Bitcoin Solo Mining Pool Speed Test

A cross-platform Python tool to help Bitcoin solo miners find the fastest public stratum mining pool server from their location.

Why Use This Tool?

When solo mining Bitcoin, even small differences in connection speed can affect your mining efficiency (particularly noticeable with rejected share count). This script tests connectivity to major solo mining pools worldwide, measuring both network latency and full stratum protocol response times to help you choose the optimal pool server.

How It Works

The script performs two tests for each pool:

1. PING TEST - Measures basic network latency using ICMP
2. STRATUM HANDSHAKE - Measures complete connection time including the mining.subscribe protocol handshake (this is what your miner actually experiences)

All servers are tested concurrently for fast results (~5-10 seconds total).

Requirements

• Python 3.6 or higher (Python 3.11+ recommended for best performance)
• No external dependencies (uses only standard library)
• Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Note: Use python3 if python is not available on your system.

Installation

Clone the repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/mweinberg/stratum-speed-test.git
cd stratum-speed-test

Make it executable (Linux/macOS):

chmod +x stratum_test.py

Usage

Quick Test (Default)

Test all preconfigured pools with 1 run each:

python3 stratum_test.py  # or just 'python' on some systems

TLS Connection Testing (New in v1.3, Enhanced in v1.4)

Test secure TLS stratum connections for pools that support it:

python stratum_test.py -t

This tests both regular and TLS connections, showing response times for each. TLS results appear in an additional column:

• Number = TLS connection time in milliseconds
• - = Pool doesn't support TLS
• FAILED = TLS connection failed (see detailed error message below table)

Requirements:

• Python 3.6+ (Python 3.7+ recommended for TLS 1.3 support)

TLS-enabled pools:

• AtlasPool.io (port 4333)
• Public Pool (port 4333)
• SoloMining.de (port 4333)
• Noderunners (port 1336)

New in v1.4: Skip certificate verification for testing IP addresses:

python stratum_test.py -t --no-verify-cert

Warning: Only use --no-verify-cert for testing purposes - it disables important security checks!

Address Type Verification (New in v1.1)

Test which Bitcoin address types each pool supports:

python stratum_test.py -v

This tests all 5 address types (P2PKH, P2SH, P2WPKH, P2WSH, P2TR) and shows which formats each pool accepts. Results appear as additional columns in the output table:

• ✓ = Supported
• X = Not Supported
• ? = Unknown (may require valid credentials)

Note: Verification adds ~10 seconds per server and uses reduced concurrency for reliability.

Multiple Runs for Accuracy

Run multiple tests per server and get average with min-max range:

python stratum_test.py --runs 3

Valid options: --runs 1, --runs 2, or --runs 3

You can combine with verification:

python stratum_test.py --runs 3 -v

Test a Specific Pool

Test a single pool server by providing the hostname and port as arguments:

python stratum_test.py <hostname> <port>

Examples:

# Test AtlasPool (note: use solo.atlaspool.io, not atlaspool.io)
python stratum_test.py solo.atlaspool.io 3333

# Test CKPool
python stratum_test.py solo.ckpool.org 3333

# Test with multiple runs for better accuracy
python stratum_test.py solo.atlaspool.io 3333 --runs 3

# Test with TLS (for predefined servers, TLS port is auto-detected)
python stratum_test.py public-pool.io 3333 -t

# Test with TLS on custom port
python stratum_test.py solo.atlaspool.io 3333 -t 4333

Important: Both hostname and port must be provided. The script will show an error if only one is specified.

Pool Verification Tool (New in v1.1)

Use verify_pool.py to verify a solo mining pool will pay block rewards to YOUR address:

# Verify a specific address
python3 verify_pool.py solo.atlaspool.io 3333 bc1qxy2kgdygjrsqtzq2n0yrf2493p83kkfjhx0wlh

# Test all 5 address types
python3 verify_pool.py solo.atlaspool.io 3333 -a

What it does:

1. Connects to the pool as a mining worker
2. Requests a block template (mining work)
3. Parses the coinbase transaction
4. Verifies YOUR address appears in the payout outputs

Results:

• ✅ Address found - Pool will pay YOU if you find a block
• ⚠️ Unknown - Could not verify (may require valid credentials)
• ❌ Address NOT found - WARNING: Pool may not be legitimate!

This tool helps ensure you're using a legitimate solo mining pool that will actually pay you if you find a block, rather than paying the pool operator.

