Two Independent Miners Discover Bitcoin Blocks
Solo miners successfully secured individual blocks despite the massive scale of the global network.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Investing
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Two independent miners have successfully discovered individual Bitcoin blocks, highlighting the rare success of solo mining efforts. The discoveries occurred at block heights 973262 and 973413.
Why it matters
Solo mining involves wagering on the chance to secure a full block reward without the pooled resources typically required in the competitive crypto landscape. These successful finds underscore the immense mathematical challenges faced by individual miners operating against a global network hashrate.
A Solo CKPool miner operating at 16.2 terahash per second achieved a discovery with a daily success probability of just 0.0002 percent. The global Bitcoin network currently operates at approximately 1,070 exahash per second.
The players
Solo CKPool
A mining pool service that allows individual miners to operate independently while still participating in the broader network.
Futurebit
A hardware manufacturer that produces specialized mining equipment designed for individual and solo operational use.
The details
One of the blocks was secured by a Futurebit Apollo Solo miner, marking the fourth such recorded instance for that specific hardware unit. While pool mining dominates the industry by combining hashrate to ensure steadier, shared rewards, these independent actors successfully claimed full block payouts.
Timeline
March 2025: The last time a Futurebit Apollo solo block discovery was recorded.
October 2026: Two solo miners successfully discovered Bitcoin blocks.
Market Dynamics
The Futurebit Apollo III hardware demonstrates how individual consumer devices compete within the Bitcoin network's massive hashrate. This development highlights the ongoing tension between centralized industrial mining operations and the persistence of independent solo participants.
Solo mining remains a high-variance activity with extremely low success probabilities compared to joining established mining pools. Retail investors should view these rare discoveries as statistical anomalies rather than a reliable strategy for consistent returns.
The takeaway
These rare successes show that independent mining is still technically possible even as global hash power reaches record highs. Investors should prioritize understanding the mathematical odds of solo mining versus the relative consistency of pool-based mining rewards.
Further reading
For additional context on the market, visit the Investing section.
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Is it worth attempting to mine cryptocurrency as a solo operator today?
