The 256 Foundation
The 256 Foundation is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds open-source Bitcoin mining infrastructure across four pillars (Ember One, Mujina, Libre Board, Hydrapool), passing 100% of donations to developers via grants and community Telehash hashrate events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What The 256 Foundation does
The 256 Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in February 2024 and headquartered in Nashville, USA, that funds and coordinates the development of open-source Bitcoin mining infrastructure. It serves a community of independent miners, developers, and Bitcoin enthusiasts by directing passthrough donations toward four vertically integrated technology projects spanning hardware reference designs, firmware, and pool software. Its broader beneficiary ecosystem includes adjacent open-source efforts such as Bitaxe, OSMU, Heatpunks, and Jua Kali.
The foundation coordinates grants across four core technology pillars: Ember One (an open-source hash board hardware reference design), Mujina (an open-source Linux-based mining firmware written in Rust), Libre Board (an open-source control board hardware design), and Hydrapool (an open-source mining pool software). Its GitHub footprint spans 28 repositories with 249 stars and 64 followers. Notable funded developers include Skot (creator of Bitaxe), Jungly (P2Pool v2 developer), and Schnitzel. In May 2026, Hydrapool v2.6.0 was released with a p2pool mode, and the fourth Telehash community hashrate-donation event achieved a peak of 2.49 EH/s.
The foundation's revenue model is a 100% passthrough donation structure, accepting contributions via Bitcoin, the Lightning Network, and credit card rails, with all funds allocated to project developers. The foundation also operates Telehash — community hashrate-donation events in which participants contribute hashing power and the resulting block rewards (if any) and converted proceeds fund development. The first Telehash event in January 2025 yielded approximately $300k and successfully mined a Bitcoin block, and the event series has since scaled materially. The foundation employs between 1 and 10 people and received a $100k grant from the MARA Foundation in April 2026.
The 256 Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The 256 Foundation
- Legal name
- 256 Foundation
- Website
- https://256foundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The 256 Foundation is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds open-source Bitcoin mining infrastructure across four pillars (Ember One, Mujina, Libre Board, Hydrapool), passing 100% of donations to developers via grants and community Telehash hashrate events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The 256 Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open-source Bitcoin mining infrastructure
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mining Software, Firmware & Monitoring Platforms (FSADAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cloud Mining & Hashrate Marketplace Services (FSADAOAC)
Keywords
Where The 256 Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The 256 Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations - Financial: The 256 Foundation is a 100% passthrough 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations to the General Fund go directly to developers and projects — no cut taken for administrative costs or board members. The foundation accepts Bitcoin on-chain, Lightning Network, and credit/debit card payments via Zaprite. Tax-deductible in the US (EIN: 99-1662333).
- Hashrate Donations via Hydrapool: Miners point their hardware to the foundation's Hydrapool instance (pool.256foundation.org:3333) running in solo mining mode. If a block is found, the entire block reward goes to the foundation. During Telehash events, the global community collectively points hashrate for live fundraising. The foundation runs a live leaderboard at dash.256f.org tracking donor contributions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
The 256 Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The 256 Foundation funds and develops an open-source Bitcoin mining stack comprising four core pillar projects: Ember One (open-source hash board hardware reference design built around the Bitmain BM1362 ASIC), Mujina (open-source Linux-based mining firmware written in Rust), Libre Board (open-source hardware control board running full Linux), and Hydrapool (one-click deployable open-source mining pool software written in Rust). All four products are released under recognized open-source licenses (CERN-OHL-S for hardware, GPLv3/AGPLv3 for software) and distributed freely via GitHub, Docker deployment, and a live Hydrapool instance, with no commercial pricing or transaction fees applied.
Product overview
The 256 Foundation funds and develops a complete open-source Bitcoin mining stack consisting of four core pillar products: Ember One (open-source hash board hardware reference design), Mujina (open-source Linux-based mining firmware in Rust), Libre Board (open-source control board hardware), and Hydrapool (one-click deployable mining pool software). These four products are designed as complementary layers where Ember One provides the hash board compute layer, Libre Board connects to the network and runs Mujina firmware, and Hydrapool provides the pool software for hashrate routing. The foundation also supports ecosystem projects including ASIC-rs (Rust library for ASIC communication), HashScope (Stratum protocol analyzer), and Bitaxe (community-led open-source ASIC miner), all operating under the open-source development model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ember One Open-source Bitcoin mining hash board reference design providing the foundational blueprint for production-grade mining hardware. Built around the Bitmain BM1362 ASIC with ~100W power draw, 12-24V DC input via USB-C, integrated temperature sensors, and 125x125mm standard form factor. Licensed under CERN-OHL-S-2.0 for hardware designers and manufacturers.
