Big news in the world of Bitcoin! Miners just hit a whopping $106.7 million in revenue, a record high. What’s even more mind-blowing? 75% of that money came from transaction fees alone!
As Bitcoin fees surge, these miners are making high earnings, sparking discussions about the future dynamics of the network.
Jonathan Merry, the big boss at banklessTimes, says “The rise in Bitcoin miner revenue, fueled by transaction fees, shows the strength of its network. It also highlights and acknowledges the important role of miners in securing the Bitcoin ecosystem.”
He added, “The revolution and evolution of the Bitcoin ecosystem are critical in redefining the digital finance landscape.”
The recent halving, which took place on April 20, 2024, drastically reduced the block reward from 6.25 to 3.125 Bitcoin. Despite the reduction in block rewards, miners experienced a significant boost in total block revenue, which climbed to 21.74 BTC. The primary driver behind this increase was a spike in transaction fees, which accounted for nearly 18 BTC of the average block revenue
However, with the launch of the Rune protocol on April 19, coinciding with the Bitcoin halving, miners found themselves engaged in intense competition.
Prominent mining pools, including Foundry, Antpool, Viabtc, Poolin, and F2pool, have played essential roles in this financial windfall, particularly in securing blocks that carried hefty transaction fees. These fees saw a dramatic increase to $240 per transaction with the introduction of the Runes protocol, though they have since adjusted to a range of $35 to $75.
This competition, coupled with rising Bitcoin transaction fees, has led miners to explore alternative revenue streams, such as utilizing second-layer networks like the lightning network, to maximize their profits.
Also Read: Bitcoin halving shows new users Code Is ultimately the Law