Coin Configuration Guide - GoSlimStratum

Summary

In GoSlimStratum (GSS), each coin can be configured to uniquely cater to the specific mining properties for that blockchain. Below is a description of each configuration field, and some basic rules on how to adjust them.

Every mining device, every blockchain, every network, every internet connection, every host machine (for GSS) can be different. The beauty of GSS is that those differences can be accommodated by way of configuration thereby allowing the operator to achieve maximum hashrate, stability and efficiency. This also presents opportunity for an operator to configure the system to be suboptimal, so careful consideration should be taken when adjusting coin configurations.

Note: Configuration fields can be edited in the GSS WebUI or via direct edits to the config.json file. It is recommended that edits be done with the WebUI. A restart is required after any changes to a coin configuration!

Example Coin Configuration

Here is a complete example of a coin configuration object in config.json:

"DGB": {
    "enabled": true,
    "coin_type": "digibyte",
    "display_name": "DigiByte Mainnet",
    "node": {
        "host": "127.0.0.1",
        "port": 9001,
        "username": "your_rpc_username",
        "password": "your_rpc_password",
        "use_ssl": false,
        "wallet_name": "default",
        "zmq_block_notify": "tcp://127.0.0.1:28332",
        "template_refresh_interval": 15,
        "zmq_enabled": true,
        "zmq_stale_detection_time": 120,
        "dual_node_comm": false
    },
    "stratum": {
        "host": "0.0.0.0",
        "port": 3333,
        "difficulty": 4096,
        "connection_timeout_seconds": 600
    },
    "mining": {
        "address": "your_legacy_node_wallet_address",
        "network": "mainnet",
        "coinbase_text": "GoSlimStratum",
        "extranonce_size": 8,
        "max_job_history": 20,
        "job_expiration_time": 300,
        "stale_share_grace_period": 5
    },
    "vardiff": {
        "enabled": true,
        "minDiff": 512,
        "maxDiff": 32768,
        "targetTime": 15,
        "retargetTime": 180,
        "variancePercent": 30
    },
    "payout": {
        "enabled": true,
        "pool_fee_percent": 1.0,
        "maturity_confirmations": 100,
        "payment_interval_seconds": 600,
        "minimum_confirmations": 6,
        "maturity_check_interval_seconds": 60,
        "confirmation_check_interval_seconds": 300,
        "wallet_rpc_timeout_seconds": 30
    }
}

Top-Level Fields

Field	Description	Example
`enabled`	Whether this coin is active. Set to `false` to disable without removing config.	`true`
`coin_type`	The coin implementation to use.	`"digibyte"`, `"bitcoin"`, `"bitcoincash"`, `"ecash"`
`display_name`	Human-readable name shown in the web dashboard.	`"DigiByte Mainnet"`

Node Section

Connection settings for your coin's node (full or pruned).

Field	Description	Guidelines
`host`	IP address of your node	`"127.0.0.1"` for local, or remote IP
`port`	RPC port of your node	Check your node's config (e.g., rpcport=X)
`username`	RPC username from node's config file	Must match `rpcuser` in node config
`password`	RPC password from node's config file	Must match `rpcpassword` in node config
`use_ssl`	Use HTTPS for RPC connection	`false` for local, `true` if node requires SSL
`wallet_name`	Name of the wallet to use for payouts	`"default"` unless you created a named wallet
`zmq_block_notify`	ZMQ endpoint for instant block notifications	Format: `"tcp://IP:PORT"`. Requires node ZMQ config.
`template_refresh_interval`	Seconds between block template polls	15-30 seconds typical. Lower = more network traffic
`zmq_enabled`	Use ZMQ for instant new block detection	`true` recommended if node supports ZMQ
`zmq_stale_detection_time`	Seconds before falling back to polling if ZMQ silent	120 default. Adjust to block time for defined coin
`dual_node_comm`	Enable ZMQ + Polling, recommended	Default set to `false` if not defined

ZMQ Setup

Add this to your node's config file (e.g., digibyte.conf):

zmqpubhashblock=tcp://0.0.0.0:28332

Then set zmq_block_notify to match: "tcp://127.0.0.1:28332"

Stratum Section

Settings for miners connecting to your pool.

Field	Description	Guidelines
`host`	IP to listen on	`"0.0.0.0"` to accept all connections
`port`	Port miners connect to	Pick unique port per coin (3333, 3334, etc.)
`difficulty`	Starting difficulty for new miners	See table below
`connection_timeout_seconds`	Disconnect idle miners after this many seconds	600 (10 min) typical. No change recommended

Starting Difficulty Guidelines

Miner Type	Hashrate	Recommended Difficulty
Bitaxe (single)	~500 GH/s	`256-512`
Bitaxe (multiple)	1-5 TH/s	`1024-4096`
Small ASIC	5-20 TH/s	`4096-8192`
Large ASIC	50+ TH/s	`16384-65536`

Note: If vardiff is enabled, this is just the starting point - it will auto-adjust based on miner performance.

Mining Section

Block construction and coinbase settings.

Field	Description	Guidelines
`address`	Your Node wallet address for block rewards	Must be a valid address for this coin. Use legacy format (not bech32) for best compatibility
`network`	Which network to validate against	`"mainnet"` or `"testnet"`
`coinbase_text`	Text embedded in blocks you mine	Max ~20 chars. Your pool name/signature - default GoSlimStratum
`extranonce_size`	Bytes reserved for miner nonce space	8 recommended. Don't change unless you know why
`max_job_history`	Number of old jobs to keep for stale share validation	20 typical. Higher uses more memory
`job_expiration_time`	Seconds before a job is considered too old	300 (5 min) typical
`stale_share_grace_period`	Seconds to accept shares after new block	3-5 typical. Higher = more accepted stales

Address Format Notes

DGB: Use legacy D... address (not dgb1... bech32)
BTC: Use legacy 1... or 3... address (not bc1... bech32)
BCH: Use CashAddr format bitcoincash:q...
XEC: Use eCash format ecash:q...

