Key Takeaways
- Solo Bitcoin miners using basic rigs occasionally beat the odds and earn full block rewards, despite large pools dominating the network and most mining activity.
- Success stories from 2024 and 2025 show hobbyists with low-powered machines winning entire block rewards worth over $180,000 each.
- These wins usually come through Solo CKPool, which allows individuals to collect full rewards if they solve a block independently.
- Independent miners still account for over 40% of blocks mined, showing that individual participation remains relevant even at current hashrate levels.8 Most Successful Solo Bitcoin Miners
Bitcoin mining rigs—often referred to as crypto machines—work around the clock, solving complex problems to earn rewards. Over time, the hash rate on the Bitcoin network climbed from just a few petahashes per second to over 800 exahashes, driven mostly by large-scale industrial farms.
Major Bitcoin mining pools like Foundry USA and AntPool now dominate the network, making it tough for solo miners to keep up. Most days, it’s the pools that win. But every so often, someone working from home with a basic setup manages to beat the odds and land the full block reward on their own.
Interestingly, according to Blockchain.com, miners identified as Unknown—often small independent operations—still account for more than 40% of the blocks mined. It’s a reminder that even in a network ruled by giants, there’s still room for surprises.
Here are eight stories of solo miners who broke through and walked away with the prize.
Most Successful Solo Bitcoin Miners
Below is a quick look at eight solo Bitcoin miners, the years they struck blocks, and the BTC rewards they walked away with.
| Miner | Year | Block reward (in BTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Solo CK Miner | 2024 | 3.169 |
| Bitaxe Pocket Rig | 2025 | 3.150 |
| Anonymous home setup | 2025 | 3.125 |
| Unknown Bitaxe operator | 2025 | 3.150 |
| FutureBit Apollo hobbyist | 2025 | 3.150 |
| Solo CK (Solo CKPool) | 2024 | 3.190 |
| Unknown solo miner | 2024 | 3.275 |
| Solo CKPool 3 TH/s hobbyist | 2024 | 3.192 |
Unknown Solo CK Miner – 3.169 BTC
In 2024, a miner watched their Solo CK node flash confirmation for block 860,749. Solo CK funnels the entire reward to the individual who solves the block, so this operator collected the full 3.169 BTC (about $181,000 at the time).
That sum combined the 3.125 BTC subsidy with roughly 0.044 BTC in transaction fees. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s hashrate has climbed to record levels, making solo victories rare; yet this find shows how patience and a bit of luck can pay off. Some analysts even point to lower electricity costs after summer as a small edge for home miners.
Bitaxe Pocket Rig – 3.15 BTC
On March 10, 2025, a solo miner using a 480 GH/s Bitaxe pocket rig solved block 887212 on the Bitcoin network, earning a total of 3.15 BTC, worth about $257,963 at the time.
He routed his device through Solo.CKPool, the mining pool developed by Con Kolivas, lets individuals keep the full block reward. Kolivas highlighted that a 480 GH/s machine has a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of finding a block per day.
For context, large mining outfits run machines above 230,000 GH/s, making this victory a standout example of luck and persistence. Moreover, open‑source builders like “Skot” design these micro rigs to resist mining centralization. However, against all the odds stacked against it, this modest rig defied expectations and struck digital gold.
Anonymous home setup – 3.125 BTC
March 21, 2025 an independent miner turned a $2,500 basement rig—four machines comprising a BTC Apollo Full Node, Apollo Standard, Apollo II Standard, and a Bitmain S19Kpro—into a $264,980 windfall by solving block 888,737.
They pocketed the full 3.125 BTC subsidy and roughly 0.032 BTC in fees. The miner spotted the win on their Apollo dashboard from bed, then confirmed it on BlueWallet, sending ripples of excitement through Crypto Twitter.
Unknown Bitaxe operator – 3.15 BTC
On February 10, 2024, an unidentified miner using a Bitaxe unit captured block 883,181, earning 3.15 BTC, amounting to $307,547 in subsidies and fees. Marshall Long speculated on X that the operator implemented CKPool without direct ties to Solo CKPool.
Mempool.space data shows the block contained 3,071 transactions, while the network hashrate hovered near 789 EH/s. Despite this massive difficulty, the tiny rig prevailed, illustrating that solo miners can still strike gold under favorable conditions.
FutureBit Apollo hobbyist – 3.150 BTC
On January 30, 2025, a lone FutureBit Apollo rig processed block 881,423 at 01:01 UTC, securing 3.15 BTC—about $326,301—for its operator. Mempool.space records show 1,514 transactions in the block.
Interestingly, this setup had only one prior win: on October 28, 2024, it handled block 867,760 with over 4,834 transactions for 3.16 BTC. The miner had begun solo operations only weeks before, ramping up to near 1 TH/s.Even so, the miner’s consistency paid off again, reminding us that persistence can outmatch sheer scale.
