Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops for the Third Time in a Row. What Does This Mean?
Bitcoin mining difficulty has decreased for the third consecutive time, dropping by 0.74% to 148.2 trillion on December 11. This means miners now need to compute approximately 148 trillion hash functions on average to add a new block and earn the 3.125 BTC reward (around $281,000 at current rates).
This prolonged decline in difficulty, last seen in 2024 after the halving event, reflects reduced mining activity. The global hashrate has fallen from its peak of 1.31 Zh/s on October 24 to 1.14 Zh/s, indicating some miners are switching off unprofitable equipment.
According to Anton Gonterev, Commercial Director of Intelion, this adjustment reflects the market adapting to Bitcoin's lower price. Since reaching approximately $126,000 on October 6, Bitcoin's price has fallen 28% to $90,000. Despite this, mining difficulty is still over 40% higher than a year ago, indicating sustained structural demand for computational power and continued investor interest in mining.
The current correction is seen as a normal industry dynamic where less efficient operators are gradually leaving the network. Mining is shifting towards players with modern equipment, stable infrastructure, and controlled project economics, particularly those with access to predictable, competitive energy prices. These efficient operators remain stable despite short-term fluctuations in Bitcoin's price or mining difficulty.
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