3 January 2026 — The Ergo network has successfully reached another scheduled emission milestone: the block reward has been reduced from 9 ERG to 6 ERG per block.
This reduction is part of Ergo’s predetermined emission schedule, which systematically decreases miner rewards by [3 ERG every quarter until the final floor of 3 ERG per block is reached in April 2026. 
](http://docs.ergoplatform.com)

---

## Recent and Upcoming Reward Steps

| Date (≈) | Reward (ERG per block) | Daily New Supply* |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| 6 Oct 2024 | 21 | 15 120 |
| 5 Jan 2025 | 18 | 12 960 |
| 6 Apr 2025 | 15 | 10 800 |
| 6 Jul 2025 | 12 | 8 640 |
| 4 Oct 2025 | 9 | 6 480 |
| **3 Jan 2026** | **6** | **4 320** |
| 3 Apr 2026 | 3 | 2 160 |

*Figures assume the 120-second block interval.

## What Changed?
**Previous block reward:** 9 ERG
**New block reward (from ~block 1,692,000):** 6 ERG
**Next scheduled reduction:** Toward the final emission floor of 3 ERG per block in April 2026. 
As a result of this update, the issuance of new ERG continues to slow, reinforcing the scarcity of the native token as the network matures. This mechanism mirrors the economic design seen in other long-lived proof-of-work networks, helping ensure predictable supply dynamics over time.

## Emission Status

According to real-time emission tracking:
- **Current block reward:** 6 ERG per block
- **Circulating supply:** ~82.7 million ERG
- **Supply in circulation:** ~84.7 % of capped emission
- **Next reward reduction:** Scheduled in approximately 75 days, leading to the 3 ERG per block regime in April 2026. Live data and charts are available on [ErgoWatch](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission)

This gradual decrease in new ERG issuance marks another step toward the conclusion of the primary emission schedule that has been in place since the Ergo mainnet launch. Under this schedule, miner rewards decrease smoothly each quarter until the minimum reward level is reached. (docs.ergoplatform.com)

Emission reductions are fundamental to Ergo’s monetary policy. With each reduction:
- Miner rewards diminish, lowering the rate of new ERG entering circulation.
- Scarcity increases, potentially impacting supply dynamics and market interest.
- The network approaches its emission schedule’s long-term goal of balancing issuance with demand.

## Supply Data in Real Time

The **[ErgoWatch emission dashboard](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission)** presents live charts for circulating supply, emission rate, and future reductions.  
Anyone can confirm each step and cross-check the data with on-chain figures. Sigmaspace.io provides a nice [web dashboard](https://sigmaspace.io/en/storage-rent) that shows Upcoming Expired Boxes. 

---

## Mining Pools to Know

| Pool | Key Points |
|------|------------|
| **[Sigmanauts Pool](https://sigmanauts.com/mining/)** | Community-run DAO. The pool distributes storage-rent proceeds along with block rewards. |
| **[HeroMiners](https://ergo.herominers.com/)** | Global service with pool and solo modes. The site includes detailed statistics and payout history. |
| **[2Miners](https://2miners.com/)** | Altcoin mining pool for GPU and ASIC |
---

## Looking Ahead

While emissions alone do not determine price trends, they are a key part of the economic infrastructure that supports the Ergo ecosystem.
Stay tuned for the next scheduled reduction as Ergo approaches the final stage of its emission roadmap in early April 2026.

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Ergo Block Reward Drops to 6 ERG — 3 Jan 2026

Ergo Block Reward Drops to 6 ERG

After more than a year of development and testing, **Lithos Protocol** is preparing to open its public testnet. The team confirmed that the goal for the rollout is for the **week of November 2, 2025,** following the recent Ergo 6.0 upgrade.

Lithos first appeared during _ErgoHack VI _and was introduced in the blog series [Mining Pool Innovation Part I ](https://ergoplatform.org/ru/blog/Mining-Pool-Innovation-Lithos-Protocol-Part-1/)and [Part II](https://ergoplatform.org/ru/blog/Mining-Pool-Innovation-Lithos-Protocol-Part-2/). Those posts described the vision of running mining pools entirely on-chain through smart contracts. The upcoming testnet moves that work from theory into practice.

At the [Ergo Live Meetup 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlSTE7PVDik&t=15584s), project lead Kirat (@Cheese Enthusiast) explained the motivation behind:

>“Mining pools today act as black boxes. They can censor transactions or adjust payments without anyone seeing it. Lithos makes every part of mining transparent and verifiable so power stays with miners.”

