Payout Scheme

Payout Scheme is the model used by a mining pool to calculate and distribute rewards among participants. It defines which work results are counted, which period they belong to, and how each miner’s share of the distributable income is calculated.

Different schemes can use the same underlying computational data while distributing the resulting cash flow differently over time. The payout model is therefore an important parameter when comparing mining conditions.

Common Models

Scheme	Principle	What Is Counted
PPS	Payment for each accepted share	Accepted shares and calculated work value
PPLNS	Reward distribution based on recent shares	Shares within a defined window
FPPLNS	PPLNS variant with a fixed rule	Shares within a fixed calculation window
Solo Pool	Reward when the participant finds a block	Actual block discovery

Why the Payout Scheme Matters

The same miner can receive a different payment pattern depending on the payout scheme. Under PPS, payments are directly connected to accepted shares and can therefore be more regular. Under PPLNS, the result is more closely connected to the pool’s actual block discoveries and the participant’s contribution within the relevant window.

The payout scheme does not change the underlying network block reward or create additional computing power. It determines how the economic result is allocated between the pool and its participants.

What to Check in Pool Rules

• the exact payout formula;
• which shares are counted;
• the size and duration of the calculation window;
• the pool fee;
• payout processing rules;
• the minimum payout threshold;
• rules applied when a block is found or a job changes.