In a remarkable display of individual mining prowess, an anonymous solo miner operating through the Solo CKPool has successfully mined Bitcoin block 875,750, earning a reward of 3.190 BTC worth approximately $311,000. The achievement, which occurred on December 21, 2024, stands out as one of the most notable solo mining successes of the year, especially given the extraordinary difficulty of the Bitcoin network at the time.
TL;DR
- An anonymous solo miner solved Bitcoin block 875,750 through Solo CKPool on December 21, 2024
- The miner earned 3.190 BTC (3.125 BTC block subsidy plus transaction fees), valued at roughly $311,000
- Bitcoin mining difficulty was near all-time highs, having surged 33% since the November U.S. presidential election
- The network hashrate exceeded 800 EH/s, making solo mining success extraordinarily rare
- The block reward had halved from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC in April 2024
A Rare Win Against Impossible Odds
The solo miner, described as operating a “large operation,” managed to beat astronomical probabilities to claim the full block reward. On the Bitcoin network, solo miners compete against massive industrial-scale mining farms that collectively contribute over 800 exahashes per second (EH/s) of computational power. The probability of any single miner solving a block is determined by their share of the total network hashrate, making solo successes exceedingly uncommon.
The block reward of 3.190 BTC consisted of the standard 3.125 BTC post-halving subsidy plus approximately 0.065 BTC in transaction fees. At Bitcoin’s trading price of approximately $95,100 at the time, the total reward translated to roughly $311,000 — a life-changing sum for an individual miner.
Record Difficulty Makes Solo Mining Even Harder
What makes this achievement particularly impressive is the state of the Bitcoin network in late December 2024. Mining difficulty had surged by approximately 33% since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election on November 6, reflecting a massive influx of new mining hardware coming online. By the end of December, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty was approaching 109.78 trillion, a new all-time high.
Mining was roughly twice as difficult as it had been just one year prior in December 2023, and the block reward had halved from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC following the April 2024 halving event. This combination of rising difficulty and reduced rewards has squeezed profit margins for miners across the board, making the solo miner’s success even more remarkable.
The Bigger Picture for Miners in Late 2024
Bitcoin miners closed out 2024 in a complex position. On one hand, the cryptocurrency’s price surge — reaching an all-time high of $107,796 on December 17 before pulling back to the $95,000 range — boosted the dollar value of mining rewards. On the other hand, escalating difficulty and competition from AI-focused data centers for energy resources created mounting pressure.
Several major mining companies, including MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA), Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT), and CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK), adopted aggressive “HODL” strategies throughout the year, choosing to retain mined Bitcoin rather than selling it to cover operational costs. MARA went even further, raising $1.925 billion in debt to purchase 15,574 BTC at an average price of $98,529 — a bold bet that briefly turned sour when Bitcoin’s price dipped below that level during the late-December correction.
The rising competition for energy resources between Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers has emerged as a significant concern. Core Scientific’s Chief Development Officer Russell Cann told the Financial Times that AI’s energy demands would “greatly affect how much [Bitcoin] mining can be added to the grid,” noting that “from an economics perspective, it’s going to be AI.”
Solo CKPool: A Platform for Individual Miners
Solo CKPool, the platform used by the lucky miner, offers a unique service in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. Unlike traditional mining pools that distribute rewards proportionally among participants, Solo CKPool allows individual miners to attempt to solve blocks on their own. The platform charges a 2% fee and requires no registration, but miners only receive a payout if they personally solve a block — a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
The December 21 block adds to a growing list of solo mining victories that have captured the crypto community’s imagination throughout 2024. These rare events serve as a reminder that while industrial-scale mining dominates the landscape, individual participants can still occasionally defy the odds and claim significant rewards.
