Bitcoin (BTC) mining difficulty fell to 146.7 trillion on Friday as the network’s hashrate, the average of the total computing power dedicated to securing the decentralized protocol, hit an all-time high of over 1.2 trillion hashes per second.
BTC mining difficulty is down about 2.7% from the all-time high of over 150.8 trillion reached during the previous adjustment period, according to CoinWarz.
However, the network’s hashrate reached an all-time high on Tuesday and remains above 1.2 trillion, despite a slight decline from Tuesday’s all-time high, data from CryptoQuant shows. CoinWarz also predicts:
“The next weight adjustment is estimated to take place on October 29, 2025, 08:14:49 AM UTC, increasing the Bitcoin mining weight from 146.72T to 156.92T, which will take place in 1474 blocks.”
The rising hashrate signals that miners will have to expend ever-increasing computing resources to add blocks to Bitcoin’s ledger, putting even more pressure on beleaguered miners, who are struggling with trade policies, reduced block rewards and competition.
Related: Bitdeer is doubling down on self-mining Bitcoin as demand for equipment cools
Miners are turning to alternative sources of income, but potential problems in the supply chain are looming
Mining companies continue to seek alternative sources of revenue to offset the downsides of digital currency mining, including diversification into AI data centers and other forms of high-performance computing.
Core Scientific, Hut 8 and IREN reallocated resources towards AI data centers in 2024 to increase profits and reduce reliance on crypto mining revenue.
However, the turn to AI data centers has created tension between miners and AI infrastructure providers, as both energy-hungry industries compete for access to cheap energy sources to power their operations.
Despite adding new revenue streams, the mining industry continues to face regulatory challenges and fueling supply chain problems, the latter stemming from US President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs.
Tariffs increase the cost of acquiring mining hardware in jurisdictions subject to tariffs on those products, putting miners in those areas at a disadvantage compared to miners who can acquire equipment without additional tariff costs.
Moreover, if trade tensions between the US and China continue to rise, export controls on computer processors, chips and other electronics could make it more difficult to procure hardware.
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