# Stratum mining: how pool jobs reach mining hardware Stratum is a family of protocols used to send mining jobs to devices and submit their results upstream. It is different from Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer block and transaction network. Stratum V2 separates mining communication, job declaration and template distribution into related protocols. Basic V2 mining support does not by itself prove that a miner selects the transactions in its candidate blocks. Evidence: [Mining](https://developer.bitcoin.org/devguide/mining.html); [Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/) Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/bitcoin-stratum-mining/ Published: 2026-10-02 Substantively modified: 2026-10-02 Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T19:29:20.637Z Data current through: 2026-10-02 AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied. ## Key facts - **Mining protocol:** Distributes jobs and accepts shares ([Mining Protocol](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/05-mining-protocol/)) - **Job declaration:** Supports declaring custom block templates ([Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/)) - **Template distribution:** Supplies candidate block information ([Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/)) ## Follow the path from a device to a pool A mining device receives work from an upstream pool or proxy. A proxy can combine connections or provide monitoring. The pool checks submitted shares and coordinates block propagation; the device’s main job is hashing the supplied work. A template provider supplies candidate-block information. A job declarator can arrange custom work with the pool. One software system may perform several roles, but those roles are still conceptually distinct. Evidence: [Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/) ## A V2 connection does not establish every optional feature Suppose a farm upgrades its device-to-pool connection to the V2 mining protocol but does not run or connect a job declarator. The protocol specification explicitly allows mining without miner transaction selection. Calling the connection V2 does not prove that the farm now chooses the block contents. To assess that capability, inspect the actual template, declaration and pool support in the deployed path rather than inferring it from a single version label. Evidence: [Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/) ## Transport protection has a defined scope V2 specifies authenticated encryption and a secure session setup, with a mandatory handshake for remote upstream access and a local-network exception described in the specification. These protections address observation and alteration of messages in transit. They do not guarantee that a pool will pay its account balances, that hardware will be profitable or that a proposed block satisfies Bitcoin consensus. Those questions require separate checks. Evidence: [Protocol Security](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/04-protocol-security/); [Mining Protocol](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/05-mining-protocol/) ## Questions ### Is Stratum the protocol ordinary Bitcoin wallets use to send payments? No. Stratum mining protocols coordinate candidate work and share submission. Bitcoin transaction relay and wallet payment interfaces perform different jobs. Evidence: [Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/); [P2P Network](https://developer.bitcoin.org/devguide/p2p_network.html) ### Does encrypted mining traffic remove the need to trust a payout operator? No. Transport security protects the communication channel. It does not ensure the pool’s accounting, solvency or fulfillment of its payout obligations. Evidence: [Protocol Security](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/04-protocol-security/); [Bitcoin Mining Pools: 101](https://f2pool.io/mining/insights/20200318-mining-pools-101/) ## Claims and scope ### bitcoin-stratum-mining-quick-answer Stratum is a family of protocols used to send mining jobs to devices and submit their results upstream. It is different from Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer block and transaction network. Stratum V2 separates mining communication, job declaration and template distribution into related protocols. Basic V2 mining support does not by itself prove that a miner selects the transactions in its candidate blocks. Educational explanation. Product-specific behavior is scoped to the cited documentation, checked 2026-10-02. Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### bitcoin-stratum-mining-fact-mining-protocol Mining protocol: Distributes jobs and accepts shares Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### bitcoin-stratum-mining-fact-job-declaration Job declaration: Supports declaring custom block templates Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### bitcoin-stratum-mining-fact-template-distribution Template distribution: Supplies candidate block information Scope: {"collection":"bitcoin","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ## Sources - [Mining](https://developer.bitcoin.org/devguide/mining.html) — Bitcoin developer documentation. Hardware work, candidate blocks and pool shares; historical examples are not current equipment recommendations. Locator: Mining; Solo Mining; Pool Mining; Block Prototypes. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:53.955Z. - [Protocol Overview](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/03-protocol-overview/) — Stratum V2 specification. Separate mining, job declaration and template distribution protocols. Locator: 3. Protocol Overview: Mining Protocol, Job Declaration Protocol, Template Distribution Protocol and roles. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:58.669Z. - [Mining Protocol](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/05-mining-protocol/) — Stratum V2 specification. Mining jobs, channel types, share submission and custom-job support. Locator: 5.1 Job; 5.3.11–14 SubmitShares messages; 5.3.17 SetNewPrevHash; 5.3.21 SetTarget. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:58.669Z. - [Protocol Security](https://stratumprotocol.org/specification/04-protocol-security/) — Stratum V2 specification. Authenticated encrypted transport and its threat boundaries. Locator: 4 Protocol Security; 4.1 Motivation for Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data; 4.5 Authenticated Key Agreement Handshake. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:58.786Z. - [P2P Network](https://developer.bitcoin.org/devguide/p2p_network.html) — Bitcoin developer documentation. Peer connections, initial download and block/transaction relay. Locator: Peer Discovery; Connecting To Peers; Initial Block Download; Block Broadcasting; Transaction Broadcasting. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:53.860Z. - [Bitcoin Mining Pools: 101](https://f2pool.io/mining/insights/20200318-mining-pools-101/) — f2pool. Historical 2020 explanation used for share-based reward mechanics and statistical variance; not current subsidy, price, fees, payouts or pool recommendation. Locator: Mining pool payouts; Why do miners use a mining pool?; When should I consider solo mining?. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:54:53.532Z. ## Revision history - 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and separate automated verification. ## Cite this entry Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Stratum mining: how pool jobs reach mining hardware.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/bitcoin-stratum-mining/