Why This Matters
The solo miner’s success at block 875,750 illustrates the enduring appeal of Bitcoin mining as a decentralized activity open to individual participants, even as the industry becomes increasingly dominated by large-scale operations. With mining difficulty at record levels and the block reward halved, the economics of mining continue to shift — yet moments like this demonstrate that the Bitcoin protocol’s design still allows for extraordinary individual outcomes. As the mining industry navigates the tensions between profitability, energy competition from AI data centers, and the allure of HODL strategies, the story of one anonymous miner claiming a $311,000 reward serves as both inspiration and a reminder of the fundamental unpredictability that defines Bitcoin mining.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Mining profitability depends on numerous factors including electricity costs, hardware efficiency, and Bitcoin’s market price. Always conduct thorough research before making investment or mining decisions.
beating 800 EH/s of hashrate as a solo miner is like winning the lottery. 3.19 BTC reward well earned
3.125 BTC block subsidy after the april halving. the math for solo miners keeps getting harder
post-halving economics for solo miners are brutal. 3.125 BTC barely covers electricity for most operations now. this persons hardware investment must have been massive
solo mining in 2024 is basically gambling with very expensive hardware. pools are the only rational choice for 99.9% of operations
3.125 BTC subsidy barely covers electricity at current difficulty. this solo miner either has free power or got extremely lucky timing. probably both
33% difficulty increase since the election and this person still pulled it off. Solo CKPool keeps delivering these stories.
CKPool has had what, maybe a dozen solo hits like this? the odds are insane but someone always beats them eventually. thats proof of work for you
MinerDave2 33 percent difficulty spike post election and this person still solved a block solo. either incredibly lucky or running a seriously massive operation. ckpool enables it but doesnt make the math less brutal
Soren B. 800 EH/s and this person solved a block solo. the math says it shouldnt happen but POW doesnt care about probability. one hash away from nothing or 3.19 BTC
3.19 BTC at 800 EH/s solo. statistically this should not happen. one hash away from nothing or 311k. POW doesnt care about probability
hash_dice_ the difficulty surged 33pct since the election. solo mining against that hashrate is buying a lottery ticket with very expensive electricity
Inkeri V. CKPool lets large miners allocate partial hashrate for the lottery ticket. this wasnt some guy with one ASIC, it was a serious operation taking a calculated gamble
3.190 BTC at 800 EH/s network hashrate is insane luck. solo CKPool has had maybe a dozen of these hits ever. the math says this shouldnt happen
3.190 BTC at 800 EH/s difficulty is actually insane. solo ckpool has like a 1 in a million chance per block for most individual miners. this person was running serious hardware
solo_pool_rat exactly. difficulty surged 33% since the election too. whoever this was had multiple PH/s minimum to even have a shot
block reward already halved to 3.125 in april 2024 and this guy still hit the jackpot. 311k for one block while the rest of us were getting dust from pool payouts lol
3.19 BTC at roughly 97k per coin at the time. over 300k for one block while network hashrate was above 800 EH/s. statistically this shouldnt happen but proof of work doesnt care about statistics
ckpool still exists and occasionally produces these stories. thats proof of work doing what it does, anyone can try their luck
solving a block solo against 800 EH/s is like flipping 20 coins and getting all heads. ckpool keeps proving that proof of work is actually fair. one CPU one vote still works in 2024
3.125 BTC subsidy post halving barely covers electricity for most operations. this solo miner either got incredibly lucky or has free power somewhere
3.19 BTC at 800 EH/s difficulty is genuinely insane. the odds are worse than winning the lottery and this person just casually solved a block
Henrik B. 3.19 BTC against 800 EH/s is not lucky. that operation had serious hashrate behind it. solo CKPool lets large miners allocate partial hashrate for the lottery ticket
Solo CKPool has been the go-to for solo miners for years. they let you point hashrate without running a full node which is the only way solo mining is practical
33% difficulty increase since the election tells you how much institutional mining capital came online in 6 weeks. public miners were expanding aggressively
post halving subsidy at 3.125 BTC makes solo mining even more extreme. the block reward barely covers industrial electricity and solo miners need free or stolen power to justify the gamble