Ethereum cryptocurrency has been steadily holding the second position in terms of market capitalization for many years. ETH cryptocurrency has attracted a large number of miners. Indeed, unlike Bitcoin, Ether can be mined using ordinary video cards.
Mining requires a lot of tough work and expensive hardware. Sometimes, it’s definitely easier to buy Ethereum coin than all these GPUs and ASICs. We’ve made the most comprehensive list of Ethereum mining pools, which are currently popular.
How to Start Mining Ethereum (ETH)?
Any Ethereum mining pool is a server that distributes the task of mining among the participants. The contribution of each miner to the solution of the block is determined using a specific counting system, and then, in accordance with it, participants receive a reward.
What is needed to start mining? Here is a list to prepare for Ethereum mining.
- A PC with a Windows operating system version no lower than 7th is required. The updated system will protect you from a possibility of requirements changing in the future, as there will be a need to transfer all the software to the new Windows.
- For most efficient operation of the video card, you should use a video adapter with a memory capacity of at least 4 GB.
- Install the latest version of the drivers. This will ensure maximum mining speed.
- If the motherboard allows you to put several additional video cards, then this will greatly simplify your task and increase profits.
How to Choose an Ethereum Mining Pool?
There is no definite answer to the question of which Ethereum mining pool is the best. There are many factors which everyone should consider before choosing a pool. Let’s briefly talk about the main ones.
- Firstly, there is a commission that is around 1-2%.
- Secondly, there are convenient statistics. It displays essential data for analysis. By analyzing statistics, you can determine the power of the pool, popularity, limits, block sizes, and much more. If data is poor, then perhaps the pool admins are hiding some details. So you should be careful.
- Thirdly, the frequency of the pool’s payouts and the minimum payment threshold are important.
For example, if you bought a GPUs like 1080 Ti and want to cover your expenses, then your best option is to choose a pool with frequent payouts and a low payment threshold. This way you might be able to return your money in a reasonable time.
Also, your profit from mining is affected by the current mining difficulty, the price of electricity in your region, and the current price of ETH. Use WhatToMine to calculate your current mining profitability.
You can check out our price prediction for Ethereum, but don’t forget to always do your own research.
Payouts can be affected by the power of the pool. More miners work to decrypt one block, the faster it will be solved by joint efforts and you will receive money. Consequently, the frequency of payments increases.
Top 10 Ethereum Mining Pools
Changelly has compiled the list of the most used pools for convenient mining of Ethereum cryptocurrency.
#1. SparkPool
The most powerful Chinese pool in the ETH, GRIN, CKB, and BEAM ecosystems is the Sparkpool, a resource open to collaborating with miners around the globe. To start mining, you need to configure the batch file of the mining program. Ethereum mining is more profitable for AMD GPUs. It is required to flash the modified BIOS and adjust the overclocking options in MSI Afterburner or AMD driver settings.
- Mining Reward Type: PPS+
- Fees: 1.0 %
#2. Ethermine
Ethermine is the first and official Ethereum mining pool. Some time ago the pool did not accept new users due to the high workload and only worked with old clients. Because of this, many new miners were forced to switch to solo mining, since there was no other alternative to this pool then. The pool stands out for its high performance and low fees.
- Mining Reward Type: PPLNS
- Fees: 1.0 %
#3. F2Pool
One of the most popular pools is F2Pool, which has a network of servers located both in the home region (China and other Asian countries) and in the USA. F2pool.com has a wide range of cryptocurrencies to mine. Before you start mining on F2pool, you need to complete the registration. After sign up, register your Ethereum address, get the software, and configure it.
- Mining Reward Type: PPS, PPS+
- Fees: 3.0 %
#4. Spiderpool
Spiderpool is the new mining pool for Ethereum crypto coins. The pool has one disadvantage, it uses only Mandarin language. However, you can use Google Translate to start mining at ease. Spiderpool has a mobile app that gives an opportunity to follow the monitor performance.
- Mining Reward Type: PPS+
- Fees: 1.5 %
#5. Nanopool
Nanopool is already one of the largest mining pools of Ethereum. The complexity of the share is static and equivalent to 5 billion. The recommended minimum hashrate for mining on this pool is only 5 Mhesh/s. The mining reward for the pool is calculated according to the PPLNS scheme, where N is all accepted shares in the last 10 minutes.
The pool has reliable servers around the world. The website has a convenient and intuitive interface. The pool has a high minimum payout threshold. It is advisable to connect from 3 farms so as not to wait for long payments.
- Mining Reward Type: PPLNS
- Fees: 1.0 %
#6. MiningPoolHub
The multipool MiningPoolHub allows you to profit from mining and exchange digital coins of different payment systems at the proposed rate. You can mine several coins in the same algorithm. The pool uses the PPLNS algorithm to determine user rewards. The commission for the withdrawal of funds is 0.9%.
- Mining Reward Type: PPLNS
- Fees: 0.9 %
#7. 2Miners
2Miners pool has three servers which are located in Europe, USA and Asia. Miners can use the opportunity to get e-mail or Telegram notifications for free. The minimum payout is 0.5 ETH, which accrued every two hours. The pool uses PPLNS reward system, in which N is last 50,000 shares.
- Mining Reward Type: PPLNS
- Fees: 1.0 %
#8. Huobipool
Huobipool is it is a large rapidly developing multi-currency pool, which was founded on the basis of Huobi Global cryptocurrency exchange. The main feature was the work in the proof-of-work and voting modes for the EOS.
- Mining Reward Type: FPPS
#9. BTC.com
BTC.com is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency joint mining services. It belongs to investors from China, like other similar structures in the top segment of the industry. The pool was launched in early 2016 in test mode and in the first months of its existence proved to be excellent.
- Mining Reward Type: FPPS
#10. Ezil
The Ezil.me pool team proposed to Ethereum miners to increase their income by mining the Zilliqa (ZIL) cryptocurrency. The similarity of mining algorithms allows you to switch from ETH to another coin for 1.5 hours.
- Mining Reward Type: PPS+
- Fees: 1.0 %
Bottom Line
The above pools for Ethereum mining have been verified by many users. Each server has a high hashrate and pays out earnings to miners regularly and fairly. The most reliable way to evaluate a pool is to test it yourself. Checking the pool also allows you to understand how efficiently your mining equipment works.
To test the pool, connect the equipment to the service for 2-3 days, and measure the results. This way, you will be able to understand which pool is right for you.