The testnet will let miners try the new client, check payouts, and help locate any remaining issues before the mainnet release. 

Lithos introduces an open pool structure where each miner sets their own share difficulty and receives rewards directly from on-chain contracts. Payments and block construction no longer depend on a central operator. The approach removes the control that conventional pools hold over miner data and block selection.

For the Ergo ecosystem, the release continues the path laid out in the earlier Lithos posts on transparent governance, fair distribution, and accessible GPU mining. Community participation in the testnet will help strengthen this model before it expands to other PoW chains.

**Testnet launch window:** Week of November 2, 2025
**Client:** Lithos Client (CLI and HTML interface)

Follow @LithosProtocol and @ergoplatformorg on X for instructions and live updates once the testnet launches.


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Lithos Testnet Launches the Week of November 2

# Ergo Block Reward Drops to 9 ERG — 4 Oct 2025

Ergo has just completed it's most recent step in it's scheduled emission plan.  
The base reward fell from **9 ERG** to **6 ERG**, exactly three months after the previous reduction.  
Blocks arrive every 120 seconds, so about 720 new blocks appear each day.

---

## Recent and Upcoming Reward Steps

| Date (≈) | Reward (ERG per block) | Daily New Supply* |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| 6 Oct 2024 | 21 | 15 120 |
| 5 Jan 2025 | 18 | 12 960 |
| 6 Apr 2025 | 15 | 10 800 |
| 6 Jul 2025 | 12 | 8 640 |
| **4 Oct 2025** | **9** | *6 480** |
| 3 Jan 2026 | 6 | 4 320 |
| 3 Apr 2026 | 3 | 2 160 |

*Figures assume the 120-second block interval.

---
## Current Network Data

- Circulating supply: ≈ 82 150 353 ERG 
- Supply in circulation: 84.05 %
- Current block reward: 9 ERG
- Next reduction: ~81,8 days

Live data and charts are available on [ErgoWatch](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission).

---

## Supply Data in Real Time

The **[ErgoWatch emission dashboard](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission)** presents live charts for circulating supply, emission rate, and future reductions.  
Anyone can confirm each step and cross-check the data with on-chain figures. Sigmaspace.io provides a nice [web dashboard](https://sigmaspace.io/en/storage-rent) that shows Upcoming Expired Boxes. 

---

## Mining Pools to Know

| Pool | Key Points |
|------|------------|
| **[Sigmanauts Pool](https://sigmanauts.com/mining/)** | Community-run DAO. The pool distributes storage-rent proceeds along with block rewards. |
| **[HeroMiners](https://ergo.herominers.com/)** | Global service with pool and solo modes. The site includes detailed statistics and payout history. |
| **[2Miners](https://2miners.com/)** | Altcoin mining pool for GPU and ASIC |
---

## Looking Ahead

The next reduction will lower the reward to 6 ERG in about 80 days, moving toward the 3 ERG final floor expected by April 2026.
This predictable, gradual descent helps the market and miners adapt smoothly to a tightening emission curve while preserving long-term sustainability.



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Ergo’s Block Reward Drops to 9 ERG

Lithos是一个新协议，旨在通过将矿池转移到链上来彻底改革矿池的运作方式，使矿工完全控制，并消除对中心化矿池运营商的需求。与之前大多数去中心化挖矿的尝试不同，Lithos旨在高效、可扩展和安全。

---

## 什么是Lithos？

Lithos是一个去中心化的矿池协议，直接将矿工与Ergo上的智能合约连接。这些合约处理所有事务——工作提交、难度管理和支付——而无需依赖中心化服务器或保管人。

该协议使用**Stratum**将挖矿硬件连接到Lithos客户端，但所有关键逻辑都在链上运行。矿工将工作提交给智能合约，并根据新的加密证明格式直接获得报酬。

它被设计为**区块链无关**，这意味着它将来可以支持任何工作量证明链的矿池。工作计算和存储在Ergo上使用ErgoScript智能合约进行，而对其他链的支付验证则需要轻量级桥接。

