As the world of cryptocurrency continues to grow and expand, so too do the opportunities on how to accumulate digital assets. Holding crypto long-term continues to be a prevalent practice. Unlike many of the concepts around blockchain, mining is an extremely tangible way to interact with the network and directly earn rewards for doing so. That’s grown more and more difficult, particularly for major established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This is where mining pools come in. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started with the best cryptocurrency mining pools of 2025. You’ll learn their advantages and disadvantages, payout models, and how to find the right mining pool for your objectives and level of technical proficiency.

Overview of Cryptocurrency Mining Pools

Before we understand what exactly cryptocurrency mining is. So, understanding the significance of mining pools is an important prologue to our discussion.

What is Cryptocurrency Mining?

As a reminder, cryptocurrency mining refers to the process of verifying and appending new transaction data to a blockchain’s public ledger. Miners operate special, high-powered computers to solve increasingly complex cryptographic puzzles. When a miner solves a puzzle first and thus wins, they validate one block of transactions and add it to the blockchain. Miners expend massive amounts of computational energy. In exchange, they receive incentives in newly created units of cryptocurrency through a process called “mining,” along with transaction fees. This process is called “proof of work,” and it not only provides security for the network, it’s what brings new coins into circulation.

The level of such cryptographic puzzles, or difficulty, is automatically and recursively increased or decreased to keep a steady rhythm of block creation. For instance, in Bitcoin, difficulty automatically adjusts about every two weeks such that blocks are always mined, on average, every 10 minutes. This change would give the network flexibility to keep it secure while keeping the supply of new Bitcoin more predictable.

What is a Cryptocurrency Mining Pool?

Mining is becoming more difficult. This, in turn, makes it practically impossible for solo miners to have a high likelihood of successfully solving a block first and thus earning a reward. This is where mining pools become crucial. A mining pool is collectively a team. In this mechanism, numerous miners team up, combining their computational power to increase their chances of finding a block. When the pool finds a block, it distributes the reward to the members. This distribution is proportional to each miner’s contribution to the pool’s total hashrate.

Mining pools help miners to have a level of constant and guaranteed cash flow. They benefit from regular payouts proportional to their effort, rather than relying on the infrequent successes of single miners. This stability is particularly appealing to smaller miners who may not have the resources to compete effectively on their own. By pooling their resources, miners can use the combined hashing power of the collective to improve their chances of profitability.

Key Differences in Mining Methods

Knowing the advantages of various mining methods is key to selecting the most appropriate method and mining pool. Two of the most well-known are mining and staking, both of which have distinct requirements and rewards.

Mining vs. Staking

Mining is the process of applying computational power to cryptographic puzzles in order to validate transactions and secure the network. To mine Bitcoin profitably, you first have to spend a fortune on purpose-built machines such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). For everything else, high-performance GPUs are a must. Mining is an energy-intensive industry that requires a high level of technical expertise to physically set up and operationalize that hardware and software.

Staking is a mechanism used in Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains. With staking, participants commit a certain amount of their crypto assets. Through these actions, they help confirm transactions and protect the network without using expensive computational power. In exchange for participating in the staking network, stakers earn rewards in the form of additional coins. Unlike mining, staking is much more intuitive and energy-efficient. This versatility further increases accessibility for many users. The choice between mining and staking depends on factors such as the type of cryptocurrency, the available resources, and the desired level of involvement in the network.

Top Cryptocurrency Mining Pools for 2025

As we enter 2025, four major players have firmly established themselves at the forefront of the ever-evolving cryptocurrency mining industry. Such pools come with varying features, payout structures, and supported cryptocurrencies — thus appealing to a variety of mining preferences and goals.

Foundry USA Pool

Through its massive scale and aggressive expansion tactics, Foundry USA has quickly cemented itself as the clear leader in Bitcoin mining. Today, as of June 2025, Foundry USA is responsible for 273.9 EH/s of Bitcoin mining. That’s almost as much as one third of the total global BTC hashrate. This high hashrate ensures that it is one of the safest and most profitable Bitcoin mining pools available. Foundry USA has a big time infrastructure and low fees. They have all shown their commitment to helping make the Bitcoin network much more decentralized.