Solo CK (Solo CKPool) – 3.190 BTC
On December 21, 2024, an anonymous Solo CKPool member solved block 875,750, pocketing 3.19 BTC (3.125 BTC subsidy + 0.065 BTC fees), worth around $311,432. Solo CKPool relays blocks without dividing rewards, so this miner kept every satoshi.
According to the pool’s logs, this was its 282nd solo block, showing how even infrequent wins can yield significant earnings for dedicated operators.
Unknown solo miner – 3.275 BTC
On August 29, 2024, a solo miner identified only by an address bested massive pools to solve block 858,978, earning 3.275 BTC (including fees) worth $199,098. The block contained 2,391 transactions, and Bitcoin Magazine celebrated the feat on Twitter, noting that such solo victories occur roughly once every four months. This win highlights that, despite low odds, independent miners can still land significant rewards.
Solo CKPool 3 TH/s hobbyist – 3.192 BTC
Late on July 24, 2024, a hobbyist with just 3 TH/s of hashpower solved block 853,742 netting 3.192 BTC—about $210,000—after 0.067 BTC in fees. This represented a 1 in 1.2 million daily chance against the network’s 654 EH/s.
Remarkably, the miner had only boosted their hashrate to 3 TH/s in the previous 24 hours, having begun solo mining 19 days earlier. With 290 solo blocks mined by Solo CKPool in that year, half after the April halving, it’s evident that small‑scale setups can still encounter fortunate outcomes.
Why is it So Hard to Mine Bitcoin?
Mining a Bitcoin block feels like a cosmic lottery. Every ten minutes, miners worldwide race to solve a SHA‑256 puzzle; the network adjusts difficulty roughly every two weeks to keep block times near ten minutes.
Consequently, the more hash power you have, the better your odds. Solo rigs with terahash‑level speed face daily win probabilities often below 0.001%. Transaction fees vary unpredictably, so the payoff can fluctuate even when you find a block. As a result, many hobbyists opt into mining pools, where consistent but smaller payouts replace the all‑or‑nothing gamble.
Mining pools help smooth income by letting participants share rewards proportionally to contributed power.
However, that convenience comes at the cost of paying pool fees and splitting block rewards, which solo miners avoid. In short, solo mining demands patience, optimism, and a willingness to play the long game.
Who Mines the Most Blocks on Bitcoin?
While individual miners occasionally capture attention with unexpected block discoveries, the majority—over 60%—of newly mined Bitcoin blocks are produced by just three dominant mining pools. These large organizations combine the computational power and hash rate of numerous individual miners to create more consistent earnings and significantly increase their chances of successfully mining blocks.
Foundry USA (United States): 33% of blocks
Based in New York, Foundry USA isn’t just a pool, it’s a full-service mining ecosystem. Owned by Digital Currency Group, Foundry provides institutional clients with hardware financing, staking services, and cheap electricity deals. This one-stop-shop approach has become a magnet for professional miners, especially in North America.
Fun fact: Foundry’s rise mirrors the US mining boom post-China’s 2021 mining ban. By early 2023, it helped propel the US to 38% of Bitcoin’s global hash rate. Their secret sauce? Strategic partnerships with renewable energy farms in Texas and Wyoming, where excess wind/solar power keeps costs low.
AntPool (China): 23% of blocks
AntPool, operated by Chinese hardware manufacturer Bitmain, is the phoenix of mining pools. After China banned crypto mining in 2021, AntPool shifted operations overseas, setting up shop in Kazakhstan, Texas, and Georgia. Despite the crackdown, it remains a top player thanks to Bitmain’s Antminer ASICs—the pickaxes used by ~65% of miners globally.
How they stay ahead: AntPool offers smart mining modes, letting users prioritize high fees or steady payouts. They’ve also dipped into Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin mining, diversifying their crypto portfolio. A recent report revealed that AntPool’s mining farms now run on 40% hydroelectric power, blending profit with sustainability.
F2Pool: 14% of blocks
Founded in 2013, F2Pool is the wise elder of Bitcoin mining. Known for its under-the-radar style, it’s mined over 1 million BTC since launch—enough to buy a small country. While based in China originally, F2Pool now operates nodes worldwide, including stealthy setups in Iceland and Canada.
Why miners love them: F2Pool charges a flat 2.5% fee – lower than AntPool’s 4% – and pays out rewards hourly. They’re also transparency nerds, offering real-time stats on block luck and hardware efficiency. In 2022, F2Pool made headlines for returning $200,000 in accidentally overpaid fees to users, a goodwill move that earned street credibility.
Closing Thoughts
Solo mining continues to offer a slim but real chance for individuals to compete in Bitcoin mining. Despite the rise of industrial farms and dominant pools, everyday miners with modest setups have still managed to secure full block rewards. These cases highlight the unpredictable nature of proof-of-work and suggest that the network hasn’t completely closed off to solo efforts.
With tools like Solo CKPool and open-source rigs like Bitaxe and FutureBit, independent miners remain active. While the odds are low, the occasional solo win brings a sense of possibility to a network increasingly driven by scale and specialization.
