Largest Mining Pools: How They Control Crypto Networks and What It Means for You

When you hear about largest mining pools, groups of miners who combine computing power to solve blockchain puzzles and earn rewards. Also known as mining pools, they’re the hidden engines behind Bitcoin and Ethereum—holding more power than most countries. These aren’t companies you can invest in. They’re collectives of individuals and data centers working together, and the top five control over 60% of Bitcoin’s total hash rate. That means if just a few of them decided to act in bad faith, they could disrupt the entire network.

The biggest mining pools like BTC.com, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin mining pools, handling billions in daily hash power, Poolin, a China-based pool that dominated after the 2021 crypto crackdown in the country, and F2Pool, a global operator with deep ties to hardware manufacturers and institutional miners don’t just mine—they influence everything. Their decisions on software upgrades, fee structures, and even which transactions get confirmed first shape the market. If a major pool suddenly stops supporting a chain, that chain can stall. If one grows too large, it threatens decentralization—the core promise of crypto.

It’s not just about Bitcoin. Ethereum’s shift to proof-of-stake didn’t kill mining pools—it moved them to other chains like Ethereum Classic and Ravencoin. Today, mining pools still power over 30 major networks. You might think you’re just holding crypto, but your coins rely on these pools to stay secure. If you’re mining yourself, joining a pool means steadier payouts. If you’re just investing, understanding who controls the hash rate helps you spot risks before they hit your portfolio.

The posts below break down real cases: how mining pools affect token prices, what happens when one gets too big, why some miners leave for smaller pools, and how new blockchains are trying to avoid the same mistakes. You’ll see how pools like those behind BCGame Coin and Merge Pals tie into broader mining trends, and why even meme coins can’t escape the influence of centralized mining power. No fluff. Just facts you can use to mine smarter—or avoid getting mined.