Glossary

Antpool

Hard

Antpool is one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools and aggregates the computing power of many miners to increase the chance of solving a block and receiving the block reward.

What Is Antpool?

Antpool is one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools and aggregates the computing power of many miners to increase the chance of solving a block and receiving the block rewardMiners, who contribute their hash rate to the pool and find blocks, are rewarded based on the amount of work they contributed to solving that block.

History of Antpool 

Antpool was founded in 2014 by Bitmain, a company that designs ASIC chips for Bitcoin mining. Bitmain launched Antpool to provide mining services to owners of their Antminer line of miners. Over time, the platform has become one of the dominant mining pools on the Bitcoin network. In addition to Bitcoin, it also supports mining for Bitcoin CashLitecoinEthereum Classic, Ethereum PoW, DashZcashDecredHandshakeKadena, and DigiByte at the time of writing.

How Antpool Works

Antpool operates as a mining pool, a platform that allows multiple miners to combine their computational power to mine cryptocurrencies more effectively. When a miner in the pool successfully mines a block, the reward is distributed among all the miners in the pool based on the amount of computational power they contributed. This method increases the chances of earning a reward, as mining individually can be a hit-or-miss affair due to the high difficulty level of mining most cryptocurrencies.

In Antpool, miners can choose between two types of reward methods: Pay Per Share (FPPS) and Pay Per Last N Shares (PPLNS). PPS offers a direct payout for each share of computational power contributed, regardless of whether a block is mined. PPLNS, on the other hand, pays out only when a block is mined, and the reward is divided among the last shares, not all shares. This method can be more profitable but also carries more risk.

What Is Antpool's Fee Structure?

Antpool's fees are different for each coin. The whole pricing structure is available on the website here.

Antpool does not collect mining fees upfront but instead deducts them from miners' earnings before paying them out.

Once a miner's balance meets the minimum payment level, they have the option of automating the withdrawal procedure or requesting it manually.

How Do I Troubleshoot Issues With Antpool?

If you run into any issues with Antpool, submit a ticket through their website detailing your issue, and they'll get back to you. They also have a comprehensive FAQ section that covers common issues and questions. 

Is Antpool Safe to Use?

Antpool is one of the largest and most well-established mining pools, having been in operation since 2014. As with any online service, there are risks to be aware of, but Antpool claims to employ standard security practices to help protect their systems and your data. However, as with any mining pool, there is always a possibility of hacking or theft, so do your own due diligence to determine if the risks are acceptable for your needs. 

What Is the Minimum Payout Threshold for Antpool?

Antpool has a relatively low minimum payout threshold of just 0.005 BTC (at the time of writing). This means that once your mining rewards reach 0.005 BTC, Antpool will automatically process a payout to the wallet address you specify. They process payouts once per day at 00:00 UTC. The low payout threshold and daily payout frequency allow you to receive your mining proceeds quickly without having to wait to reach a high balance.

For other coins, please refer to the payout information below: