Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops 7.76%, Impacting Hashrate and Profitability

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Decreases by 7.76%

The Bitcoin mining difficulty has decreased by 7.76% at block 941,472, dropping from approximately 145.04 trillion to 133.68 trillion. This marks one of the largest downward adjustments in recent times and is the sixth adjustment of the year 2026. The current difficulty level is about 10% lower than it was at the end of 2025, surpassing the 7.93% decline recorded in December 2022 during the last bear cycle, according to data from TheEnergyMag.

The difficulty adjusts automatically every 2,016 blocks to maintain an average block time of 10 minutes. Such a significant downward adjustment indicates that blocks have been consistently produced slower than the target, primarily due to miners shutting down their machines rather than a temporary disruption.

"A downward adjustment of this magnitude shows that blocks are being produced slower than the target."

Factors contributing to this decline include a decrease in the Bitcoin network's hashrate, which is currently around 915 exahashes per second, down from the previously held level of 1 zettahash per second. The hashprice, which represents daily revenue per petahash per second, has fallen to approximately $31, significantly below the $40 threshold many operators consider necessary for profitability.

At this level, miners with higher electricity or financing costs are reducing or halting their operations, which slows block production and triggers a downward adjustment in difficulty. Contributing factors also include weaker Bitcoin prices, with the asset trading near $72,400 at the time of writing, approximately 43% below its all-time high of October 2025, as well as the ongoing effects of the halving in April 2024, which halved the block subsidy.

Key Takeaways:

• Bitcoin mining difficulty has decreased by 7.76%.
• The current difficulty level is 133.68 trillion.
• Hashrate has fallen to approximately 915 exahashes per second.
• Bitcoin price is around $72,400, significantly below its all-time high.

Concentration and Competitive Dynamics in Bitcoin Mining

Currently, four mining pools—Foundry USA, Antpool, ViaBTC, and F2Pool—control approximately 70% of the global hashrate, according to data from CoinWarz. This concentration is noteworthy for a network that relies on distributed participation to ensure its security. For miners who remain operational, the decrease in difficulty translates to a short-term improvement in profitability. With the same hashrate, more blocks can now be produced, thereby proportionally increasing revenue per computing unit, provided that Bitcoin prices and transaction fees remain stable.

The future of this relief in difficulty and its impact on hashrate recovery or further decline will depend on whether conditions justify miners bringing back online machines that have been shut down in the coming weeks.

Summary:

• Four mining pools dominate 70% of the global hashrate.
• Decreased difficulty improves profitability for remaining miners.
• Future hashrate trends depend on market conditions and miner decisions.

Source: Yellow.com

Sources:

• Bitcoin-Mining-Schwierigkeit fällt um 7,76 %