Bitcoin Mining Pools
Network Data
A concentrated pool landscape
Bitcoin has the largest, but also one of the most concentrated, pool landscapes: a handful of large providers find the majority of all blocks. This is convenient for your payouts - large pools pay very evenly - but too much concentration is unfavourable for the network. Anyone who keeps decentralisation in mind alongside fee and payout model makes a deliberate choice instead of automatically picking the largest provider. The live table above makes the current distribution transparent.
Measured in blocks, not in self-reported figures
The shares above are based on the blocks actually found over the past seven days - the most honest measure available, because it can be verified on-chain. For Bitcoin, FPPS is the most common payout model: the pool pays a fixed rate for computing power and also distributes a proportional share of transaction fees. The basics of payout models and selection criteria are covered on the overview page Mining Pools.
Choosing a pool in practice
For miners in Europe, alongside fee and payout model, the proximity of the stratum server matters - low latency reduces the number of rejected shares. Switching pools is possible at any time within minutes: just enter the new stratum address in the miner dashboard, done. Customers who have their devices hosted by Cryptohall24 choose the pool themselves, freely; our team is happy to help with setup on request. What a device earns after the pool fee can be calculated in the Bitcoin Mining Calculator.