XMR
Monero’s mining network is approaching its historical hashrate peak, reflecting increased computational activity across the privacy-focused blockchain. Estimates published for October 26, 2026, put the network’s hashrate at approximately 7.12 GH/s, close to the reported record of 7.54 GH/s earlier this year. At the same time, mining pool distribution raises questions about how evenly that computing power is coordinated across the network.
SupportXMR leads the reported pool rankings with approximately 1.87 GH/s, followed by Nanopool at 1.23 GH/s and Kryptex at 1.17 GH/s. Combined, the three pools account for around 4.27 GH/s, or roughly 60% of the estimated network hashrate. Hashvault and C3Pool contribute additional capacity, while P2Pool offers miners a more decentralized pooling alternative.
These figures do not mean that three companies own 60% of Monero’s mining hardware. Mining pools coordinate computing power from participating miners, who may be able to redirect their resources to other pools. Nevertheless, a high concentration of coordinated hashrate can create security concerns if a small number of pool operators act together or experience disruptions.
The network’s current position also follows a contentious episode in 2025 involving Qubic, which claimed to have temporarily controlled more than half of Monero’s hashrate. The campaign triggered debate about the network’s vulnerability to coordinated mining power and included reports of short blockchain reorganizations and orphaned blocks. The episode highlighted the distinction between maintaining a high overall hashrate and ensuring that mining power remains sufficiently distributed.
Monero uses RandomX, a proof-of-work algorithm introduced in 2019 and designed to favor general-purpose CPUs rather than conventional ASIC mining hardware. The goal is to make participation more accessible and limit the advantages of highly specialized equipment. However, dedicated RandomX miners have entered the market, including Bitmain’s Antminer X5 and X9 models, illustrating that specialized hardware can still influence the mining landscape.
According to the reported specifications, the Antminer X5 delivers around 212 KH/s at 1,350 watts, while the X9 is listed at approximately 1 MH/s. Their reported retail prices were $2,999 and $5,599, respectively, although availability and profitability can change with market conditions, electricity costs, and mining difficulty.
Monero’s incentive structure also supports continued mining activity. The network produces blocks approximately every two minutes and uses a permanent block reward of 0.6 XMR, known as tail emission, alongside transaction fees. This mechanism is designed to maintain a continuing incentive for miners after the main supply issuance has largely concluded.
XMR’s price performance may be another factor attracting mining interest. The figures provided indicate a gain of approximately 70% over the past 12 months and around 37% year to date. A higher coin price can improve potential mining revenue, although actual profitability depends on hardware efficiency, electricity expenses, pool fees, and network difficulty.
Monero’s rising hashrate is a positive indicator of the computational resources supporting the network, but it does not eliminate the risks associated with concentrated pool coordination or specialized mining equipment. The key challenge is maintaining a balance between stronger network security and a sufficiently decentralized mining structure as competition and investment in mining technology increase.
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