Bitcoin Mining Just Got Tougher as Difficulty Spikes and Hashrate Slips

On Saturday, at block height 897,120, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty increased by 2.13%, reaching 121.66 trillion and marginally raising the computational challenge required to uncover new blocks.

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Climbs Past 121 Trillion

Miners now face slightly steeper odds in their efforts to solve blocks, with the adjustment making the process 2.13% more arduous. Although the current figure stands tall at 121.66 trillion, it remains shy of the peak difficulty set following block 893,088.

Source: Cloverpool.com Explorer.

Thus far in 2025, the network has experienced six upward difficulty adjustments, collectively amounting to a 13.83% increase, alongside three downward shifts totaling 8.61%. In parallel, Bitcoin’s aggregate processing power has receded from its zenith of 929 exahash per second (EH/s) to 848.53 EH/s, based on the seven-day simple moving average (SMA) tracked by hashrateindex.com—reflecting a contraction exceeding 80 EH/s.

Despite the dip in raw hashing force, miners have benefited from stronger profitability metrics as bitcoin’s price has remained above the $100,000 mark for ten straight days. Roughly one month ago, the hashprice—the projected revenue for operating 1 petahash per second (PH/s) over a single day—hovered near $44.29 per PH/s. As of today, that figure has improved substantially, now standing at $54.93 per PH/s.

Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustments and hashpower fluctuations offer a subtle glimpse into the evolving dynamics between miner incentives and network resilience. As economic conditions, energy costs, and price trajectories continue to influence mining economics, the delicate balance between participation and profitability will remain a key narrative.

Source