One EasyMining user managed to mine two Bitcoin blocks in a single day, earning more than 6 BTC, worth over $500,000 at the time, with Bitcoin trading at around $81,000. The unusual result puts a spotlight on a different way of participating in Bitcoin mining: accessing hashpower without owning the machines behind it.
Mining a Bitcoin Block as a Solo Miner is Rare
Mining two in the same day is something else entirely.
Bitcoin News spoke with NiceHash, which confirmed that the same EasyMining user was behind two Bitcoin blocks mined on September 21 - blocks #967911 and #967915, just four blocks apart on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Together, the two blocks delivered more than 6 BTC in rewards. With bitcoin trading at approximately $81,000 at the time, the combined value was more than $500,000.
According to NiceHash, the user entered Solo Mining through Gold L EasyMining packages and successfully found both blocks within the same day.
The result is unusual. But perhaps the more interesting part of the story is how the user participated in mining in the first place.
They didn’t own or operate the ASICs producing the hashpower.
What Is EasyMining?
EasyMining is a NiceHash product that allows users to participate in proof-of-work mining by purchasing packages of hashpower rather than buying and operating mining hardware themselves.
Bitcoin is still being mined by physical ASIC machines. EasyMining doesn’t replace the hardware or simulate the mining process.
Instead, the hashpower comes through the NiceHash marketplace, where miners supply computing power.
An EasyMining package gives a user access to a defined amount of mining power for a defined period. During that time, the hashpower attempts to mine a block.
If it succeeds, an actual Bitcoin block is produced and the user receives the corresponding reward under the applicable EasyMining terms.
If it doesn’t, there is no block reward. There is no guaranteed return.
From USDT to Bitcoin Mining
NiceHash has also recently added USDT as an entry option for selected EasyMining packages.
That means a user holding USDT can use it to access Bitcoin mining hashpower without purchasing an ASIC or setting up a mining operation.
There is no hardware for the user to install, no machine to maintain and no need to manage the electricity and cooling infrastructure normally associated with running an ASIC.
The underlying mining, however, remains the same: hashpower competes with the rest of the Bitcoin network to mine a valid block.
Solo Mining: Going After the Block Yourself
The two September 21 blocks were found through EasyMining’s Solo Mining format.
A user enters a package and the assigned hashpower mines Bitcoin for the duration of that package.
If it mines a block, the user receives the corresponding block reward according to the applicable terms. If no block is found, the package ends without a block reward.
This makes Solo Mining probabilistic by nature.
Purchasing an EasyMining package is not the same as buying bitcoin and does not provide a fixed or guaranteed return. Mining two blocks in a single day is an unusual outcome and not representative of what users should expect from an individual package.
NiceHash says more than 200 Bitcoin blocks have now been found through EasyMining.
There’s Also Team Mining
Users don’t necessarily have to go after a block alone.
EasyMining also offers Team Mining, where multiple participants purchase shares in the same mining package.
Their combined hashpower mines toward the same goal. If the team mines a block, the resulting reward is distributed among participants based on their shares and the applicable terms.
It provides two different ways of participating in the same underlying Bitcoin mining process: going Solo for the block or joining other users and sharing the outcome.
USDT is now being introduced as an entry option for both approaches.
The Hardware Didn’t Disappear
EasyMining doesn’t remove ASICs from Bitcoin mining. Physical mining machines are still performing the SHA256 calculations and consuming the electricity required to secure the Bitcoin network.
What changes is who has to own them. Hashpower marketplaces separate participation in mining from ownership of the physical infrastructure.
In this case, one EasyMining user accessed that hashpower without operating the underlying machines.
And according to NiceHash, on September 21, that user managed to mine two Bitcoin blocks in a single day - more than 6 BTC worth over half a million dollars at the time.