The pool provides robust analytics and monitoring features to ensure miners are consistently performing at the highest level possible. Additionally, Foundry USA actively participates in industry initiatives and collaborates with other stakeholders to promote the growth and development of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. For miners looking for a stable and reputable pool with a strong track record, Foundry USA is a top contender.

EMCD

Though EMCD is new on paper, the program has been running for more than seven years and has established a strong track record within the mining community. In its brief operating time, EMCD’s members managed to effectively mine over 1,200 Bitcoins (BTC). By 2025, EMCD miners represented more than two percent of all new Bitcoins going into the circulating supply. This exemplifies the pool’s efficiency and reliability when it comes to producing rewards for its miners. Together with global servers, EMCD delivers a rich variety of assets. This arrangement ensures that the miners can join the pool seamlessly regardless of where they are located in the world.

User-friendly EMCD is dedicated to making the experience user-friendly while providing top quality customer service and retention. The pool’s interface is user friendly and simple to navigate, which helps make it a popular choice among both beginners and expert miners alike. Additionally, EMCD offers knowledge-based educational resources and tutorials that walk miners through how to successfully mine and navigate their businesses for profit.

Antpool

AntPool currently contributes nearly 19% of the total Bitcoin network hashrate, with a reported output of over 132.7 EH/s. This high hashrate capacity returns AntPool as one of the most powerful mining pools in the Bitcoin network. AntPool Miners on AntPool can choose among multiple payout methods. Select PPS (Pay Per Share) or PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares) to suit your risk tolerance and mining strategy.

As one of the pools recognized for its strong security protocols and infrastructure, AntPool has stood out among the rest. The pool uses advanced security measures to ensure miners' funds and the pool itself are protected from attacks. In addition to its user-friendly interface, AntPool offers a range of advanced mining statistics and monitoring tools, allowing miners to track their performance and optimize their operations.

Braiins Pool

Braiins Pool recently surpassed 10,800 customers around the world. Since 2013, it has regularly and consistently run 90,000 mining rigs of all latest generations with impressive technology proven reliability. Second, it provides a large selection of mineable cryptocurrencies. Combined with detailed mining analytics and live monitoring, this platform proves to be a flexible and trustworthy option for miners. The pool gained recent attention for its open-source software and pro-transparency position.

Detailed mining statistics and powerful real-time monitoring tools These robust, accessible resources are what miners need to be equipped to measure and improve their performance and operations. With an active and thriving community, easy-to-use features, and quick customer support, the pool quickly became the choice of miners at every level.

Binance Pool

Binance Pool is another large mining pool owned and operated by the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, with seamless integration with the Binance ecosystem. This integration allows miners to easily deposit their mining rewards into their Binance accounts and trade them for other cryptocurrencies. Besides BTC mining, Binance Pool supports a wide range of popular cryptocurrencies, including ETH, LTC, and others. Competitive fees

Binance Pool boasts an easy-to-use interface along with extensive mining statistics. The pool features cutting-edge technologies including stratum v2 support and ASICBoost compatibility. All three of these tools allow miners to maximize expected mining performance. For miners who are currently active on the Binance exchange, Binance Pool provides a familiar and ultra-convenient integrated mining solution.

Best Cryptocurrencies to Mine in 2025

Bitcoin is still the most popular and recognizable cryptocurrency to mine, there are plenty of other cryptos that make for potentially profitable mining endeavors in 2025.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin (BTC) – the first and most valuable cryptocurrency. In comparison to other industries, bitcoin mining remains absurdly profitable. Only those with the most efficient ASIC hardware and cheapest electricity are still alive, even as the difficulty and competition continually rise. The block reward for Bitcoin is currently 3.125 BTC per block, after the 2024 halving. Unlike other forms of mining, Bitcoin mining is done using specialized ASIC miners, which can be very costly to procure and maintain. The significant value of Bitcoin in turn attracts aggressive miners. Further, the stability and predictability of the network adds to its attractiveness.

Litecoin (LTC) was the alternate crypto amongst those listed that utilizes the Scrypt algorithm. Litecoin mining, which is conducted with ASIC miners, is far less energy-intensive than Bitcoin mining. The current block reward for Litecoin today is 6.25 LTC per block. Litecoin’s quicker block time and lower transaction fee makes it a practical alternative for daily use.

Litecoin (LTC)

6.25 LTC per block, next halving expected in 2027, and hard difficulty.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a meme inspired cryptocurrency which in recent years has experienced huge levels of popularity. Dogecoin shares the same Scrypt algorithm as Litecoin. This allows you to mine either cryptocurrency using the exact same ASIC miners. Currently, Dogecoin’s block reward is 10,000 DOGE/block. Given Dogecoin’s active community and widespread adoption, it seems like a great environment for miners to find viable options.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Kaspa (KAS) is rapidly rising to prominence as a major contender in the cryptocurrency space. Its cutting-edge blockDAG architecture enables near-instant transaction confirmations and extreme scalability. Cryptocurrency mining with Kaspa is still new in comparison to Bitcoin or Litecoin, providing new early adopters with an opportunity to earn substantial rewards. This is because the general mining difficulty still being relatively easy allows for a much larger set of miners to chip in.

Kaspa (KAS)

Monero is the leading privacy-oriented crypto, and employs the RandomX algorithm. Anti-ASIC Resistance Monero was created as an ASIC miner resistant alternative to Bitcoin. This makes it easy for individual miners to get involved with CPUs and GPUs. The Monero block reward is currently 0.6 XMR per block. Monero’s emphasis on privacy and security has established the crypto as a leader for people who care about staying anonymous.

Monero (XMR)

It’s important to choose the right mining pool, in order to maximize your chances of profitability and a positive mining experience. There are a number of important factors to take into account in choosing a pool.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Mining Pool

The algorithm through which the cryptocurrency operates is one of the main components. Different algorithms require different types of hardware. For instance, specialized technology ASIC miners are needed to mine Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin whereas Ethereum Classic can be effectively mined with powerful GPUs. Where it gets tricky is that you need to select a pool that supports the algorithm that works best with the hardware you have. To start, a proper GPU with at least 4-8 GB of VRAM is incredibly important to mine efficiently on the Etchash algorithm.

Algorithm

Mining pools provide different payout policies, got its advantages and disadvantages. Common payout schemes include:

Payout Scheme

The calculus that governs the attractiveness of a mining pool is very dependent on the ecosystem surrounding the pool. Others go beyond pooling assets to provide things like trading platforms, lending programs, and education. Mining pools integrated into a bigger ecosystem provide miners with innovative opportunities to augment their profits. They can help expand their crypto treasury. ViaBTC’s superior infrastructure and support for the most coins means you’re in good hands. This invigorates miners with a huge arsenal of resources and tools, currently powering its miners’ 83.5 EH/s, accounting for roughly 14% of Bitcoin’s total hashrate.

  • PPS (Pay Per Share): Miners are paid a fixed amount for each share they contribute to the pool, regardless of whether the pool finds a block. PPS offers the most consistent payouts but typically comes with higher fees.
  • PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares): Miners are paid based on the number of shares they contribute to the pool over a specific period. PPLNS offers lower fees than PPS but can be less consistent.
  • FPPS (Full Pay Per Share): FPPS includes transaction fees in the payout calculation, resulting in higher rewards for miners. Luxor Mining Pool offers a 0.7% fee under FPPS, and offers tax reporting integration for miners.

Ecosystem

Fast forward to 2025 — cryptocurrency mining pools still significantly contribute to the greater cryptocurrency ecosystem. Additionally, pools offer miners a means to broadly pool their resources and odds of earning blockchain reward returns. By choosing a pool with high security and increasing the level of decentralization within their chosen mining pool, miners can create a more secure, decentralized blockchain network. This commonsense strategy uniquely positions them to bring in a reliable flow of revenue. As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to rapidly evolve, mining pools will almost certainly continue to be a vital part of the industry.

Conclusion: The Relevance of Mining Pools in 2025

In 2025, cryptocurrency mining pools continue to play a vital role in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. They provide a way for miners to pool their resources and increase their chances of earning rewards. By choosing the right mining pool and optimizing their mining operations, miners can contribute to the security and decentralization of the blockchain network while also generating a steady stream of income. As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, mining pools will likely remain a critical component of the industry.