Mining Pool Trends: What’s Shifting in Crypto Mining Right Now

When you mine cryptocurrency, you’re not just running software—you’re part of a mining pool, a group of miners who combine computing power to increase their chances of earning block rewards. Also known as mining collective, these pools distribute earnings based on each member’s contributed hash rate. Without them, most individual miners would never see a payout. The way these pools operate has changed dramatically over the last two years. What worked in 2022 doesn’t cut it today.

One big shift? proof-of-work, the consensus method that powers Bitcoin and other coins by requiring miners to solve complex math problems is under more pressure than ever. Energy costs have climbed, and some countries have outright banned mining. That’s pushing miners toward regions with cheap, renewable power—like parts of Texas, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. It’s not just about cheaper electricity anymore. It’s about stable, long-term access. Pools that can’t secure reliable power are losing members fast.

Then there’s the hardware. mining hardware, specialized machines like ASICs designed to crunch cryptographic hashes is getting more expensive, and older models are becoming useless. A miner who bought an Antminer S19 in 2021 might now be losing money every day. Newer ASICs are 30-40% more efficient, but they cost three times as much. That’s forcing smaller miners to either upgrade, join a larger pool, or quit. The result? Mining pools are getting more centralized—not because of greed, but because survival demands it.

And don’t forget the fees. Some pools charge 1% of your earnings. Others charge 3%. That might not sound like much, but when you’re mining at scale, even a 2% difference means thousands of dollars a year. Top pools now offer transparent fee structures, real-time payout tracking, and even insurance against downtime. If your pool doesn’t offer those, you’re probably paying too much for too little.

What’s surprising? Some miners are moving away from Bitcoin entirely. With Ethereum gone from proof-of-work, and Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash struggling to stay profitable, miners are chasing altcoins that still use proof-of-work—like Ravencoin, Ergo, and Dogecoin. These coins have smaller networks, but they’re easier to mine with older hardware. That’s creating new, niche mining pools that didn’t exist two years ago.

You’ll find posts here that dig into exactly what’s happening. Some break down the latest ASIC models and which ones still make sense in 2025. Others expose shady mining pools that vanish after collecting fees. There are guides on how to calculate your real profit after electricity, cooling, and hardware depreciation. And there are warnings about regions where mining is now illegal—or about to be.

This isn’t about hype. It’s about survival. If you’re still mining, you need to know where the rules changed. The next few months will decide who stays in the game—and who gets left behind.