F2Pool Mines Bitcoin Block Without Marathon Digital's Slipstream Service

A recent Bitcoin block was mined by F2Pool, notably without utilizing Marathon Digital Holdings' (MARA) specialized Slipstream service, as highlighted by cryptocurrency commentator Eric Wall. The observation suggests the block's transactions did not bypass the standard mempool via Marathon's direct submission system, indicating a conventional mining process by F2Pool.

"Notice how this didn’t use Slipstream. If it did it would have been mined by MARA, and you’d see it in the explorer. But it’s F2Pool," Eric Wall stated in a social media post.

Marathon Digital Holdings launched Slipstream in February 2024 as a direct Bitcoin transaction submission service. This innovation allows users to submit large or non-standard Bitcoin transactions directly to Marathon's proprietary MARA Pool, bypassing the typical public mempool where such transactions might be delayed or excluded by default Bitcoin nodes. The service aims to streamline confirmations for complex transactions, provided they adhere to Bitcoin protocol and sufficient fees are paid.

F2Pool, one of the oldest and largest Bitcoin mining pools, consistently ranks among the top contributors to Bitcoin's network hash rate. Known for its significant share in block production, F2Pool's operations typically involve processing transactions from the public mempool. Their mining of this particular block, without the involvement of Slipstream, underscores the diverse methods and independent operations within the Bitcoin mining ecosystem.

The existence of services like Slipstream reflects an evolving landscape in Bitcoin mining, where large-scale miners explore new revenue streams beyond block rewards and standard transaction fees. By offering direct transaction inclusion, Marathon seeks to cater to specific user needs, particularly those involving Bitcoin Ordinals, BRC-20 tokens, or other non-standard transaction types that may benefit from expedited processing.

The block's origin with F2Pool, rather than MARA, indicates that the transactions within it were likely standard or did not require the specialized routing offered by Slipstream. This scenario highlights the ongoing competition and distinct operational strategies among major Bitcoin mining entities as they adapt to market demands and technological advancements.