The perseverance of 36 blocks: How overlooked independent miners sustain Bitcoin's decentralization

According to the latest news, in 2025, a total of 36 blocks on the Bitcoin network were mined by independent miners, who earned a total of 3.125 BTC in block rewards. This seemingly small number reflects a long-overlooked force within the Bitcoin network.

The Micro Perspective of Independent Miners

What does 36 blocks mean?

While 36 blocks constitute a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of blocks mined throughout the year, they represent the actual presence of independent miners within the entire Bitcoin network. According to Digital Mining Solutions, these independent miners have successfully competed against mining pools and large-scale mining farms to earn their own block rewards.

From another perspective, this indicates that every day, there are individuals participating in mining with small-scale computing power, rather than the process being entirely monopolized by large mining pools. Although the probability is small, the existence of this possibility is itself very significant.

Understanding the scale of earnings

The total reward of 3.125 BTC, based on the current price of $90,601.67, is worth approximately $280,000. This could be a substantial income for small independent miners, enough to support their continued participation in the network. More importantly, it reflects the resilience of the independent mining community—they persist despite increasing mining difficulty and rising equipment costs.

New Positioning in Industry Changes

Relevant data shows that the Bitcoin mining industry is undergoing profound changes. Capital markets are no longer solely focused on “hash rate scale,” but are beginning to evaluate miners’ multi-dimensional competitiveness. Some miners achieve value breakthroughs through transformation into AI businesses; others gain market recognition by pursuing maximum energy efficiency; while independent miners represent a third survival model.

Against this backdrop of change, the significance of independent miners is being redefined:

• Guardians of network decentralization: Their existence ensures Bitcoin mining is not entirely controlled by a few large players
• Testing ground for market innovation: Small miners are often more flexible, able to quickly adopt new technologies or strategies
• Embodiment of ecological diversity: Miners of different sizes and regions work together to maintain network security

Overlooked Value

While industry focus often centers on financing, mergers, and transformations of large mining companies, the community of independent miners is rarely discussed. They lack the halo of going public or ambitious expansion plans, but they actively uphold Bitcoin’s core value—decentralization.

The cost of mining 36 blocks may be high, and the rewards unstable, but it is this kind of “uneconomical” perseverance that keeps the Bitcoin network open. Anyone with sufficient computing power and electricity can participate in securing the network and earn rewards. This was the original intention of Satoshi Nakamoto when designing Bitcoin.

Summary

The 36 blocks mined by independent miners in 2025 may seem like a trivial number, but they represent an important force within the Bitcoin ecosystem. As the mining industry trends toward specialization and scale, the existence of independent miners reminds us that decentralization is not an abstract concept but requires the steadfastness of every participant to maintain.

As the industry reevaluates multi-dimensional competitiveness, the value of independent miners may be recognized by more people. And this is precisely the diversity that the Bitcoin network needs most.