In brief
- Two solo Bitcoin miners independently mined blocks and won rewards of about $300K each.
- Full payouts are rare amid mining pool dominance, but solo wins still happen occasionally.
- U.S. mining share fell over the last year as firms pivot to AI, with China grabbing more share.
Lightning struck twice this week for solo Bitcoin miners, with each of them earning roughly $300,000 worth of BTC.
Early Thursday morning, a solo miner landed a 3.157 BTC reward (including fees), worth roughly $304,000 at the time it was paid.
This was preceded by another solo miner successfully mining a block on Tuesday and earning a payout valued at $295,000. Instead, each miner received the full payout, a rare outcome given the dominance of large, industrial-scale mining operations.
The Bitcoin mempool is dominated by Foundry USA, AntPool, and F2Pool, which collectively account for nearly 57% of all blocks that have been mined.
Bitcoin mining is the process by which transactions are confirmed and added to the blockchain, the public ledger that underpins the network. Miners compete to solve a cryptographic puzzle using specialized computers, and the first to find a valid solution earns the right to add the next block of transactions—along with the associated block reward and transaction fees.
The process is probabilistic, meaning miners with more computing power have better odds, but outcomes are ultimately determined by chance.
It’s not clear where the lucky solo miners are located, but there’s evidence that America’s grip on Bitcoin mining is slipping.
SOLO BITCOIN MINER JUST HIT THE JACKPOT
MINED A FULL BLOCK. 3.16 BTC EARNED.
THAT’S A $295,000 PAYOUT IN ONE SHOT.
NO POOL. NO SPLIT. ALL HIS.
SOLO MINING BEATS THE ODDS, RARE, BUT STILL POSSIBLE.
ABSOLUTE LEGEND. 💪 pic.twitter.com/VFdpvwzxNX
— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) January 14, 2026
U.S. Bitcoin mining firms have been racing to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence, which has resulted in several big deals. And even though that’s helped buoy the share prices of the Bitcoin miners who have made the pivots, it has also provided an opportunity for countries like China to grab back market share.
In 2025, North American pools, where miners combine computing power to better their chances of solving a block and obtaining the block reward, saw a consistent decline in block share, or the percentage of total Bitcoin blocks successfully mined, according to a recent report from BlocksBridge Consulting.
As of December, BlocksBridge said that Foundry USA, MARA Pool, and Luxor Technologies accounted for 35% of all Bitcoin blocks, down from more than 40% last January.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
ARK Invest Releases Bitcoin Quantum Risk Five-Stage Chart, Q-Day Threats Need Not Cause Panic
ARK Invest and Unchained Release White Paper Analyzing Progressive Quantum Computing Threat to Bitcoin, Proposing Five-Stage Framework. The report emphasizes that despite technological advances, the current Bitcoin network is not yet under threat, and the community should proactively deploy quantum-resistant security measures to address potential future risks.
GateNews10m ago
Iran warns that oil prices could soar to $200, and Bitcoin faces a new wave of volatility risk
Iran warns that if the US and Israel continue military actions, oil prices could soar to $200, potentially intensifying inflation and affecting the Bitcoin market. Although Bitcoin has recently rebounded, geopolitical conflicts have caused its performance to remain unstable, and analysts indicate that there may be significant fluctuations in the future, so investors should stay alert to potential risks.
GateNews12m ago
A certain whale is continuously averaging down on 40x leveraged BTC short positions, with accumulated holdings of $3.12 million
On March 12, Hyperinsight detected an address continuously increasing BTC short positions, with cumulative holdings reaching $3.12 million despite currently being down 16%. The address has set take-profit orders, planning to close positions in batches within the $69,200 to $69,450 range.
GateNews13m ago
India Arrests Core Suspects in GainBitcoin, Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Investigation Escalates
On March 12, India's Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Ayush Varshney, Chief Technology Officer of Darwin Labs, on suspicion of involvement in the GainBitcoin cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. The case involves a wide range of investors and substantial fund misappropriation, with investigations revealing that the fraudsters utilized complex technical platforms and smart contracts to conceal their activities. This arrest marks intensified efforts by Indian regulators to crack down on crypto fraud.
GateNews13m ago
Trump announces "Victory in Iran War," Bitcoin surges strongly back to $70,000, Ethereum rises in tandem
Trump announces that the U.S. military has achieved victory in the military operation against Iran, improving risk sentiment in the financial markets, and cryptocurrencies rebound. Bitcoin rises over 5% to re-enter the $70,000 level, with Ethereum and other digital currencies also recovering. Currently, the market is focused on the stability of the Middle East situation and international oil prices, which have a significant impact on Bitcoin's future trend.
GateNews20m ago
Strive buys Strategy stocks, and Bitcoin Treasury Company begins to intertwine with each other.
Strive has recently increased its Bitcoin holdings by 179 coins, bringing the total to 13,311 coins, and invested $50 million in the preferred stock STRC of Strategy. This series of investments shows that both companies are raising funds through bond issuance and continuing to increase their Bitcoin positions. However, this funding chain structure concentrates risk on Bitcoin, forming a complex "matryoshka" financing model. As interest rates rise, investors face increasing difficulties, and the market becomes more concentrated.
PANews22m ago
