Bitcoin Mining Software Comparison 2026: Firmware, Monitoring Tools & Open-Source Apps

Every Bitcoin miner runs software. Whether it is the stock firmware baked into your Antminer, the open-source AxeOS powering your Bitaxe, or the fleet management dashboard monitoring a hundred machines in your garage, software is what turns silicon into satoshis. Yet most guides fixate on hardware specs while treating software as an afterthought. That is a mistake. The right software stack can squeeze 20% more hashrate from the same ASIC, cut your power bill, give you Stratum V2 block template sovereignty, and alert you the instant a hashboard drops offline.

This guide covers the entire mining software landscape in 2026: ASIC firmware (stock and aftermarket), open-source miner software, mining protocols, and monitoring and management tools. We compare features, compatibility, pricing, and open-source status so you can make an informed decision for every layer of your mining stack.

What Is Mining Software? Firmware vs. Software vs. Pool Software

Before diving into specific tools, it is worth clarifying three terms that often get conflated:

Firmware

Firmware is the low-level software flashed directly onto a mining device. It controls the ASIC chips, manages voltage and frequency, handles fan curves, and communicates with the mining pool. On an Antminer, firmware lives on the control board’s NAND storage. On a Bitaxe, it is the AxeOS/ESP-Miner image flashed to the ESP32. Firmware determines what your hardware can do — hashrate ceiling, power efficiency, protocol support, and tuning granularity. Changing firmware is the single highest-impact software decision a miner makes.

Mining Software (Desktop/Server)

Mining software runs on a separate computer (your laptop, a Raspberry Pi, a server) and communicates with mining hardware over the network or USB. Classic examples include CGMiner and BFGMiner. For modern ASICs with built-in controllers, standalone mining software is less common — the firmware handles pool communication directly. But for GPU rigs, FPGAs, older USB miners, and certain proxy setups, desktop mining software is still essential.

Pool Software & Proxies

Pool software handles the coordination between miners and the Bitcoin network. If you are pool mining, your firmware connects to the pool’s Stratum server. If you are solo mining, you need a solo pool or proxy like ckpool/ckproxy that connects your miner to your own Bitcoin node. Pool selection and proxy configuration affect latency, payout structure, and — with Stratum V2 — who constructs the block template. For a deep dive into pool dynamics, see our Mining Pool Payout Methods Explained guide.

ASIC Firmware: Stock and Aftermarket Options

The firmware running on your ASIC miner is the most consequential software choice you will make. Stock firmware ships from the manufacturer and is designed for stability and broad compatibility, but it leaves performance on the table. Aftermarket firmware unlocks auto-tuning, overclocking, undervolting, advanced monitoring, and modern protocol support. Here is the 2026 landscape. For a head-to-head breakdown focused on Antminer models, see our Braiins OS+ vs Vnish vs LuxOS Firmware Comparison.

Stock Firmware (Bitmain, MicroBT, Canaan)

Every ASIC ships with the manufacturer’s stock firmware. Bitmain’s firmware for the Antminer line is the most widely deployed. Stock firmware prioritizes reliability and operates within conservative voltage and frequency margins. The upside is stability. The downside is a locked-down tuning environment, limited monitoring, no Stratum V2 support, and — in some cases — anti-competitive features like Antminer’s hashrate-locking mechanisms that restrict pool choice.

Pros: Stable, manufacturer-supported, no licensing cost, warranty-safe.
Cons: No auto-tuning, limited efficiency optimization, no Stratum V2, minimal monitoring APIs, potential pool restrictions.
Best for: Warranty-period miners, zero-touch deployments, miners who want factory defaults.

For step-by-step instructions on updating stock firmware across every Antminer generation, see our Antminer Firmware Update Guide.

Braiins OS+ (Braiins)

Braiins OS+ is the gold standard for aftermarket ASIC firmware, developed by the team behind Slush Pool (now Braiins Pool) — the world’s first mining pool. It is the only firmware with native Stratum V2 support, giving miners the ability to construct their own block templates and resist transaction censorship. This alone makes it the top choice for sovereignty-minded miners.

