Four Bitcoin Mining Pools Now Control Over 70% of Network Hashrate
Bitcoin mining is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few large pools. According to data from miningpoolstats.stream, as of June 23, 2026, four mining pools—Foundry Digital, AntPool, ViaBTC, and F2Pool—control over 70% of the network’s hashrate. The estimated shares are Foundry Digital at 31%, AntPool at 18%, ViaBTC at 13%, and F2Pool at 10%, per figures cited in a July 8, 2026 CryptoSlate article.
This concentration is creating a two-tier market, where the largest pools optimize for institutional clients. Foundry, for example, is US-based and backed by Digital Currency Group, with strict KYC requirements that cater to large-scale operators. Independent and mid-size miners are quietly reconsidering their pool choices as they struggle for responsiveness and predictable payouts.
ViaBTC, holding 13% of the hashrate, has faced increased regulatory scrutiny in 2026, particularly affecting miners in Russia and CIS countries. Account restrictions, sudden KYC demands, and temporary fund freezes are prompting some miners to look for alternatives. EMCD, founded in 2017, is one such alternative, advertising a 1.5% FPPS fee compared to the roughly 4% charged by many pools.
Centralization metrics further highlight the trend. D-Central’s H1 2026 snapshot put Bitcoin’s Nakamoto coefficient at 3, meaning only three pools are needed to exceed half of all blocks mined. By July 16, 2026, the 7-day leaderboard showed Foundry USA at 27.0%, F2Pool and AntPool at 17.2% each, and ViaBTC at 9.5%.