初步研究已经开始，以通过可互操作的设计将Lithos支持扩展到比特币。

---

## 它是如何工作的

Lithos结合了两个关键概念：**非交互式股份证明（NISPs）**和**抵押矿池**，通过Ergo上的第二层智能合约（具体来说，是乐观汇总）实现。

### NISPs：无交互证明

非交互式股份证明允许矿工提交工作证明，而无需与服务器进行来回交互。每个矿工选择自己的难度，这决定了他们获得报酬的频率和金额。

智能合约验证这些证明并发放支付，无需中心化协调。

### 抵押矿池

Lithos上的矿池由抵押品支持。矿工和非矿工可以质押ERG或LITHOS代币来抵押矿池。这使得：

* 本地区块生产，完全选择交易
* 抵制审查
* 链上执行支付公平性
* 矿池创建者与质押者之间的本地DeFi借贷机制

---

## 对矿工的好处

* **完全区块控制**：矿工选择交易，收集滞纳金和MEV。
* **公平支付**：智能合约透明处理所有奖励。
* **无矿池运营商风险**：没有中心化方可以作弊或延迟支付。
* **本地客户端**：Lithos矿工在本地运行，以避免延迟或过时股份。
* **可调难度**：矿工可以调整其股份难度，以匹配其硬件和风险偏好。

---

## 难度和支付

该协议引入了一种独特的支付模型：

* **更高的难度** = 较少但较大的支付
* **较低的难度** = 更频繁但较小的支付

现实世界的测试表明，总奖励与哈希率成正比，但矿工可以选择其收入的稳定性或波动性。

---

## LITHOS代币

该协议将包括一个本地代币：

* **由矿工作为使用去中心化矿池的奖励获得**。
* **用于矿池抵押，连接矿工和借贷者**。
* **用于防止垃圾邮件、欺诈，并帮助汇总排序**。

更多信息将在即将发布的白皮书中公布。

---

## 最新开发更新

* 最终的欺诈证明合约正在审查中
* 存储租赁实施已优化，以防止区块级替换攻击
* 正在构建难度合约，以防止挖矿后操控
* 汇总合约测试和Stratum修复正在进行中
* 代码库将在测试网启动前公开
* 正在进行比特币集成的研究

测试网启动即将到来，待最终汇总集成和Stratum稳定性。

---

## 接下来是什么

Lithos的路线图与Ergo主网Sigma 6.0的发布紧密相关，这是Lithos上线的前提。

在此之前，工作仍在继续，朝着第一个公共测试网迈进。最后的阶段包括：

* 完成和测试汇总和欺诈证明合约
* 最终确定Stratum客户端集成
* 发布供同行评审的公共代码库
* 继续开发排放、配置和抵押合约
* 规划BTC集成以实现更广泛的协议兼容性
* 最终确定概述系统设计和代币机制的白皮书

一旦这些里程碑达到并且Sigma 6.0在主网上激活，Lithos将准备启动。

---

## 资源

* GitHub: [github.com/Lithos-Protocol](https://github.com/Lithos-Protocol)
* Telegram: [@LITHOS\_Protocol](https://t.me/LITHOS_Protocol)
* YouTube: [ErgoHack Lithos Demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCvNSxSff4k&feature=youtu.be)


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Lithos is a new protocol designed to overhaul how mining pools work by moving them on-chain, giving miners full control, and eliminating the need for centralized pool operators. Unlike most previous attempts at decentralized mining, Lithos is built to be efficient, scalable, and secure.

---

## What Is Lithos?

Lithos is a decentralized mining pool protocol that connects miners directly to smart contracts on Ergo. These contracts handle everything—work submission, difficulty management, and payments—without relying on centralized servers or custodians.

The protocol uses **Stratum** to connect mining hardware to the Lithos client, but all key logic runs on-chain. Miners submit work to smart contracts and get paid directly based on a new cryptographic proof format.

It is designed to be **blockchain agnostic**, meaning it could support mining pools for any proof-of-work chain in the future. Work computation and storage happens on Ergo using ErgoScript smart contracts, while payment verification for other chains would require lightweight bridges.

Initial research is already underway to extend Lithos support to Bitcoin via an interoperable design.

---

## How It Works

Lithos combines two key ideas: **Non-Interactive Share Proofs (NISPs)** and **collateralized mining pools**, implemented via Layer 2 smart contracts (specifically, an optimistic rollup) on Ergo.

### NISPs: Proof Without Interaction

Non-Interactive Share Proofs allow miners to submit proof of work without needing to interact back and forth with a server. Each miner chooses their own difficulty, which determines how often they get paid and how large those payments are.

Smart contracts validate these proofs and issue payouts, with no need for centralized coordination.