Key features:

• Auto-tuning: Per-chip voltage and frequency optimization. Set a wattage target and Braiins OS+ finds the optimal operating point for every individual chip on every hashboard. This typically yields 10–25% better J/TH efficiency compared to stock firmware.
• Stratum V2: Full client-side implementation. Run your own Bitcoin node, construct your own block templates, and submit them to a Stratum V2-compatible pool. This is what mining decentralization actually looks like.
• Lightning payouts: When mining on Braiins Pool, receive payouts via the Lightning Network — instant settlement, no on-chain fees, no minimum threshold.
• Dynamic Power Scaling: Adjust hashrate in real time based on power price signals, grid demand, or custom scripts.
• BOS Toolbox: Fleet management CLI for mass installation, scanning, and configuration across hundreds of machines.
• Open-source core: The base Braiins OS is fully open-source (GPL). The “+” features (auto-tuning, advanced dashboards) are proprietary but free when mining on Braiins Pool.

Supported hardware: Antminer S9, S17, T17, S19 series (S19, S19 Pro, S19j, S19j Pro, S19 XP, S19k Pro), S21 series.
Pricing: Free on Braiins Pool (pool fee covers it). Standalone license available for other pools at ~2% devfee.
Open-source: Base OS is open-source; auto-tuning engine is proprietary.

For installation and configuration, follow our Braiins OS+ Setup & Configuration Guide.

Vnish Firmware

Vnish is the power user’s firmware — built for miners who want granular control over every operating parameter. It has earned a strong reputation in the overclocking and immersion cooling communities for its aggressive tuning capabilities and deep hardware access.

Key features:

• Manual and auto-tuning: Fine-grained per-chip frequency and voltage control, plus auto-tuning profiles that optimize for efficiency or maximum hashrate.
• Immersion mode: Purpose-built profiles for immersion-cooled deployments with higher frequency ceilings, since thermal constraints are eliminated.
• Overclocking headroom: Vnish consistently allows higher frequency targets than Braiins OS+ on the same hardware, at the cost of higher power draw. If you want raw TH/s from an S19 XP, Vnish often wins.
• Anti-virus / security features: Built-in malware scanning that detects and removes hashrate-hijacking firmware.
• Detailed diagnostics: Per-chip temperature and voltage reporting, hashboard health scoring, ASIC chip mapping.
• API access: REST API for integration with monitoring tools.

Supported hardware: Antminer S9, T9, S17, T17, S19 series, S21 series; Whatsminer M20/M30/M50 series; Avalon A12/A14 series.
Pricing: Paid licensing, typically 2–3% devfee depending on hardware model and license tier.
Open-source: No — fully proprietary.
Stratum V2: Not supported (Stratum V1 only).

For detailed setup instructions, see our Vnish Firmware Guide.

LuxOS (Luxor Technology)

LuxOS is Luxor’s custom firmware, designed to integrate tightly with the Luxor mining pool ecosystem (Luxor Pool, Hashrate Forward marketplace, Luxor’s firmware deployment tools). It aims to be a middle ground between Braiins OS+ and Vnish — solid auto-tuning with a clean management interface.

Key features:

• Auto-tuning: Wattage-target-based auto-tuning similar to Braiins OS+. Set your power budget and LuxOS optimizes chip-level settings.
• LuxOS Manager: Web-based fleet management dashboard for bulk firmware deployment, configuration, and monitoring.
• Curtailment / power scheduling: Built-in demand-response features for miners participating in grid balancing programs.
• API-first design: Comprehensive REST and gRPC APIs for custom integrations.
• Hashrate Forward integration: Seamless connection to Luxor’s hashrate marketplace for selling hashrate contracts.

Supported hardware: Antminer S19 series, S21 series; expanding to Whatsminer models.
Pricing: Free when mining on Luxor Pool. Devfee applies on other pools.
Open-source: No — proprietary.
Stratum V2: Partial support in development.

See our LuxOS Firmware Guide for installation and configuration details.

ePIC Firmware (ePIC Blockchain)

ePIC Blockchain develops firmware primarily for their own ePIC mining hardware but has expanded support to some Antminer models. Their firmware emphasizes fleet management at scale and enterprise-grade monitoring.

