The path of one mining attempt
- The ASIC builds and hashes candidate block headers.
- A hash below the pool's share target can be recorded as a share.
- A hash below the Bitcoin network target is a valid block candidate.
- The pool backend reports the telemetry it has received.
A share is not a partial block
Shares are lower-difficulty proofs used to measure submitted work. They are operational evidence, not progress bars toward a block. Ten accepted shares do not make the eleventh attempt more likely to meet the network target.
Why variance dominates
Two miners with the same steady hashrate can experience very different results over the same period. An expected interval is a mathematical average across many hypothetical runs, not a schedule.
Solo mining and proportional pool mining
| Question | Solo model | Proportional pool model |
|---|---|---|
| Payout pattern | Rare and large if the user's hashrate finds a valid block; no reward percentage is deducted | Smaller and more regular, subject to the payout method |
| Variance | Very high | Lower for an individual participant |
| Role of shares | Measures work under the service policy | Often contributes to payout accounting |
What the dashboard can tell you
The dashboard can display available hashrate, shares, workers, difficulty, and timestamps. It cannot tell you when the next block will be found.