Against all probability, another solo Bitcoin miner successfully processed a block last week—netting a 3.125 BTC reward, worth over $259,000 at the time, including transaction fees.
The event marked yet another in a string of similar wins by individual miners operating outside of traditional mining pools, fueling both curiosity and celebration across the crypto community.
These recent victories are raising questions: Is solo mining making a comeback?
While the data doesn’t suggest a dramatic rise in solo block wins, the visibility of these events—often shared widely on social media—has brought renewed attention to hobbyist mining rigs and decentralized participation in securing the Bitcoin network. Solo miners range from home-based enthusiasts with compact hardware setups to small, private collectives choosing to forgo public pools.
Experts say these successes are less about changing odds and more about increasing awareness. The randomness of mining still applies, but with more hobbyists entering the field—and better hardware now available to the average user—occasional wins are bound to surface.
Solo Mining Isn’t Always What It Seems
While solo Bitcoin mining has become a hot topic thanks to a string of high-profile wins, the underlying reality is more nuanced than it appears on Crypto Twitter. One service often at the center of these success stories is Solo CKPool—a platform that allows miners to plug in and hunt for blocks without running their own full Bitcoin node. It has been behind a growing number of solo block finds in recent years: 7 in 2022, 12 in 2023, and 16 in 2024.
But the term “solo” can be misleading. Despite the name, Solo CKPool is not a traditional mining pool—but it’s also not always an indication that the person mining is a lone hobbyist with a single rig in their bedroom. Some participants may, in fact, be deploying large amounts of hash power while simply choosing to mine independently of reward-sharing pools. The service allows any miner—big or small—to connect anonymously and keep nearly the full block reward if they strike gold.
That’s a key distinction from mainstream mining pools like Foundry, AntPool, and F2Pool, where miners combine computing resources and split rewards based on contribution. In contrast, Solo CKPool maintains the essence of solo mining—one winner takes all—but doesn’t preclude the possibility of serious hash power behind the scenes.
Low-Cost Mining Gear Finds Support Among Decentralization Advocates
As the Bitcoin network’s difficulty continues to climb and mining becomes increasingly dominated by industrial-scale operators, some in the community are pushing back. A growing number of Bitcoin enthusiasts—particularly those aligned with the protocol’s original decentralization ethos—have turned to compact, affordable mining rigs as a way to stay involved.
Devices like the Bitaxe and FutureBit Apollo, priced between $200 and $500, have gained traction among hobbyist miners looking to contribute hash power without relying on large corporate mining pools. These rigs, though modest in output, have become favored tools among Bitcoin maximalists who argue that widespread individual participation is essential for the network’s long-term health.
As large mining firms consolidate power, smaller participants are finding ways to reassert their presence—whether through solo pools like CKPool or community-driven initiatives. While their impact on hash rate remains marginal, their presence serves as a visible reminder of Bitcoin’s open and permissionless design—one that still allows room for the individual.
Quick Facts
- Solo miners have recently mined entire Bitcoin blocks independently, earning rewards exceeding $250,000 in some cases.
- Advancements in mining hardware have made solo mining more accessible to individuals.
- The Bitcoin community’s push for decentralization supports the participation of solo miners.
- Despite the dominance of large mining pools, solo mining remains a challenging but potentially rewarding endeavor.