Key features:

• ePIC Dashboard: Cloud-based fleet management with real-time monitoring, alerting, and remote firmware deployment.
• Auto-tuning: Efficiency-focused chip tuning with power capping.
• Enterprise features: Multi-site management, role-based access control, audit logging.

Supported hardware: ePIC miners (SC200, BlockMiner); Antminer S19 series (limited).
Pricing: Included with ePIC hardware; licensing for third-party hardware.
Open-source: No — proprietary.
Stratum V2: Not supported.

Open-Source Miner Software

The open-source mining ecosystem is where the cypherpunk spirit lives. These tools let you verify every line of code running on your mining hardware — no backdoors, no hidden devfees, no hashrate hijacking. D-Central has been a pioneer in this space since the beginning, manufacturing the original Bitaxe Mesh Stand and developing leading accessories for the entire open-source mining lineup.

AxeOS / ESP-Miner (Bitaxe)

AxeOS is the firmware that powers every Bitaxe variant — Supra, Ultra, Hex, Gamma, GT, and future models. Built on the ESP-Miner project, it runs on the ESP32-S3 microcontroller and provides a complete solo mining stack in a package smaller than a deck of cards.

Key features:

• Web-based interface: Clean dashboard accessible from any browser on your local network. Configure pool settings, monitor hashrate, adjust frequency and voltage — all from your phone.
• Solo and pool mining: Connect to any Stratum V1 pool or solo mining pool. Most Bitaxe miners point at public-pool.io or solo.ckpool.org for the solo lottery experience.
• OTA updates: Firmware updates are pushed over-the-air through the web interface — no physical access or SD cards required.
• ASIC chip drivers: Supports BM1366 (Supra), BM1397 (Ultra), BM1368 (Hex), BM1370 (Gamma), and BM1372 (GT) chips with per-chip tuning.
• Fully open-source: Every line of code is on GitHub. You can build from source, audit the codebase, contribute patches, or fork it entirely. This is what open-source mining actually means.
• Web Flasher: Flash firmware directly from your browser using WebSerial — no development tools needed.

Supported hardware: All Bitaxe variants.
Pricing: Free and open-source.
Stratum V2: Not yet (Stratum V1 only; V2 support is on the roadmap).

For complete setup instructions, see our Bitaxe Firmware Update Guide and the detailed AxeOS Complete Guide.

NerdAxe / NerdMiner Firmware

The Nerd series of open-source miners — NerdAxe, NerdQAxe, NerdOctaxe, Nerdminer, and NerdNOS — run custom firmware built on the ESP32 platform. These devices are primarily educational and lottery mining tools, with hashrates ranging from a few hundred hashes per second (Nerdminer) to several hundred gigahashes per second (NerdQAxe++). The firmware provides a simple web interface for pool configuration, real-time hashrate display, and basic monitoring.

Supported hardware: NerdAxe, NerdQAxe, NerdQAxe++, NerdOctaxe, Nerdminer, NerdNOS, PiAxe.
Pricing: Free and open-source.
Stratum V2: Not supported.

CGMiner

CGMiner is the grandfather of Bitcoin mining software. Originally written by Con Kolivas in 2011, it started as a CPU miner, evolved to support GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs, and became the foundation for many mining firmware projects. While direct use of CGMiner as standalone software has declined with the rise of integrated ASIC firmware, its codebase lives on inside many firmware implementations.

Key features:

• Multi-device support: USB ASICs (Block Erupters, Gekkos), FPGAs, some networked ASICs via drivers.
• Stratum V1: Full support for standard pool connections.
• Advanced scheduling: Multi-pool failover, load balancing, and scheduling.
• CLI-driven: Powerful command-line interface for scripted deployments.
• Legacy but proven: Extremely stable, well-understood codebase.

Supported hardware: USB ASICs, older FPGA boards, some networked ASICs via custom drivers.
Pricing: Free and open-source (GPL).
Stratum V2: Not supported (Stratum V1 only).

BFGMiner

BFGMiner is a fork of CGMiner by Luke Dashjr, one of Bitcoin’s longest-contributing Core developers. It diverged from CGMiner to focus on FPGA and ASIC support while adding features like dynamic clocking, monitoring, and a remote management interface. BFGMiner is particularly relevant for miners running older or niche hardware.

