Bitcoin Mining Gets Easier as Miners Struggle and Shift to AI

Bitcoin mining just got noticeably easier — and that tells a big story about what's happening in the crypto world.

First, let's explain the basics. Bitcoin "mining" is the process where powerful computers compete to solve complex math puzzles. The winner gets to add a new "block" of transactions to the Bitcoin network and earns newly created Bitcoin as a reward.

"Mining difficulty" measures how hard those puzzles are. The network automatically adjusts this every two weeks to keep new blocks appearing roughly every 10 minutes. When fewer computers are competing, the difficulty drops.

Right now, difficulty has fallen sharply. Here are the key numbers:

• Current difficulty: 126.23 trillion
• Down 14% from this year's high
• Down 19.1% from the all-time record of 155.97 trillion (set in November 2025)
• This is only the second time in history difficulty fell below the level from a year earlier

Why is this happening? Mining has simply become less profitable. Three main reasons:

• Falling Bitcoin prices mean smaller rewards in dollar terms
• The AI boom — many operators are shifting their computers, electricity, and money toward artificial intelligence, which currently pays better
• Power cutbacks in Texas and disruptions in other mining regions reduced activity

The last time difficulty dropped this way was after China banned mining in 2021, which knocked out half the network's computing power. This time, it's about money, not government rules.

Miner earnings remain weak. "Hashprice" — the expected revenue a miner earns for each unit of computing power — fell to just $27.66 per petahash per day in June, near its lowest level of the year. It has since recovered slightly to about $31.7.

The bottom line: Miners don't expect a big rebound anytime soon. Forward market prices suggest earnings will stay flat through the rest of the year, meaning the industry is bracing for continued tough conditions.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/08/01/bitcoin-mining-difficulty-shrinks-14-from-this-year-s-high-as-plunging-revenues-force-operators-to-pivot