Parasite Mining Pool Strikes Again, Finding Its Second Bitcoin Block

A novel Bitcoin mining pool, Parasite Pool, has successfully mined its second block, block 945,601, on Friday, roughly 48 days after its first block at #938,713 in late February. This achievement demonstrates the effectiveness of its distinctive hybrid model, which diverges from both the traditional pay-per-share approach and the pure lottery system. The block contained 7,398 transactions and 0.002 BTC in fees, with Bitcoin trading at $76,213 at the time. The pool's operation is based on a unique model where the winning miner receives 1 BTC, and the remaining 2.125 BTC plus fees are distributed proportionally among all participants based on their shares submitted since the previous block. Notably, there are no fees associated with participating in this pool, and payouts are made through the Lightning Network. The pool's founder, ZK Shark, aims to cater to home miners, offering an alternative to the dominant industrial operators. By splitting the block reward, Parasite Pool preserves the lottery aspect while ensuring that participants receive satoshis between blocks, thus maintaining their engagement. The pool's hashrate currently stands at 52 petahashes per second, accounting for approximately 0.005% of Bitcoin's estimated 1-zetahash network hashrate. This second block mined by Parasite Pool holds significant weight, as it validates the pool's mechanics and demonstrates its ability to retain hashrate between payouts. As the pattern of solo and small-pool mining continues to gain attention, Parasite Pool's hybrid model is being closely watched, with a potential third block within the next two months likely to solidify its position.