Is Rootstock (RSK) “mined like a normal coin” with Stratum?

Not exactly. RSK is merged‑mined with Bitcoin. We focus on the correct integration approach, operational monitoring, and clear documentation so miners and operators understand what’s happening.

Do you help with nodes, RPC security, and wallet handling for RSK?

Yes. We deploy and harden the node layer (RPC allowlists, secrets, monitoring), then validate wallet and payout flows with small-value test runs before going live.

Will it work with NiceHash hashpower?

In many cases, yes. Compatibility depends on how miners connect and how your pool handles difficulty updates and session behavior. We can tune vardiff and onboarding docs for external hashpower marketplaces where appropriate.

Do you provide the pool website, dashboard, and charts?

Yes. We can deliver a full branded pool website with a miner dashboard (workers, hashrate, payments), plus status pages. If you prefer an API-first deployment, we can also integrate stats into your own UI.

What do you need from me to start a RSK pool setup?

Your pool type (solo/private/public), expected hashrate, preferred payout model, target hosting (VPS/dedicated/cloud), and whether you want a full website UI or a minimal operational deployment. From there we propose the cleanest rollout.

Rootstock (RSK) Merged Mining Pool Setup — Integration Runbook

A Rootstock pool on SHA256/SHA256d succeeds when the “boring” parts are correct: synced nodes, predictable difficulty behavior, and safe payouts. Below is our operator‑focused checklist for launching and maintaining a RSK pool.

On this page

Pool basics
Stack choice
What we configure
Miner connection strings
Coin notes
Launch checklist
FAQ

How RSK merged mining changes your pool’s trust boundaries

RSK is designed to be merge‑mined with Bitcoin, which means your pool’s Bitcoin block work can simultaneously commit to RSK. The operational impact is that you now run an extra node and an extra validation loop, even if miners never touch their configuration.

Separate concerns: Bitcoin payout accounting stays Bitcoin; RSK is an additional validity target layered on top of the same hashpower.
Extra node, extra alerts: you must monitor the RSK node’s sync state and its ability to produce auxiliary block data on demand.
Failure isolation: if the RSK sidechain goes unhealthy, miners should keep mining Bitcoin while you pause RSK commitments cleanly.
Key hygiene: treat any credentials used to connect pool ↔ RSK services as secrets; merge-mining glue code becomes a privileged path.

Architecture: Bitcoin pool first, RSK sidechain attached

Think of RSK as an attachment to your existing Bitcoin pool stack. Your core Stratum and share accounting remain Bitcoin-centric, while the merge-mining module injects additional commitments during block template creation.

Yiimp-based pool: viable when you already run a Yiimp Bitcoin pool and want to add RSK alongside it. Use Yiimp setup guide for the base pool, then integrate RSK carefully.
Miningcore-based pool: suitable when you prefer a clean service boundary around block template creation and validation. Start from Miningcore setup guide and add the RSK module.
Custom integration: recommended if you need multi-region template services, strict failover behavior, or detailed auditing of auxiliary commitments.

Operator note

Do not bolt this on blindly—test in staging with deterministic logs so you can prove what was committed and when.

RSK integration deliverables (node, aux data, monitoring)

RSK node provisioning: install/build, version pinning, and health checks for sync, peer quality, and RPC availability.
Merge-mining connector: configure the service that requests RSK auxiliary block data and injects it into Bitcoin block templates.
Template safety: guardrails so a slow or unhealthy RSK node cannot stall Bitcoin template updates or Stratum job distribution.
Payout and reporting: even though miners do not change workers, document how accounting works and reference and for your Bitcoin pool mode choices.
Status visibility: expose a clear “RSK merged mining enabled/paused” indicator plus reason codes for operators.
Security and recovery: secrets handling, isolated networks, backups, and hardening guidance aligned with security hardening.

A stable RSK integration is mostly about determinism: the same inputs should produce the same commitments, and operators should be able to trace issues without guesswork.

Miner-facing guidance for RSK merged mining

Merged mining should be invisible to miners. Your public documentation should emphasize that the Stratum endpoint and worker format remain the Bitcoin pool’s format.

stratum+tcp://POOL-DOMAIN:3333
stratum+ssl://POOL-DOMAIN:3443
username: BTC_PAYOUT_ADDRESS.worker1
password: x
# RSK merged mining is handled pool-side (no miner flag required).

If you run a separate status page, add a short section explaining what happens when RSK is paused (miners keep earning Bitcoin; only the sidechain commitment stops).

Rootstock-specific monitoring and validation points

Auxiliary data freshness: monitor how often you can fetch aux block data and how quickly the RSK node responds under load.
Chain-tip agreement: track RSK node height and compare against a second source (another node or a trusted public reference) to detect drift.
Commitment audit trail: log the mapping between Bitcoin templates and the RSK auxiliary commitments used, so you can debug disputes.
Pause behavior: define what triggers disabling RSK commitments (sync loss, RPC errors, high latency) and how you notify operators.
Upgrade discipline: plan RSK node upgrades as a change-controlled event; treat version changes like wallet upgrades for risk.

RSK merged-mining rollout checklist

Stand up an RSK node, sync it fully, and verify the RPC methods required for merge mining are available and stable.
Integrate the merge-mining connector in staging and confirm that Bitcoin templates include the expected auxiliary commitment data.
Load test template creation: ensure RSK latency does not slow down Stratum job refresh or increase stale shares.
Implement a clear kill switch for RSK commitments and verify miners continue normal Bitcoin operation when it is off.
Add metrics and alerts for RSK sync, aux-data request failures, and commitment generation time.
Run a controlled production canary with a small miner subset before enabling the feature globally.
Document the operational playbook (pause, resume, upgrade) and review it with whoever is on pager duty.

Rootstock merged-mining FAQ (operator perspective)

Do miners have to change their pool URL to merge-mine RSK?

In most setups, no. Miners connect to the normal Bitcoin Stratum endpoint. The pool generates and injects RSK commitments while creating Bitcoin block templates.

What breaks first when the RSK node falls behind?

Aux data requests start timing out or returning stale results. Your integration should detect that quickly and disable RSK commitments rather than slowing Bitcoin template updates.

Is merged mining the same thing as AuxPoW?

They are related ideas: AuxPoW is a way to prove auxiliary work across chains, while merged mining describes using one proof-of-work effort to support multiple chains. The exact mechanics depend on the chain; validate against Rootstock documentation and your node release.

Can I run RSK on a separate host from the Bitcoin pool?

Yes, and it is often preferable. Keeping the RSK node and connector on a separate network segment reduces blast radius and simplifies upgrades.

What should I log for incident response on RSK merged mining?

Log RSK node health, aux-data request/response timings, and the exact commitments injected into templates. Those traces make debugging possible when miners report anomalies.

If you want an audited RSK integration on top of your Bitcoin pool, Contact us with your current stack and deployment constraints.