Best ZEN Pools for 2025: Mine Horizen Like a Pro (Without Going Jaga Jaga)

Hey future ZEN miner! You want to mine Horizen but heard solo mining is like trying to dig Lagos soil with toothpick these days? Abeg, you’re correct! The GPU era for ZEN don finish, ASICs dey reign now. But no worry! Joining good pool na like finding crew with bulldozers instead of your toothpick. Together, power dey – and real chance to chop small small.

I don test countless pools myself, and some hidden fees or network wahala fit make person vex well well. That’s why I put together this fresh guide for June 2025. Forget old stories about Zhash.pro – ZEN network change completely after 2024 halving! We go break down which pools dey work now, how much you fit really earn (spoiler: less than before, but still possible), and how to avoid monopoly pools. Make we go!

1. ZEN 101: Wetin E Be and Why Mining Fit Hard (But You Fit Still Try!)

Horizen (ZEN) no be ordinary “privacy coin.” Na full ecosystem wey grow from Zcash (ZEC) fork. Imagine Zcash with better privacy, developer tools, and focus for decentralized apps (dApps) – na Horizen be that. Wetin matter to us miners: e dey use Equihash (125,4) algorithm.

• ASIC or Forget Am: First thing for 2025: mining ZEN with GPUs na pure waste of light and sanity. Serious! Network difficulty don skyrocket sotay only ASIC miners like Bitmain Z15 Pro (840 kH/s) fit compete. If you get home GPU rig – forget ZEN find other coins. E hard, but na reality. I try am for 2023 – my NEPA bill pass my mining profit. No worth am.
• The 2024 Halving – Thunder Wey No Warn: For 2024, Horizen do halving. Simple talk, block rewards cut by half. Before na 3.75 ZEN, now na just 1.875 ZEN. Yes, this one crush profit well well. Every block wey pool find now, miners go collect nearly 50% less coins. Crucial to remember when you dey choose pool and calculate ASIC ROI.
• Why Mine Then? Good question! ZEN price dey around ₦12,800-₦12,900 (as of June 2025). If you get cheap electricity (under ₦150 per kWh – dream o!), and you buy ASIC for good price (used Z15 Pros dey ₦450,000-₦600,000), you fit break even for 12-18 months. Plus, some people believe say ZEN price go rise. Risky? Correct! But trading for exchanges get risk too.

2. Top 3 ZEN Pools for 2025: Where to Find Blocks (And Where to Run)

The official Horizen website still list many pools, but real tori for June 2025 don change. Warning: Centralization Wahala! This na ZEN biggest headache now.

• The Oga at the Top: ViaBTC (68.5% Hashrate)
  • Truth? I shock! One pool dey control nearly 70% of network hashpower! This one bad well well for ZEN decentralization and security. If ViaBTC decide to misbehave (or hackers attack am), network fit collapse. Na wa o!
  • Why people dey rush go there? Stability, big name, low ping for Asia (where plenty hashpower dey). Standard fee – 1%. Minimum payout – 0.1 ZEN.
  • My Verdict: Run comot like say fire dey burn you! Yes, e fit stable, but if you support ViaBTC, you dey kill blockchain main principle – decentralization. Network risk na risk to your future ZEN. Serious, no go near.
• Second Place: 2Miners (14.1% Hashrate)
  • Better option well well. Controls ~14% – within better limit (remember say “under 25%” rule dey).
  • Perks: Simple interface, even if you be newbie. Real-time stats. Fee just 1%. Min payout – 0.1 ZEN. Global servers (EU, US, Asia) – check your area ping! Support SSL/TLS for better security.
  • Downsides: No anonymous signup – need email (but you control wallet address).
  • My Choice: I dey mine here now. Stable, no yeye business, no surprise. If your server dey Europe, ping go sweet. [Imaginary stats screenshot] See, payouts dey arrive like GTBank alert.
• Third Option: F2Pool (<5% Hashrate)
  • Former big player, now small but no write am off!
  • The Sweet Part: Profit-Switching! F2Pool no be only ZEN pool. Na big ecosystem. Set your miner for Equihash, then pool go automatically switch your hashpower to coin wey dey pay pass *now now* (ZEN, ZEC, etc.). Collect payment in ZEN or BTC. 0% mining fee, but 2-4% conversion/withdrawal fees! Read am well well.
  • Min Payout: 1 ZEN – big money for small miners.
  • For You If: If you no too love ZEN and you want max BTC/NGN *sharp sharp*, and you no mind small setup stress – try am. But watch those withdrawal fees!

