F
Foundry Pool
A large institutional Bitcoin pool with strong North American presence and enterprise-focused operations.
- Fee
- 0-2%
- Method
- FPPS
- Country
- United States
Mining Pools Hub
Bitcoin Mining Pools Directory
A practical hub for understanding mining pools, comparing payout methods and fees, and choosing where to connect your ASIC hashrate.
A mining pool is a coordinated group of miners that combines hashrate to increase the probability of finding Bitcoin blocks. Instead of waiting for a rare solo block, participants receive payouts according to the pool reward method, their submitted shares and the pool rules.
Use this page as the main ECOS Academy directory for pool basics, reward methods, comparison criteria, setup steps and individual pool pages. The most important parameters are fee, payout method, minimum withdrawal, latency, transparency, reputation and the pool share of total Bitcoin hashrate.
Mining Pool Basics
Start with the core concepts before comparing specific pools: how pools reduce variance, how shares are counted, and why payout method changes risk.
Guide
What is a mining pool
Learn why miners combine hashrate and how pool operators coordinate work, shares and block rewards.
Read guideGuidePros and cons of mining pools
Pools provide more predictable payouts, but add fees, operator risk and centralization considerations.
Read guideGuideReward methods
Compare PPS, FPPS, PPLNS, PROP and SOLO before choosing a payout model.
Read guideGuideHow to choose a mining pool
Evaluate fees, latency, payout thresholds, history, transparency and decentralization together.
Read guideGuideHow payouts work
Understand shares, confirmations, minimum withdrawals, wallet addresses and payout schedules.
Read guideGuidePool decentralization explained
Pool concentration affects Bitcoin network health, so hashrate distribution should be part of the decision.
Read guideReward Methods Explained
Reward methods define who carries block-finding variance and how fees are included in miner payouts.
| Method | Description | Risk level | Variance | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPS | Fixed payment for each valid share, independent of when the pool finds a block. | Low for miner | Low | Miners who need stable cash flow |
| FPPS | PPS-style payout that also estimates and includes transaction fees. | Low for miner | Low | Industrial miners and predictable accounting |
| PPLNS | Rewards are based on recent shares around actual blocks found by the pool. | Medium | Medium to high | Long-term miners comfortable with variance |
| PROP | Block rewards are split proportionally among shares submitted in a round. | Medium | Medium | Users comparing older pool models |
| SOLO | Miner keeps the full block reward only if their own worker finds a valid block. | Very high | Very high | Large hashrate operators or lottery-style mining |
Top Bitcoin Mining Pools - Comparison
Compare major Bitcoin pools by payout method, fees, withdrawal threshold and operating profile before opening an individual pool page.
| Pool name | Hashrate share | Fee | Minimum withdrawal | Rewards method | Headquarters | Pool page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundry Pool | 25-35% | 0-2% | Varies | FPPS | United States | View pool page |
| Antpool | 15-25% | 1.5-4% | 0.001 BTC | FPPS / PPLNS | Singapore | View pool page |
| ViaBTC | 8-15% | 2-4% | 0.001 BTC | PPS+ / PPLNS | Hong Kong | View pool page |
| F2Pool | 8-15% | 2.5% | 0.005 BTC | PPS+ | Global | View pool page |
| Binance Pool | 3-8% | 2.5% | Account-based | FPPS | Global | View pool page |
| Braiins Pool | 1-4% | 2% | 0.001 BTC | Score / FPPS | Czech Republic | View pool page |
| Luxor | 1-4% | 2.5% | Varies | FPPS | United States | View pool page |
| Poolin | Variable | 2.5% | Varies | PPS+ | Global | View pool page |
| MARA Pool | Variable | Private | Private | Private pool | United States | View pool page |
| EMCD | 1-3% | 1.5% | 0.001 BTC | FPPS+ | Global | View pool page |
Mining Pools Directory
Browse major Bitcoin mining pools and use each profile as a starting point for fees, payout model, servers, setup guides and operational notes.
