Major Bitcoin miners join Stratum V2 initiative

Major Bitcoin mining companies have joined the Stratum V2 Working Group to support broader adoption of the next-generation mining protocol. New members include ANTPOOL, F2Pool, Foundry, Block Inc., Spiderpool, MARA Holdings and DMND.

ANTPOOL and Foundry join Stratum V2

The Stratum V2 Working Group announced a major expansion of its membership base. The initiative was founded in 2022 by Braiins and Spiral.

Its goal is to develop and maintain Stratum V2 as an open and vendor-neutral mining protocol for the Bitcoin ecosystem. The protocol is designed as a major upgrade to the original Stratum standard.

According to the working group, Stratum V2 improves efficiency, privacy and security for mining operations. The protocol also introduces features aimed at strengthening mining decentralization.

ANTPOOL representatives said open and interoperable standards will improve collaboration across the mining industry and accelerate infrastructure development.

Stratum V2 improves security and decentralization

Mining companies continue searching for ways to improve operational efficiency and network resilience. Stratum V2 is positioned as a more advanced alternative to the current mining protocol.

One of its key features is end-to-end encrypted communication between miners and pools. This is expected to improve protection against attacks and data interception.

The protocol also improves management of large-scale ASIC fleets. That functionality is especially important for industrial mining operators and large pools.

Spiderpool representatives emphasized that Stratum V2 could strengthen Bitcoin decentralization by allowing miners to construct their own block templates instead of relying entirely on pools.

Mining pools prepare for infrastructure upgrades

The involvement of major mining companies could accelerate global adoption of Stratum V2. Until now, implementation has progressed slowly due to limited support from pools and infrastructure providers.

New members of the working group include:

• ANTPOOL
• Foundry
• F2Pool
• Spiderpool
• Block Inc.
• MARA Foundation
• DMND

Support from large industry players increases the likelihood of compatibility with industrial-scale mining operations. It may also intensify competition among mining pools to support the protocol.

Industry shifts toward greater decentralization

The expansion of the working group signals growing industry consensus around Stratum V2 as the future standard for Bitcoin mining infrastructure.

For the mining sector, the protocol could reduce dependence on centralized pools while improving security and operational flexibility.

Over the long term, widespread adoption of Stratum V2 may reshape mining architecture. Mining companies and pools are expected to implement more decentralized and scalable infrastructure models.

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