Definition
In pool mining, a share is a hash that meets a lower difficulty target set by the pool (not the full network difficulty). Shares prove that a miner is doing work, even though most shares are not valid blocks. The pool uses share counts to proportionally distribute rewards when a member eventually finds an actual block.
Share difficulty is adjusted by the pool to balance communication overhead: too easy means too many shares submitted, too hard means infrequent proof of work. The optimal share rate is typically several shares per second per miner.
In Simple Terms
A partial proof of work submitted to a pool to prove your miner is working. Used to calculate your reward share.
Share is a term used in Bitcoin mining related to network & protocol.
Also known as: Pool share, Work share.
In pool mining, a share is a hash that meets a lower difficulty target set by the pool (not the full network difficulty). Shares prove that a miner is doing work, even though most shares are not valid blocks. The pool uses share counts to proportionally distribute rewards when a member eventually finds an actual block.
Share difficulty is adjusted by the pool to balance communication overhead: too easy means too many shares submitted, too hard means infrequent proof of work. The optimal share rate is typically several shares per second per miner.
Understanding share 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: Mining Pool, Stratum Protocol, Difficulty.