https://medium.com/@paulennis/anatomy-of-the-bitcoin-scaling-debate-part-iii-the-miners-d97036638246#.hsbroh9k2'In this part I examine the role of the mining pools in the scaling debate and how their positions slowly evolved from being somewhat open to XT/Classic and then almost entirely abandoning either in favour of remaining with Bitcoin Core. Trying to discover information on the Bitcoin mining pools is no easy task. Hence I have decided to put up these preliminary findings with an eye toward developing it out. Mining pools have no real reason to communicate beyond technical issues and the occasional intervention (often coming together to do so). For this reason, details about how they are run are thin on the ground beyond basic introductions. And, of course, there are a few associated issues such (a) many of them being based in China, (b) it is not in the interests of pool operators to be too exposed (threat of hacking), and (c) I suspect it’s not the easiest thing in the world to declare the kinds of earnings these pools pull in. On that note I also will not comment on the earnings of these pools as it is neither here nor there. It’s obvious with these kinds of hashing rates this is a good business to be in.'
[Note: Finding information on mining operations is hard, if anyone can tell me about anything I have missed out do tell me].