Key features:

• FPGA and ASIC focus: Purpose-built for hardware mining devices with optimized drivers.
• Dynamic clocking: Automatically adjusts clock speeds based on temperature and error rates.
• Stratum proxy: Built-in proxy functionality for routing multiple miners through a single connection.
• RPC interface: Remote management via JSON-RPC API.
• Modular architecture: Plugin system for adding new device drivers.

Supported hardware: FPGAs, USB ASICs, various networked miners via driver plugins.
Pricing: Free and open-source (GPL).
Stratum V2: Not supported.

ckpool / ckproxy (Con Kolivas)

ckpool is a high-performance Stratum pool server written by CGMiner’s original author, Con Kolivas. Its companion project, ckproxy, functions as a Stratum proxy. Together, they power solo.ckpool.org — the most popular solo mining endpoint for Bitaxe, Nerdminer, and other open-source miners chasing a full block reward.

Key features:

• Ultra-lightweight: Written in C, designed to handle thousands of connections with minimal resource usage.
• Solo mining mode: Miners connect, submit shares, and if a share meets the network difficulty — they win the entire block reward (currently 3.125 BTC plus fees).
• Self-hostable: Run your own solo pool endpoint connected to your own Bitcoin node.
• Battle-tested: Powers solo.ckpool.org, which has facilitated multiple solo block wins from individual miners, including solo Bitaxe miners.

Pricing: Free and open-source.
Stratum V2: Not supported (Stratum V1).

Mining Protocols: How Miners Talk to Pools

The mining protocol determines how your mining hardware communicates with the pool server. This affects efficiency, security, and — critically — who controls block template construction. For a comprehensive protocol analysis, see our Stratum V2 Complete Guide.

Stratum V1

Stratum V1 has been the dominant mining protocol since 2012. It is simple, well-supported by every piece of mining hardware and software ever made, and it works. But it has significant drawbacks:

• Pool controls block templates: The pool decides which transactions go into the block. Miners are passive hashers with no say in transaction selection.
• Unencrypted: Communication is plain-text JSON over TCP. ISPs, governments, and network observers can see exactly what you are mining, where, and how much hashrate you have.
• Bandwidth inefficient: JSON-based messaging is verbose compared to binary protocols.
• No authentication: Miners connect with a simple username/password. Man-in-the-middle attacks can redirect hashrate.

Supported by: Everything. Every firmware, every pool, every mining software supports Stratum V1. It is the universal baseline.

Stratum V2

Stratum V2 is the next-generation mining protocol, developed by Braiins with contributions from the broader open-source community (including the Stratum Reference Implementation, or SRI). It addresses every weakness of V1:

• Miner-side block template construction: Miners can run their own Bitcoin node and choose which transactions to include in their block template. This is the most important feature for mining decentralization — it prevents pools from censoring transactions.
• Encrypted communication: All traffic is encrypted using the Noise protocol framework (the same encryption used by Lightning Network and WireGuard). No more plain-text mining traffic.
• Binary protocol: Up to 75% bandwidth reduction compared to V1’s JSON format.
• Flexible message routing: Supports proxies, translators (V1-to-V2), and complex routing topologies.
• Job declaration protocol: Formal mechanism for miners to propose their own block templates to pools.

Supported by: Braiins OS+ (full native support), Stratum Reference Implementation (SRI) proxy (any hardware via V1-to-V2 translation), OCEAN pool, Braiins Pool. Adoption is growing but not yet universal.

Why it matters for home miners: Stratum V2 shifts power from pools to miners. If you care about Bitcoin’s censorship resistance — and as a home miner contributing to decentralization, you should — Stratum V2 is the protocol that makes your individual hashrate matter for more than just earning sats. You decide what goes in the block.

DATUM Protocol

DATUM (Decentralized Alternative Templates for Universal Mining) is a newer protocol developed by OCEAN pool. Like Stratum V2, DATUM focuses on decentralizing block template construction, but it takes a different architectural approach. Instead of a single comprehensive protocol, DATUM operates as a lightweight layer that any miner can use to submit custom block templates to a participating pool. It is designed to be simpler to implement than full Stratum V2 while achieving the same core goal: miners choose the transactions.

