In a stunning display of luck and strategic execution, an independent solo miner has successfully validated Bitcoin block 938092, securing a full reward of 3.128 BTC, worth over $200,000 at the time of the event. The miner achieved this feat with a remarkably small investment, renting approximately 1 petahash per second (PH/s) of computing power for a cost of just $75, or about 119,000 satoshis, through an on-demand hashrate service.
The block was validated at approximately 8:04 UTC on Tuesday, as confirmed by blockchain data from Mempool.space. The miner utilized the CKPool platform, which enables individual miners to operate independently while leveraging a pool server to coordinate work and submit solutions. This setup allowed the miner to compete as a solo entity against the network's massive collective hash rate.
The total reward of 3.128 BTC consisted of the standard post-halving block subsidy of 3.125 BTC plus approximately 0.003 BTC in transaction fees. This event, reported by mining firm Braiins and covered by Cointelegraph, highlights the enduring possibility for individuals to participate directly in Bitcoin's proof-of-work security model, despite the dominance of large, professional mining pools.
While statistically rare, solo mining successes are not unheard of. According to data aggregator Bennet, 21 independent miners solved blocks over the past year, accumulating a total of 66 BTC (valued at $4.1 million). This represents a 17% increase compared to the previous year, with an average interval of one solo-mined block every 17.2 days.
The achievement has sparked renewed discussion about network decentralization and the fundamental fairness of Bitcoin's consensus mechanism. Each solo-mined block slightly dilutes the influence of major mining pools, contributing to a more distributed and resilient hash rate. Analysts note that such events, while having no direct impact on Bitcoin's price, serve as powerful reminders of the protocol's permissionless and probabilistic nature, potentially inspiring further individual participation and educating the public on the technical workings of mining.
