Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits Record High Despite Falling Hashrate

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has reached a new all-time high, signaling stronger competition among miners even as the network’s hashrate shows signs of cooling.

• Bitcoin mining difficulty climbed to a record 134.7 trillion on Friday.
• Hashrate has dropped to 967 billion hashes per second, down from over 1 trillion in early August.
• Rising difficulty squeezes profit margins and raises centralization concerns.
• Large firms dominate mining, but small solo miners are still hitting occasional block rewards.
• Recent solo miners claimed rewards worth over $344K–$373K through Solo CK pool.

The Bitcoin network continues its long-term upward march in mining difficulty, with the metric hitting an all-time high of 134.7 trillion. This level represents the average challenge of mining a new block and reflects the intense competition across the industry. The previous peak came earlier in August, but instead of easing as some analysts projected, difficulty kept climbing.

Interestingly, this comes as Bitcoin’s hashrate — the total computing power securing the network — slipped to 967 billion hashes per second, down from its August 4 all-time high of over 1 trillion. This divergence highlights how, even with some drop in network power, the protocol adjusts to keep mining competitive.

For large mining operations, higher difficulty means thinner margins in an already tough business. Concerns are mounting that the escalating cost of mining could push the industry further toward centralization, where only well-capitalized corporations and massive mining pools can compete.

Yet, small and solo miners are still finding rare success. In July and August, three independent miners using the Solo CK pool managed to beat the odds and secure block rewards. These solo wins were lucrative, with payouts ranging between $344,000 and $373,000 when factoring in subsidy rewards and transaction fees. Such events serve as a reminder that while the landscape is dominated by industrial-scale miners, opportunities still exist for smaller players willing to take on the challenge.

Final Thought

Bitcoin’s rising mining difficulty underscores the resilience and competitiveness of its network. While major firms are tightening their grip, the occasional victories of solo miners show that there’s still room — however slim — for individuals to strike gold in Bitcoin’s vast digital mine.