DIY Bitcoin Solo Mining:
A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Build your own Bitcoin full node, configure an Antminer S19j Pro, and set up a Raspberry Pi 5 relay so you can mine solo from anywhere in the world — all with AI assistance.
How It All Connects
The Antminer at the remote location connects through the Raspberry Pi VPN relay to your home Bitcoin node, which submits valid blocks directly to the Bitcoin network.
The Three-Part Guide
Follow the parts in order. Each one builds on the previous.
Bitcoin Full Node & Solo Pool
Build a dedicated Ubuntu Server PC, sync the full Bitcoin blockchain, and run public-pool to create your own personal mining pool.
Configure Your Antminer S19j Pro
Access the Antminer web interface, set pool URLs with your Bitcoin address, enable Low Power mode, and verify the miner is hashing correctly.
Raspberry Pi 5 VPN Relay
Replace a power-hungry desktop with a 5-watt Pi. Use Tailscale to create a secure VPN tunnel and socat to forward mining traffic from anywhere.
Complete Parts List
The exact components used in this proven, working setup — chosen for 24/7 reliability. Includes full node build, Pi relay, and Antminer with pricing and reasoning for every choice.
How to Use AI to Build This
This entire setup was built with AI assistance. Here are sample prompts you can use to get the same help. Copy and paste these into any AI assistant.
"I want to build a Bitcoin full node for solo mining. I have an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD running Ubuntu Server 24.04. Walk me through installing Bitcoin Core and public-pool step by step."
"I have an Antminer S19j Pro at a remote location. I want to configure it to solo mine to my home Bitcoin node. My node's IP is [YOUR_IP]. Walk me through the pool configuration settings and how to enable Low Power mode."
"I want to replace a Windows desktop relay with a Raspberry Pi 5. The Pi is at my remote location and my Bitcoin node is at home. I want to use Tailscale to create a VPN tunnel and forward port 3333 from the Pi to my home node. Walk me through it step by step."
Important Disclaimer
Bitcoin solo mining is highly competitive. With ~95 TH/s against a network of hundreds of exahashes, finding a block is a matter of luck and could take years. This guide is for educational purposes. Please research the economics thoroughly before purchasing hardware.