By 2025, bitcoin mining became significantly more central than ever. According to the research conducted by the independent B10C, the largest gatherings control more than 95 % of the custom blocks. Computing power concentration can become a threat to the stability of the network and decentralization.
In the Bitcoin mining industry, all retail is controlled by a few large swimming pools. These complexes decide the transactions that must be included or excluded from their blocks. This position does not undermine the resistance of censorship in Bitcoin as long as the complexes are not compatible to prevent transactions or attack the network. But how many independent mining pools are there really?
A 51 % attack, with a gathering (or several complicity gatherings) controlled in more than half a crowd and can build its Blockchain, well -known. However, even with only 40 % of the retail, the gathering has about 50 % of mining six consecutive blocks.
What are the threats of the network from dominant complexes?
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Preventing other miners from finding (selfish mining) blocks
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Main Blockchain fork, division of the network into competition chains for dual metal currencies, money stealing from service providers, exchanges and money changes (double spending)
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Do not overcome or confirm some transactions or blocks (censorship)
Are there any gatherings with this level of retail today? In general, what is the centralization of bitcoin mining today? Especially given the supposed agent mining, in which small gatherings operate on behalf of larger pools, indicating their name in Coinbase.
How is centralization measured?
Retail distribution is analyzed using Coinbase transactions – special information that is added by complexes to each block. These records allow you to determine the mass collection that has been extracted a specific block. Accounting operations were performed using a 31 -day medium for the number of blocs extracted by each gathering.
As of 2025, based on APIRONE mining data, the five best mining pools are as follows:
- Museum – 30 %
- Antpool – 19 %
- VIOBTC – 14.5 %
- F2pool – 10 %
- Mara Pool – 5 %
To assess the level of mining centralization, you can calculate the central mining index, which is an indicator that reflects the share of the gatherings that are controlled by 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 largest gatherings. The higher the index values, the higher the central level.
Central Index
In May 2017, the share of the largest gathering was less than 30 %, and the six was less than 65 %. This was the peak of decentralization in the history of bitcoin mining. In December 2023, these numbers were more than 55 % and 90 %, respectively. Compared to 2019-2022, when it represents the highest 2 of about 35 %, the best 6 represented about 75 %, mining became more central in 2025.
Undersecretary and Antpool role
Notice the hidden centralization caused by the so -called The agent mining. A number of small gatherings, including many Antpool followers, use the mass molds but replace their own names in Coinbase. This reduces the true share of Antpool, which, along with “friendly“Swimming Pigeons – Virtual”Antpool & Co.The group – it can control up to 40 % of the network segmentation in 2023-2024.
The updated accounts show that over the past two years, the Antpool & Co. And its combined mastery by 60-70 % of the network computing power. Moreover, 96-99 % of the blocks were extracted with only six bathrooms. These numbers indicate that bitcoin mining is very central around a few gatherings that produce molds.
The threat of the transactions and control granted
In addition to breaking the Blockchain trilogy (security, decentralization, and expansion), transactions and blocks can be controlled, which will completely break the Blockchain idea. Indeed, they have many KYC analysts different parking against transactions. For example, payments from Russian stock exchanges can be blocked on that American. The same thing can happen with the encrypted currency on the approved wallets. Yes, Bitcoin does not allow you to ban money, as happened with Usdt from Excination Garantex. But just imagine what will happen if miners are forced not to include “unwanted” transactions or beneficiaries in a block. Bitcoin control at the level of miners would immediately undermine confidence in the protocol.
What next? The alternative is small swimming pools and home mining
Small baths like Slushpool (2 %)and SBI Crypto (<1 %)and Ocean (<1 %)And Request (<1 %) It is very important, as well as minor miners. If you follow the Crypto News, you can know how to find blocks and receive a bonus of the entire mass and the transactions fees in it. Although the mining share at home today is still unimportant in the general retail. In addition, small high -energy companies may start independent mining, leaving large bathrooms.
Are there gatherings with 40 % of retail today?
No, but as of mid -2015, a museum has a retail from 30 to 35. Currently, at Antpool and Foundry more than 51 % of the combined retail.
What is the centralization of bitcoin mining today?
According to the central mining index, Bitcoin mining was the most decentralized period for a short period in May 2017. 2019-2022 was also a good period. Since 2023, onwards, Bitcoin mining has become increasingly central, especially with large swimming pools such as Museb and Agent A. UNTPOOL.