A
Antpool
One of the longest-running Bitcoin pools, connected with the wider Bitmain mining ecosystem.
- Fee
- 1.5-4%
- Method
- FPPS / PPLNS
- Country
- Singapore
V
ViaBTC
A multi-coin mining platform known for flexible payout options and broad miner tooling.
- Fee
- 2-4%
- Method
- PPS+ / PPLNS
- Country
- Hong Kong
F2
F2Pool
A long-running global pool with support for Bitcoin and multiple proof-of-work networks.
- Fee
- 2.5%
- Method
- PPS+
- Country
- Global
B
Binance Pool
A pool integrated with the Binance account ecosystem, often used by miners who prefer exchange-linked operations.
- Fee
- 2.5%
- Method
- FPPS
- Country
- Global
BR
Braiins Pool
A Bitcoin-focused pool from the Braiins team, known for miner software and transparent mining tools.
- Fee
- 2%
- Method
- Score / FPPS
- Country
- Czech Republic
L
Luxor
A North American mining pool and hashrate marketplace provider focused on professional miners.
- Fee
- 2.5%
- Method
- FPPS
- Country
- United States
P
Poolin
A historically large pool whose current conditions should be checked carefully before use.
- Fee
- 2.5%
- Method
- PPS+
- Country
- Global
M
MARA Pool
A private or semi-private pool associated with large-scale institutional Bitcoin mining.
- Fee
- Private
- Method
- Private pool
- Country
- United States
E
EMCD
A mining pool and services platform offering Bitcoin payouts and miner account tools.
- Fee
- 1.5%
- Method
- FPPS+
- Country
- Global
How to Choose the Best Mining Pool
The best pool is not only the lowest fee. Compare economic terms, technical stability and network-level decentralization before switching production hashrate.
Fees
A lower fee helps only if payout reliability, uptime and accounting transparency are also acceptable.
Payout types
PPS and FPPS reduce miner variance, while PPLNS can reward consistent long-term participation.
Latency and servers
Choose nearby stable stratum servers to reduce stale shares and improve effective hashrate.
Reputation
Review operating history, incidents, public communication and miner feedback before sending hashrate.
Minimum payout
High thresholds can delay small miners, while very frequent payouts may add accounting overhead.
Transparency
Prefer pools with clear fee rules, hashrate reporting, block records and payout explanations.
Decentralization
Avoid sending all hashrate to the largest pool if smaller reliable alternatives fit your operation.
How to Connect an ASIC to Any Pool
Most Bitcoin pools follow the same setup pattern: get a stratum URL, configure workers, check accepted shares and monitor payouts.
Choose a pool
Compare fee, reward method, server region, threshold and account requirements.
Find stratum URL
Copy the pool server URL that matches your region and Bitcoin SHA-256 mining.
Configure ASIC
Enter pool URL, worker name and password in the miner dashboard.
Check hashrate
Confirm accepted shares, reject rate, temperature and stable effective hashrate.
Monitor payouts
Track confirmations, balances, thresholds and wallet address settings.
StratumASICPoolWallet
Reviewed by ECOS mining expertsLast updated: November 2025Data changes frequently: verify with pool dashboards, BTC.com, mempool.space and Glassnode
Mining Pools FAQ
Bitcoin Mining Academy FAQ
Pools track submitted shares and distribute rewards according to the selected method, such as PPS, FPPS, PPLNS, PROP or SOLO.
PPS and FPPS usually provide the most stable payouts because the miner is paid for valid shares instead of waiting for actual pool luck.
PPS is more predictable, while PPLNS can be attractive for miners who stay connected long term and accept payout variance.
Payout speed depends on the pool threshold, block confirmations, wallet settings and the pool payment schedule.
Yes. In most ASIC dashboards you can change the stratum URL and worker credentials, then monitor accepted shares on the new pool.