A solo miner defies the odds again and pockets $200,000 in Bitcoin

While the sector is still digesting the $114 million lost in the Coldcard hack, a solo miner has just hit a $200,000 bitcoin jackpot, defying all statistical logic. With a probability close to 1 in 62,750, it serves as a reminder that the blockchain continues to operate without fail.

In brief

• A solo miner solved bitcoin block 960,804 via CKPool, pocketing 3.15689830 BTC (approximately $200,000), marking the 317th achievement of this kind.
• With an estimated hashrate of 100 PH/s (0.011% of the network), their probability of success was only about 1 in 62,750 per day.
• This jackpot comes amid turmoil related to the Coldcard vulnerability, illustrating that the bitcoin network continues to function independently of security crises affecting wallets.

Bitcoin block 960,804 was solved at 02:11 UTC this Monday, yielding a payment of 3.15689830 BTC to its discoverer, which includes a fixed subsidy of 3.125 BTC, supplemented by 0.032 BTC in fees from the 4,243 transactions included in the block. This is the 317th block found solo via CKPool, the service that allows anonymous miners to try their luck without having to run their own full node. The pseudonymous developer of the pool, known as Dr -ck, congratulated the winner on X, noting that their hashrate displayed a profile "wildly variable... probably rented", peaking at 100 PH/s.

To gauge the magnitude of this stroke of luck, one must look at the Bitcoin network's figures. With a global hashrate of 924 EH/s according to mempool.space, this peak represented only about 0.011% of the total computing power, translating to a chance of hitting a block roughly once every 64 days at this rate. A hobbyist equipped with a single machine at 100 TH/s, which is a thousand times less powerful, sees their chances drop to about 1 in 62,750 per day. This means an average wait of 172 years before hoping for such a result.

The timing of this solo bitcoin miner's achievement is not without irony. It comes as the industry is still reeling from the Coldcard vulnerability, with cumulative losses nearing $114 million over several waves of successive thefts. This contrast illustrates a reality often overlooked. The protocol layer of BTC, namely mining, block validation, and reward distribution... continues to operate with mechanical regularity, completely indifferent to security crises affecting peripheral tools like wallets.

The Bitcoin network is unaware that an exchange has been drained or that a hardware manufacturer has let a vulnerability slip for five years. It simply continues to produce a block every ten minutes on average. In the market, BTC was trading around $63,700 this Monday, up 1.1% on the day. However, sentiment remains cautious: on the prediction platform Myriad, users anticipate a 68% chance of BTC moving towards $55,000. This indicates that short-term confidence remains fragile, regardless of the folklore surrounding individual jackpots.

Solo mining is a dream, especially after this $200,000 bitcoin jackpot. But the nuance deserves to be made: is it really a democratic game, or primarily a lottery reserved for those who can afford to rent massive hashrate, even if just for a few hours? Luck exists, but it comes with an entry price.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Any events, rewards, online promotions, or related information mentioned herein should not be considered a recommendation, solicitation, or invitation to purchase, sell, trade, or otherwise deal in any crypto assets. Crypto assets are highly volatile and may result in loss. The availability of WEEX services, products, and related events may vary by region. You are responsible for ensuring that your participation is in accordance with applicable local laws and regulations.