How it works
How EarthMine Works
EarthMine turns idle mining hardware into a transparent force for measurable good. Here is exactly how the network operates, from your first connection to the verified impact ledger.
The process
Four steps to clean, honest mining.
No software installation. No hidden control. Just straightforward, verifiable work.
Point your miner at EarthMine
Already own mining hardware that is idle, abandoned, or locked to a defunct vendor? You simply point its pool connection at the EarthMine node. Nothing is installed on your device and you keep full control of your hardware.
Mine a clean, honest network
EarthMine is a clean-genesis proof-of-work network. The node only accepts work it can verify. It never sends commands back to your miner, never redirects it, and never shuts it down. Connecting to EarthMine cannot be used against you.
Every block splits three ways
Each block is divided transparently: the large majority to the miner who found it, a small share to sustain development, and a verified share to a vetted nonprofit recipient. The split is fixed in the protocol, not promised in marketing.
Follow the impact on a public ledger
Accepted work and impact allocations are written to an append-only, publicly auditable ledger. Anyone can verify where the impact share went. Transparency is a property of the system, not a press release.
Step 1
Point your miner at EarthMine
No installation. No flashing. Just a pool setting change.
If you own mining hardware that is idle, abandoned by its vendor, or locked to a pool you no longer trust, EarthMine gives it an honest second life. The connection process is identical to pointing your miner at any other mining pool.
What this means in practice:
- Change your miner's pool URL to the EarthMine stratum endpoint
- No new software, drivers, or firmware required
- You retain full control of your hardware and can point it elsewhere at any time
- Works with existing mining hardware that speaks standard stratum protocol
Key Principle
EarthMine respects the hardware you own. We do not flash firmware, install software, or take control away from you. The network operates over the standard mining protocol. Participation is entirely voluntary and reversible.
Step 2
Mine a clean, honest network
The node enforces trust boundaries, not promises.
EarthMine is built on clean genesis. The network accepts only work that can be independently verified. The design is explicit about what the node will not do: it never sends reconnect commands, it never redirects your miner, and it never shuts down your hardware.
The safety boundaries:
- Node verifies all work before accepting it, preventing bad shares
- No control, reconnect, or shutdown commands are ever sent back to miners
- Miners remain fully independent. They cannot be hijacked through pool connection
- Clean genesis and transparent protocol prevent secret behavior
This restraint is not a marketing promise. It is enforced by the protocol itself and visible to anyone who reviews the code.
Why this matters
Most mining pools have the capability to command the miners connected to them. EarthMine is built on the opposite design: the node is deliberately limited to serving work and accepting valid shares. Connecting to EarthMine cannot be used to hijack or harm your hardware.
Step 3
Every block splits three ways, fixed in protocol
The impact contribution is not optional. It is part of how blocks are formed.
When a miner on EarthMine finds a valid block, it is divided into three parts. This split is fixed in the protocol code, not chosen at runtime and not subject to marketing promises. Every block follows the same rules.
The allocation is transparent and verifiable:
- 90% goes to the miner operator who found the block
- 5% is allocated to sustain the open network and ongoing development
- 5% is directed to a vetted nonprofit recipient for verified social impact
No funds are moved in secret. The split is enforced at the protocol layer and recorded on the public ledger for anyone to verify.
to the operator who found the block
to sustain the open network
to a vetted nonprofit recipient
Step 4
Follow the impact on a public ledger
Transparency that works, not promises that sound good.
Every share accepted by the EarthMine network and every block found is recorded on an append-only public ledger. This is not a voluntary disclosure. It is a permanent record that anyone can query, audit, and verify.
What the ledger shows:
- All work accepted by the network, with timestamps and difficulty verification
- Every block found and the allocation split for that block
- Where the 5% impact share was directed and to which vetted nonprofit
- Aggregate impact totals and recipient verification information
The ledger is not a press release. It is a property of the system. Anyone with internet access can verify where your mining contribution went.
Auditable Impact
The nonprofit recipients are vetted and approved. Their allocation is not subject to change or discretion. When impact funds are sent, it is recorded. When impact is reported, you can verify it against the ledger yourself. This is how transparency works without trust.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers to common concerns about how EarthMine operates.
Do I have to install anything on my miner?
No. EarthMine works over the standard mining protocol. You point your existing miner's pool setting at the EarthMine node. Nothing is flashed or installed, and you can point it elsewhere at any time.
Can EarthMine take over or shut down my miner?
No, and that is a deliberate design choice. The EarthMine node never sends control, reconnect, or shutdown commands to a connected miner. It only serves verifiable work and accepts valid shares. A pool that can command your miner is exactly the risk we refuse to create.
What hardware works?
EarthMine is built for owners of existing proof-of-work mining hardware, including units abandoned by vendors who have since disappeared. If your miner speaks standard stratum, it can point at EarthMine.
How is the impact share verified?
Recipients are vetted nonprofits, and every impact allocation is recorded on a public, append-only ledger. The contribution is enforced by the protocol and visible to anyone, rather than relying on trust.
Ready to put your hardware to work?
Whether your miner is idle, second-hand, or abandoned by a vendor, EarthMine gives it an honest purpose. You stay in full control, the impact is verified, and the ledger is public.