Can you elaborate on this a little bit? I have been trying to get info on real costs, configuration, etc for running a stake pool but the folks who know their stuff have been cryptic. You are the first one to put a number on this. Thanks being open about it!
I suppose some people would be ok running a pool with deficit as long as they build up reputation. Think of it as early investment. The smart ones would probably HODL their rewards to realize their gains rather that capture losses immediately.
Sure it would be cheaper to buy ADA on the market but running a pool gives you visibility and business continuity when things actually pick up.
To your point, ADA would have to go up to roughly 0.13 to cover your server costs (excluding bandwidth). It’s not too far away a target for crypto…