JSON Output

Get machine-readable output for automation:

python stratum_test.py --json
python stratum_test.py --runs 3 --json > results.json

Preconfigured Mining Pools

The script includes 20 popular Bitcoin solo mining pools. This list is not exhaustive, and the author intends no slight to any missing pools! Feel free to submit a pull request or comment on other solo mining pools which should be considered for inclusion.

Global/Anycast

• AtlasPool.io - solo.atlaspool.io:3333 (TLS: 4333) - Global edge network

Australia (AU)

• AU CKPool - ausolo.ckpool.org:3333

Switzerland (CH)

• Blitzpool - blitzpool.yourdevice.ch:3333

Germany (DE)

• EU CKPool - eusolo.ckpool.org:3333
• DE SoloHash - solo-de.solohash.co.uk:3333
• SoloMining.de - pool.solomining.de:3333 (TLS: 4333)
• Sunnydecree Pool - pool.sunnydecree.de:3333
• Nerdminer.de - pool.nerdminer.de:3333
• Noderunners - pool.noderunners.network:1337 (TLS: 1336)
• Braiins Solo - solo.stratum.braiins.com:3333
• KanoPool DE - de.kano.is:3333

France (FR)

• FindMyBlock - eu.findmyblock.xyz:3335

Netherlands (NL)

• Satoshi Radio - pool.satoshiradio.nl:3333

United Kingdom (UK)

• UK SoloHash - solo.solohash.co.uk:3333

United States (US)

• US CKPool - solo.ckpool.org:3333
• KanoPool - stratum.kano.is:3333
• Parasite Pool - parasite.wtf:42069
• Public Pool - public-pool.io:3333 (TLS: 4333)
• solo.cat - solo.cat:3333
• US SoloHash - solo-ca.solohash.co.uk:3333

Example Output

================================================================================
BITCOIN SOLO MINING POOL SPEED TEST
================================================================================

This script helps Bitcoin solo miners find the fastest stratum mining pool
server from their location...

============================================================
Testing from: Baltimore, United States
(Note: Location based on IP geolocation - may differ if using VPN/proxy)
Your IP: 203.0.113.42
Network: AS12345 Example ISP

Testing 20 servers (runs: 1)...
  Progress: 20/20

Results:
+-------------------+--------+-----------------------------+-------+-----------+--------------+
| Pool Name         | CC     | Host                        | Port  | Ping (ms) | Stratum (ms) |
+-------------------+--------+-----------------------------+-------+-----------+--------------+
| AtlasPool.io      | *MANY* | solo.atlaspool.io           | 3333  | 12        | 32           |
| US SoloHash       | US     | solo-ca.solohash.co.uk      | 3333  | 22        | 55           |
| Public Pool       | US     | public-pool.io              | 3333  | 43        | 89           |
| Parasite Pool     | US     | parasite.wtf                | 42069 | 52        | 121          |
| KanoPool          | US     | stratum.kano.is             | 3333  | 76        | 142          |
| US CKPool         | US     | solo.ckpool.org             | 3333  | 75        | 148          |
| solo.cat          | US     | solo.cat                    | 3333  | 71        | 149          |
| UK SoloHash       | UK     | solo.solohash.co.uk         | 3333  | 93        | 204          |
| SoloMining.de     | DE     | pool.solomining.de          | 3333  | 105       | 205          |
| EU CKPool         | DE     | eusolo.ckpool.org           | 3333  | 111       | 211          |
| DE SoloHash       | DE     | solo-de.solohash.co.uk      | 3333  | 108       | 211          |
| Braiins Solo      | DE     | solo.stratum.braiins.com    | 3333  | 112       | 215          |
| KanoPool DE       | DE     | de.kano.is                  | 3333  | 114       | 218          |
| Sunnydecree Pool  | DE     | pool.sunnydecree.de         | 3333  | 109       | 221          |
| Nerdminer.de      | DE     | pool.nerdminer.de           | 3333  | 113       | 224          |
| Noderunners       | DE     | pool.noderunners.network    | 1337  | 115       | 228          |
| Blitzpool         | CH     | blitzpool.yourdevice.ch     | 3333  | 118       | 232          |
| Satoshi Radio     | NL     | pool.satoshiradio.nl        | 3333  | 121       | 235          |
| FindMyBlock       | FR     | eu.findmyblock.xyz          | 3335  | 103       | 241          |
| AU CKPool         | AU     | ausolo.ckpool.org           | 3333  | 304       | 3814         |
+-------------------+--------+-----------------------------+-------+-----------+--------------+

Summary:
------------------------------------------------------------
Fastest Ping:    AtlasPool.io (12 ms)
Fastest Stratum: AtlasPool.io (32 ms)

RECOMMENDATION: Consider using AtlasPool.io (solo.atlaspool.io:3333)
                for optimal mining performance from your location.

