Mining pool
A group of miners who combine their computing power and share the block reward according to the work each contributes. This means even small miners receive small amounts regularly instead of a large one very rarely.
Alsopoolpool miningshares
A mining pool combines the computing power of many minersGlossaryMiningThe process in which specialised computers create new blocks using proof of work. In doing so, miners confirm transactions and are rewarded with newly created bitcoin plus the fees of the transactions in the block.In the glossary →. On its own, even a professional device would have to wait decades, on average, for a block of its own. In a pool, the rare big win turns into a steady small income.
How a pool measures work
The pool gives its members an easier puzzle than the network does. Solutions to it are called shares: they prove that a miner has been computing, but aren’t enough for a real block. If the pool’s target is 100 times easier than the network’s, it takes 100 shares on average to find a block – so the pool can pay one-hundredth of the payout per share.[1] Income fluctuates less; the expected value stays the same, minus the pool fee.
How concentrated is mining?
In the month to 28 September 2026, Foundry USA (25.3%), AntPool (19.2%) and F2Pool (15.0%) together found just under 60% of all blocks.[2] The machines belong to the connected miners, who can switch pools. But which transactions go into a block is usually decided by the pool operator. Nodes & decentralisation explains why this matters for censorship resistance.
Related terms
These terms are closely connected.
- This termMining pool
- MiningThe process in which specialised computers create new blocks using proof of work. In doing so, miners confirm transactions and are rewarded with newly created bitcoin plus the fees of the transactions in the block.
- Hashrate (computing power)How many hash attempts per second a mining device or the whole network makes. The network hashrate shows how much computing work secures Bitcoin.
- Block rewardWhat a miner receives for a valid block: newly created bitcoin (the subsidy) plus the fees of all transactions in the block. The subsidy halves every 210,000 blocks; on 20 April 2024 it fell to 3.125 BTC.
- DecentralisationBitcoin has no headquarters that could change the rules, freeze accounts or print more money. Instead, tens of thousands of independent nodes around the world check for themselves that all the rules are followed.
Explained in depth
These articles go into more detail:
- Deep dive · Stage 1Mining & proof of workHow Bitcoin mining works: the hash puzzle, difficulty adjustment, rewards, pools and energy – and why mining at home doesn’t pay in Germany.
- Deep dive · Stage 1Nodes & decentralisationWhat a full node checks, why the nodes ultimately decide on the rules, how decentralised Bitcoin is and how to run a node of your own.
- Stage 2 · Step 3Criticism & risksPrice crashes, crime, quantum computers, bans, concentration and criticism from the ECB and Bundesbank: the main objections to Bitcoin, with data and context.
More from „Technology“
Sources2 sources · 2 publishers
The superscript numbers in the text refer to these sources.
- Bitcoin Developer Guide: Mining – bitcoin.org Developer Documentation (accessed 28/09/2026)
- mempool.space API: mining pools, last month – mempool.space, 28.09.2026 (accessed 28/09/2026)
This entry is for education only and is not investment, tax or legal advice.