HardwareIntermediate11 min read

Whatsminer M50, M60 and M66: Solo Mining Setup on mkpool (2026)

Q: What is the mkpool stratum URL for a Whatsminer?

For Bitcoin it is stratum+tcp://btc.mkpool.com:3333 (vardiff). Set the worker to your own Bitcoin address, optionally followed by a dot and a rig name, and the password to x. For another SHA-256 chain, swap the host, for example bch.mkpool.com, and use an address for that chain.

Q: How do I access the Whatsminer web interface?

Put the miner on your network and find its IP address from your router's device list or MicroBT's WhatsMiner Tool, then open that IP in a browser. Log in and change the default password before configuring pools. Exact menus and defaults vary by generation and firmware, so check your unit's documentation.

Q: Which Whatsminer is the most efficient?

Within the current air-cooled range, the M60S series is MicroBT's efficiency leap, with every model under 20 J/TH and the M60S++ around 15.5 J/TH. Older M50-series units sit around 24 to 29 J/TH. Immersion M66 models push hashrate higher at roughly 18 to 20 J/TH. Confirm the figure for your exact model and batch.

Q: Which difficulty port should a Whatsminer use?

Use the vardiff port for an owned miner; it auto-tunes to the Whatsminer's hashrate. Use a fixed high-difficulty port only if you are pointing rented or aggregated hashrate at the pool. The password field accepts d=NNNN to pin a static difficulty on any port.

Q: Does a Whatsminer support TLS or Stratum V2 to mkpool?

Stock MicroBT firmware speaks plain Stratum V1. To use an encrypted TLS or Stratum V2 port you need firmware that supports it. If your firmware only offers plain stratum, use the plain vardiff port; the connection is otherwise identical.

Q: Can a Whatsminer mine coins other than Bitcoin?

Yes, any SHA-256 chain mkpool runs: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, BitcoinII, Bitcoin Cash II, DigiByte or eCash. Change the pool host and use a wallet address for that chain. It mines one chain per connection.

Published July 24, 2026

MicroBT's Whatsminer line is the main alternative to Bitmain's Antminer, and it sets up on mkpool the same way, a stratum URL, your own address, and a password, through MicroBT's own web interface rather than Bitmain's. This guide covers the current M50, M60 and M66 families and the exact settings to solo mine straight to your wallet.

As always on mkpool, there is no account: the address you enter is your identity and your payout destination, and any block you find is paid to it directly. If you have set up an Antminer, the only real difference here is the shape of the web UI.

The current Whatsminer range

Representative published figures for the air- and immersion-cooled models. Whatsminer ships many sub-variants and the numbers move with firmware and batch, so treat these as reference points and confirm your exact unit against MicroBT's spec sheet:

Model	Hashrate	Efficiency	Cooling
M50	~114 TH/s	~29 J/TH	Air
M50S+	~136 TH/s	~24 J/TH	Air
M60	~162 TH/s	<20 J/TH	Air
M60S / M60S++	~170-226 TH/s	~18.5 → 15.5 J/TH	Air
M66 / M66S	~240-298 TH/s	~18-20 J/TH	Immersion

The M60S generation, launched in late 2023 and expanded through 2024, is MicroBT's efficiency leap: every model breaks below 20 J/TH, with the M60S++ around 15.5 J/TH, competitive with Bitmain's current air-cooled parts.

Step 1: Open the Whatsminer web interface

Connect the miner to your network by Ethernet and power it on.
Find its IP address from your router's connected-devices list, or with MicroBT's WhatsMiner Tool, which discovers miners on the LAN.
Open that IP in a browser on the same network and log in.

Change the default password

As with any miner, change the factory password before doing anything else. A miner reachable on its default credentials can be redirected by anyone on your network.