### Collateralized Pools

Mining pools on Lithos are backed by collateral. Miners and non-miners can stake ERG or LITHOS tokens to collateralize a pool. This enables:

* Local block production with full transaction selection
* Censorship resistance
* On-chain enforcement of payment fairness
* A native DeFi lending mechanism between pool creators and stakers

---

## Benefits for Miners

* **Full block control**: Miners select transactions, collect demurrage and MEV.
* **Fair payouts**: Smart contracts handle all rewards transparently.
* **No pool operator risk**: There is no centralized party who can cheat or delay payments.
* **Local client**: The Lithos miner runs locally to avoid latency or stale shares.
* **Adjustable difficulty**: Miners can tune their share difficulty to match their hardware and risk preferences.

---

## Difficulty and Payments

The protocol introduces a unique payment model:

* **Higher difficulty** = fewer but larger payments
* **Lower difficulty** = more frequent but smaller payments

Real-world testing shows that total rewards remain proportional to hashrate, but miners can choose how stable or volatile their earnings are.

---

## LITHOS Token

The protocol will include a native token:

* **Earned** by miners as a reward for using decentralized pools.
* **Required** for pool collateralization, linking miners and lenders.
* **Used** used to prevent spam, fraud, and to help with rollup sequencing.

More information will be released in the upcoming whitepaper.

---

## Latest Development Updates

* Final fraud proof contracts are under review
* Storage rent implementation refined to prevent block-level replacement attacks
* Difficulty contract is being built to prevent post-mining manipulation
* Rollup contract testing and stratum fixes are ongoing
* Codebase will be made public before testnet launch
* Research underway on Bitcoin integration

Testnet launch is approaching, pending final rollup integration and stratum stability.

---

## What’s Next

The Lithos roadmap is closely tied to the release of Sigma 6.0 on Ergo mainnet, which is a prerequisite for Lithos to go live.

Until then, work continues toward the first public testnet. The final stretch includes:

* Completing and testing rollup and fraud-proof contracts
* Finalizing stratum client integration
* Releasing the public codebase for peer review
* Continuing development of the emission, configuration, and collateral contracts
* Planning BTC integration for broader protocol compatibility
* Finalizing the whitepaper outlining the system’s design and token mechanics

Once these milestones are reached and Sigma 6.0 is activated on mainnet, Lithos will be ready to launch.

---

## Resources

* GitHub: [github.com/Lithos-Protocol](https://github.com/Lithos-Protocol)
* Telegram: [@LITHOS\_Protocol](https://t.me/LITHOS_Protocol)
* YouTube: [ErgoHack Lithos Demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCvNSxSff4k&feature=youtu.be)


Lithos: Decentralizing Mining with On-Chain Pools

Lithos：通过链上矿池实现去中心化挖矿

# Ergo区块奖励降至12 ERG — 2025年7月6日

Ergo刚刚完成其计划排放计划中的最新一步。  
基础奖励从**15 ERG**降至**12 ERG**，正好是在上次减半后的三个月。  
区块每120秒产生一次，因此每天大约会出现720个新区块。

---

## 变更的意义

* **每日通货膨胀：** 该链现在每天释放**8 640 ERG**。昨天的数字是10 800 ERG。  
* **季度模式：** 奖励每三个月减少3 ERG，直到降至3 ERG。  
* **长期上限：** 总供应量仍然瞄准97 739 925 ERG。该计划仍然是自动和透明的。

---

## 最近和即将到来的奖励步骤

| 日期 (≈) | 奖励 (每区块ERG) | 每日新供应* |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| 2024年10月6日 | 21 | 15 120 |
| 2025年1月5日 | 18 | 12 960 |
| 2025年4月6日 | 15 | 10 800 |
| **2025年7月6日** | **12** | **8 640** |
| 2025年10月4日 | 9 | 6 480 |
| 2026年1月3日 | 6 | 4 320 |
| 2026年4月3日 | 3 | 2 160 |

*数字假设120秒区块间隔。

---

## 实时供应数据

**[ErgoWatch排放仪表板](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission)**提供流通供应、排放率和未来减少的实时图表。  
任何人都可以确认每一步，并与链上数据进行交叉检查。Sigmaspace.io提供了一个不错的[网络仪表板](https://sigmaspace.io/en/storage-rent)，显示即将到期的盒子。 

---

## 需要了解的矿池

| 矿池 | 关键点 |
|------|------------|
| **[Sigmanauts Pool](https://sigmanauts.com/mining/)** | 社区运营的DAO。该矿池分配存储租金收益以及区块奖励。 |
| **[HeroMiners](https://ergo.herominers.com/)** | 提供矿池和单人模式的全球服务。该网站包括详细的统计数据和支付历史。 |

---

## 展望未来

下一次减半将在2025年10月4日左右将区块奖励削减至9 ERG。再进一步的两步将使该链在2026年4月达到3 ERG的底线。  
这种平滑的阶梯限制了市场冲击，同时矿工、交易者和开发者逐渐适应更紧张的供应。

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# Ergo Block Reward Drops to 12 ERG — 6 July 2025

Ergo has just completed it's most recent step in it's scheduled emission plan.  
The base reward fell from **15 ERG** to **12 ERG**, exactly three months after the previous reduction.  
Blocks arrive every 120 seconds, so about 720 new blocks appear each day.

