Bitcoin mining under pressure with declining profitability.

The Bitcoin network has recorded its third difficulty increase since the beginning of the year, but the technical rebound is occurring alongside mounting pressure on miners. Recent indicators point to an adjustment that could lower difficulty again soon, after a significant drop in network hashrate.

In Brief

• Bitcoin difficulty increased by 3.87% at block 943,488, following a 7.76% decrease in the previous period.
• The overall hashrate fell by 60.45 EH/s, dropping from 1,022 EH/s to 961.55 EH/s.
• An estimated difficulty reduction of 14.27% is expected at the next adjustment on April 19, 2026.
• The daily hash price caps at $30.67/PH/s, among the lowest levels in the network’s history.

A Deceptive Adjustment

At block 943,488, Bitcoin difficulty rose by 3.87%. The adjustment took place on April 4, 2026, after a week marked by slower-than-usual block production. It is the seventh adjustment of the year, with three increases and four decreases, suggesting unusual instability in network conditions.

Despite the increase, progress toward the next adjustment appears limited. By 4 p.m. Eastern Time, only 181 of the current era’s 2,016 blocks had been mined, placing the network at roughly 9% of the way to the next adjustment.

Hashrateindex.com data shows an average block time of 11 minutes and 39 seconds, above the 10-minute target. Based on this pace, estimates indicate difficulty could fall by 14.27% on April 19, 2026.

Hashrate Drops Signal Strain on Mining

The slowdown is linked to a sharp reduction in hashrate. At the end of March, the network’s total computing power briefly surpassed 1,000 EH/s (1 zettahash). Since then, it has declined by 60.45 EH/s to 961.55 EH/s.

This decline reflects broader industry pressure. The daily hash price is $30.67 per petahash per second (PH/s), near historic lows. The article notes that a similar level was seen in February 2026, when a winter storm forced operators such as Foundry USA to shut down machines in an emergency.

In the current environment, the article attributes the squeeze less to weather and more to economics. Transaction fees are described as representing barely 0.56% of the block reward, leaving miners with limited additional revenue. The article also states that 106,335 blocks remain to be mined before the next halving, implying conditions may continue to tighten.

Shift Toward AI and Uneven Outcomes for Miners

Against this backdrop, the article says a major trend is accelerating: large mining companies are redirecting computing capacity toward artificial intelligence, where renting servers to AI platforms reportedly pays more than mining Bitcoin.

Riot Platforms is cited as an example, having sold 3,778 BTC in the first quarter of 2026.

While the broader environment appears harsh, the article highlights a rare success for a solo miner. It reports that a solo miner connected to CKPool validated block 943,411 in early April, earning 3.139 BTC (about $210,000). The article frames this as a reminder that Bitcoin mining outcomes can still be unpredictable, even in a sector dominated by industrial-scale operations.

The Adjustment Mechanism and What Comes Next

Bitcoin’s protocol is designed to respond automatically to changes in miner participation. If miners leave and hashrate falls, difficulty drops every 2,016 blocks, which can make mining more accessible again for new entrants.

The article characterizes this self-regulation mechanism—described as conceived by Satoshi Nakamoto—as a key safeguard for network continuity regardless of market conditions or the decisions of economic actors.

With the next adjustment approaching, the article concludes that the more immediate question is not whether difficulty will drop, but how long miners will remain in operation until conditions improve.