Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Reaches All-Time High as Miners Face Second-Largest Increase This Year
Bitcoin’s mining difficulty reached an all-time high (ATH) on Feb. 24, 2023, at block height #778,176, reaching 43.05 trillion hashes and surpassing the 40 trillion mark for the first time ever. The network’s difficulty increased by 9.95%, which is the second-largest rise this year, as Bitcoin recorded a combined 24.89% increase during the last 60 days. Network Participants Face Longer Block Times Following Recent Difficulty Change
It has never been harder to mine bitcoin (BTC) than it is today, as miners have experienced a 9.95% difficulty increase at block height #778,176. Now and for the next two weeks, or approximately 2,016 blocks, the difficulty will be 43.05 trillion. The network’s average hashrate over the last 2,016 blocks was roughly 305.8 exahash per second (EH/s).
The 9.95% increase on Friday was the second-largest jump in difficulty this year, as the largest was recorded on Jan. 15, 2023, at block height #772,128. At that time, the difficulty rose 10.26% higher than the previous difficulty metric. The next difficulty change is due on or around March 9, 2023, and presently, block times have been much longer than the 10-minute average.
The average block time before the difficulty change on Friday was around 9 minutes and 11 seconds, and today, block times are between 12 and 14 minutes in length. The lengthier block time shows that the recent difficulty change has slowed miners down. On Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, the network’s global hashrate is coasting along at values between 294.91 EH/s and 238.44 EH/s.
On Saturday, the largest mining pool in terms of hashrate is Foundry USA with 103.18 EH/s or 34.88% of the network’s total hashpower. Foundry is followed by Antpool, which commands 15.81% of the total or roughly 46.77 EH/s of hashpower. Foundry and Antpool are followed by F2pool, Binance Pool, and Viabtc, respectively. Over the last three days, 13 known pools and 15.13 EH/s of unknown hashpower collectively discovered 430 blocks in total. Tags in this story Algorithm, Antpool, Binance Pool, Bitcoin, Bitcoin mining, Block Height, block times, Blockchain, BTC, BTC Mining, Cryptocurrency, Decentralized, difficulty, difficulty increase, Digital Assets, Energy Consumption, F2Pool, Foundry USA, future, Global Hashrate, Hashpower, Hashrate, Innovation, investment, market volatility, Miners, mining, network, Profitability, Proof of Work, Rewards, Scalability, technology, transactions, ViaBTC
What do you think about Bitcoin’s network difficulty rising to a new ATH above the 40 trillion mark? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman
Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. Paraguay to Become Top Bitcoin Mining Hub in Latam According to Insight Group MINING | 3 days ago Bitcoin Network Difficulty Expected to See Largest Increase of the Year Amid High Hashrate, Shorter Block Times MINING | 4 days ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleGermany’s DZ Bank to Offer Crypto Custody With Swiss Firm Metaco Next articleCrypto Market Slides as Total Value Locked in Defi Falls Below $50 Billion Mark Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItCentral Bank of Brazil Confirms It Will Run a Pilot Test for Its CBDC This Year
The Central Bank of Brazil has confirmed that the institution will run a pilot test regarding the implementation of its proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital real. Roberto Campos Neto, president of the bank, also stated that this ... read more.NFT Sales Volume Saw a Small Uptick This Week — Moonbirds, Mutant Apes Take Top Sales Goldman Predicts US Recession Odds at 35% in 2 Years, John Mauldin Wouldn"t Be Surprised if Stocks Fell 40% FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms Digital Ruble ‘Much Needed,’ Russia’s Central Bank Says, Won’t Delay Testing