Mining STEEM

So I am trying to venture out into the world of mining, but I am confused on a couple of issues:

1. The Hashing Algorithm
   I have read on steemit that the hashing algorithm is SHA-256, but I have found no documentation from the developers backing this claim up.
2. ASIC mining
   If the mining algorithm is actually SHA-256, could I use prexisting mining equipment to mine the blocks?

Obligatory please and thanks!