Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Centralizes as Top 9 Pools Control 48.78% Hash Power

Since the inception of the Bitcoin network on Jan. 3, 2009, over 910,000 blocks have been mined, with nine major mining pools accounting for 48.78% of the total. These top contributors have collectively mined 673,848 blocks—nearly three-quarters of the network's entire block history. The data highlights the evolving dynamics of Bitcoin’s mining ecosystem, from early solo efforts to the rise of large, institutionalized mining pools [1].

Among the top contributors, the entity categorized as "Unknown" leads with 25.25% of the blocks mined (229,922 blocks), reflecting early miners, including Satoshi Nakamoto and other anonymous participants, whose contributions remain obscured by the decentralized nature of the blockchain [1].

Antpool ranks second with 11% (100,178 blocks), having maintained its position as a major hashrate provider since its inception. Though no longer directly owned by Bitmain, it remains closely aligned with the company and continues to be one of the most influential pools in the network [1].

F2pool, founded in 2013 in China, holds the third-largest share with 10.15% (92,382 blocks). It has expanded beyond Bitcoin, becoming a multi-asset mining pool with a global user base [1].

Foundry USA, a U.S.-based pool operated by Foundry Digital, now leads in hashrate despite ranking fourth in total blocks found (6.39%, or 58,175 blocks). As of 2025, it commands 32.42% of the network’s total hashrate, reflecting the growing influence of North American miners and institutional investors [1].

ViaBTC, established in 2016, has mined 5.16% (47,014 blocks) and is known for its multi-coin mining support and innovative payment models. It serves over 1.7 million users globally and continues to be a top-tier player in the mining sector [1].

Braiin’s Pool, founded by Marek Palatinus in 2010, was the world’s first publicly available mining pool. It introduced the Slush-style share system, which revolutionized how miners shared rewards. With 4.53% of all blocks mined (41,283 blocks), it remains a foundational force in the industry [1].

BTC Guild, once one of the largest pools in Bitcoin’s early years, mined 3.62% of blocks (32,935 blocks) before closing in 2015 due to regulatory and competitive pressures [1].

Poolin, launched in 2017, reached peak dominance but faced liquidity issues by 2022. It has mined 3.07% of all blocks (27,911 blocks) and remains a significant historical contributor [1].

Ghash.io, operated by CEX.IO, briefly controlled over 50% of the network’s hashrate in 2014, raising concerns about centralization. It mined 2.54% of blocks (23,083 blocks) before shuttering in 2016 [1].

Binance Pool, launched in 2020, has quickly risen to the top ten, leveraging Binance’s user base and financial backing. It has mined 2.30% of blocks (20,965 blocks) and continues to expand its offerings in both PoW mining and staking [1].

The data underscores a shift in mining influence from early pioneers and small-scale operators to institutional players and corporate-backed pools. While the permissionless nature of Bitcoin remains intact, the concentration of hashrate among a few dominant entities raises questions about decentralization and long-term network governance [1].

Source: [1] From Satoshi to Foundry: The Titans of Hash Behind 910,000 BTC Blocks (https://api.news.bitcoin.com/wp-json/bcn/v1/post?slug=from-satoshi-to-foundry-the-titans-of-hash-behind-910000-btc-blocks)