P2Pool sharechain

Two difficulty requirements

P2Pool shares satisfy the sharechain difficulty, which lets participants measure contributions more often than the pool finds Monero blocks. A candidate that also meets Monero difficulty can become a block on the main chain.

Participants validate the share history and use the eligible shares to construct direct payouts in the miner transaction. This removes the need for a central custodian to hold a pool balance for each miner.

References: P2Pool project documentation

Choosing the correct sidechain

P2Pool provides multiple sidechains, including main, mini and nano. Selecting one changes the peers, share difficulty and payout experience. It does not change the Monero network on which accepted block rewards are paid.

Troubleshooting should distinguish a synchronized Monero node from a synchronized sharechain. A healthy connection to monerod alone does not show that the P2Pool process has current shares or working mining clients.

References: P2Pool project documentation

Example

A miner finds a valid P2Pool share that does not meet Monero block difficulty. The share can count toward future payouts while it remains eligible, even though it creates no Monero block by itself.

References: P2Pool project documentation

Limits and cautions

A share is not a guaranteed payment. The pool must find a Monero block while the share qualifies for its payout window. Different P2Pool sidechains have different participants and contribution histories.

References: P2Pool project documentation