How Do Promotional 0% Fee Periods Impact the Pool Operator’s Short-Term Profitability?

Promotional 0% fee periods significantly reduce the pool operator's short-term profitability, potentially leading to a temporary loss if operational costs are not covered. The goal is a strategic loss-leader: the operator sacrifices immediate fee revenue to rapidly attract a high volume of miners, thereby increasing the pool's hash rate.

The long-term profitability is then expected to rise as the larger, more stable pool attracts more miners at a standard fee rate.