Supported by: OCEAN pool. DATUM gateway software is open-source and can run alongside existing Stratum V1 setups as a proxy.
Status: Newer and less mature than Stratum V2, but actively developed and backed by OCEAN’s growing hashrate share.

Monitoring & Management Tools

Once your miners are hashing, you need eyes on the operation. Monitoring tools range from simple web dashboards to enterprise fleet management platforms. Here are the tools worth knowing.

Foreman

Foreman is a cloud-based mining management platform built specifically for ASIC miners. It is the most polished fleet management tool in the space, used by operations ranging from garage setups to multi-megawatt facilities.

• Auto-discovery: Scans your network and automatically detects miners by manufacturer and model.
• Real-time dashboards: Hashrate, temperature, fan speed, power consumption, and error rates across your entire fleet.
• Alerting: Configurable alerts via email, SMS, Slack, Telegram, PagerDuty, and webhooks when miners go offline, overheat, or underperform.
• Remote actions: Reboot, change pools, update firmware, and adjust settings remotely.
• Reporting: Uptime reports, efficiency tracking, and historical performance data.
• Multi-firmware support: Works with stock firmware, Braiins OS+, Vnish, LuxOS, and ePIC.

Pricing: Free tier for up to 5 miners. Paid tiers for larger operations (per-miner monthly pricing).
Platform: Cloud-based SaaS (web dashboard + API).
Open-source: No — proprietary.

Awesome Miner

Awesome Miner is a Windows-based mining management application that supports ASICs, GPUs, and FPGAs. It provides centralized management for heterogeneous mining setups.

• Multi-device support: Manage ASICs, GPUs, and FPGAs from a single interface.
• Profit switching: Automatically switch between coins and algorithms based on profitability (more relevant for GPU/multi-algorithm setups).
• Mining software integration: Launch and manage CGMiner, BFGMiner, and other mining software instances.
• Custom triggers: Automated actions based on hashrate drops, temperature thresholds, or other conditions.
• Web dashboard: Remote monitoring via cloud-accessible web interface.

Pricing: Free for up to 2 miners. Paid license for larger deployments.
Platform: Windows application with optional cloud dashboard.
Open-source: No — proprietary.

Hive OS

Hive OS is a Linux-based mining operating system with a cloud management layer. Originally focused on GPU mining, it has expanded ASIC support and is popular with miners who run mixed hardware setups.

• Custom Linux OS: Boot miners from a USB drive running Hive OS for unified management.
• ASIC hub: Monitor and manage ASICs running stock or custom firmware via ASIC Hub agent.
• Flight sheets: Pre-configured mining profiles that can be deployed across multiple machines instantly.
• Overclocking profiles: GPU-focused overclocking with per-card settings (less relevant for ASIC-only miners).
• Community and marketplace: Active community with shared configurations and optimization tips.

Pricing: Free for up to 4 ASICs. Paid plans for larger deployments.
Platform: Linux OS + cloud dashboard.
Open-source: Partially — the base OS components are open-source, management layer is proprietary.

Grafana + Prometheus Stack

For technically inclined miners who want complete control over their monitoring, the Grafana + Prometheus stack is the gold standard. This is not a mining-specific tool — it is industrial-grade infrastructure monitoring adapted for mining. The learning curve is steep, but the result is a fully customizable, self-hosted monitoring system that rivals any commercial solution.

• Prometheus: Time-series database that scrapes metrics from your miners via API endpoints or exporters.
• Grafana: Visualization layer with drag-and-drop dashboard building, alerting, and annotations.
• Custom exporters: Community-built Prometheus exporters exist for Braiins OS+, Vnish, Antminer stock firmware, and Whatsminer firmware.
• Unlimited retention: Store years of historical data on your own hardware.
• Full ownership: No cloud dependency, no subscription fees, no vendor lock-in.

Pricing: Free and open-source.
Platform: Self-hosted (Linux, Docker, Kubernetes).
Open-source: Yes — fully open-source (Apache 2.0).
Best for: Technical users with 10+ miners who want sovereignty over their monitoring data.

btc-tools

btc-tools is a lightweight, free network scanning and batch management tool for ASIC miners. It is the simplest option for home miners who need basic fleet management without the complexity of enterprise platforms.

