Payout schemes — what you actually get paid
Fixed payout per valid share submitted. Pool absorbs all variance. Lowest variance, highest pool fee (3-5%). Best for small miners with limited cash flow.
PPS plus transaction fees included. Smooth payouts that include fee market upside. Slightly lower pool fee (~2.5-3%). The 2026 default for institutional miners.
Variable payout based on the pool's actual block luck within recent shares. Higher long-run yield (~2-3% advantage) but variance can spike. Best for miners with stable cash flow and 1+ year time horizon.
FPPS with additional bonuses tied to Bitmain ecosystem (firmware, ASIC discounts). Antpool's unique offering.
You keep 100% of any block you find. Expected payout = 0 most of the time, big when you hit. Used as a moral / educational choice or with Bitaxe lottery miners.
Sell your hashrate forward via futures. Reduces revenue variance for miners running tight on cash flow. Pioneered by Luxor in 2022; now growing rapidly.
Top pools comparison (May 2026)
| Pool | HQ | Network share | Payout | Fee | Min payout | Stratum V2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundry USA | 🇺🇸 US | ~33% | FPPS | 2.5% | 0.005 BTC | ✅ Beta |
| Antpool | 🇨🇳 CN / 🇭🇰 HK | ~20% | FPPS+ / PPLNS | 2-4% | 0.001 BTC | ✅ V2 partial |
| F2Pool | 🇨🇳 CN / 🇺🇸 US | ~10% | PPS | 2.5% | 0.005 BTC | Coming 2026 |
| ViaBTC | 🇨🇳 CN / 🇭🇰 HK | ~8% | PPS / PPLNS | 2-4% | 0.001 BTC | Coming 2026 |
| Binance Pool | 🇸🇨 / 🇦🇪 | ~7% | FPPS | 2.5% | 0.001 BTC | Coming |
| Luxor | 🇺🇸 / 🇦🇺 | ~3% | FPPS + hashrate spot | 2.5% | 0.001 BTC | ✅ V2 |
| Braiins Pool | 🇨🇿 CZ | ~3% | FPPS / PPLNS | 2% | 0.001 BTC | ✅ Default V2 |
| SBI Crypto | 🇯🇵 JP | ~2% | FPPS | 2.5% | 0.005 BTC | Beta |
| SpiderPool | 🇨🇳 / 🇭🇰 | ~2% | FPPS / PPLNS | 2-3% | 0.001 BTC | — |
| ckpool solo | 🇬🇧 UK | ~1% | Solo (lottery) | 2% | Block reward | — |
Pool network share fluctuates monthly. Verify current with mempool.space/mining or Hashrate Index before switching.
Why Stratum V2 matters
The block-construction monopoly problem
Under classic Stratum V1, the pool decides which transactions go into the next block. Miners just hash. This concentrates censorship power at the top 5 pools — they could collectively filter transactions if a regulator demanded it.
Stratum V2 separates the hashing function from block construction. Miners can choose the transaction set themselves, while the pool still aggregates and pays out hash. This is the single most important decentralisation upgrade for Bitcoin in 2025-26.
- Braiins Pool defaults to Stratum V2 for all miners
- Foundry, Luxor support Stratum V2 in beta or by request
- Antpool partial; F2Pool, ViaBTC rolling out through 2026
- Asian miners running V2-capable firmware (Braiins OS, Vnish, LuxOS) can switch today
FAQ
Should I use multiple pools to diversify?
For institutional miners: yes — split across 2-3 pools to reduce single-pool counterparty + payout risk. For retail single-ASIC: pick one with reliable payouts and good Asian latency. Switching frequently increases payout-threshold friction.
Are Asian pools "safer" politically than US pools?
Depends on threat model. Foundry USA is subject to OFAC sanctions enforcement; Asian pools (Antpool, F2Pool, ViaBTC) are less likely to filter transactions at US-government request but have their own jurisdictional constraints. Best long-term answer: Stratum V2 on whichever pool you prefer.
What's the lowest-fee pool for Asian miners?
Braiins Pool at 2% fee with full Stratum V2 + open-source tooling. ViaBTC at 2% PPS+ for some tiers. Antpool offers competitive PPS+ for large miners (negotiated tier).
Will the top pools always be in the US + China?
Geographic distribution shifts when energy + regulatory landscapes shift. Post-2021 Chinese ban, US pools surged. As Pakistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Iran mining grows, pools serving those regions will gain share. Foundry's current dominance is not structural.
Can I run my own pool?
Yes — open-source pool software (CKpool, Public Pool, P2Pool 2026 revival) allows running your own. Realistic only for institutional miners with >1 EH/s; otherwise variance kills you. Public Pool is a fun educational project, not a profitable infrastructure.