Parasite Mining Pool Mines Second BTC Block
Parasite Mining Pool mined Bitcoin block 945,601 on Friday, marking its second block since launch and coming 48 days after the first at block 938,713.[1][2] This event occurred as Bitcoin network difficulty stood at 135.59 T, down 2.43% in the last 24 hours at block 945,579.[6]
Overview
- Block Details: Parasite Pool mined block 945,601 with 7,398 transactions and 0.002 BTC in fees; BTC price was $76,213 at the time.[1][2][3]
- Timeline: Second block 48 days after first (late February at 938,713); pool launched April 2025.[1][2]
- Hashrate: Current 52 PH/s, or 0.005% of network’s ~1 ZH/s total; peaked at 182 PH/s in June 2025.[1][2]
- Model: Hybrid payout gives 1 BTC to block finder, splits remaining 2.125 BTC plus fees proportionally by shares.[1][2]
- Difficulty: 135.59 T at block 945,579 (-2.43% last 24h); next adjustment May 2, 2026, to 127.72 T (-5.8%).[6]
- Network Context: Hashrate ~1 ZH/s, down 4% YTD in Q1 2026 first decline in 6 years.[7]
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Parasite Pool’s Second BTC Block Achievement
Parasite Pool, founded by ZK Shark, targets home miners with its hybrid model.[1] The second block validates retention of hashrate over 48 days without a win.[2] Participants stayed engaged despite no payout in that period.[1]
This differs from pay-per-share (consistent small payouts) or solo lottery (all-or-nothing).[2] The 52 PH/s current level shows some drop from June 2025 peak, but steady enough for a second hit.[1][2]
Pool dashboard tracks shares for proportional splits.[1] Block 945,601’s fees added marginally to the 2.125 BTC pool.[2]
Bitcoin Network Difficulty Trends
Current difficulty hit 135.59 T at block 945,579.[6] That’s a 2.43% drop in 24 hours, 6.51% over 30 days, and 7.43% over 90 days.[6] Next retarget on May 2, 2026, projects to 127.72 T.[6]
Earlier in 2026, difficulty fell from 146.5 T to 141.7 T by January 22.[4] Hashrate dipped below 1,000 EH/s last week before rebounding.[4] Q1 2026 saw first hashrate decline in 6 years, down 4% YTD to ~1 ZH/s.[7]
Production costs average $90,000 per BTC while price hovers near $67,000 in recent data, pressuring margins.[7] Smaller operators offline as costs exceed rewards.[7]
| Metric | Current Value | 24h Change | 30d Change | 90d Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty (T) | 135.59 [6] | -2.43% [6] | -6.51% [6] | -7.43% [6] |
| Next Adjustment | 127.72 T [6] | -5.8% proj. [6] | N/A | N/A |
| Hashrate | ~1 ZH/s [7] | Rebound >1,000 EH/s [4] | -4% YTD [7] | N/A |
| BTC Price (Recent) | $76,213 (block time) [1] | <$90k (Jan) [4] | ~$67k (Mar) [7] | N/A |
On-Chain Metrics Around Parasite’s Second Block
No direct Glassnode data ties to Parasite Pool specifically, as it’s a small 0.005% hashrate player.[1][2] Network-wide, supply distribution shows long-term holders (LTH) control ~75% of BTC, per standard metrics (not event-specific).[7] Exchange inflows rose post-Q1 hashrate drop, signaling miner sales.[7]
Custom metric: Miner revenue per TH/s. At 3.125 BTC block reward, $76k price, and 1 ZH/s hashrate, daily revenue ~$20-25 per TH/s before costs.[7] Parasite’s 52 PH/s equates to ~$1-1.3M annual gross if proportional, but hybrid model alters per-block math.[1]
| Pool/Network Comparison | Parasite Pool | Full Network |
|---|---|---|
| Hashrate | 52 PH/s (0.005%) [1] | ~1 ZH/s [2][7] |
| Blocks Mined (Recent) | 2 since Apr 2025 [1] | 945,601 total [1] |
| Model | Hybrid (1 BTC finder + split) [2] | PPS/Solo dominant [2] |
| Retention Gap | 48 days [1] | N/A |
| Peak vs Current | 182 PH/s vs 52 [2] | Stable ~1 ZH/s [7] |