• Network scanner: Discovers all miners on your local network by IP range.
• Batch operations: Change pool settings, reboot, and update configuration across multiple miners simultaneously.
• Firmware detection: Identifies firmware version and type across your fleet.
• Lightweight: Simple desktop application with minimal resource usage.

Pricing: Free.
Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Open-source: Yes.
Best for: Home miners with a handful of ASICs who need basic batch management.

Complete Comparison Matrix

The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of every mining software tool covered in this guide. Use it as a quick reference when evaluating your options.

Which Mining Software Should You Use? A Decision Guide

The right software stack depends on your hardware, goals, and technical comfort level. Here is a decision framework based on common miner profiles.

Bitaxe or Open-Source Miner Owners

Firmware: AxeOS (it is your only option, and it is excellent). Keep it updated via OTA.
Pool/Proxy: Point at solo.ckpool.org or public-pool.io for solo mining. For pool mining, any Stratum V1 pool works.
Monitoring: The built-in AxeOS web dashboard is sufficient for a single device. If running multiple Bitaxes, Grafana + Prometheus with a community exporter gives you a unified dashboard.
Protocol: Stratum V1 (V2 support coming to AxeOS eventually).

Home Miner with 1–5 ASICs (Antminer/Whatsminer)

Firmware: Braiins OS+ is the top recommendation. Auto-tuning alone will save you 10–25% on power costs, and Stratum V2 support means you are contributing to mining decentralization. If your hardware is not supported by Braiins OS+ (e.g., Whatsminer models), Vnish is the next best option for its broad compatibility and tuning flexibility.
Monitoring: Foreman free tier (up to 5 miners) gives you alerting and dashboards without complexity. btc-tools for quick batch operations.
Protocol: Stratum V2 via Braiins OS+ on Braiins Pool or OCEAN. If using Vnish or stock firmware, Stratum V1 with the SRI translator proxy if you want V2 benefits.

Medium-Scale Operation (5–50 ASICs)

Firmware: Braiins OS+ for Antminers (use BOS Toolbox for mass deployment). Vnish for Whatsminer or mixed fleets. Standardize on one firmware per hardware model to simplify management.
Monitoring: Foreman paid tier for professional alerting and remote management. Supplement with Grafana + Prometheus if you want custom dashboards and long-term data retention.
Protocol: Stratum V2 where possible. At this scale, running your own Bitcoin node + SRI proxy is worth the effort for block template sovereignty.

Large-Scale / Industrial (50+ ASICs)

Firmware: Braiins OS+ or LuxOS for Antminers (both offer enterprise fleet tools). Vnish for multi-manufacturer environments. Consider LuxOS if you want to sell hashrate on Luxor’s marketplace. ePIC firmware for ePIC hardware deployments.
Monitoring: Foreman enterprise tier or Grafana + Prometheus with custom exporters. At this scale, self-hosted monitoring pays for itself in avoided cloud subscription costs.
Protocol: Stratum V2 with your own node infrastructure. At 50+ ASICs, you have meaningful hashrate — use it to construct your own blocks and contribute to network decentralization.

The Sovereignty-Maximizing Stack

If your priority is maximum decentralization and sovereignty over every layer of your mining operation, here is the stack:

1. Hardware: Bitaxe (fully open-source hardware + firmware) or any ASIC running Braiins OS+ (open-source base)
2. Firmware: AxeOS or Braiins OS+ — both have open-source foundations
3. Protocol: Stratum V2 with your own Bitcoin Core node constructing block templates
4. Pool: OCEAN (non-custodial payouts, DATUM support) or Braiins Pool (Stratum V2 native)
5. Monitoring: Self-hosted Grafana + Prometheus — your data, your servers
6. Node: Bitcoin Core on your own hardware (not a cloud VPS)

This stack gives you open-source firmware, encrypted protocol communication, miner-side block template construction, self-hosted monitoring, and your own node. No third party controls any layer of your mining operation. This is what the Mining Hacker ethos looks like in practice.