- Mujina Open-source Linux-based Bitcoin mining firmware written in Rust, licensed under GPLv3. Designed as a drop-in replacement for proprietary firmware on existing hardware while serving as the standard for new open hardware designs. Supports Stratum V1 with DATUM compatibility and Stratum V2, multiple pool configurations with failover, web dashboard, HTTP REST API, CLI, and structured config files. Includes native drivers for Ember One and Libre Board plus best-effort compatibility with Antminer, Whatsminer, and Avalon hardware.
- Libre Board Open-source hardware control board for Bitcoin miners running full Linux, licensed under CERN-OHL-S. Features dual 100-pin compute module connectors supporting swappable architectures (Raspberry Pi CM5, RISC-V, ARM), 12-24V DC input, USB hub, Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI, NVME expansion, MIPI touchscreen, RPi 40-pin header, and fan connectors. Capable of simultaneously running a Bitcoin full node, Stratum server, Home Assistant, and Mujina firmware.
- Hydrapool One-click deployable open-source Bitcoin mining pool software written in Rust, licensed under AGPLv3. Deploys via Docker Compose with Stratum server, job manager, database backend, Prometheus metrics, and Grafana dashboards. Supports solo mining, PPLNS share accounting, Stratum V1/V2, and Nostr npub as username. Payouts are made directly from the coinbase transaction so the operator never custodies funds. Operates a live instance at pool.256foundation.org:3333.
- ASIC-rs Open-source Rust library for communicating with Bitcoin mining ASICs. Standardizes the low-level protocol interface so firmware developers can build miner software without reverse-engineering proprietary hardware layers. Enables Mujina and future open firmware projects to run without closed dependencies.
- HashScope Open-source Bitcoin mining analysis platform that sits transparently between miners and pools, capturing every Stratum v1 message in real time. Parses JSON-RPC traffic, tracks sessions, and distributes share events to a scalable agent fleet via Nostr, providing a complete picture of how mining pools actually behave.
Quantifiable outcome
- ~$300,000 raised from first Telehash event, seeding all four core pillar grants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The 256 Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The 256 Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature6 records
The 256 Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ProtocoreListed as a Tier 1 supporter. Proto provides Proto Fleet, a free and open-source miner management system that was demonstrated running on the DOOMAXE reference miner at Bitcoin 2026. Proto Fleet runs on the Libre Board control board alongside Mujina firmware.
- Open Source Miners United (OSMU)coreListed as a Tier 1 supporter and ecosystem partner. OSMU is a global community of developers and builders creating open-source Bitcoin mining hardware and software including Bitaxe, NerdAxe, Bitcrane, AxeOS, Piaxe, and Qaxe. OSMU is the direct inspiration for the 256 Foundation. The foundation serves as a parent organization providing infrastructure and funding visibility for OSMU projects.
- Bitaxe EcosystemcoreBitaxe is the world's first fully open-source Bitcoin ASIC miner — open hardware, open firmware, open everything. The 256 Foundation lists Bitaxe as its flagship ecosystem project. Created by Skot (who also leads Ember One development), Bitaxe is the direct inspiration for the 256 Foundation and the embodiment of open-source mining principles.
- Hashrate HeatpunkscoreListed as an ecosystem project under the 256 Foundation's organizational umbrella. Heatpunks is a community united by hashrate heating — the idea that Bitcoin mining heat is a product, not a problem. Their mission is to marry Bitcoin mining and heating sectors to bring mining back into homes and businesses. Tyler Stevens (board member of 256 Foundation) founded the Hashrate Heatpunks community.
- Jua KaliminorListed as an ecosystem project. Jua Kali runs Bitcoin ASIC hash boards directly from DC power sources like solar panels and batteries — no AC grid required. Unlocks stranded energy for Bitcoin mining in off-grid communities. Named after Kiswahili for 'hot sun' (blue-collar craftsmanship).