Understanding the Results

Stratum (ms) is the most important metric - this is what your mining hardware actually experiences. Lower is better.

Status codes: Number = response time in ms, BLOCKED = ICMP blocked (pool still usable), N/A = connection failed

The script recommends pools within 3ms of the fastest stratum time.

Tips for Best Results

• Test from the same network your miners use
• Use --runs 3 for more accurate results
• VPN/proxy will affect location detection and results

Adding Custom Pools

Test unlisted pools: python stratum_test.py your.pool.com 3333

To permanently add, edit PREDEFINED_SERVERS in the script: (hostname, port, tls_port, display_name, country_code)

Troubleshooting

"N/A" for both ping and stratum

• Server might be down
• Port might be blocked by firewall
• DNS resolution might have failed
• Check if you can reach the server: ping hostname

"BLOCKED" for ping

• Normal - some pools block ICMP ping for security
• As long as stratum works, the pool is usable

Script hangs or is slow

• Some servers might be timing out (5 second timeout per server)
• Try testing a specific server to isolate the issue
• Check your internet connection

All pings show "BLOCKED"

• Verify ping command is available: which ping
• Check if ping requires elevated privileges on your system
• The script should work on all platforms with v1.5 improvements

Permission errors on Linux/macOS

• Make the script executable: chmod +x stratum_test.py
• Or run with: python3 stratum_test.py

Technical Details

Concurrency

• Tests all servers simultaneously using 16 concurrent threads
• Total test time: ~5-10 seconds (limited by slowest server)
• Thread-safe and works on all platforms

Timeouts

• Ping timeout: 2 seconds
• Stratum connection timeout: 5 seconds
• Multiple runs have 0.1 second delay between attempts

Network Requirements

• Outbound TCP connections to pool ports (typically 3333, 7112, etc.)
• Outbound ICMP for ping tests (optional - script works without it)
• HTTPS access to ipify.org and ip-api.com for IP/location lookup

JSON Output Format

{
  "timestamp": "2025-11-19T10:30:00Z",
  "client": {
    "ipv4": "203.0.113.42",
    "location": "São Paulo, Brazil",
    "asn": "AS12345",
    "provider": "Example ISP"
  },
  "runs": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "host": "solo.atlaspool.io",
      "port": 3333,
      "display_name": "AtlasPool.io",
      "country_code": "*MANY*",
      "ping_ms": [45, 46, 44],
      "stratum_ms": [52, 51, 53],
      "ping_avg": 45.0,
      "stratum_avg": 52.0
    }
  ]
}

Privacy & Security

• The script only connects to pool servers you're testing
• IP geolocation uses public APIs (ipify.org, ip-api.com)
• No data is collected or sent to third parties
• All connections are outbound only
• Source code is open and auditable

Contributing

Found a bug or want to add a pool? Contributions welcome!

License

GPL-3.0 License - Free to use and modify under the terms of the GNU General Public License v3.0

Support

For issues or questions:

• GitHub Issues: [Create an issue]
• Pool operators: Contact to be added to the preconfigured list

Changelog

Version 1.5 - December 2025

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed: Concurrent ping race conditions on Linux causing random ping failures
• Fixed: Replaced temp file approach with proper subprocess handling using pipes
• Improved: Per-hostname locking prevents race conditions while maintaining full concurrency
• Improved: Added retry logic (3 attempts) for transient ping failures

Pool Updates:

• Added: TLS support for SoloMining.de (port 4333)

Technical Details:

• Changed: Removed temp file workaround that caused race conditions on Linux
• Added: Per-hostname lock dictionary to serialize pings to the same host
• Added: Threading support for lock management
• Maintained: Cross-platform compatibility (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• Maintained: Full concurrent testing performance (~10 seconds for all pools)

Thanks:

• Special thanks to @mutatrum for identifying the concurrent ping race condition issue on Linux and contributing to the solution!

