Tether announced on April 14 that it will begin deploying current and future Bitcoin (BTC) mining hashrate on OCEAN Mining as part of its African strategy.
The decision marks a shift in the company’s operational mining infrastructure toward software that permits miners to construct block templates independently without reliance on centralized intermediaries.
The deployment will utilize OCEAN’s Decentralized Alternative Templates for Universal Mining (DATUM) Gateway protocol. DATUM aims to support low-latency, high-throughput mining activity across geographies with limited internet capacity.
Tether stated that the protocol’s design meets its internal requirements for performance and independence, particularly in locations where network connectivity may otherwise present operational limitations.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company’s broader Bitcoin mining strategy guided the decision, including its support for infrastructure that contributes to the base layer’s durability.
He added:
“We see supporting decentralization in Bitcoin mining as essential to the network’s long-term integrity.”
OCEAN is a decentralized mining pool launched by Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr.
Mining deployment builds on Tether’s African strategy
Tether’s mining rollout on OCEAN builds on its ongoing initiatives across Africa, where it has invested in infrastructure and user education.
The company recently partnered with Nigerian crypto platform Quidax on a campaign to promote digital asset literacy across multiple countries on the continent.
Through operational mining activities and grassroots educational efforts, Tether aims to broaden access to Bitcoin-related tools in regions historically underserved by financial infrastructure.
The company’s statement confirmed that OCEAN deployments in Africa will include on-site deployment of block template software to enable local, autonomous participation in Bitcoin mining.
Integration of DATUM across global mining operations
According to the announcement, the integration of DATUM Gateway will extend to Tether’s international mining footprint, including newly established operations in underserved rural regions across Africa.
The software’s ability to aggregate rig connections under constrained bandwidth conditions intends to maintain block competitiveness regardless of location.
Tether’s VP of Mining and Energy, Giv Zanganeh, said adopting OCEAN followed “months of deep technical evaluation.” He added that the DATUM protocol’s modular architecture offers the operational flexibility necessary for the company’s decentralized mining strategy.
DATUM allows miners to bypass the default block construction processes managed by centralized pools by giving them control over transaction selection. As a result, miners can create their own block templates with their nodes without needing third-party servers.
OCEAN’s leadership welcomed Tether’s participation. Dashjr, the pool’s chairman and CTO, said the deployment “reinforces the importance of censorship-resistant mining protocols.”
Mark Artymko, OCEAN’s president, added that Tether’s participation affirms the pool’s commitment to network neutrality and open access to Bitcoin infrastructure.
This approach reflects Tether’s recent focus on integrating industrial operations with regional economic engagement strategies, combining physical infrastructure deployment with direct community outreach.
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