Independent miners make a comeback: this week, they mined two Bitcoin blocks in a row, each earning $300,000

This week, two independent miners each mined a full Bitcoin block, earning rewards of approximately $300,000. One miner mined a block on Thursday with a reward of 3.157 Bitcoins (including fees), while the other mined a nearly $295,000 reward block earlier. In an era dominated by mining pools and large mining enterprises, it has become increasingly rare for independent miners to successfully mine a full block. These two events have sparked reflections on the future of decentralized Bitcoin mining.

What Is the Reward Worth?

Based on the current Bitcoin price of $95,258, the rewards from these two blocks exceed $570,000. While this number seems significant, it’s important to understand that this represents a “lucky moment” for independent miners — in the face of increasing mining difficulty, the probability of a single miner or small mining team mining a full block is extremely low.

According to relevant data, Bitcoin’s current mining difficulty has reached 1.56 quadrillion, meaning independent miners need to invest enormous computational power to have a chance to compete. Most of the time, their hash power contributions are absorbed by mining pools, which then distribute rewards proportionally — this approach is stable but also means giving up the chance to mine a full block.

Why Is This So Rare?

Independent miners face several practical challenges in successfully mining:

• Hash power concentration: Large mining companies and pools control the vast majority of hash power, making competition highly unequal
• Cost pressures: Rising electricity costs, hardware investments, and maintenance costs make it difficult for small miners
• Increasing difficulty: Mining difficulty rises with network hash rate, reducing individual miners’ success rates
• Industry shifts: Industry news indicates that companies like CleanSpark are shifting towards AI and HPC sectors, potentially squeezing traditional mining space further

However, the success of these two independent miners also demonstrates that, although unlikely, decentralized mining still exists. This aligns with Bitcoin’s original design — anyone can participate in mining, rather than it being monopolized by a few large entities.

Changes in the Current Mining Ecosystem

It’s worth noting that the entire mining industry is undergoing a transformation. Reports show that Canaan Technology produced 86 Bitcoins in December, with holdings expected to increase to 1,750 by 2025; meanwhile, BlackRock transferred 1,061 Bitcoins to Coinbase Prime, reflecting increased holdings by institutions and large miners. At the same time, mining companies are exploring AI and high-performance computing sectors to seek new growth points.

In this context, the survival space for independent miners is being squeezed, but complete disappearance is unlikely — after all, every new Bitcoin block has the potential to be mined by anyone, embodying the essence of decentralization.

Summary

This week, two independent miners each earned rewards of $300,000, which is both a personal stroke of luck and a reflection of Bitcoin’s decentralized spirit. Although success for independent miners has become rare amid rising difficulty and hash power centralization, the very existence of such possibilities maintains the openness of the Bitcoin protocol. For participants with sufficient capital and technical expertise, independent mining remains an option, albeit one that involves higher risks and greater uncertainties.