Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Plummets in 11th-Largest Drop

The adjustment, which saw difficulty fall from 138.96T to 124.93T, was necessitated by a sluggish mining epoch that lasted 15.6 days instead of the standard 14-day target. As block production slowed, the protocol automatically recalibrated to maintain its 10-minute cadence, providing a temporary lifeline for active miners. According to data from Galaxy Research, this correction serves as a direct response to the exit of less efficient hardware from the network.

While the lower difficulty may boost hashprice—the revenue earned per unit of computing power—back above $30 per PH/s, the relief remains uneven. Operators utilizing older, less efficient rigs remain vulnerable to electricity costs and future volatility, while firms with newer infrastructure are better positioned to capitalize on the reduced competition. This contraction in hashrate is occurring alongside a broader industry migration; major players like Core Scientific and TeraWulf are actively repurposing power capacity to support high-performance computing and AI infrastructure, signaling a fundamental shift in how mining firms deploy their energy assets.