Since Jan. 3, 2009, the Bitcoin community has mined over 910,000 blocks, with 9 well-known mining swimming pools answerable for discovering 48.78% of them. The next highlights the highest ten entities which have mined 673,848 blocks, representing almost three-quarters of all blocks produced because the community’s launch.
The ten Entities That Helped Write Bitcoin’s Ledger
In Bitcoin’s early days, mining was executed solo, with some contributors commanding extra hashrate than others, all whereas the {hardware} developed from central processing items (CPUs) to graphics processing items (GPUs) and ultimately to in the present day’s application-specific built-in circuits (ASICs). On the shut of 2010, Marek Palatinus, often known as Slush, launched the primary publicly acknowledged bitcoin (BTC) mining pool, aptly named Slush Pool, and it has since rebranded to Braiins Pool.
Right here’s a complete take a look at the highest ten mining entities, the variety of blocks they’ve found, and the identities behind them.
1. Unknown (25.25% / 229,922 blocks)
This class covers unknown miners whose identities stay hidden within the coinbase transaction. It consists of Satoshi Nakamoto, early bitcoin contributors, and different nameless contributors lively within the community’s childhood. Whereas many of those blocks have been mined earlier than organized swimming pools grew to become the norm, a handful are nonetheless discovered in the present day by unknown miners, although the follow has grow to be more and more uncommon.
2. Antpool (11.00% / 100,178 blocks)
Antpool ranks among the many largest and longest-running mining swimming pools within the business. As soon as straight owned by Bitmain, Antpool not operates underneath the corporate’s umbrella however nonetheless maintains shut ties to the agency. It has lengthy been a number one contributor to Bitcoin’s hashpower and in the present day stands because the second-largest mining pool by hashrate, simply behind Foundry.
3. F2pool (10.15% / 92,382 blocks)
Based in China in 2013, F2pool—initially often known as Discus Fish—has grown into a number one multi-asset mining pool. Through the years, it has mined a large portion of blocks and continues to rank among the many most influential swimming pools, supporting a variety of cryptocurrency networks past Bitcoin.
4. Foundry USA (6.39% / 58,175 blocks)
Foundry USA, a U.S.-based mining pool backed by Foundry Digital, a subsidiary of Digital Foreign money Group, has rapidly risen in prominence since 2020. Pushed by North America’s mining increase and rising institutional curiosity, it now ranks fourth all-time in blocks discovered however leads the business in hashrate as of 2025. Up to now three days, Foundry has commanded about 32.42% of the community’s whole hashrate.
5. ViaBTC (5.16% / 47,014 blocks)
Based in Could 2016 by Haipo Yang, ViaBTC is a Chinese language‑based mining pool that rapidly gained prominence for its pioneering providers and sturdy multi‑coin help. It launched revolutionary cost strategies like PPS+—a primary within the business—and helps mining throughout over 20 cryptocurrencies, together with BTC, LTC, BCH, ETH, and KAS. Right now, it serves a world person base of over 1.7 million customers throughout 150+ international locations, sustaining high rankings in hashrate.
6. Braiin’s Pool (4.53% / 41,283 blocks)
Based by Marek Palatinus in November 2010 (initially underneath the identify Bitcoin.cz or Slush Pool), Braiins Pool was the world’s first publicly obtainable bitcoin mining pool. It launched pooled mining with the revolutionary “Slush‑fashion” share system, enabling miners to mix computing energy and earn predictable rewards. Right now, it stays a key business presence, famend for its transparency, use of protocols like Stratum V2, and its contribution to mining decentralization.
7. BTC Guild (3.62% / 32,935 blocks)
Launched in 2011, BTC Guild rapidly rose to prominence as one of many largest bitcoin mining swimming pools, at occasions commanding greater than 40% of the community’s hashrate. Operated by software program developer Michael Marsee, it performed a pivotal function in Bitcoin’s childhood, giving smaller miners dependable payouts. Nonetheless, confronted with rising regulatory uncertainty and rising industrial competitors, the pool formally closed its doorways in June 2015 after 4 years of affect.
8. Poolin (3.07% / 27,911 blocks)
Established in 2017 by former Btc.com executives, Poolin quickly grew to become one of many largest bitcoin mining swimming pools worldwide, at one level rating second by hashrate. Identified for its multi-asset mining help and user-friendly providers, the pool attracted a world following. Nonetheless, by 2022, it confronted liquidity and withdrawal points that weakened its dominance, although its contributions throughout peak years left an enduring mark on Bitcoin’s mining historical past.
9. Ghash.io (2.54% / 23,083 blocks)
Operated by the crypto alternate CEX.IO, Ghash.io emerged in 2013 as one of the vital highly effective bitcoin mining swimming pools of its period. In June 2014, it briefly surpassed 50% of the community’s hashrate, igniting widespread fears about centralization and a possible 51% assault. Though the pool’s dominance rapidly waned, ongoing scrutiny and aggressive pressures led to its closure in 2016, cementing its place in Bitcoin’s early mining historical past.
10. Binance Pool (2.30% / 20,965 blocks)
Launched in April 2020 by the worldwide alternate Binance, Binance Pool swiftly entered the ranks of the highest bitcoin mining swimming pools, leveraging the platform’s huge person base and monetary sources. It presents each proof-of-work mining and staking providers, together with options like FPPS (Full Pay-Per-Share) payouts. Regardless of being a comparatively new entrant, it has mined tens of 1000’s of blocks, cementing itself as a formidable power within the business.
The Arc of Affect in Bitcoin’s Mining Historical past
The distribution of mining energy over time reveals not simply who formed Bitcoin’s basis, however who would possibly affect its future. As institutional gamers declare extra hashrate and older entities fade, the stability between decentralization and dominance grows extra delicate. The quiet evolution of mining swimming pools could but decide whether or not Bitcoin stays trustless—or merely ruled by totally different gatekeepers.
Behind each mined block lies a strategic shift in know-how, governance, and ambition. From nameless pioneers to corporate-backed swimming pools, Bitcoin’s chain is a dwelling artifact of financial and ideological competitors. Whereas mining stays permissionless, affect accrues in patterns, suggesting that energy inside the community could also be extra fluid—however not essentially extra distributed—than many would possibly assume.