Version 1.4 - December 2025

New Features:

• Added: Enhanced TLS error reporting with detailed error messages
• Added: --no-verify-cert flag to bypass certificate verification (useful for testing IP addresses)
• Added: Python version checking (requires Python 3.6+ for TLS, 3.7+ recommended for TLS 1.3)
• Added: print_tls_errors() function displays detailed TLS failure information after results table
• Added: Helpful tips when certificate errors are detected

TLS Improvements:

• Enhanced: test_stratum_tls_connection() now returns tuple with error details
• Enhanced: Categorized error messages (certificate verification, SSL errors, timeouts, DNS failures, network errors)
• Improved: TLS column always displays when -t flag is used (consistent table formatting)
• Changed: Non-TLS pools now show "-" instead of "N/A" for cleaner output
• Fixed: Table separator formatting issue with TLS column

Error Reporting:

• Certificate verification failures show specific hostname mismatch details
• Connection timeouts, DNS failures, and network errors clearly identified
• Automatic suggestion to use --no-verify-cert when certificate errors detected

Documentation:

• Updated: Header comments with TLS version requirements and new features
• Updated: Help text with Python version requirements and security warnings
• Updated: Examples showing certificate verification bypass usage

Version Check:

• Script now validates Python version when TLS testing is enabled
• Shows warning if Python 3.6 detected (TLS 1.2 only, TLS 1.3 requires 3.7+)
• Exits with clear error if Python < 3.6

Version 1.3 - December 2025

New Features:

• Added: TLS connection testing with -t/--tls flag
• Added: test_stratum_tls_connection() function for secure stratum connections
• Added: TLS port field to PREDEFINED_SERVERS configuration
• Added: TLS column in results table showing secure connection times
• Added: lookup_predefined_server() for automatic metadata extraction
• Added: Auto-detection of TLS ports for predefined servers

Pool Updates:

• Updated: public-pool.io default port from 21496 to 3333
• Added: pool.noderunners.network with TLS support (port 1337, TLS 1336)
• Added: 4 new pools (Blitzpool, Sunnydecree, Nerdminer.de, Satoshi Radio)
• Updated: Total pool count from 16 to 20

TLS-Enabled Pools:

• AtlasPool.io (TLS port 4333)
• Public Pool (TLS port 4333)
• Noderunners (TLS port 1336)

Improvements:

• Enhanced: PREDEFINED_SERVERS documentation with detailed field descriptions
• Improved: Single server testing now extracts country code from predefined list
• Improved: Better error handling for TLS port validation

Version 1.2 - November 2025

Improvements:

• Added: Ping availability detection at startup
• Added: OS-specific installation instructions when ping is missing
• Added: Clear warning message for systems without ping command
• Improved: Better user experience on Android/Termux and minimal Linux systems
• Improved: Script continues to work (stratum tests) even without ping

User Experience:

• Users on systems without ping (Android, minimal containers) now get helpful guidance
• Installation instructions provided for Debian/Ubuntu/Termux, Fedora, Arch Linux
• Option to continue without ping or exit to install it first

Thanks:

• Special thanks to Reddit user alex262414 from r/BitAxe who reported the issue on Android and helped test the fix!

Version 1.1 - November 2025

New Features:

• Added: Address type verification (-v flag) - Tests all 5 Bitcoin address types (P2PKH, P2SH, P2WPKH, P2WSH, P2TR)
• Added: verify_pool.py - Standalone tool to verify solo mining pools pay to your address
• Added: Comprehensive address validation with helpful error messages
• Added: Three-state verification results (✓ Supported, X Not Supported, ? Unknown)

Improvements:

• Improved: Verification reliability with better timeout handling and retry logic
• Improved: Reduced concurrency during verification (4 workers) to avoid rate limiting
• Improved: Multiple recv() calls to handle fragmented responses from pools
• Improved: Added delays between address type tests (1 second) for consistency
• Improved: Expanded table output shows address type compatibility at a glance

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed: Ping tests now work correctly on macOS with Python 3.9.6
• Fixed: Resolved subprocess segfault issue causing "BLOCKED" for all hosts
• Fixed: Invalid P2SH test address replaced with valid one
• Fixed: Socket timeout issues causing inconsistent verification results
• Changed: Improved ping implementation using os.system() for better compatibility

Documentation:

• Added: Comprehensive preamble explaining verification process
• Added: Address validation with specific error messages for invalid addresses
• Updated: Help text explains all 5 address types with examples
• Updated: README with detailed changelog and new features

Version 1.0 - November 2025

• Initial release

---

Note: This tool is for testing connectivity only. Actual mining performance depends on many factors including hardware, network stability, and pool luck. Always do your own research before choosing a mining pool.