Overview
- Mining difficulty declined from about 141.6T to roughly 125.86T, the steepest drop since 2021, according to Blockchain.com data.
- A rapid 10%–20% hashrate loss linked to U.S. winter weather curtailments, especially in Texas, triggered the recalibration.
- Average block times, which had stretched beyond 11 minutes, moved back toward the 7–9 minute range following the adjustment.
- Miner profitability deteriorated as bitcoin fell from roughly $126,000 in October to around $69,500, cutting hashprice from nearly $70 to a little over $35 per PH/s.
- Financial strain showed in behavior and strategy, with an estimated 24,000 BTC sent to exchanges on Feb. 5 and several public miners pivoting resources toward AI and high‑performance computing.