---

## What the Change Means

* **Daily inflation:** The chain now releases **8 640 ERG** per day. Yesterday’s figure was 10 800 ERG.  
* **Quarterly pattern:** The reward falls by 3 ERG every three months until it reaches 3 ERG.  
* **Long-term cap:** Total supply still aims for 97 739 925 ERG. The schedule remains automatic and transparent.

---

## Recent and Upcoming Reward Steps

| Date (≈) | Reward (ERG per block) | Daily New Supply* |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| 6 Oct 2024 | 21 | 15 120 |
| 5 Jan 2025 | 18 | 12 960 |
| 6 Apr 2025 | 15 | 10 800 |
| **6 Jul 2025** | **12** | **8 640** |
| 4 Oct 2025 | 9 | 6 480 |
| 3 Jan 2026 | 6 | 4 320 |
| 3 Apr 2026 | 3 | 2 160 |

*Figures assume the 120-second block interval.

---

## Supply Data in Real Time

The **[ErgoWatch emission dashboard](https://ergo.watch/dashboards/emission)** presents live charts for circulating supply, emission rate, and future reductions.  
Anyone can confirm each step and cross-check the data with on-chain figures. Sigmaspace.io provides a nice [web dashboard](https://sigmaspace.io/en/storage-rent) that shows Upcoming Expired Boxes. 

---

## Mining Pools to Know

| Pool | Key Points |
|------|------------|
| **[Sigmanauts Pool](https://sigmanauts.com/mining/)** | Community-run DAO. The pool distributes storage-rent proceeds along with block rewards. |
| **[HeroMiners](https://ergo.herominers.com/)** | Global service with pool and solo modes. The site includes detailed statistics and payout history. |

---

## Looking Ahead

The next reduction will cut the block reward to 9 ERG on or around 4 October 2025. Two further steps will bring the chain to its 3 ERG floor by April 2026.  
This smooth staircase limits market shocks while miners, traders, and developers adjust to a gradually tighter supply.



Ergo’s Block Reward Drops to 12 ERG


Ergo的区块奖励降至12 ERG


The latest annual Ergo hackathon, [ErgoHack IX](https://ergohack.io/), was a six-day event held at the end of October. The theme for this year was [enhancing user experience and mining innovation within the Ergo ecosystem](https://ergoplatform.org/en/blog/ErgoHack-9-Next-Steps-Towards-Increased-Adoption/).

Ten teams entered, building a range of different projects, with eight of them delivering a solution at the end of the hackathon. The judging process is now completed. This involves three judges – @markglasgow, @ergomorphic, and @mgpai – giving their opinions, as well as input from an ongoing community vote.

## Meet Your Judges 

### Mark Glasgow, Ergo Foundation

Mark is an Ergo Foundation member and works across various roles in Ergo. As a Computing Science graduate with a personal passion for improving inclusive systems, he is also the Technical Director for Disabled Students UK CIC - a non-profit that was named as one of the most influential disability-led organizations in the UK.

### Alex Slesarenko AKA morphic, Ergo Foundation

Alex Slesarenko (morphic) is an ERGO Foundation Board Member and graduate of Applied Mathematics from Udmurt State University. He has extensive experience in software development as a team leader, architect and researcher. He worked as Team Leader at Huawei Research Lab, focusing on developing languages and compilers for high-performance big data processing. Alexander is a Blockchain Core Developer and Lead Developer of ErgoScript at Ergo.

### @MGPAI (Shishir Pai), Ergo Foundation

MGpai has a background in computer science and is a well-known Ergo-community developer. He is involved with several projects across the ecosystem including [Zengate](https://www.zengate.global/), [Lilium](https://www.liliumergo.io/), [Phoenix Finance](https://www.phoenixfi.app/), [ErgoNames](https://www.ergonames.io/home), [Rosen Bridge](https://rosen.tech/), and [Oracles](https://docs.ergoplatform.com/uses/oracles/).

