Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops for the Fourth Time in Two Months

RBK-cryptoPublished on 2026-01-08Last updated on 2026-01-08

Abstract

The Bitcoin mining difficulty decreased by 1.2% on January 8, dropping to 146.4 trillion, marking the fourth decline since early November 2025 and the first in 2026. This adjustment reflects reduced activity among miners, as indicated by the global hashrate falling from its peak of 1.31 Zh/s in October to 1.08 Zh/s. Experts attribute the lower difficulty to the market adapting to Bitcoin's price correction, which has declined 28% from its October high of $126,000 to around $90,000. Despite challenges, mining activity has persisted, and Bitcoin is increasingly recognized as a strategic infrastructure asset, including in the U.S. The industry is maturing, with regulatory frameworks emerging in jurisdictions like Russia. Looking ahead, the Industrial Mining Association in Russia anticipates market growth in 2026, driven by Bitcoin's potential recovery, institutional interest, and greater integration with AI and financial markets, possibly leading to initiatives like bond offerings, IPOs, and crypto-backed loans.

On the afternoon of January 8, Bitcoin's mining difficulty decreased by 1.2%. According to Cloverpool data, the indicator dropped to 146.4 T (trillion). This means that miners now need to compute an average of about 146 trillion hash functions to add one block to the Bitcoin network and receive 3.125 new BTC (approximately $281,000 at the current exchange rate) as a reward.

Today's drop in Bitcoin mining difficulty is the first in 2026 and the fourth since the beginning of November. The exception was a 0.04% increase at the end of December 2025.

The difficulty adjustment takes into account the decrease in miner activity, as indicated by the global hashrate—the total power of all devices actively mining Bitcoin. The hashrate reached a peak of 1.31 Zh/s (zetahashes per second) on October 24. As of January 8, the average hashrate over the past 24 hours is 1.08 Zh/s.

Earlier, experts stated that the decrease in mining difficulty reflects the market's adaptation to a more restrained Bitcoin price. After reaching a new high of around $126,000 on October 6, the leading cryptocurrency has fallen by 28% to $90,000 at the current time. And despite the difficulties the industry faced last year, miner activity has not decreased, and Bitcoin has been recognized as a strategic infrastructure asset, for example, in the United States.

In various jurisdictions, including Russia, the industry has already entered the legal field. And despite regional restrictions due to energy shortages, the lack of a mechanism to legalize "gray" equipment, and the need to build a unified regulatory system, mining is showing signs of maturity.

In forecasts for 2026, the Association of Industrial Mining (AIM) expects growth in the Russian crypto market due to the recovery of Bitcoin's price, interest in the asset from large investors, and an influx of liquidity. Increased integration of mining with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and the financial market is also expected, which will enable miners to implement various initiatives, including entering the bond market, conducting IPOs, and obtaining loans secured by cryptocurrency.

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