The XBT coinbase lock and block 979,920: what it means if you rent Blake2b hashrate
Since block 973,440, new XBT block rewards cannot be spent for about 45 days. That rule ends at block 979,920, expected around 31 October to 1 November 2026. If you point rented Blake2b hashrate at a pool, the lock decides when the coins your pool credits you become usable. Here is how it works, what is still undecided, and what to check before you place an order.
What the coinbase lock is
Normally a block reward on a Bitcoin-style chain can be spent 100 blocks after it was mined. On XBT, a soft fork raised that wait to 6,480 blocks, about 45 days, for rewards from blocks 973,440 up to 979,920, as described on the xbt.live unlock page. With a subsidy of 3.125 XBT per block, 6,480 blocks of rewards add up to roughly 20,250 XBT that miners could not move while the window was open.
The lock only applies to new block rewards. Coins bought on an exchange and coins that existed before the window are not affected. If you are new to the chain itself, start with what XBT is and how it differs from BTC.
What happens at block 979,920
The rule is only enforced for blocks below 979,920. According to xbt.live's reading of the Bitcoin Knots source, from that block on the network accepts spends of every lock-window reward that is at least 100 blocks old. In other words, the consensus lock ends for all of them at once, not one block at a time.
There is a second, softer rule. Bitcoin Knots keeps a 6,480-block policy for relaying transactions and for its own wallet. A spend broadcast through Knots nodes only relays once the reward is 6,480 blocks old, and a Knots wallet keeps showing those coins as immature until then. Through normal relay that frees about one block's reward per block, roughly 450 XBT a day, until around block 986,400. The same article puts the share of reachable XBT nodes enforcing the lock at about 85%. Pools can still include their own spends directly in blocks they mine, so this slower release is policy, not a hard limit.
| Reward mined at block | Spendable by consensus | Relays through Knots nodes |
|---|---|---|
| Before 973,440 | 100 blocks later | 6,480 blocks later |
| 973,440 to 979,819 | At block 979,920 | 6,480 blocks later |
| 979,820 to 979,919 | 100 blocks later | 6,480 blocks later |
| 979,920 and after | 100 blocks later | 6,480 blocks later |
Table based on xbt.live: when your locked rewards actually unlock. Their example: a reward created at block 975,000 is spendable by consensus at 979,920, but a spend sent through a Knots node only relays at block 981,480, about 11 days later.
What is still undecided
Several open Bitcoin Knots pull requests would change the rule. As of 24 October, xbt.live reported rough agreement that XBT should keep a longer lock, with one proposal in the lead:
- #468: a 180-day rolling lock on rewards mined from block 979,919 until the RDTS soft fork expires on 1 September 2027. Coins already locked would still unlock on schedule.
- #480: make today's 45-day rolling lock permanent.
- #476: a one-year rolling lock on every reward from block 973,440.
None of these was merged at the time of writing, and a change would need a release and node upgrades before the activation height to matter. xbt.live called "nothing ships before 979,920" the most likely outcome, but this can change within days. The XBT Watch Knots tracker follows each pull request live.
The practical point for renters: rewards you collect after block 979,920 may go back to a 100-block wait, or they may fall under a new, longer lock if one ships in time. Check the current state on the day you order, not only this article.
How the lock reaches you when you rent hashrate
When you rent on TideHash, the hashrate goes straight to your own pool or your own DATUM gateway. TideHash never receives the block rewards. So the lock does not change how a rental runs: the order fills, your pool sees shares, and the pool credits you as it would for any miner. What the lock changes is when the XBT your pool credits becomes spendable, and that depends on how your pool pays.
Pools that pay from the block reward
Solo ports, TIDES-style pools and other pools that pay you inside the block's coinbase put your share directly into the reward output. That output is locked like any other reward, and your wallet shows it as immature. Most XBT pools that support DATUM pay this way; see XBT mining pools compared for payout methods per pool.
Pools that pay from their own wallet
PPLNS and PPS-style pools pay from a pool wallet, so they need spendable coins to pay you. Some pay on schedule anyway, some hold balances until rewards unlock, and some pay in batches afterwards. The only way to know is to ask your pool.
Questions to ask your pool before you rent
xbt.live suggests these questions, and they apply just as much to rented hashrate as to your own machines:
- Are my rewards paid from the coinbase or from the pool's wallet?
- Are payouts paused, delayed or batched during the lock?
- When the lock ends, will you pay out the backlog, and at what pace?
- If the lock is extended, what happens to my balance?
Also check the pool's minimum payout. A small rental may stay below a high minimum for a while, lock or no lock.
Planning a rental around the unlock
- Decide what you need the coins for. If you want to move them soon after they are mined, look at the table above and at the open proposals. Rewards from a rental that runs across block 979,920 can fall on either side of the rule change.
- Use the right worker settings. The pool user is usually your XBT address plus a worker name. Our guide to pool settings for rented hashrate covers URL, port, password and a backup pool.
- Test small first. Orders start at $10, so you can confirm that your pool shows shares and that its payout behaviour matches what it told you before you size up. The step-by-step rental guide walks through it.
- Size against the network. Difficulty moves often on a young chain; xbt.live reported a 16.9% increase at block 977,760 on 17 October. The TideHash calculator shows a rental's share of the network and the chance of a block at live difficulty, without reward or price estimates.
None of this is a reason to rent or not to rent. Mining outcomes vary, and XBT trades on thin markets. The lock is one more timing detail to know before you point hashrate anywhere.
Want to test your pool first?Live order book, minimum order $10. Pay with BTC, USDT, USDC, other coins or by card.
Open the order formSources
- xbt.live: XBT coinbase unlock (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- xbt.live: the XBT coinbase lock ends with a cliff, not a drip (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- xbt.live: when your locked rewards actually unlock (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- xbt.live: the lock fight, one week out (24 Oct 2026)
- XBT Watch: Knots tracker (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- xbt.live: XBT difficulty up 16.9% (17 Oct 2026)
Ready to try it? Rent Blake2b hashrate from 1 TH/s, or check the Blake2b hashrate price today. Questions? Ask in our Discord.