Bitcoin mining difficulty hits record 150.8T

Bitcoin mining difficulty reached a record 150.84T as hashprice slipped below $50/PH/s. Miners face shrinking profitability, while mining stocks continue to rally.

Rising hashrate pressures miner revenue

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty increased 5% on Wednesday to an all-time high of 150.84 trillion. It marks the seventh consecutive upward adjustment, Glassnode data shows.

Difficulty, which resets every 2016 blocks, keeps block time at about 10 minutes. The surge reflects strong network growth, with hashrate topping 1.05 zettahash per second. While higher hashrate boosts security, it also reduces profitability as more machines compete.

Hashprice falls under $50 per PH/s

According to Luxor, hashprice — miner revenue per petahash — dropped below $50/PH/s. Earlier this summer it touched $52 when Bitcoin traded above $118,000. Since then, rising difficulty and softer BTC prices have pushed it lower.

Analysts note that miner margins could improve only through higher fees, which remain at multi-year lows, a strong rebound in bitcoin’s price, or a slowdown in hashrate growth.

Mining stocks defy profitability squeeze

Despite record difficulty and falling hashprice, mining equities are rallying. Cipher Mining (CIFR) surged over 51% in the past month, Bit Digital (BTBT) gained 25%, and Marathon Digital (MARA) climbed nearly 16%. Investors remain optimistic, even as miners face their toughest conditions yet.