How do I solo mine Bitcoin on a PC?

A common approach is: run a synced Bitcoin Core node on Linux/Windows, run a solo Stratum server (often CKPool) that talks to your node via RPC, then point your miner at the CKPool Stratum URL. For reliability and security, most operators run the pool components on a dedicated Linux server and use the PC as a monitoring/admin workstation.

Can I use an Antminer or Bitaxe for solo mining?

Yes. Most ASICs (including Antminer models) connect to a Stratum URL. Bitaxe class devices can also connect if they support the same protocol. We document the exact worker format and endpoint details so onboarding is easy.

Bitcoin Solo Mining Pool Setup (CKPool) — Solo Mine BTC with Your Own Node

Q: Is it possible to solo mine Bitcoin?

Yes. Solo mining means you mine against your own Bitcoin node and keep the full block reward when you find a block. Your expected time-to-block depends on your hashrate, so variance can be high. Many miners use CKPool (a solo mining stratum server) to simplify the workflow.

Q: Do I need a Bitcoin solo mining node?

For a true solo setup, yes—you need a Bitcoin node (Bitcoin Core) that is fully synced and exposes RPC to your Stratum server. The Stratum server requests work templates from the node and submits solved blocks back to it.

This guide explains how to create a solo mining pool for Bitcoin using CKPool (solo mining stratum) and a synced Bitcoin Core node. It’s a common pattern for miners who want to solo mine Bitcoin with one or a few ASICs (Antminer-class rigs, small home setups, and devices like Bitaxe), while keeping control over the node, templates, and payouts. CKPool is a clean option if you want to build and run your own solo pool; we help with installation, configuration, and the full node setup so it stays stable under real miner traffic.

On this page

What a solo pool is (and why CKPool)
Requirements: node, server, network
Reference architecture
Setup workflow (high level)
Bitcoin solo mining stratum URL + worker format
Operational checklist
How we help
FAQ

What a solo pool is (and why CKPool)

A bitcoin solo pool routes your miner shares to your own node and pays the block reward directly to you when you solve a block. Unlike public pools, there’s no share splitting across many miners. The tradeoff is variance: with low hashrate, you can go a long time without finding a block.

Why CKPool: small, focused, and designed for solo workflows.
Why not just “solo mine in the miner”: you still need a trusted node and a Stratum endpoint; CKPool standardizes this.
Private vs public: many solo pools are private (only your miners). You can expose it publicly, but you’ll need abuse controls.

“Create a solo mining pool for Bitcoin” (free vs real-world cost)

CKPool and Bitcoin Core are open source (the software is effectively free), but a reliable deployment still needs a server, bandwidth, monitoring, and hardening. If you see “create a solo mining pool for Bitcoin free” threads on Reddit, they typically mean the code is free—not that operating it is free.

Requirements: node, server, network

Bitcoin node: a fully synced Bitcoin Core node with RPC enabled.
Server OS: Linux is the default for production (btc pool linux, pool linux). Windows/macOS can be used for testing but are rarely ideal for always-on ops.
Stable network: low latency is helpful, but stability matters more (packet loss causes disconnects and stale shares).
ASIC access: your ASICs connect to a Stratum URL; you’ll publish the endpoint and worker format clearly.

Reference architecture

A minimal solo setup is:

Bitcoin Core node (templates + block submission)
CKPool Stratum server (miner connections)
Firewall + TLS (optional but recommended if exposed to the internet)
Monitoring (node sync, RPC health, stratum connections)

For higher reliability, we separate node and Stratum roles so a node restart doesn’t drop all miner connections.

Setup workflow (high level)

Install Bitcoin Core and verify full sync + stable RPC. See Bitcoin node setup.
Configure CKPool to request templates from your node (getblocktemplate) and submit solved blocks back to it.
Publish Stratum ports (TCP and optionally TLS). Add rate limits and bans if the endpoint is public.
Test with one miner (Antminer / other ASIC) before onboarding more miners. This is the fastest way to validate an antminer solo mining configuration before you scale.
Document the exact worker format and “how to connect” page for your setup.

Bitcoin solo mining stratum URL + worker format

A typical solo-mining Stratum endpoint looks like:

stratum+tcp://YOUR-SOLO-POOL-DOMAIN:3333
# optional TLS
stratum+ssl://YOUR-SOLO-POOL-DOMAIN:443

Your miner configuration depends on your pool’s rules. Many solo setups use the payout address as the username. We provide a clear “connect” page so you don’t rely on guesswork.

Operational checklist

Time sync: keep NTP enabled to avoid TLS and job-timing issues.
RPC safety: never expose Bitcoin Core RPC to the public internet.
Wallet strategy: plan for hot vs cold storage and operational limits.
Backups: keep config backups and test restore (don’t discover backup failures after an incident).
Security hardening: see mining pool security hardening.

How we help

If you want a turnkey delivery (or you want to avoid debugging “why isn’t my solo pool working?” threads), we can:

Deploy and harden a Bitcoin Core node + CKPool
Configure Stratum endpoints (TCP/TLS), bans, and safe defaults
Provide a complete onboarding page and runbook
Optionally add monitoring/alerting and ongoing support

Want a solo pool built for your ASICs?

Share your hashrate, miner type (Antminer/other), and whether you want private-only access. Contact us.

Notes about Reddit/GitHub install guides

Many miners search for “solo mining bitcoin reddit” or “ckpool github” to find community install notes. Those can be useful, but production setups still need a hardened node, locked-down RPC, and monitoring. We focus on deployments you can operate safely.

FAQ

Is it possible to solo mine Bitcoin?

Yes. Solo mining is technically straightforward, but the expected time to find a block depends on your hashrate and network difficulty. A solo pool (CKPool + Bitcoin Core) makes it easier to run clean Stratum endpoints.

Can I run this on macOS (pool on Mac)?

For lab/testing, yes. For a production solo pool, we recommend a Linux server for stability, automation, and security.

Do I need a Bitcoin solo mining node?

Yes—a fully synced Bitcoin Core node is required so CKPool can fetch templates and submit solved blocks. See Bitcoin node setup.