BitMEX Report Reveals Dominance of Unknown Entity Which Controls 47% of Bitcoin Hashrate

A substantial amount of the network’s hashrate is allegedly being accumulated by a single company, raising worries about the centralization of Bitcoin mining activities. These recent findings support these fears. Concerns over the decentralized philosophy behind Bitcoin have been raised by a study claiming that one group owns almost half of the network’s processing capacity.

The information was made public by a user on X who goes by the handle mononaut. It provides insight into the concentration of mining power within a small number of organizations. Moreover, worries about centralized control are exacerbated by the unidentified custodian’s alleged acquisition of bitcoins from well-known pools including AntPool, F2Pool, and Binance Pool.

Additionally, the custodian wields influence over the entry addresses of ULTIMUSPOOL and 1THash, while also reaping rewards from Luxor, painting a picture of consolidated authority within the Bitcoin mining ecosystem.

Industry Voices Sound the Alarm

Cryptocurrency analyst Alex Bergeron, in an article for Bitcoin Magazine, echoed the apprehensions surrounding mining centralization. Bergeron underscored the efforts of mining pools to recalibrate payout mechanisms in a bid to mitigate income differentials, signaling a concerted push towards consolidation within the sector.

According to researchers at BitMEX, the minimum reserves required for a mining pool to wield significant influence over the network are substantial. A pool commanding 50% of the hashrate should maintain a reserve of at least 400 Bitcoins (BTC) to ensure a 95% chance of survival within a year. Even smaller pools, with a 5% share of the network, require a reserve of 500 BTC to sustain operations without undue risk.