During this ErgoHack 9, contestants had the opportunity to present their work to some of the most innovative and creative minds in the crypto space. Now, as they deliberate, judges will consider the following criteria to make their final decisions:
- Innovation and originality
- Technical execution and code quality
- User experience and design
- Potential impact on the Ergo ecosystem
- Alignment with the theme of “Innovations in UI/UX And Mining”

At the end of the adjudication process, the judges select three winners, and they will each receive a portion of the prize pool. Winners will earn a share of 18k SigUSD as well as several other prizes.

**1st Prize - $5,000 in ERGs
2nd Prize - $3,000 in ERGs
3rd Prize - $1,500 in ERGs**

## Aaand Winner Places Go To:

_1st – Satergo Offline Vault
2nd – Stable Benefaction Platform
3rd – Last Byte Bar_

Special Recognitions to Minotaur: swag pack, which include a T-shirt, sweatshirt, MMGA hat, and some cool stickers!

## About projects 

1. **Satergo Offline Vault** is an Android app that acts as a secure hardware wallet key, installed on an offline device to protect users’ seed phrases. It connects via Bluetooth to the Satergo desktop wallet, allowing users to enter their password and sign Ergo transactions safely on their mobile device, keeping sensitive data isolated from malware. The app is transferred manually, avoiding app stores, and allows users to reuse old devices for secure, cost-effective storage.

2. **Stable Benefaction Platform** is a decentralized application that allows projects to seek funding in ERG in exchange for participation tokens, providing a transparent mechanism for community-driven financial support within the Ergo ecosystem.


3. **Last Byte Bar** is an innovative system that automatically generates and issues NFTs and tokens upon block discovery, using smart contracts to verify block finders, create unique identifiers, and mint digital assets from block data. Each NFT is algorithmically generated as blockchain-native artwork, while fungible tokens are minted with attributes influenced by block data. With every mined block, assets are distributed to miners, providing a flexible reward structure that enhances engagement and introduces new tokenomics possibilities within the Ergo ecosystem.

4. **Minotaur Wallet** focuses on enhancing multi-sig wallet transactions by improving communication and reliability among wallet signers, making multi-sig signing faster and less vulnerable to mistakes.

You can find more information on each one of the projects, as well as all the other (fantastic!) entries on [docs.ergoplatform.org](http://docs.ergoplatform.org)

### Looking Ahead

Thank you to all of the participants for their hard work and innovative proposals. Keep an eye out for the next ErgoHack announcement! There is an incredible amount of development happening on the Ergo blockchain, and as Rosen Bridge opens new doors to cross-chain interoperability, Ergo is poised to lead the way with new and innovative tools and products.

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Ergohack 9: Innovations in UI/UX and Mining – Meet the Visionary Winners!

The Ergo Foundation is proud to announce the approval of a **$24,000 grant** for the **Comprehensive Ergo Mining Ecosystem Development and Community Expansion initiative**. Over the next 12 months, this project will focus on strengthening Ergo's mining infrastructure, promoting decentralization, and empowering the community through education, development, and marketing efforts.

## Key Objectives of the Initiative

### Mining Infrastructure and Community Development

The project will enhance existing mining tools, foster new community-operated pools, and equip miners with resources to thrive in the Ergo ecosystem. These efforts aim to fortify mining infrastructure, increase network resilience, and improve decentralization.

### Community-Driven Development

Equipping miners is a central theme of this initiative. Mining DAO Community members will be able to vote on development priorities and participate in educational programs to learn about Ergo's innovative tools and features.

### Sigma-Rust Python Bindings

Separately, though partially as a result of this proposal, the Ergo Foundation has allocated funds for [bounties to create Python bindings for Sigma-Rust](https://github.com/ergoplatform/sigma-rust/issues/780). The bounty and Python bindings will streamline the overall community development processes and help foster miner-to-developer transitions. 

The bindings will provide a robust alternative to the ergpy library and align with broader ecosystem needs, such as facilitating functional testing for hardware wallets like Ledger. Once the bindings are complete, the team will focus on producing comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and educational content to enable greater community contribution and engagement.

### Treasury Building and Token Distribution

The initiative will fortify a treasury under the Sigmanauts Mining DAO, enabling long-term growth and incentivizing miners to participate in the ecosystem actively.

### Marketing and Community Engagement

Visibility and outreach will include creating high-quality promotional materials to highlight Ergo's mining tools and ecosystem initiatives. These efforts aim to boost Ergo's profile globally while engaging existing and new community members.

