A thorough investigation by Bitcoin developer and observer 0xB10C has revealed that several prominent bitcoin mining pools are employing identical block templates and transaction prioritization methods, resembling those of Antpool. This discovery comes after previous findings that exposed a significant concentration of custodianship among these same pools.
0xB10C’s recent analysis on the social media platform X has unveiled that mining pools such as Btc.com, Binance Pool, and Poolin are utilizing the same mining template and custom transaction prioritization as Antpool. This uniformity suggests a potential deeper collaboration or standardization in mining operations across these platforms, which could impact the decentralized nature of Bitcoin.
According to 0xB10C, the similarity in templates extends to the selection and order of transactions within the blocks. While many pools typically prioritize transactions with higher fees, the pools in question have been observed using a fixed transaction paying significantly lower fees. This practice has the potential to influence the overall dynamics of transaction processing in the network, especially when a substantial amount of hashrate is working together.
This discovery builds upon earlier findings by Mononaut, a developer from mempool.space, who reported that a single custodian now controls the coinbase addresses for several pools, representing 47% of Bitcoin’s hashrate. These pools include major players like F2pool, Antpool, Binance Pool, and Braiins, further raising concerns about the centralization of mining power.
As a result of these revelations, there have been calls within the community for the implementation of Stratum V2. 0xB10C noted that F2pool, although using the same custody provider, appears to develop their own templates. This observation, along with 0xB10C’s previous identification of specific bitcoin transactions linked to U.S. Treasury-sanctioned addresses absent from F2pool’s blocks, emphasizes the importance of addressing these centralization issues.
Stratum V2, if implemented, could enhance transparency and decentralization by allowing individual miners to choose their own block templates instead of relying on those dictated by pool operators. This protocol upgrade would not only reduce the influence of large mining pools on the network but also empower contributing miners. However, a 2022 report from Galaxy indicates a divide between ASIC manufacturers and developers regarding the implementation of Stratum V2.
The use of the same block template patterns by all the mining pools raises significant concerns about the network’s security and integrity. It has sparked discussions within the community about the potential risks involved. Bitcoin Core contributor Matt Corallo commented on X, sharing 0xB10C’s findings, and emphasized the need for Stratum V2.
What are your thoughts on mining pools employing the same block template patterns? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
