Mining Pools Explained: Solo vs Pool Mining
Why almost everyone mines in a pool, how payouts work, and which pools to consider.
Why pools exist
Solo mining with a single machine means waiting months or years between finding a block. Mining pools let thousands of miners combine their hashrate and share rewards proportionally. Steady income beats lottery tickets.
How pool payouts work
Most pools use PPS+ (Pay Per Share Plus) or FPPS (Full Pay Per Share). You get paid for every valid share your machine submits, regardless of whether the pool finds a block. This smooths out variance dramatically.
Pool fees
Standard pool fees range from 1-3%. Some pools advertise 0% fees but make up the difference with less favorable payout methods. Read the fine print.
Popular pools
F2Pool, ViaBTC, and Antpool are among the largest by hashrate. For hosted mining, your facility will help configure the optimal pool based on your hardware and payout preferences.