VarDiff Section

Automatic difficulty adjustment per miner. Adjusts difficulty so each miner submits shares at a consistent rate.

Field	Description	Guidelines
`enabled`	Turn on automatic difficulty adjustment	`true` recommended for mixed miner sizes
`minDiff`	Lowest difficulty allowed	256-512 for small miners (Bitaxe)
`maxDiff`	Highest difficulty allowed	32768-65536 typical. Use `-1` for unlimited, caution -1 could set a pool diff higher than network diff - resulting in lost blocks!
`targetTime`	Target seconds between shares	10-15 for responsive feedback, 30 for less traffic
`retargetTime`	Seconds between difficulty adjustments	90-180 typical. Lower = faster response
`variancePercent`	Acceptable deviation before adjusting	30 typical. Higher = less frequent changes

Quick Presets

Scenario	minDiff	maxDiff	targetTime	retargetTime
Bitaxe only	256	4096	15	90
Mixed miners	512	65536	15	180
Large ASICs only	4096	-1 *	10	120

How VarDiff Works

Pool measures how often each miner submits shares
If shares come faster than targetTime, difficulty increases
If shares come slower than targetTime, difficulty decreases
Adjustments happen every retargetTime seconds
Difficulty stays within minDiff and maxDiff bounds
*CAUTION* setting maxDiff to -1 can lead to lost blocks!

Payout Section

Automatic payment processing settings.

Field	Description	Guidelines
`enabled`	Enable automatic payouts	`true` for automatic, *`false` for manual payouts
`pool_fee_percent`	Your pool's fee percentage	`1.0` = 1% fee. Range: 0-100
`maturity_confirmations`	Blocks before reward is spendable	Coin-specific - see table below
`payment_interval_seconds`	How often to process pending payments	600 (10 min) typical
`minimum_confirmations`	Confirmations needed before payment considered complete	6 typical for most coins
`maturity_check_interval_seconds`	How often to check if blocks matured	60 typical
`confirmation_check_interval_seconds`	How often to check payment confirmations	300 (5 min) typical
`wallet_rpc_timeout_seconds`	Timeout for wallet RPC calls	30 typical. Increase if wallet is slow

*CAUTION* Setting payout to false will disable payout system and associated metrics for rewards

Maturity Confirmations by Coin

Coin	Typical Maturity	Notes
DGB (DigiByte)	100	Standard coinbase maturity
BTC (Bitcoin)	100	Standard coinbase maturity
BCH (Bitcoin Cash)	100	Standard coinbase maturity
XEC (eCash)	10	Uses Avalanche finalization (faster)

Understanding Satoshis

All amounts are in satoshis (the smallest unit):

100000000 satoshis = 1 coin (for 8-decimal coins like BTC, DGB, BCH)
100 satoshis = 1 XEC (XEC uses 2 decimals, so 100 satoshis = 1 XEC)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Wrong RPC Credentials

Problem: Pool can't connect to node

Solution: Credentials must exactly match your node's config file (rpcuser and rpcpassword)

2. Address/Network Mismatch

Problem: Address validation fails on startup

Solution: Testnet addresses only work with "network": "testnet". Mainnet addresses require "network": "mainnet"

3. Starting Difficulty Too High

Problem: Miners connect but never find shares, eventually disconnect

Solution: Start with lower difficulty (512-1024) and let vardiff adjust upward

4. Starting Difficulty Too Low

Problem: Pool flooded with shares, high CPU/bandwidth usage

Solution: Increase starting difficulty or lower vardiff minDiff

5. Maturity Too Low

Problem: Payout fails with "immature coinbase" error

Solution: Set maturity_confirmations to at least the coin's required maturity (usually 100)

6. ZMQ Not Configured on Node

Problem: Pool falls back to slower polling, delayed new block detection

Solution: Add zmqpubhashblock=tcp://0.0.0.0:28332 to node config and restart node

7. Wallet Locked

Problem: Payouts fail with "wallet locked" error

Solution: Unlock wallet with walletpassphrase command before starting pool, or use unencrypted wallet

Recommended Configurations

Solo Mining (Single Bitaxe)

"stratum": {
    "difficulty": 512
},
"vardiff": {
    "enabled": true,
    "minDiff": 256,
    "maxDiff": 4096,
    "targetTime": 15,
    "retargetTime": 90
}

Small Farm (Multiple Bitaxe/Small ASICs)

"stratum": {
    "difficulty": 4096
},
"vardiff": {
    "enabled": true,
    "minDiff": 512,
    "maxDiff": 32768,
    "targetTime": 15,
    "retargetTime": 180
}

Large Operation (Industrial ASICs)

"stratum": {
    "difficulty": 16384
},
"vardiff": {
    "enabled": true,
    "minDiff": 4096,
    "maxDiff": -1,
    "targetTime": 10,
    "retargetTime": 120
}

Testing Your Configuration

Validate JSON syntax: Use a JSON validator before starting
Check node connectivity: Ensure node is running and RPC is accessible
Test on testnet first: Use testnet to verify everything works
Monitor logs: Watch for connection errors or validation failures
Start with one miner: Verify shares are accepted before adding more

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GoSlimStratum Coin Configuration Guide