Has the democratization of computing power been debunked by mining pool monopolies? The rise of large mining pools in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has sparked debate. While pools enable smaller miners to compete by sharing resources, they concentrate power among a few dominant players. In 2014, GHash.IO controlled over 50% of Bitcoin’s hash rate, raising concerns about potential 51% attacks and centralization. However, studies suggest mining protocols naturally resist monopolies through competition and miner diversification. Despite this, large pools like Bitmain’s AntPool still dominate, controlling significant hash rates. While mining pools democratize access for individuals, their concentration challenges the decentralized ethos, suggesting that true democratization of computing power remains elusive without significant protocol changes.