Tether Directs Its Bitcoin Hasrate to the OCEAN Mining Pool

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, has confirmed plans to direct both its current and upcoming Bitcoin hashrate to the OCEAN mining pool.

Stablecoin issuer Tether is concentrating both its current and upcoming Bitcoin hashrate with OCEAN, a startup mining pool. The partnership will see the creation of new facilities in Latin America and Africa.

As reported by blockchain news outlet The Block, the move will see Tether’s hashrate, currently estimated at around 10 exahashes per second, move away from major pools and towards a more distributed system of block production.

OCEAN, founded by Luke Dashjr, a well-known Bitcoin Core developer, is structured to give miners greater control over block-building decisions. Unlike traditional pools, which collect and coordinate hashrate from individual miners, OCEAN uses a system that allows miners to generate their own block templates.

This setup reduces dependence on central coordinators and is designed to improve resistance to censorship in transaction selection, as miners can choose which transactions to include in their blocks.

“Working with OCEAN lets us operate on our own terms, and that’s essential in building mining infrastructure that’s more open and reliable,” said Paolo Ardoino, Tether CEO.

He added that the company’s mining plans are long-term and will expand across various regions.

To facilitate this partnership, DATUM Technology will deploy its open-source software stack, called DATUM Gateway, across Tether’s mining sites. The technology is designed for efficient operation in locations with lower internet bandwidth.

This will allow optimal performance in more remote areas, expanding the possibilities for diverse participation in Bitcoin mining.

Giv Zanganeh, who heads Tether’s mining and energy division, explained the rationale behind the partnership.

“We’ve looked at several mining solutions, and DATUM gave us the tools we need to scale while staying true to Bitcoin’s decentralized roots,” said Zanganeh.

He added that the partnership will see the rollout of DATUM in facilities located in Latin America and Africa. These areas are part of Tether’s expansion strategy to build infrastructure in regions that are often underserved by technology and financial institutions.

DATUM allows local creation of block templates and supports thousands of rigs with minimal latency, even in areas with limited internet access.

Data from mempool.space shows that OCEAN has mined about nine blocks in the past week. This gives it a share of around 0.2% to 1% of all Bitcoin blocks.

Leading pools like Foundry USA, AntPool, and ViaBTC continue to dominate, having mined several hundred blocks in the same period.

OCEAN’s hashrate is currently around 18.3 exahashes per second, a small portion of Foundry USA’s 298 EH/s. However, Tether’s partnership is expected to bring a significant addition to that figure.

With more hashrate, OCEAN will be able to generate blocks at a faster rate, making it a more prominent presence in the mining landscape.

OCEAN also recently relocated its headquarters to El Salvador, a country where Tether has already been operating mining sites. This geographical overlap, combined with a shared interest in decentralized systems, has helped build the foundation for their new partnership.

“Decentralized mining isn’t just a concept—it’s how Bitcoin stays secure and fair,” said Luke Dashjr, OCEAN’s CTO.

“Bringing in Tether’s hashrate helps move that idea forward.”

Mark Artymko, OCEAN’s President, added that the startup is focused on partnerships with organizations that are committed to maintaining independence in their operations, particularly in making critical decisions about which transactions are included in a block.

He said: “We’re working with partners that understand the importance of independence in block creation. That’s what this is about.”

With Tether’s involvement, OCEAN may be able to expand its capabilities and offer an alternative to more centralized players in the network.