Step 2: Enter the mkpool pool settings

Open the pool or miner configuration. Whatsminers give you three pool slots. Fill Pool 1 for solo mining Bitcoin:

URL: stratum+tcp://btc.mkpool.com:3333
Worker: your Bitcoin address with an optional rig name, e.g. bc1qyouraddress.m60
Password: x

Set Pool 2 and Pool 3 as backups with the same address, a different port, or another SHA-256 chain, so a brief outage never idles the machine. Here are mkpool's live Bitcoin ports, from the pool config:

Host: btc.mkpool.com

Port	Difficulty	Encryption	Rented hashrate
3333	vardiff [1024 to 1M]	Plain	Owned miners
3334	vardiff [1024 to 1M] · TLS	TLS	Owned miners
3335	fixed 1,000,000 · TLS	TLS	Owned miners
3336	fixed 10,000,000 · TLS	TLS	Owned miners
3342	fixed 50,000,000 · TLS	TLS	Owned miners
3337	fixed 1,000,000	Plain	NiceHash · Braiins
3338	fixed 10,000,000	Plain	NiceHash · Braiins
3339	fixed 50,000,000	Plain	NiceHash · Braiins
3340	vardiff [1024 to 1M]	Stratum V2	Owned miners · Braiins
3380	fixed 1,000,000	Stratum V2	Owned miners · Braiins
3381	fixed 10,000,000	Stratum V2	Owned miners · Braiins
3382	fixed 50,000,000	Stratum V2	Owned miners · Braiins

For an owned Whatsminer, use the vardiff port (3333); it auto-tunes to the miner's hashrate. The fixed high-difficulty ports are for rented or aggregated hashrate, see choosing a difficulty tier if you are unsure.

Step 3: Save and verify

Save the configuration; the miner restarts mining and connects within a minute. Confirm it from both ends, accepted shares and a stable hashrate on the miner's status page, and your address showing a live hashrate on the mkpool miners page. What each figure means is covered in reading your worker stats, and if it is underperforming, work through the miner health check.

A note on firmware and encryption

Stock MicroBT firmware speaks plain Stratum V1, so use the plain vardiff port. If your firmware supports an encrypted connection, mkpool's TLS and Stratum V2 ports are listed in the table above and set up as shown in encrypted solo mining. Either way the address and password stay the same; only the URL scheme and port change.

Disclaimer

Whatsminer web-UI menus, default credentials and firmware capabilities vary by generation and firmware version and are current as of July 2026; follow MicroBT's documentation for your exact unit. Hardware figures are manufacturer-published nominal specs and vary by model and batch. Nothing here is financial advice. Solo mining is probabilistic and can lose money depending on electricity cost and network conditions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the mkpool stratum URL for a Whatsminer?

For Bitcoin it is stratum+tcp://btc.mkpool.com:3333 (vardiff). Set the worker to your own Bitcoin address, optionally followed by a dot and a rig name, and the password to x. For another SHA-256 chain, swap the host, for example bch.mkpool.com, and use an address for that chain.

How do I access the Whatsminer web interface?

Put the miner on your network and find its IP address from your router's device list or MicroBT's WhatsMiner Tool, then open that IP in a browser. Log in and change the default password before configuring pools. Exact menus and defaults vary by generation and firmware, so check your unit's documentation.

Which Whatsminer is the most efficient?

Within the current air-cooled range, the M60S series is MicroBT's efficiency leap, with every model under 20 J/TH and the M60S++ around 15.5 J/TH. Older M50-series units sit around 24 to 29 J/TH. Immersion M66 models push hashrate higher at roughly 18 to 20 J/TH. Confirm the figure for your exact model and batch.

Which difficulty port should a Whatsminer use?

Use the vardiff port for an owned miner; it auto-tunes to the Whatsminer's hashrate. Use a fixed high-difficulty port only if you are pointing rented or aggregated hashrate at the pool. The password field accepts d=NNNN to pin a static difficulty on any port.

Does a Whatsminer support TLS or Stratum V2 to mkpool?

Stock MicroBT firmware speaks plain Stratum V1. To use an encrypted TLS or Stratum V2 port you need firmware that supports it. If your firmware only offers plain stratum, use the plain vardiff port; the connection is otherwise identical.

Can a Whatsminer mine coins other than Bitcoin?

Yes, any SHA-256 chain mkpool runs: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, BitcoinII, Bitcoin Cash II, DigiByte or eCash. Change the pool host and use a wallet address for that chain. It mines one chain per connection.

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