Pool payouts: minimum balance, fees and frequency
The minimum payout is set not by the miner but by the pool you mine in. Until your balance in the pool account reaches the set threshold (for Bitcoin usually 0.0002–0.005 BTC), the pool sends you nothing and the mined coins wait in the account. The threshold exists because of network fees: sending thousands of tiny transactions a day would be expensive for the pool and for you.
How pool payouts work
The miner sends the pool the results of its work (shares). Depending on the chosen reward model – PPS, FPPS or PPLNS – the pool converts them into coins and credits them to your account, usually once a day. The differences between the models are explained in the article PPS, PPLNS and FPPS.
Being credited to your account is not yet a payout, though. The coins leave for your wallet only when the balance exceeds the minimum payout. Most pools then send payouts once a day at a fixed time; some also allow manual withdrawal for a fee.
Minimum payouts of the big pools
An overview for Bitcoin and several other coins based on the pools' websites and help pages as of 18 October 2026. Pools change their limits from time to time, so check them in your account before setting up.
| Pool | BTC minimum | Other coins | When it pays | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braiins Pool | 0.0002 BTC on-chain, 1 sat via Lightning | BTC only | daily at 9:00 UTC | below 0.005 BTC a fee of 0.0001 BTC, Lightning free |
| ViaBTC | 0.001 BTC | LTC, BCH, ZEC, DASH 0.001; DOGE 20; KAS 50 | daily between 10:00 and 18:00 (UTC+8) | automatic withdrawal without a fee |
| Antpool | 0.001 BTC | depending on the coin | automatically once the minimum is reached | fee FPPS 2.5%, PPLNS 1.5% |
| F2Pool | 0.005 BTC (can be raised) | LTC 0.02; DOGE 40 | within 24 hours of exceeding the threshold | fee FPPS 4%, PPLNS 2% |
| 2Miners | – | KAS 100 at the pool's launch | depending on the coin | PPLNS and solo; check the current minimum on the coin's page |
How long it takes to reach the minimum: an example
At today's difficulty and exchange rate, 1 TH/s on Bitcoin earns approximately 0,84 Kč a day. From that we calculated how many days it takes a machine to “fill” common thresholds. The calculation is gross, without the pool fee (which extends it by 1–4%).
| Miner | Hashrate | Mined per day | 0.0002 BTC | 0.001 BTC | 0.005 BTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitaxe Gamma | 1.2 TH/s | approx. 57 sat | 350 days | 4.8 years | 24 years |
| Avalon Mini 3 | 37.5 TH/s | approx. 1,780 sat | 11 days | 56 days | 280 days |
| Avalon Q | 90 TH/s | approx. 4,280 sat | 5 days | 23 days | 117 days |
| Antminer S21++ | 235 TH/s | approx. 11,170 sat | 2 days | 9 days | 45 days |
The table shows the main rule: the smaller the machine, the more a low threshold matters. A small home miner on a pool with a 0.005 BTC minimum would wait months for its first payout. For a Bitaxe, only Lightning payouts make sense, or solo mining straight away, which we describe in the Bitaxe Gamma 601 guide.
Why it matters for miners
- Lower threshold = coins reach you sooner. As long as they sit in the pool account, you carry the pool's risk (outage, blocked account, rule changes).
- Higher threshold = lower fees. Every on-chain payout costs a fee. At Braiins Pool, for example, a payout below 0.005 BTC costs 0.0001 BTC; above this limit it is free.
- An unused address can “drop out”. ViaBTC invalidates a payout address to which nothing has been sent for 90 consecutive days. After a longer break, check your settings.
- A payout is a moment to record. You will need the date and amount of coins received for your records, see mining in the Czech Republic: taxes and laws.
A sensible compromise for most home machines is a threshold you reach in 2–4 weeks. Large farms can afford a higher threshold and save on fees.
Related terms
- PPS, PPLNS and FPPS – how the pool calculates what it credits you.
- Blockchain – why every payout has a fee and confirmations.
- Minimum investment in mining – what size of machine makes sense.
What next
How much your specific machine mines per day, and therefore how quickly it reaches the minimum, is shown by the current ASIC miner profitability. We recalculate it every hour.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Why hasn't the pool sent me anything yet, even though the miner is mining?
Can I lower the minimum payout?
Do I lose coins if I leave a pool before reaching the minimum?
When do pools send payouts?
Do I pay a fee for every payout?
This text was prepared with the help of AI. Facts, figures and procedures were checked by Yegor.
