The crux of the argument lies in the critical examination of Stratum V2's proposal for custom work selection, which promises to automate the process of switching miners from one pool to another based on the adequacy of payout. This feature is highlighted as a significant advancement, given that it addresses the core issue of ensuring miners are compensated fairly without necessitating manual intervention or reliance on the pool's voluntary communication.

However, the implementation of such automated systems is not without its obstacles. The current payout schemes, primarily PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares) and PPS (Pay Per Share), inherently limit the frequency of payouts due to their operational mechanics. PPLNS pools, for instance, only allow for payout verification upon block discovery, a process that cannot be automated reliably due to the unpredictability of when a block is mined. On the other hand, PPS pools offer more regular, daily payouts but suffer from variability in payout calculations, complicating the automation of payout verification.

Despite these challenges, the conversation acknowledges the importance of transparency in mining operations. It suggests that transparency can be enhanced through measures like sharing log data, as demonstrated by Stratum Mining. Such measures could empower miners to make informed decisions about switching pools by providing them with tangible evidence of payout fairness.

In summary, while the aspiration for automated, fair, and timely payouts in cryptocurrency mining is clear, the practicality of achieving this goal is constrained by the limitations of current payout schemes and the complexity of automating payout verification. Nevertheless, increasing transparency represents a feasible step toward empowering miners, suggesting a path forward that balances technological innovation with practical implementation challenges.