Bitcoin mining has reached a new zenith with the recent mining difficulty adjustment at block height 818496, marking a significant milestone for the digital currency.
This adjustment raised the mining difficulty by 5.07% to a record high of 67.96 T (terahashes). Alongside this, the current average hashrate, a measure of the computational power of the Bitcoin network, stands impressively at 504.80 EH/s (exahashes per second).
Steady climb of mining difficulty
Throughout 2023, the Bitcoin network has experienced a consistent rise in mining difficulty, a mechanism that ensures the stability and security of the blockchain.
Mining difficulty is a dynamic metric that adjusts every 2016 blocks, or approximately every two weeks, to maintain a consistent block time, the time it takes to discover and add a new block to the blockchain.
This year, the difficulty has seen fluctuations, from a big 7.3% decrease in early October to a more substantial 10% jump in January.
These adjustments are crucial to counteract changes in network hashrate and maintain a 10-minute average block time. Such a mechanism balances the rate of new Bitcoin creation with the computational power contributed by miners worldwide.
Bitcoin hashrate and upcoming halving
Parallel to the rise in difficulty, Bitcoin’s hashrate has soared to an all-time high of 491 EH/s. This surge in hashrate showcases an increase in the collective computational effort miners are investing to secure the Bitcoin network.
This uptick is especially noteworthy as the Bitcoin community anticipates the next halving event, which is scheduled in about five months.
Bitcoin halving events, which reduce the rate of new coin creation, have historically been associated with increases in Bitcoin’s price due to the combined effects of reduced supply and speculative anticipation.