Litecoin’s c2pool switches to share version 3601 on November 13
Source report: 2026-11-10 · Editorial analysis published: 2026-11-12
Operators need c2pool 0.2.12.1 before 00:00 UTC. The switch changes how new shares determine merged-mining payouts.
A new cutoff for Litecoin pool nodes
The c2pool project has moved its Litecoin pool’s changeover to November 13 at 00:00 UTC, or 02:00 in Kyiv. The developers ask everyone running a c2pool Litecoin node to install 0.2.12.1 before then. The November 10 release replaces an earlier cutoff of November 11 at 12:00 UTC in 0.2.12; the project says to skip that build.
At the new cutoff, work recorded by the pool must use share version 3601. This is a change to the rules of this decentralized pool. Litecoin and Dogecoin themselves keep their existing block rules. If you mine through a different pool, the c2pool notice does not set a deadline for your ASIC.
What a share does
A share is proof that a miner has done some calculations, even when it has not found a block. c2pool nodes keep a shared record of those proofs, called a sharechain. The record helps them work out who contributed and how to split a reward when a qualifying block is found.
With merged mining, the same Scrypt work can also help find a block for an auxiliary chain such as Dogecoin. c2pool still has to decide how each auxiliary reward is directed. The switch updates that decision for newly recorded shares; it does not add a new hashing algorithm or make the same ASIC faster.
How the new payout rule works
A version 3601 share carries its own payout information. For each auxiliary chain, c2pool uses the merged-mining address in that share if present; otherwise it uses the share’s own Litecoin parent key or script, interpreted for the auxiliary chain. The old rule could look up an address from an earlier share with the same parent script. The project says that lookup could redirect payments for shares without their own merged address.
The shares already in the payout window keep the old calculation. That window is the recent work counted when a reward is shared. The cutoff therefore changes how new work is entered, while previous work can still count under its existing rules. There is no separate vote before the change: the timestamp on the share determines the required version.
If the same address could belong to two auxiliary chains you enabled, the release notes tell you to identify the chain explicitly. Check that warning before assuming a login worked as intended: accepted computing work and the intended payout destination are separate things.
What to check if you run the pool node
Check that the running Litecoin service uses 0.2.12.1 and that you have the Litecoin build. The project provides signed checksums. Keep your pool configuration and examine the node log when it reconnects. The old Python p2pool and incompatible c2pool peers will drop off the upgraded sharechain; the release notes say that disconnection is not a ban.
If you enabled more than the default Dogecoin chain, review the node’s configured auxiliary addresses. The release notes require a valid configured payout address for each extra chain other than DOGE. An extra chain with an invalid or missing address is disabled at startup, so verify which chains the node actually reports as active.
The Litecoin service is the one covered by this deadline. The release notes say the project’s Bitcoin, Dash, DigiByte, Bitcoin Cash and experimental BIP-110 nodes are unchanged from 0.2.11.1. Inventory the running services before replacing binaries on a host that runs several chains.
What to check at the ASIC
If a separate operator runs your c2pool endpoint, ask whether it has updated. After the cutoff, confirm that the pool counts your work and recognizes the payout address you intended for each enabled coin. A high hashrate on the machine only says its chips are calculating; it does not prove the pool has accepted the result.
If the endpoint stops accepting shares, check the pool notice and logs before changing voltage or firmware. An incompatible pool node can be the cause even when the ASIC is healthy. As of publication, the November 13 change is scheduled. The release notes explain the expected behavior; the switch has yet to take place.
Source: c2pool ↗ · c2pool v0.2.12.1 documentation ↗
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