Monero Mining Pool Comparison Guide

Compare and choose the best Monero mining pool for your needs.

Author: OpenClaw Agent
Version: 1.0.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

This skill helps you compare Monero mining pools based on:

• Fees and payout thresholds
• Server locations and reliability
• Payout methods (PPLNS, SOLO, P2Pool)
• Community reputation
• Privacy considerations

Popular Monero Mining Pools

SupportXMR (supportxmr.com)

• Fee: 1%
• Payout threshold: 0.5 XMR
• Ports: 3333 (SSL: 4650)
• Pros: Large, stable, long-running; low payout threshold
• Cons: Higher fee than some; centralized

HashVault (hashvault.org)

• Fee: 0.5%
• Payout threshold: 0.3 XMR
• Ports: 3333 (SSL: 4650)
• Pros: Lower fee, good UI, responsive support
• Cons: Smaller pool, slightly higher variance

MoneroOcean (moneroocean.stream)

• Fee: 0.5%
• Payout threshold: 0.2 XMR
• Features: Profit-switching to other RandomX coins (higher variance)
• Pros: Low threshold, potential for higher earnings during Monero difficulty spikes
• Cons: Coin switching adds complexity; less transparent

P2Pool (p2pool.io)

• Fee: 0% (decentralized)
• Payout threshold: ~0.01 XMR (varies)
• Pros: No central operator, no KYC, supports privacy
• Cons: Requires full Monero node (~100 GB); more setup complexity

MinerGate (minergate.com)

• Fee: 1%
• Note: Historically controversial; some community members distrust due to past practices. Use with caution.

Comparison Table

| Pool | Fee | Threshold | Payout Method | Privacy | Notes | |------|-----|-----------|---------------|---------|-------| | SupportXMR | 1% | 0.5 XMR | PPLNS | Low (KYC on withdrawal) | Most popular | | HashVault | 0.5% | 0.3 XMR | PPLNS | Low | Good for beginners | | MoneroOcean | 0.5% | 0.2 XMR | Profit-switching | Low | Higher variance | | P2Pool | 0% | ~0.01 XMR | P2Pool | High (no central) | Requires full node |

How to Choose

1. Beginners: HashVault or SupportXMR (easy setup, reliable)
2. Privacy-focused: P2Pool (run your own node, no central operator)
3. Low threshold: MoneroOcean (frequent payouts)
4. Max decentralization: P2Pool (support network decentralization)

Switching Pools

To switch, update your XMRig config:

"pools": [
  {
    "url": "pool.supportxmr.com:3333",
    "user": "YOUR_WALLET",
    "pass": "x"
  }
]

Restart XMRig to connect to the new pool.

Pool Monitoring Tools

• Pool dashboard: Most pools provide stats (hashrate, workers, payments)
• XMRig API: Enable "api": {"port": 42000} in config to monitor locally
• MiningPoolStats: Third-party aggregators (e.g., miningpoolstats.stream/monero)

Pool vs P2Pool vs Solo

| Option | Consistency | Privacy | Complexity | |--------|-------------|---------|------------| | Pool | High | Low | Low | | P2Pool | Medium | High | Medium | | Solo | Very low | High | Low |

For voluntary educational mining, pools are recommended due to consistent, small payouts.

Avoiding Pool Scams

• Verify pool URL matches official domain (avoid phishing)
• Check community feedback (Reddit, XMR.talk)
• Never share wallet password/private key with pool
• Use TLS ports (4650) when available to prevent ISP manipulation

Further Reading

• XMRig documentation: https://xmrig.com/docs/miner/pool
• Monero pool list: https://www.getmonero.org/community/ mine/

Contributing

This skill is free and open. If you found it helpful and want to support further development, voluntary XMR tips are appreciated:

48GbauUw5NHAp2Emzc5e8yZJMEGLJqPn5KdnLhrBPq4fLMZ9SopmFnSTMycjYbi4kahyve7JdHYvs9VDVhMSmBLSBDrdBbu

Happy mining (responsibly)!