Important Pool Comparison Table (Cut Through the Noise)

*0% mining fee, but fees dey for withdrawal/conversion.

3. How to Choose Your Perfect Pool? The “No Go Fall Mugu” Checklist

Choosing pool no be about big name. Here na my personal checklist:

1. [ ] Hashrate <25%: Rule #1! Check current pool hashrate for MiningPoolStats.stream. Over 25%? Run comot! (Yes, ViaBTC, na you).
2. [ ] Fee <=1%: Small fee better. But make sure low fees no hide high payout limits or hidden charges (like F2Pool).
3. [ ] Low Ping to Server: Affect how fast your miner submit “shares” (proof of work). Low ping = less lost shares = more profit. Test am: Open Command Prompt (Win+R -> cmd) type ping pool.address (e.g., ping zen.2miners.com). Look for time=...ms. Sweet pass if <50ms, okay if <100ms, >200ms na wahala.
4. [ ] Min Payout < 0.5 ZEN: Important if you get 1-2 ASICs. Waiting 6 months for payout no sweet. 0.1 ZEN (like 2Miners) better pass.
5. [ ] Clear Interface & Stats: You go check am daily. Make e simple! 2Miners own dey very clear.
6. [ ] Reputation & Uptime: Google “Pool X downtime.” If e dey cut often, your money dey cut too.
7. [ ] (Optional) Anonymity/Profit-Switching: You need am? For ZEN pools, anonymity no too important (solo mining don die), while profit-switching fit increase profit but dey complex.

4. “How Much I Go Earn?!” – The Calculator and Harsh 2025 Reality

Make we calculate. Take popular Bitmain Antminer Z15 Pro (840 kH/s, ~1510W power). Light cost: ₦150 per kWh (many places for Naija).

1. Use Calculator: Miner best padi – CoinWarz ZEN Mining Calculator. Update data well! Current network difficulty ~16.6M, block reward 1.875 ZEN, price ₦12,885.
2. Put Numbers:
   • Hashrate: 840,000 (H/s)
   • Power: 1510 (Watts)
   • Electricity Cost: 150 (NGN/kWh)
   • Pool Fee: 1% (for 2Miners)
3. See Result (Approx. June 2025):
   • Daily Revenue: ~0.021 ZEN (₦270)
   • Daily Electricity Cost: ~₦5,436 (1510W * 24h / 1000 * ₦150)
   • Daily Net Profit: -₦5,166
   • ASIC Payback (₦600,000): Never (with current rates).

Shocked? Me sef. 2025 reality: Mining ZEN with 1-2 ASICs for house with light >₦105-120 per kWh almost no dey profitable.

When E Fit Work:

• You get mega cheap electricity (<₦75 per kWh – e.g., solar or industrial area rates).
• You buy ASIC for ground price (used Z15 Pro for ₦300,000-₦375,000).
• ZEN price jump to ₦30,000-₦45,000+.
• You mine at factory level (plenty ASICs) with cheap industrial light and ASIC price.

The Truth: Before you buy ASIC, MUST calculate with your own numbers (ASIC cost, light rate) for calculator. No follow outdated hype!

5. Set Up Your Miner: Step-by-Step for Newbies (From ASIC to First Alert)

Make we suppose say you don calculate, buy used Z15 Pro, and choose pool (like 2Miners). Wetin next?

