The Bitcoin network has just imposed a new effort on its miners. On October 16, 2026, mining difficulty increased by 5.92%, reaching 140.58 trillion at block 971,712. This is its highest level since March 5 and the third largest increase recorded this year. This progression comes as the network’s computing power returns to above one zettahash per second. But behind this renewed activity lies a less favorable reality. Miners must now mobilize more calculations to hope to obtain the same rewards, while their revenues per unit of power remain under pressure.
In brief
- Bitcoin difficulty climbs 5.92%, from 132.72 to 140.58 trillion.
- The network hashrate once again exceeds 1 ZH/s, a sign of increased competition between miners.
- At constant computing power, this increase theoretically reduces by approximately 5.59% the quantity of bitcoins that a miner can hope to produce per unit of time, all things being equal.
Why the difficulty of Bitcoin is on the rise again
The latest adjustment marks a break with the relative stability observed at the beginning of October. On October 3, the difficulty had fallen slightly by 0.03%, to 132.72 trillion. This period allowed miners to benefit from a more favorable environment, after a particularly profitable month of September.
But the dynamic quickly changed. According to the data from Mempool.spacethe October 16 adjustment occurred at 12:37 UTC. The difficulty then increased by 7.86 billion, confirming the acceleration of competition on the network.
The contrast with summer is notable. By August 23, Bitcoin difficulty had dropped to 125.81 trillion. Since then, it has rebounded by approximately 11.74%.
This progression can be explained by the mechanism of the protocol itself. Every 2,016 blocks, or approximately two weeks, Bitcoin automatically adjusts the difficulty to maintain an average interval of close to ten minutes between blocks. When these are produced faster than expected, the protocol increases the difficulty.
Hashrate exceeds 1 ZH/s and intensifies competition
The increase in difficulty accompanies the return of significant computing power to Bitcoin. According to Hashrate Index, the hashrate reached around 1,024.96 EH/s on October 16, crossing the symbolic threshold of 1 ZH/s.
This measurement corresponds to an estimate of the computing power mobilized by miners. It does not represent a direct count of machines connected to the network. The return above 1 ZH/s contrasts with the situation at the beginning of September. At this period, miners’ revenues increased without causing an immediate rebound in the hashrate, which then remained around 934 EH/s.
This development suggests that some computing power was brought back into operation or ramped up as economic conditions improved. However, it does not make it possible to determine precisely how many new machines have been installed.
For the Bitcoin network, sustainably high computing power can reinforce the economic cost of a proof-of-work attack. For individual miners, it mainly means more intense competition to obtain a share of the available rewards.
Bitcoin miner revenues remain under pressure
The main problem is not just the difficulty. It also concerns the profitability of each unit of computing power. On September 16, the hashprice, an indicator measuring the estimated daily income per petahash per second, reached $37.56. It then exceeded $41 on several occasions, before falling back to $36.75 on October 16, according to Hashrate Index data reported by Bitcoin.com.
To concretely measure this pressure, let’s take a miner with 100 PH/s. With a hashprice of $36.75, his theoretical gross earnings reach around $3,675 per day. This amount does not constitute profit. Electricity expenses, operating costs, maintenance and depreciation of equipment must still be deducted.
The increase in difficulty adds an additional constraint. With unchanged computing power, and all else equal, a 5.92% increase in difficulty reduces the expected production of BTC per unit of time by approximately 5.59%.
This distinction is important: a higher difficulty of 5.92% does not automatically correspond to a reduction in income of 5.92%. The price of Bitcoin, transaction fees and the power actually harnessed also influence the results.
The pressure on margins is not new. As early as June, Bitcoin miners were already facing a deterioration in their profitability, in particular due to the low income generated by their equipment.
The increase could accelerate economic arbitrage
Faced with this competition, not all operators have the same means. Those who use newer machines and benefit from cheap electricity can maintain an advantage over older installations.
For structures whose costs remain high, a further deterioration in the hash price could impose difficult decisions: temporarily reduce activity, modernize equipment or look for other sources of income.
Some companies are already considering reorienting part of their infrastructures towards artificial intelligence. As a recent Tremplin.io analysis on financing miners engaged in AI shows, this diversification nevertheless requires significant investments and does not guarantee immediate improvement in results.
The current increase in difficulty is therefore not enough to conclude that miners are becoming less profitable overall. Rather, it confirms that revenue recovery can attract more computing power, which ultimately reduces the initial advantage of already active operators.
A new adjustment expected at the end of October
The coming weeks will allow us to measure the strength of the rebound. Bitcoin.com initially mentioned a possible additional increase of 14.24% around October 28. This forecast, however, was based on the first blocks of the new calculation period.
It must be considered with caution. Estimates continually evolve depending on the speed of block production. During our consultation on October 17, ChainQuery thus displayed a significantly lower projection, of 2.72%, after only 113 blocks out of the 2,016 necessary. This projection also remains provisional.
The next adjustment will take place at block 973,728. Until then, three variables deserve particular attention: the evolution of the hashrate, the hashprice and the price of BTC. The 5.92% increase confirms that competition is intensifying on the network. But it does not prejudge the future profitability of miners. This will depend above all on their ability to maintain sufficient income in the face of energy and material costs which do not automatically decrease with market fluctuations.
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