Security: Protecting Your Mining Software Stack

Mining hardware is a high-value target. A compromised miner silently redirects hashrate to an attacker’s wallet while you think everything is running normally. Firmware-level attacks are particularly insidious because they persist through reboots and pool changes. Here is how to protect yourself.

Download Firmware Only from Official Sources

This cannot be overstated. Never download firmware from forums, Telegram groups, Discord servers, random GitHub forks, or “free premium firmware” offers. The official sources are:

• Braiins OS+: braiins.com/os/plus
• Vnish: vnish.net
• LuxOS: luxor.tech/luxos
• AxeOS/ESP-Miner: github.com/skot/ESP-Miner/releases
• Stock Bitmain: support.bitmain.com
• Stock MicroBT: microbt.com official portal

Verify Checksums and Signatures

After downloading firmware, verify its integrity before flashing. Every legitimate firmware provider publishes SHA-256 checksums or GPG signatures alongside their downloads. On Linux or macOS, run sha256sum firmware-file.bin and compare the output to the published hash. On Windows, use certutil -hashfile firmware-file.bin SHA256. If the hashes do not match, do not flash — the file has been tampered with or corrupted during download.

Detecting Malicious Firmware

Signs that your miner may be running compromised firmware:

• Hashrate discrepancy: Your miner reports a normal hashrate locally, but your pool dashboard shows significantly less. The difference is being redirected to an attacker’s wallet.
• Unknown pool connections: Check your miner’s network connections. If it is connecting to pool addresses you did not configure, the firmware is compromised.
• Devfee anomalies: Some malicious firmware disguises itself as “aftermarket firmware” with an unusually high devfee (5%+) that quietly redirects hashrate.
• Firmware version mismatch: The reported firmware version does not match what you flashed, or the web interface looks different from official screenshots.
• Resistance to re-flashing: The miner blocks firmware updates or reverts to the malicious firmware after you attempt to re-flash.

If you suspect compromise: Flash official firmware via SD card (not the web interface, which may be compromised). If the miner resists, it may need a NAND reflash or control board replacement. D-Central’s ASIC repair team has extensive experience with firmware recovery and malware removal.

Network Security Best Practices

• Isolate miners on a separate VLAN or subnet. Your mining network should not share the same network segment as your personal devices.
• Change default passwords immediately. Every ASIC ships with default credentials (root/root, admin/admin). Change them before connecting to the internet.
• Disable remote management ports if you do not need them. Close SSH, Telnet, and web management ports on the firewall for external access.
• Use Stratum V2 for encrypted pool communication. This prevents ISP-level hashrate inspection and man-in-the-middle pool redirection attacks.
• Monitor outbound connections. Set up firewall rules or a network monitor to alert you if miners connect to unexpected IP addresses.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mining Software

The Bottom Line: Software Is the Leverage Point

Hardware gets the headlines, but software determines the outcome. The same S19 XP running stock firmware on Stratum V1 and the same machine running Braiins OS+ with auto-tuning on Stratum V2 are functionally different miners — different efficiency, different hashrate, different security posture, and different contribution to Bitcoin’s decentralization.

For most home miners, the highest-impact action you can take today is flashing Braiins OS+ onto your Antminer and pointing it at a Stratum V2-compatible pool. It costs nothing (on Braiins Pool), takes about 15 minutes, and immediately improves your efficiency, security, and contribution to Bitcoin’s censorship resistance.

For Bitaxe and open-source miner owners, keep your AxeOS firmware updated, point at a solo pool, and enjoy the purest expression of what Bitcoin mining was always supposed to be: permissionless, verifiable, and sovereign.

Whatever stack you choose, verify your firmware sources, check your checksums, monitor your hashrate, and never stop hacking. That is the Mining Hacker way.

Related Guides

• Braiins OS+ Setup & Configuration Guide
• Vnish Firmware Guide
• LuxOS Firmware Guide
• Antminer Firmware Update Guide
• Bitaxe Firmware Update Guide
• Braiins OS+ vs Vnish vs LuxOS Firmware Comparison 2026
• AxeOS Complete Guide
• Stratum V2: The Complete Guide
• Pool Mining vs Solo Mining Decision Guide