LTH accumulation rate steady at 70-80% of supply unmoved >155 days (Glassnode baseline).[7] No spike tied to block 945,601. Wallet clustering for miners shows industrial dominance, home miners <1% hashrate network-wide.[1]
Long-Term Perspective on Mining Pools and Difficulty
Over 12-36 months, difficulty adjustments follow hashrate.[6] Post-2024 halving, trend was upward until Q1 2026 break.[7] If price sustains $70k+, hashrate could rebound 20-30% YoY, per historical post-dip patterns.[4][7]
Parasite model tests viability for small pools. Two blocks in ~1.5 years (launch Apr 2025 to now) at 0.005% share expects ~0.15 blocks annually on average.[1][2] Third block in next 60 days would match probability; six-month gap raises questions on retention.[2]
Network hashrate grew 10x in 5 years to 1 ZH/s, but 2026 Q1 dip signals shift.[7] Baseline: Difficulty stabilizes if price >$90k covers $90k costs.[7] Upside: Efficiency gains (e.g., newer ASICs) add 15-20% hashrate without cost spike.
| 12-36 Month Projections | Baseline Scenario | Upside Catalysts |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Flat to -5% annual if hashrate stalls [6][7] | +20% YoY on price >$100k [4] |
| Hashrate | ~1-1.2 ZH/s [7] | 1.5 ZH/s on efficiency [7] |
| Small Pool Share (e.g. Parasite) | <0.01% sustained [1] | Grows if model proves, to 0.02% [2] |
| Miner Costs | $80-90k/BTC [7] | Drops 10% on tech [7] |
Exchange flows: Inflows up 15% Q1 2026 as miners sell amid losses.[7] Supply in profit ~85% at $76k, down from 95% peaks.[7] No Parasite-specific flows available.
Risks and Uncertainties
Downside: Prolonged difficulty drop if hashrate falls further, squeezing small pools like Parasite below breakeven.[6][7] Hashrate peaked at 182 PH/s then halved; another drop could end viability.[2]
Uncertainty: No on-chain data confirms Parasite’s exact participant flows or wallet clusters.[1][2] Sources disagree on exact price at block time ($76k vs recent $67k).[1][7] Projections baseline on $70-90k price; upside needs sustained rally not guaranteed.[4][7]
Data missing: Direct Glassnode/Arkham on Parasite hashrate contributions or LTH interactions with pool payouts. Analysis limits to reported metrics.[1][2][6]
Holder Behavior and Supply Dynamics
Network supply distribution: 75% LTH, 15% short-term, 10% exchanges (standard).[7] Post-block 945,601, no measurable shift in miner outflows.[7] Custom metric: LTH accumulation rate ~1-2% monthly when price stable >$70k.[7]
Over 36 months, if difficulty eases to 120-130 T, home mining share could tick up 0.1-0.2% network-wide.[1][6] Parasite’s hybrid appeals if industrial margins stay thin.[2]
Bid/ask on miner stocks not tied here. Volume concentration in top pools >95%; Parasite marginal.[2]
One data-driven implication: At current 135.59 T difficulty and 52 PH/s, Parasite’s model needs 1-2 more blocks in 2026 to match statistical share long-term, regardless of network adjustments.[1][2][6]
- https://phemex.com/news/article/parasite-pool-mines-second-bitcoin-block-validates-hybrid-model-74237
- https://www.moomoo.com/news/post/68502821/bitcoin-plebs-eat-first-mining-pool-parasite-finds-its-second
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwT6YnLI57k
- https://coingeek.com/btc-network-difficulty-falls-again-as-miners-switch-off/
- https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/313924570323346
- https://www.coinwarz.com/mining/bitcoin/difficulty-chart
- https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/analyst-flags-capital-shift-as-bitcoin-mining-power-falls-after-6-years
- https://data.hashrateindex.com/network-data/difficulty
