Mining Pools
Pool mining turns unpredictable lottery odds into steady income. Compare the top pools, understand payout methods, and choose the right one for your setup.
Pool Mining vs. Solo Mining
Imagine a lottery where tickets cost electricity and the jackpot is 3.125 BTC. Solo mining means buying tickets on your own. With a single Antminer S23, your odds of winning any given drawing are roughly 1 in 3 million. You could mine for years without ever finding a block, or you could get lucky tomorrow. The expected value is the same either way, but the variance is enormous.
Pool mining is like joining a lottery syndicate. You combine your tickets with thousands of other miners. The syndicate wins more often, and you get your proportional share of each win. The payouts are smaller but steady and predictable. For most miners, the reduced variance makes pool mining the only practical option.
Pool Mining
- Steady daily payouts
- Predictable income for budgeting
- No need to run a full node
- Lower barrier to entry
- Works with any hashrate level
Solo Mining
- Full block reward when you win
- No pool fees
- Maximum privacy
- No counterparty risk
- Educational (see mining at protocol level)
The bottom line: if you have less than 1 PH/s (about three Antminer S23 units), pool mining is the only way to receive regular payouts. Solo mining with small hashrate is fun for education but not a viable income strategy.
Payout Methods Explained
Mining pools use different methods to calculate and distribute rewards. Understanding these matters because they directly affect your income stability and total earnings.
You get paid a fixed amount for every valid share you submit, regardless of whether the pool finds a block. The pool absorbs all variance risk. Most predictable income, but typically higher fees (2% to 4%).
Same as PPS for the block subsidy, but also includes a share of transaction fees distributed using a PPLNS-like method. Slightly more variable than pure PPS, but higher total earnings because you get fee revenue too.
Like PPS+ but the transaction fee component is also calculated on a per-share basis instead of PPLNS. The most predictable method overall. Used by Foundry.
You only get paid when the pool finds a block, and your share is based on your recent contribution. Higher variance but lower fees (1% to 2%). Rewards loyalty because frequent pool switching penalizes you.
For most home miners, PPS+ offers the best balance: predictable base income plus transaction fee revenue. PPLNS is better if you never switch pools and are comfortable with variable income.
Pool Comparison
| Pool | Hash Share | Fee | Payout | Min. Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundry USA | ~37% | 0% (institutional) | FPPS | 0.01 BTC |
| AntPool | ~15% | 1–3% | PPS+ / PPLNS | 0.001 BTC |
| ViaBTC | ~12% | 1–4% | PPS+ / PPLNS / Solo | 0.0001 BTC |
| Braiins Pool | ~4% | 2% | Score-based | 0.001 BTC |
| Solo Mining | Your hashrate | 0% | Full block reward | 3.125 BTC (full block) |
Foundry USA
Best for: US-based operations with significant hashrate and regulatory compliance requirements.
Strengths
- Largest pool by hashrate
- US regulated and compliant
- FPPS includes transaction fee revenue
- Professional dashboard and monitoring
Limitations
- Primarily institutional focus
- High minimum payout (0.01 BTC)
- Major centralization concern at 37% share
- KYC required for all accounts
AntPool
Best for: Antminer hardware owners who want flexible payout options and low minimums.
Strengths
- Multiple payout methods
- Low minimum payout
- Large pool with consistent block finding
- Good for Antminer hardware users
Limitations
- Bitmain affiliated (potential conflict of interest)
- Variable fee structure
- Less transparent than some alternatives
- Centralization concern as second-largest pool
ViaBTC
Best for: Beginners and small miners who want low minimums and simple setup.
Strengths
- Very low minimum payout
- Solo mining option for lottery miners
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Multiple payout methods including daily
Limitations
- Higher fees on PPS+
- Based in less regulated jurisdiction
- Smaller community than Foundry or AntPool
- Less detailed analytics
Braiins Pool
Best for: Miners who value decentralization, transparency, and want to support Stratum V2 adoption.
Strengths
- First-ever Bitcoin mining pool (est. 2010)
- Full Stratum V2 support
- Strong decentralization ethos
- Transparent and open-source focus
Limitations
- Smaller pool means more payout variance
- Score-based rewards unfamiliar to some
- Lower hashrate share
- Fewer features than larger pools
Solo Mining
Best for: Education (Bitaxe), very large operations (PH/s+), or miners who want lottery-ticket excitement.
Strengths
- Full block reward (3.125 BTC + fees)
- No pool fees
- No counterparty risk
- Maximum privacy and independence
Limitations
- Extremely rare payouts with small hashrate
- High variance (years between blocks)
- Need to run a full Bitcoin node
- No guaranteed income
Why Pool Choice Affects Decentralization
When you point your miner at a pool, you are delegating block construction authority to that pool's operator. The pool operator decides which transactions go into the blocks they produce. This is an enormous amount of power.
If a single pool controls 51% or more of network hashrate, it could theoretically double spend or censor transactions. Even at 37% (Foundry's current share as of March 2026), a pool has significant influence over which transactions get confirmed quickly.
Stratum V2: The Solution
The Stratum V2 mining protocol addresses this by allowing individual miners to construct their own block templates instead of accepting the pool's template. This means even when you mine in a pool, you retain control over which transactions are included. Braiins Pool already supports Stratum V2, and adoption is growing.
Until Stratum V2 is universal, the most practical thing you can do for decentralization is avoid the largest pools. Every miner who moves from Foundry (37%) to Braiins Pool (4%) makes Bitcoin more resilient.
Your pool choice is a vote for how centralized or decentralized Bitcoin mining should be. If decentralization matters to you, choose smaller pools and support Stratum V2.
Pool Setup Walkthrough
Connecting your miner to a pool takes about five minutes. The process is essentially the same for every pool:
Create an account on your chosen pool. Some pools require email only; others require KYC (like Foundry). Registration is usually free.
Set your Bitcoin payout address. Use a hardware wallet address. Never use an exchange address for pool payouts if you value self-custody.
Get your Stratum connection URL and port. The pool will provide this. It looks something like: stratum+tcp://pool.example.com:3333
Configure your miner. Access your miner through its web interface (usually at its local IP address). Enter the Stratum URL, your pool username, and worker name.
Verify your miner appears on the pool dashboard. Within a few minutes, you should see your hashrate reported on the pool. If not, check your configuration and network connection.
Set your minimum payout threshold. Most pools let you choose when payouts are sent. Lower thresholds mean more frequent but smaller payouts (with higher total transaction fees).
That is it. Once configured, your miner will automatically submit work to the pool and you will see earnings accumulate in your pool dashboard. Payouts are sent to your Bitcoin address according to the pool's payout schedule (usually daily or when minimum threshold is reached). Hardware Setup Guide
Our Recommendation
Supports Stratum V2, open-source ethos, smaller pool that needs more hashrate. The best choice for Bitcoin maximalists.
Low minimum payouts, beginner-friendly interface, daily payments. Easiest on-ramp for new miners.
FPPS payouts, US regulated, professional grade. Best for larger operations that need compliance.
Use your Bitaxe for solo mining as a lottery ticket. ViaBTC offers solo mining mode that simplifies setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
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