## Transparent Progress and Community Updates

The project team will provide regular updates to the community to ensure transparency and accountability. Monthly progress reports and detailed quarterly reviews will highlight:
- Mining pool performance and updates
- Development of new tools and resources
- Engagement in educational programs
- Marketing outcomes and community feedback
- Treasury growth and token distribution impact

## Building on a Strong Foundation

This initiative builds on successful programs like ErgoHack8 and the Sigmanauts, demonstrating Ergo's commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration. By investing in infrastructure and empowering its community, Ergo is well-positioned to lead in the competitive mining landscape.

Stay tuned for updates as we work together to strengthen and expand the Ergo mining ecosystem!


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Ergo Foundation Unveils $24,000 Grant to Empower Mining Community

As a Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain, the Ergo Platform requires miners to maintain and secure the network. In exchange for providing this vital service, miners are rewarded with $ERG tokens each time a block is created.

When the blockchain first launched, Ergo’s emission schedule was set to be completed within eight (8) years. This meant that all block rewards (except for network transaction fees) would have ended in 2027. The first two years after mainnet launch, the mining protocol released 75 ERG/block, after which the emission rate was scheduled to drop by 3 ERG/block every three months. 

In 2022, Ergo’s core developers, miners, and ecosystem community began to discuss the emission schedule and its fast-approaching conclusion. Out of a concern for the long-term economic sustainability of the blockchain, it was agreed that a new direction needed to be explored so that the network had ample time to develop self-sustaining levels. EIP-27 was the result of numerous debates and forums, and after the miners voted to approve the proposal, the new emission schedule was implemented and activated on mainnet in June 2022 (block #777217).

## New Emission Schedule

>[“If block rewards is not less than 15 ERG, send 12 ERG from it to the remission contract[…] Otherwise, block reward R is less than 15 ERG, send R-3 ERG from it to the remission contract.”](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/eip-27-mainnet-activation-voting-and-final-details/3585)
- Alex Chepurnoy, Ergo Forum


As per [EIP-27](https://docs.ergoplatform.com/mining/standards/eip27/), the new emission schedule will see the network release block rewards until 2045. In essence, the schedule uses a set of rules to decide how ERG are to be allocated to or from the remission contract in order to extend ERG emissions. Using the original schedule, if a block was scheduled to have 15 or more ERG released, then 12 ERG from that block will be sent to the remission contract for future block rewards. Once block rewards are less than 15 ERG/block, 3 ERG/block will be sent to the remission contract.

Since block rewards are reduced by 3 ERG/block approximately every three months (this rule was maintained from the original emission schedule), there is a simpler way of looking at the new emission schedule. EIP-27 was activated in June 2022, and the new block size was set at 51 ERG/block (based on the new EIP-27 rules). From that point onwards, the emission schedule reduces the ERG/block by 3 ERG every three months until the block size is 3 ERG. Once the emission schedule reaches 3 ERG/block, mining emissions will hold steady at 3 ERG/block until Ergo’s supply has been fully mined. 


## Latest Emission Reduction

Recently, the mining protocol reached the latest emission reduction. This occurred on Jan. 8 2024 with block 1173599. As a result, new block emissions have been reduced from 33 ERG/block to 30 ERG/block. The next reduction in block emissions is scheduled for early April 2024 and will yield block rewards of 27 ERG/block. 


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Ergo’s token supply is capped at 97,739,935 ERG. This is fixed and can never be altered.

Ergo’s Emission Schedule: Latest Block Reduction

## Why is this significant?

[Xeggex](https://xeggex.com/) is a popular cryptocurrency exchange amongst the Proof-of-Work mining community, making the listing of ERG tokens on the exchange a perfect fit. As a Proof-of-Work model, Ergo’s vision, community, and ideals are fully aligned with Xeggex, and we expect Ergo’s reception on Xeggex to be very well-received.

To achieve this, our community was able to raise 2,229 ERG tokens equalling a total of $3,500 USD at the time of this announcement! The amount raised will be directly used to help provide liquidity to the ERG/USDT and ERG/BTC pairs [which are now available](https://xeggex.com/markets) on the exchange!

This is a welcome addition to Ergo’s already [wide list of exchanges](https://ergoplatform.org/en/get-erg/#Exchanges), which include the likes of KuCoin, Gate.io, and BitPanda. We hope this listing will hit close to home for many of you who have been part of Ergo’s community for a long time, and we’re extremely excited to be able to give our community with even more liquidity-provision opportunities.


Are you interested in learning more about Ergo and its community? [Join our growing Discord community with over 10,000 members here!](https://discord.gg/ergo-platform-668903786361651200)


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The latest Ergo Raffle has concluded, and we are happy to announce that Xeggex (pronounced Zeg-Ex) have secured enough ERG tokens from 59 of our community members to have ERG listed on their exchange! 

