Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are (Data Controller)

the mkpool project ("mkpool", "we", "us") operates this non-custodial solo mining pool and is the controller of the personal data described below. For any privacy question or to exercise your rights, contact us at legal@mkpool.com.

2. Data We Process

We deliberately collect as little as possible. There are no accounts, passwords or identity registrations (no KYC). What we process falls into two groups.

Always-on operational data:

• Wallet payout addresses: the public address you submit as your stratum username, used to route shares, display statistics, and build the on-chain coinbase payout. These addresses are inherently public on the blockchain.
• IP address & worker names: when your hardware or browser connects, we process your IP address and worker label to route traffic, display your dashboard, maintain security, and prevent abuse such as DDoS. Connection logs are short-lived and not used to build profiles.

Optional data you choose to give us (stored until you remove it):

• Block & worker alerts: if you enable alerts for an address, we store the contact details you provide for the channels you turn on, which may include an email address, a WhatsApp/phone number, a Telegram chat ID, a Discord webhook URL, and/or a browser push-notification subscription. These are stored linked to your payout address so we can notify you. You can disable any channel, or unsubscribe from emails via the one-click link in every alert.
• Newsletter: if you subscribe, we store your email address to send updates until you unsubscribe.
• "Win free hashrate" entries: if you enter the hashrate giveaway, we store the payout address, email and selected pool you submit, together with your IP address and browser user-agent for fraud prevention, and we use a rig-rental provider to deliver any prize.

Be aware that, for these optional features, we do hold a record linking a contact detail (such as an email or phone number) to a payout address. We never ask for your name, home address or identity documents.

3. Why We Process It & Legal Bases

• To run the pool (routing shares, building payouts, showing stats): necessary for the service you request, and our legitimate interest (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) in operating a functioning pool.
• Security & abuse prevention (IP handling, rate-limiting, Cloudflare Turnstile): our legitimate interest in keeping the service available and secure.
• Optional alerts, newsletter and giveaways: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a)), given when you enable a channel or submit a form. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Analytics: only with your consent via the cookie banner (see our Cookie Policy).

4. Who We Share Data With

We never sell your data. We share the minimum necessary with service providers (processors) that help us run the service:

• Cloudflare: CDN, DDoS protection, the Turnstile anti-bot check, and hosting for our edge logic and alert database. Processes connection data and IP addresses.
• Brevo: sends your transactional emails and WhatsApp messages; receives the email address or phone number and message content needed to deliver an alert.
• Telegram and Discord: only if you connect those channels; they receive the messages and identifiers needed to deliver your alerts, under their own privacy terms.
• MiningRigRentals: only if you take part in the hashrate giveaway, to provision rented hashrate.
• Google Analytics: only if you opt in to analytics cookies; IP addresses are anonymised.

We may also disclose data where required by law or to protect the security and rights of the service.

5. International Transfers

Some of the providers above operate globally and may process data outside the UK / EEA. Where that happens, the transfer relies on an appropriate safeguard, such as a UK adequacy decision, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or EU Standard Contractual Clauses, so your data keeps an equivalent level of protection.

6. How Long We Keep It

• Operational stats & payout addresses: retained while relevant to pool operation and historical block records (which are public on-chain in any case).
• Connection & security logs (incl. IP): kept only briefly for routing and abuse prevention.
• Alert configs, newsletter and giveaway entries: kept until you remove the channel, unsubscribe, or ask us to delete them.
• Analytics: retained by Google for the period set on the measurement property.

7. Cookies & Analytics

By default we set only strictly necessary storage (e.g. your theme choice, your consent choice, and security tokens) and no analytics or advertising cookies. Only when you actively opt in via the cookie banner do we load Google Analytics, with IP anonymisation, to understand aggregate traffic. We do not use advertising beacons, retargeting pixels or cross-site profiling. Full detail and controls are in our Cookie Policy.

8. Your Rights

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any right, email legal@mkpool.com. Please note that for users who only ever submit a payout address (and no contact detail), we generally cannot identify you and may be unable to action a request without additional information that links you to that address (UK GDPR Art. 11). Where you have given us an email, phone number or similar, we can act on your request directly. If you believe we have mishandled your data, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

9. Children & Changes

The service is not directed at, and may not be used by, anyone under 18. We may update this policy from time to time; the "last updated" date above reflects the current version, and material changes take effect when posted here. Questions? Contact legal@mkpool.com.