- Bitcoin Park AustinminorBitcoin Park Austin is a community-focused Bitcoin space that hosted Telehash #4 on May 19, 2026. Bitkite, co-founder of 256 Foundation, is also a co-founder of Bitcoin Park.
- CryoByte LabsminorProvided water cooling blocks used during Telehash #3 to convert the mining rig into a sous vide heater demonstration, cooking a steak live on stream using Mujina firmware to dynamically adjust mining power output.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The 256 Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bitmain: Bitmain designs Antminer ASICs and associated proprietary firmware, controlling roughly 90% of Bitcoin mining hardware market share per the 256 Foundation's positioning. It is the dominant incumbent that 256 Foundation exists to disrupt at every stack layer.
- F2Pool: F2Pool is one of the longest-running Bitcoin mining pools and a representative of the small set of incumbent pool operators controlling the majority of global hashrate.
- MicroBT: MicroBT manufactures the Whatsminer line of Bitcoin ASIC miners and associated firmware, the second-largest player in proprietary mining hardware. Mujina provides best-effort compatibility with Whatsminer devices, positioning 256 Foundation as an alternative firmware provider.
- Canaan: Canaan manufactures Avalon Bitcoin mining hardware and is one of the three major proprietary ASIC vendors. Mujina supports Avalon devices as part of its drop-in replacement firmware strategy.
- Foundry Digital: Foundry operates one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools (Foundry USA Pool) and provides institutional mining services. It is a Tier 2 supporter of the 256 Foundation and a competitor in the mining pool layer.
- AntPool: AntPool, operated by Bitmain, is one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools globally. It is a key incumbent in the pool layer that Hydrapool's open-source pool software seeks to decentralize.
Direct peers
- Luxor Technologies: Luxor operates a Bitcoin mining pool and provides mining firmware, hashrate trading, and hosting services. It is a direct peer in the mining pool + firmware layer with a more commercial business model.
- Braiins OS: Braiins develops Braiins OS (formerly BOSminer), open-source Bitcoin mining firmware built in Rust/C, and operates Slush Pool, one of the oldest Bitcoin mining pools. It is the closest direct peer to Mujina + Hydrapool combined, competing head-to-head on the open-source firmware and pool layer.
Others
- OpenSats: OpenSats is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds open-source Bitcoin and freedom tech projects via grants. It is a Tier 1 supporter of 256 Foundation and a peer as a Bitcoin-focused open-source funding organization.
Emerging players
- Open Source Miners United (OSMU): OSMU is the global community behind Bitaxe, NerdAxe, and AxeOS — open-source Bitcoin mining hardware and firmware. Listed as a Tier 1 supporter and ecosystem partner of 256 Foundation, it serves as the grassroots community the foundation grew out of.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The 256 Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe 256 Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The 256 Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The 256 Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The 256 Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The 256 Foundation
What does The 256 Foundation do?
The 256 Foundation funds and develops an open-source Bitcoin mining stack comprising four core pillar projects: Ember One (open-source hash board hardware reference design built around the Bitmain BM1362 ASIC), Mujina (open-source Linux-based mining firmware written in Rust), Libre Board (open-source hardware control board running full Linux), and Hydrapool (one-click deployable open-source mining pool software written in Rust). All four products are released under recognized open-source licenses (CERN-OHL-S for hardware, GPLv3/AGPLv3 for software) and distributed freely via GitHub, Docker deployment, and a live Hydrapool instance, with no commercial pricing or transaction fees applied.
Is The 256 Foundation a public or private company?
The 256 Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The 256 Foundation founded?
The 256 Foundation was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The 256 Foundation based?
The 256 Foundation is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The 256 Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations - Financial is the primary driver. The others are hashrate Donations via Hydrapool.
Who are The 256 Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bitmain, F2Pool, MicroBT, Canaan, Foundry Digital and AntPool. Direct peers are Luxor Technologies and Braiins OS. OpenSats is listed as an others. Open Source Miners United (OSMU) is listed as an emerging player.
Does The 256 Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The 256 Foundation.
What industry is The 256 Foundation in?
The 256 Foundation's product category is Open-source Bitcoin mining infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAOAF, Mining Software, Firmware & Monitoring Platforms, with a secondary code of FSADAOAC, Cloud Mining & Hashrate Marketplace Services. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.