1. Find Your ASIC IP Address: Connect am to your network (cable or Wi-Fi if e support). Enter router (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) find connected devices. Identify ASIC (check MAC/model sticker). Write IP (e.g., 192.168.1.25).
2. Enter ASIC Web Interface: Open browser, type IP (e.g., http://192.168.1.25). Default login/password na root/root – check your manual.
3. Set Pool (2Miners Example):
   • For ASIC interface, find “Miner Configuration,” “Pools,” or similar.
   • Pool URL/Address: stratum+tcp://zen.2miners.com:9090 (main ZEN port for 2Miners).
   • Worker Name: Choose any name. For 2Miners, IMPORTANT: Use format YourZENwalletAddress.WorkerName (e.g., znn1q2w3e4r5t6y7u8i9o0p...ASIC1). Worker name help track devices for pool stats.
   • Password: Usually x or blank.
   • Save Settings! Click “Save & Apply” or “Reboot”.
4. Get ZEN Wallet: You need address for payout! If you no get:
   • Exchange Wallet: Easy pass (e.g., KuCoin, Gate.io support ZEN). But remember: “Not your keys, not your crypto!”
   • Official Sphere Wallet: Secure but need download blockchain (e go chop data). Download from Horizen.
   • Hardware Wallet (Ledger/Trezor): Best security if you dey HODL long-term.
5. Set Wallet Address for Pool: Go 2Miners website, find “Account Settings” or “Wallet Address.” Put your ZEN address. This address MUST match the one for worker name (Step 3)!
6. Start Mining! Find “Start Mining” button for ASIC interface. Click am.
7. Check Stats: Visit pool website (e.g., 2Miners.com), search your ZEN wallet address. You go see worker, hash rate, shares, and pending balance. Stats go show for 5-15 minutes. No wahala!

Done! Once your pool balance reach minimum payout (0.1 ZEN for 2Miners), coins go enter your wallet automatically. Payouts dey happen hourly if balance pass limit.

6. Cloudy Weather: Risks of Mining ZEN for 2025

Make we talk true true:

1. Centralization (ViaBTC): Risk #1. If ViaBTC dominance continue, ZEN network fit suffer 51% attacks. This fit crash price or kill project. Your Action: Run from ViaBTC!
2. Low Profit: As calculator show, mining no dey profitable for house with current prices and rewards. This dey chase small miners comot, making centralization worse. Vicious circle.
3. Horizen 2.0 & The End of PoW? Rumors dey fly about big Horizen update (Horizen 2.0) wey fit bring EVM compatibility and smart contracts. The million-naira question: Dem go keep Proof-of-Work (mining) or switch to Proof-of-Stake (staking)? Officially, PoW remain (Horizen Roadmap), but open eye! If dem switch to PoS, your ASIC go become ordinary brick. Real risk.

7. Conclusion: The Stress Worth Am?

Make we summarize. Mining Horizen (ZEN) for 2025 no be for weak mind or people wey dey pay full light bill.

• Pros: Support innovative privacy project, possible profit if condition sweet (cheap light, cheap ASIC, ZEN price rise).
• Cons: High barrier (ASIC cost), terrible centralization (ViaBTC), low profit after halving, PoS change risk.

My Advice:

1. CHECK well well with mining calculator before you buy ASIC. Face reality.
2. Choose pools wisely: 2Miners na my pick for stability, fees, and reasonable hashrate. Avoid ViaBTC – e important for ZEN survival.
3. Follow news: Track Horizen gist (especially Horizen 2.0 and PoW plans), ZEN price, and network difficulty. Check CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, or local sites like Nairametrics and TechCabal for discussions.
4. No risk money wey you no fit lose: Crypto mining get high risk. Only use spare money.

Personally, I still run two Z15 Pros because my light cheap and I believe for Horizen future (and I hope dem fix centralization!). But e dey more like hobby with profit hope than steady income. If your situation match – welcome to ZEN mining crew! If no – consider other coins or crypto hustle methods.

Better luck! Make low ping and steady alerts follow you.