Bitcoin was created as a decentralized network that was operated by individual participants via their own computers. Solo mining was originally the only way to mine: each participant independently tried to find a valid block and receive the reward - today 3.125 BTC per block. Even though the global hashrate has grown enormously in the meantime, solo miners are now experiencing a renaissance, especially thanks to compact, highly efficient devices such as the Bitaxe Gamma. Solo mining is now less of a profit-driven endeavor and more of an expression of hobby, technical passion and digital sovereignty.
An open source miner for the home
The Bitaxe is a fully open-source Bitcoin solo miner that reduces modern ASIC technology to a minimal footprint. The current models - including the Bitaxe Gamma 601 and 602 - use the same BM1370 chip as professional Antminer devices and achieve hash rates of around 1.2 to 1.3 TH/s with impressive energy efficiency of between 15 and 17 watts per terahash. This is the same efficiency class as the industrial Antminer S21-Pro series and makes the Bitaxe a remarkably powerful home device.
With its minimalist but powerful design, the Bitaxe offers enthusiasts a realistic entry into mining - without server rooms, without specialized knowledge and without enormous electricity costs. Manufacturers such as solomining.de are expanding the ecosystem with additional models such as the NerdAxe or upgrade kits such as the Copperzilla 2.0, which enables hash rates of over 2 TH/s.
Solo mining as a "lucky lottery"
Solo mining with Bitaxe is often described as a "lucky lottery". Because while the odds are low, they are real: with a 1.2 TH/s hashrate, the probability of finding a block is around 1 in 4.95 million per day and around 1 in 13,567 per year - based on network data from April 2025. However, Bitcoin produces an average of 144 blocks per day, giving solo miners over 50,000 chances of winning each year. This statistical reality makes solo mining fascinating: even a small device can theoretically win an entire block.
Setting up and using a Bitaxe
The Bitaxe is deliberately designed for easy commissioning: It has an integrated WLAN module, the AxeOS firmware with a web-based interface and a small OLED display for real-time display of temperature and hashrate. The setup only involves connecting to the Wi-Fi, setting the mining parameters and entering your own Bitcoin address. The miner then starts working autonomously - and the user needs one thing above all: patience.
Solo mining and full nodes
However, a miner alone is not enough for truly sovereign mining. The central component that complements your mining and maximizes your independence is your own Bitcoin full node.
Bitcoin is much more than an investment vehicle. It is a tool for freedom, self-responsibility and decentralization. Those who operate a node control their own understanding of truth in the network: the device checks every transaction and every block independently - without relying on third parties, without central authorities. The operator is simultaneously user, verifier and infrastructure operator.
Having your own node is particularly important for solo miners, because a miner only works truly independently if it validates its shares and blocks found against its own node - not against third-party servers.
Why having your own Bitcoin node is essential
A Bitcoin full node is the heart of your own sovereignty. It stores the complete blockchain, checks every single transaction and every set of Bitcoin rules completely and independently. Only a full node makes it possible to really use Bitcoin without trusting third parties. This applies to both wallet use and mining operations.
By operating your own node, you get:
- Every transaction is checked yourself. No trust in wallet providers or third-party servers.
- No forwarding of queries to external nodes or services.
- Security: Protection against manipulated or falsified data, as you enforce the rules yourself.
- Each node contributes to the stability of the network and prevents centralization.
Bitaxe.de puts it even more clearly:
Having your own node is a statement: "I check, I don't trust." Solo mining reinforces this signal, because by having your own hashrate you not only become a verifier, but also an active participant in the consensus process.
It is the Bitcoin philosophy in action
The Bitaxe has modernized Bitcoin solo mining: efficient, accessible, open and realistic for private users. While the miner gives you the chance to find a block yourself, it also provides in-depth technical understanding. Those who then also operate their own full node complete the circle of Bitcoin sovereignty: complete control, independent validation and active participation in securing the network.
Solo mining with the Bitaxe is therefore not only a technical experiment, but also a statement: for decentralization, independence and the original ideal of Bitcoin.
Why ASIC hardware like the Bitaxe is crucial
Technical progress in mining has changed the landscape dramatically. While early users successfully found blocks with ordinary CPUs, mining today is only possible with specialized ASIC chips. These chips are tailor-made computing units that only calculate SHA-256 hashes - extremely efficient, extremely specialized.
