Bitcoin Network Mined First Block Using Stratum V2, Boosting Decentralization

First Stratum V2 Block Mined on Bitcoin

According to Documenting Bitcoin, the Bitcoin network has successfully mined its first block using the Stratum V2 protocol. Stratum V2 is the latest iteration of the Stratum mining protocol, designed to replace Stratum V1 which has dominated since 2012.

Key Improvements Over Stratum V1

Compared to V1, Stratum V2 grants miners greater autonomy: they can construct their own block templates and decide which transactions to include, rather than relying entirely on the mining pool. While preserving the pool's reward distribution mechanism, this change significantly reduces the pool's control over transaction selection. Ultimately, Stratum V2 helps mitigate centralization risks and strengthens the Bitcoin network's decentralization and censorship resistance.