In a few days, one of the key indicators of the robustness of the Bitcoin network experienced a striking turnaround. On August 8, the hashrate reached a historic peak before declining sharply, a sign of a sudden adjustment in the computing power mobilized to secure the blockchain. This reversal, occurring while BTC still hovers near its annual highs, rekindles debates on the balance between technical performance and economic constraints for mining specialists.
On August 8, 2025, the Bitcoin network reached an unprecedented computing power, peaking at 976 exahashes per second (EH/s) according to the seven-day moving average.
Four days later, this level contracted to around 900 EH/s, a decrease of 76 EH/s, while massive purchases strengthen the crypto price . This decline coincides with a 1.42 % increase in difficulty at block number 909216.
According to hashrateindex.com data :
Analysts point to the difficulty increase as the main factor behind the hashrate decline, a situation where operational profitability is squeezed despite a favorable BTC price .
This gap between hashprice progression and power withdrawal reflects a tense context. Mining specialists face high operating costs, and the slightest difficulty variation can tip the economic balance of some farms.
Since this hashrate decline , block production rate has slowed, with a current average of 11 minutes and 4 seconds per block, against a theoretical target of ten minutes.
This lengthening suggests a temporary imbalance between difficulty and active computing power on the network. Current projections indicate that at the next difficulty adjustment, scheduled for August 24, it could decrease by 9.64% if the trend continues.
Such a decrease would ease the burden on mining companies and might encourage some to bring standby equipment back online, helping to stabilize block pace. This development would also create an opportunity window for players with competitive energy costs, who could increase their market share in the short term.
If the price of the leading crypto remains high, the positive impact of reduced difficulty on profitability could consolidate mining activity, whose revenues exploded to $1.66 billion in July . Conversely, a trend reversal in the spot market would weaken the less solid operators, possibly accelerating a consolidation movement in the sector. In any case, the August 24 adjustment is a decisive test for the resilience of infrastructures and the ability of mining farms to adapt to a constantly evolving technical environment.