Solo bitcoin miner makes $200,000 using $150 equipment
CoinDesk 2026-07-14 04:43:56
Context: A solo bitcoin miner using a low-power, credit-card-sized device called Bitaxe recently mined Bitcoin block 957,382, earning 3.1382 BTC worth about $200,000. The miner was running the rig for just eight hours through the Public Pool service with an average hash rate of 995 GH/s. This remarkable event highlights the resurgence of solo bitcoin mining, with 24 blocks found in the past 12 months, a 41% increase year over year.
Key Facts
- The solo miner was using a Bitaxe device, an open-source ASIC miner powered by the same Bitmain BM1370 chip found in massive industrial Antminer S21 machines, which delivers about 1 to 1.3 terahashes per second at 15 to 21 watts and costs between $60 and $150.
- The miner earned 3.1382 BTC, worth roughly $200,000, despite the odds of solo mining a block being estimated at once in 18,000 years.
- The Bitaxe device used by the miner is a credit-card-sized, hobbyist-grade equipment that can be purchased for as low as $60.
- Solo miners have already found 12 blocks in 2026 alone, with one notable instance on June 29, where someone on Solo CKPool landed 3.16 BTC.
- Over the past 12 months, solo miners have claimed 24 blocks, which equates to a 41% jump from the year before, pocketing a total payout of 75.44 BTC.