On July 9, 2026, a solo miner using a single Bitaxe Gamma device mined Bitcoin block #957382. The win secured a reward of 3.1382 BTC, worth approximately $200,000 at the time.
The hardware, which retails for about $150, is an open-source, Wi-Fi-enabled ASIC miner popular in hobbyist circles. It operates at roughly 1 TH/s, a fraction of the Bitcoin network's total hashrate of 874 EH/s.
The statistical probability of winning a block with this hardware was approximately one in 87 million. The miner was connected to Public Pool, a zero-fee solo pool, meaning the entire reward went to a single person.
This event is part of a 2026 trend of solo wins using unconventional or affordable hardware. In February, a miner using rented hashpower for about $75 also won a block worth roughly $200,000.
While solo wins are statistical outliers, they underscore a broader conversation about mining centralization. The vast majority of blocks are mined by large industrial operations. Accessible platforms like Public Pool lower the barrier to entry, allowing small-scale participants to contribute to diversifying block production.