A solo bitcoin miner has defied staggering odds, solving a block independently and earning a reward worth over $360,000 — a rare and thrilling event in today’s industrialized Bitcoin mining environment.

How the Rare Block Was Solved

The miner successfully processed Block 910440 using the CKpool platform, a service designed for individuals who wish to solo mine without joining large-scale pools. The reward amounted to 3.137 BTC, totaling over $362,000 at the time of the transaction.

Visual overview of Bitcoin Block 910440, solved by a solo miner through CKpool.

Containing more than 4,100 transactions, the block was solved by a miner contributing roughly 9 petahashes per second (PH/s) in computing power. According to CKpool administrator Con Kolivas, this block represents just the 305th solo block successfully mined since CKpool’s launch in 2014, showcasing how rare such solo victories are today.

The Odds of Solo Mining in Today’s Landscape

Solo mining, unlike its pooled counterpart, allows individuals to retain the full block reward without any fee deductions. However, the tradeoff is significant — the chances of successfully solving a block are minuscule. With today’s global hash rate at record highs, even powerful rigs running at several petahashes per second face odds like one-in-800 per day to hit a block.

In contrast, pool mining offers smaller but frequent payouts by distributing block rewards among thousands of contributors, making it the favored choice for most miners working across major mining regions such as the United States, Kazakhstan, and China.

Why This Solo Win Stands Out

The growing dominance of industrial-scale operations has made solo wins almost legendary in Bitcoin circles. Operators handling exahashes per second rates usually scoop up the lion’s share of block rewards. Yet, the Bitcoin protocol still permits underdogs to occasionally strike gold, demonstrating the system’s decentralization and openness to all participants, regardless of scale.

These moments not only captivate the attention of the crypto community but also reinforce the idea that the Bitcoin network is ultimately fair, even in the face of ever-increasing competition.

Bitcoin Market Sentiment at the Time

At the moment this solo miner celebrated their success, Bitcoin was trading around $115,000 — a slight 3% dip over a 24-hour period. Traders were closely monitoring broader economic indicators, particularly in anticipation of potential monetary policy moves at the Federal Reserve’s upcoming September meeting.

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Despite the fluctuating market, this solo block find is a reminder of Bitcoin’s decentralized principles and the potential for individual miners to make headlines against all odds.