Bitcoin Mining Hit Hard: 10% Hashrate Loss Linked To China Shutdowns

bitcoinistPublished on 2025-12-16Last updated on 2025-12-16

Abstract

Bitcoin's hashrate dropped approximately 10% in a single day, falling from 1,053 TH/s to 943 TH/s, according to former Canaan executive Jianping Kong. He attributed the loss of around 100–110 TH/s to mining farm shutdowns in China’s Xinjiang region, estimating that at least 400,000 ASIC machines were taken offline. China, once the dominant source of hashrate, now contributes an estimated 14–20% of the network’s computing power. The sudden decline may temporarily slow block production until the next difficulty adjustment. Meanwhile, U.S. mining operations are expanding, with companies like Hut 8 and American Bitcoin increasing capacity, signaling a geographic shift in large-scale Bitcoin mining.

According to a post by former Canaan (a Chinese tech company) executive Jianping Kong, Bitcoin’s estimated hashrate fell roughly 10% in a single day, sliding from about 1,053 TH/s to just under 943 TH/s.

Kong said the decline equated to roughly 100 TH/s to 110 TH/s lost since Sunday and blamed the change on mining farms in China’s Xinjiang region shutting down.

He wrote that “at least 400,000 machines” were taken offline, using an assumed rate of 250 TH/s per ASIC as his basis.

China Mining Instability

Based on reports, China remains a volatile source of hashrate. Before 2021, China supplied a majority of the network’s computing power. Now estimates place its share closer to 14% to 20% depending on the data provider.

Cheap power has drawn miners back, but political and regulatory swings can push large clusters off the grid with little warning.

Kong framed the recent shutdowns bluntly, saying the temporary loss hands an advantage to other countries, adding that “the US wins without lifting a finger.”

Impact On Network

Data recorded the drop from 1,053 TH/s to about 943 TH/s, a decline of just over 110 TH/s and roughly 10%. That kind of move can change mining conditions.

Blocks may be found a little slower until the next difficulty adjustment. The network’s total hashrate is always an estimate inferred from on-chain data, so exact figures are not precise, but the size of this swing is large enough to show how concentrated pockets of mining can still move global metrics.

BTCUSD now trading at $86,227. Chart: TradingView

Kong’s machine-count estimate — and the 250 TH/s-per-ASIC figure he used — are his calculations, not a confirmed inventory count from operators on the ground.

Bitcoin Mining Operations And Market Shifts

Reports have disclosed that US mining companies are expanding capacity as global hashrate reallocates.

Image: CoinFlip

Hut 8 announced it is building four new mining sites in Texas, Louisiana and Illinois, adding 1.5 gigawatts of power capacity.

American Bitcoin, a company tied to the Trump family, is now part of that growth story; the firm acquired a fleet of 16,299 Antminer U3S21EXPH units from Bitmain and its board includes Eric Trump, the second-eldest of US President Donald Trump’s three sons. These moves underline a clear shift in where large-scale mining is happening.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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