Definition
Selfish mining is a strategy where a miner (or pool) with significant hashrate secretly mines blocks without broadcasting them. By strategically releasing these hidden blocks, the selfish miner can cause honest miners to waste work on blocks that will be orphaned.
Research has shown that selfish mining can be profitable for miners with as little as 25-33% of network hashrate under certain conditions. However, it has never been conclusively demonstrated at scale on Bitcoin, partly because the strategy carries risk and requires sustained high hashrate.
In Simple Terms
A strategy of withholding mined blocks to gain advantage over honest miners. Theoretical but rarely observed.
Selfish Mining is a term used in Bitcoin mining related to network & protocol.
Also known as: Block withholding attack.
Selfish mining is a strategy where a miner (or pool) with significant hashrate secretly mines blocks without broadcasting them. By strategically releasing these hidden blocks, the selfish miner can cause honest miners to waste work on blocks that will be orphaned.
Research has shown that selfish mining can be profitable for miners with as little as 25-33% of network hashrate under certain conditions. However, it has never been conclusively demonstrated at scale on Bitcoin, partly because the strategy carries risk and requires sustained high hashrate.
Understanding selfish mining is important for Bitcoin miners because it directly impacts mining operations, hardware selection, or profitability calculations. Whether you are a home miner running a Bitaxe or operating a larger ASIC setup, this concept helps inform better mining decisions.
Related terms: 51% Attack, Orphan Block, Longest Chain Rule.