now, Kaspersky identifies this version of Buxify as a malicious miner. Since then, other cybersecurity companies such as Alibaba, Checkpoint, and Lionic have also marked Buxify as malicious.Beyond Buxify, BloxCrusher and RBXIdle were two other similar apps that mined cryptocurrencies on users’ computers in exchange for Robux, but these were more transparent about how they worked.“BloxCrusher allows you to easily mine the most profitable crypto for your GPU. Then, we automatically convert each share solved by your GPU to the equivalent R$ amount.” BloxCrusher’s website reads. BloxCrusher also lets users share their internet connection as a proxy for other users in exchange for more Robux.“I showed my dad bloxcrusher and he said that it has Bitcoin miner feature that uses power and gives people online Crypto,” one person wrote on Reddit in the past few weeks.
A screenshot of a Virus Total scan after Motherboard sent a copy of Buxify to Kaspersky. Image: Motherboard.
Thousands of people were online in the Discord server for RBXIdle when Motherboard joined on Friday. Here people uploaded screenshots of how much Robux they had allegedly made while mining, and discussed what graphics card they were using.“how much could i make in a day with my gtx 1650 ti,” one user in the Discord asked.“probably 100+ or so you kind of just have to find out by running it, depends on a lot of factors, most of which are outside your control,” another replied, adding that they use a GeForce RTX 2060 Super.Roblox said that using these Robux mining tools is against its terms of service.“This is against our Terms of Service. Roblox maintains many systems to keep our users safe and secure, and we prohibit attempts to bypass these systems or otherwise violate our platform requirements. Roblox maintains the Robux system for everyone’s benefit and enjoyment. To keep it secure, some uses of Robux are not permitted, including using third-party services to sell, trade, or give away Robux,” a Roblox spokesperson told Motherboard in an email.When asked if Roblox has taken any action, legal or otherwise, or plans to do so against these sorts of mining tools, the spokesperson said that “It is our policy not to comment on active or potential litigation.”Updated: This piece has been updated to add additional information on what Roblox says is its largest growing population of players.Subscribe to our cybersecurity podcast,CYBER. Subscribe toour new Twitch channel.
ORIGINAL REPORTING ON EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS IN YOUR INBOX.
By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisem*nts and sponsored content.
FAQs
Bitcoin Miner is a Roblox Tycoon or Simulator game that immerses players in building a Bitcoin empire. Players can customize their mining base with diverse decorations, experimenting with various available blocks.
Is Roblox Robux a cryptocurrency? ›
Nope, Robux isn't a cryptocurrency. While it shines bright in the world of Roblox, it's a digital currency designed specifically for this platform. Robux functions more like an in-app currency.
How to get a lot of Robux? ›
Create and Sell Items for Robux
Each time a player visits your world or downloads your game, you'll earn Robux. Additionally, creating in-game items available for purchase can also generate commissions. Collaborating with friends and attracting players with premium subscriptions can boost your Robux earnings.
How do you get Robux with Crypto? ›
Does Roblox accept Bitcoin or crypto? Roblox does not accept crypto but Bitrefill provides a workaround by allowing you to purchase an Roblox gift card with Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. This gift card can then be used to make purchases at Roblox.
Can you earn Robux if you make a game? ›
Developers earn extra Robux for simply building an engaging experience. Roblox calculates an Engagement-Based Payout (EBP) based on the share of time a Roblox Premium subscriber spends in your experience, and these payouts happen automatically as a way to reward engaging experiences.
Does Roblox accept Bitcoin? ›
Buy a Roblox gift card with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero or one of over 200 other cryptocurrencies offered. After you have paid, you will instantly receive the voucher code by email.
Is it legal to turn Robux into money? ›
If you (a user of Roblox who is 13 years of age or older) have the requisite minimum amount of Robux in your account (as set out in the DevEx Terms), you will be presented with an option to exchange your Robux for U.S. dollars at the then current exchange rate set by Roblox ("Cash Out").
How much is 1 dollar worth of Robux? ›
The value of Robux is determined by the exchange rate set by the developers of Roblox. Typically, 400 Robux costs $4.99, so you can estimate that 1 US dollar is roughly worth 80 Robux.
What is $2000 Robux? ›
Converting $2000 into Robux
With $2000, you can get approximately 160,000 Robux. This calculation is based on the standard rate of 1 Robux being equal to $0.0125 US dollars. To break it down, if you spend $2000, you're essentially buying a whole lot of fun on Roblox.
Is 100000 Robux a lot? ›
100,000 Robux roughly equals about $1,250 in US dollars. This estimation is based on the standard conversion rate where 1 Robux is valued at approximately $0.0125. However, remember, the exact amount can vary depending on whether you're buying in bulk or have a Roblox Premium subscription.
Question: Can I earn Free Robux? Answer: No. Robux are purchased from the Roblox company for real world currency or earned as a Robux creator.
How to get Robux 1? ›
While there is no way to get Robux for free, you can purchase Robux individually, or through a premium subscription. You can also earn Robux by making clothing and accessories for Roblox avatars or by making making pay-to-play games or games with in-game purchases.
Is Roblox a crypto currency? ›
Robux primarily serves as an in-game currency, limiting its use as a medium of exchange outside of Roblox. Transparency and Public Ledger: Cryptocurrencies use public ledgers that anyone can access and verify. Robux transactions are recorded within the Roblox ecosystem and are not as transparent or publicly accessible.
Can I sell a Roblox digital card? ›
However, some users may prefer to sell their Roblox gift cards for cash, which can be used for various other purposes. By selling your Roblox gift card for cash, you gain the freedom to use the funds in any way you desire.
Where to sell Robux? ›
The only way to exchange Robux for USD is via Developer Exchange. You can look that up if you'd like, but the minimum is 30,000 earned Robux and the rates are terrible. It's official, on the Roblox website, and the only legal method.
Is Roblox a blockchain game? ›
Founded in 2004, Roblox has actually made many arrangements in the Web3 field, such as supporting the blockchain-driven game PlayDapp; introducing the virtual currency Robux within the platform to help creators monetize, etc. However, Roblox itself has never issued a real NFT, and Robux is not a cryptocurrency.
Can you earn coins on Roblox? ›
Coins can be obtained by completing Daily Quests, by buying them from the in-game Store with Robux, and selling items at the Trading Center. They are typically used to speed up forge creations. They're also used to craft weapons, excluding event weapons, and buy items.
Can I earn crypto by playing games? ›
Most play-to-earn games have specific success metrics to track players' earnings. For example, a blockchain-based trading card game may reward players with a specific number of cryptocurrency tokens for each opponent they beat.
Can my Roblox game make money? ›
Most Roblox games are free to play, and don't require any payment. If you want to make money, however, you can charge people a fee to play your game (between 25 and 1,000 Robux). Note that people aren't buying your user-created game; they're paying for access to your user-created game.