The Bitaxe uses the same BM1370 chip that is also installed in the Antminer S21 Pro. This means
- Industrial technology in desktop size
- Efficiency values of 15 J/TH, identical to professional miners
- Hash rates of 1.2 to 1.3 TH/s with minimal power consumption
- Operation with commercially available power supply units
The fact that such a powerful chip has ended up in an open source project is remarkable. Above all because the Bitaxe builds a bridge: The enormous performance of industrial hardware meets the openness and accessibility of a community project.
The competition is not sleeping: Solomining.de shows with devices such as the NerdQaxe++ or heat sinks such as the Copperzilla that there is additional optimization potential and hash rates of over 2 TH/s are achievable.
What solo mining really means in 2026
Solo mining is often referred to as "gambling", but technically it is a form of statistical probability. The Bitaxe Gamma participates in the hunt for valid blocks at around 1.2 TH/s, but competes with a global network hashrate in the hundreds of exahashes. The resulting chance is small - but measurable:
- Probability of a block find per day: 1 in 4.95 million
- Probability per year: 1 in 13,567
These figures seem sober, but they mean that The chance exists - and it is much more real than classic lotteries.
Bitcoin generates a new block every 10 minutes, i.e. around 144 per day, over 52,000 per year. Each of these blocks is an opportunity for the solo miner.
This makes solo mining a kind of "hash lottery", but one in which knowledge, technology and commitment make participation possible - not blind luck.
The learning effect
Bitaxe has enormous educational value, especially for technically interested users. Anyone who uses it understands
- how hashes are generated
- how mining difficulty works
- how blocks are validated
- how your own device communicates with the network
- how Bitcoin is structured beyond purely financial considerations
Such insights provide a deep understanding of the Bitcoin protocol that can never be gained through pure hodling. And this is precisely where the value of Bitaxe lies - it is a teacher, an experimentation platform and a tool for genuine participation.
The importance of your own full node
Solo mining without a full node is possible - but contradictory. Solo mining aims for independence, while a miner who relies on external nodes immediately loses this independence.
A full node is the "brain" of the Bitcoin operation: it checks blocks, transactions and the entire set of rules completely independently. It is the tool that determines what is "true".
A full node enables:
- complete privacy
- absolute control over your own transactions
- Protection against manipulation by external servers
- Direct interaction with the blockchain
- Support for the decentralized nature of Bitcoin
"A full node is not an option - it is the foundation of real control.
It makes you independent of companies, cloud services and third parties."
If you operate a full node, you become part of the infrastructure.
Anyone who also operates their own hash rate becomes part of the consensus process.
This combination is the highest form of Bitcoin sovereignty.
Bitcoin cell
In the past, participating in the Bitcoin network was technically demanding. Servers, Linux setups, manual configuration and a lot of know-how were required. Today, on the other hand, pre-configured devices such as Umbrel make it possible to operate a full node in just a few minutes - without any technical hurdles.
This development democratizes the network:
- No cloud
- No dependency
- No expert knowledge required
- Immediate participation in the global consensus
"Having your own combination of node and miner is the most practical form of true responsibility and independence in the Bitcoin network."
Political signal
Solo mining is not profit-maximizing - it's a statement. Every small miner, every full node, every personal hash unit is a sting against centralization tendencies.
Large mining farms are efficient but centralized.
Cloud nodes are convenient but dependent.
Exchange wallets are practical, but externally determined.
A dedicated node + a dedicated miner, on the other hand, generate:
- Independence in validation
- Independence in participation
- Independence in the infrastructure
This is a political, philosophical and technical statement at the same time - exactly in line with the Bitcoin vision.
Bitcoin ideology in action
The Bitaxe is not a device for quick riches. It is a tool for learning, a contribution to decentralization and a symbol of true sovereignty. Together with its own Bitcoin Full Node, it forms a personal Bitcoin infrastructure cell - independent, uncensorable and self-determined.
Solo mining is a journey: technical, philosophical and real.
Those who embark on it do not do so for the block reward.
But because of the principle behind it:
"Don't trust - verify."
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Important note
The opinions and information provided by us do not constitute financial advice. They are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for individual advice from qualified professionals.
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