Bitcoin mining difficulty saw a significant drop of over 5% on July 5, reaching a quarterly low of 79.50 terahashes per second (TH/s).
This reduction was the most substantial since March, when it briefly dipped below 80 TH/s. After spiking between March and May to an all-time high of 88.10 TH/s, the difficulty gradually settled to its current level at the time of this writing.
Bitcoin mining difficulty is quantified by hashrate, representing the number of attempts a mining machine makes to solve the cryptographic puzzle required to unlock a Bitcoin.
Hashrate updates occur every 2,016 blocks, approximately every two weeks. Generally, Bitcoin’s hashrate has increased monthly, with few exceptions.
In 2014, the hashrate was around 1.1 gigahashes per second, allowing most desktop PCs to mine Bitcoin.
As hashrate increases, more powerful and energy-efficient mining rigs are needed for profitability.
By the end of 2017, as Bitcoin adoption surged, the hashrate crossed the terahash threshold for the first time. As of July 6, 2024, the hashrate stands at 79.5 TH/s, awaiting the next difficulty adjustment.
Under the current difficulty of 79.5 TH/s, F2Pool, a prominent mining pool, suggests that an ASIC rig with an efficiency of 26 watts per terahash or better would remain profitable as long as Bitcoin’s price stays above $54,000.
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“With a $BTC price of $54k, ASICs with Unit Power of 26 W/T or less can make a profit. We estimate this at $0.07 per kWh,” F2Pool stated.
Should Bitcoin’s price fall below this threshold, more efficient mining rigs would be necessary to sustain profitability.
However, if the price remains stable, conditions are expected to be favorable for major miners, especially those in regions offering energy subsidies for mining operations.
In summary, the recent decrease in mining difficulty presents an intriguing shift in the Bitcoin mining landscape, affecting profitability and operational strategies for miners worldwide.
The industry will closely watch upcoming difficulty adjustments and market conditions to navigate these changes effectively.
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