Popular PoW miner exchange, Xeggex, secures Ergo listing

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Everything You Need to Know About Proof of Work

With [EIP-27](https://ergoplatform.org/en/blog/A-New-Era-for-Ergo-EIP-27-Begins-Today/) having been in full effect since June of 2022, a new re-emission protocol has been implemented that aims to extend emissions and ensure adherence among miners. Within EIP-27, there is now a "re-emission box" which consolidates funds from miners' rewards to be redistributed back to the mining community. Essentially what happens is miners are required to allocate a portion of the rewards to a secure "pay-to-reemission" contract. The contribution is made using "re-emission" tokens, which are then put into the miner's reward box. The primary reason that this has been implemented is to incentivize miners to actively participate in extending emissions while ensuring their adherence to the EIP-27 rules.

To streamline the consolidation and redistribution process, Alexander Chepurnoy, the founder of Ergo, has developed a script that merges the pay-to-reemission boxes created by miners with the re-emission box. Through this consolidation, the re-emission box accumulates funds that can be re-emitted back to miners, fostering sustainability within the mining ecosystem. The pay-to-reemission contract acts as a proxy which temporarily holds the funds contributed by miners before they are transferred to the re-emission contract. This inbetween step serves the dual purpose of maintaining fund security and ensuring miners' adherence with EIP-27 rules.

As a proof of work protocol, the Ergo ecosystem and its developers are always working to promote mining innovation and long-term sustainability. Although the industry is still firmly in a bear market, Ergo’s core and community developers are keeping the forges burning bright. 

To learn more about the re-emission contract in regards to EIP-27, consult the GitHub [here](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/blob/master/eip-0027.md).

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EIP-27 Re-emission News

_For the first segment of this two-part series, please see [Mining Pool Innovation: Lithos Protocol Part I.](https://ergoplatform.org/en/blog/Mining-Pool-Innovation-Lithos-Protocol-Part-1/)_

During a recent ErgoHack, the Lithos Protocol team submitted a proposal to develop a way to fully decentralize collateralized mining pools. Lithos Protocol plans to revolutionize Proof of Work mining by having mining pools be on-chain, promoting trustlessness and full decentralization. The Lithos Protocol Litepaper outlines three components that will fulfill this goal: NISPs, collateralization and tokenization.

## NISPs

NISP stands for Non-Interactive Share Proofs. The [Lithos Protocol](https://github.com/Lithos-Protocol/LitePaper#readme) team states that “NISPs allow for work created by miners, [called] shares, to be compressed down and efficiently calculated so that miners can be paid fairly according to the shares they submitted.” In essence, this allows for work to be calculated on-chain via smart contracts. Through NISPs, miners will have more control over various aspects of mining. Specifically, NISPs will allow miners to select their own share difficulty and have more control over “their own risk to reward ratio when receiving rewards.” It is important to note that any blockchain that supports Proof of Work mining can implement the Lithos Protocol approach to decentralized mining pools. Although initially designed to be compatible with the Ergo blockchain, this product is designed for implementation with any PoW protocol. 

## Collateralization

Collateralized mining pools enable the creation of blocks locally. Miners have the ability to select which transactions to include in their blocks in addition to setting governance parameters for the Ergo blockchain. Lithos protocol will include a native DeFi application where lenders can provide collateral to miners in return for fees. It is important to note that Lithos is using collateralization as the foundation of their protocol.

In a special guest appearance on the [Sigmanaut Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO7_B0e8vSk&ab_channel=ErgoSigmanauts) (40:57-41:04), Rob from Lithos stated that instead of using ERG as collateral, participants can use native tokens. The collateralization will essentially be the pool of funds that will be paid out to miners. Collateralization enables lenders to provide a form of security deposit to miners in exchange for fees. This creates a fascinating market between miners and lenders, where miners can earn additional capital and lenders can make money off of fees. The mining pool operator (or the lender) will be able to collect the ERG that the miner earns and use the collateral of a different token to pay out the miners. Miners will also be able to earn both ERG and native tokens.

## Tokenization

Lithos Protocol plans to incorporate a token into their platform. The token will be needed as a part of the collateralization, which will aid in building a market between lenders and miners.
More information about Lithos and its token will be provided as they begin work on their full whitepaper. For now, interested parties can view the [Litepaper on Github](https://github.com/Lithos-Protocol/LitePaper#readme).



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Mining Pool Innovation: Lithos Protocol Part II
