Bitcoin network hash rate climbs above 1 ZH/s as AI shift fails to ease mining competition
Bitcoin’s seven‑day average hash rate rose above 1 zettahash per second (1,000 exahashes per second), the highest level since March 3, even though several large publicly‑traded miners have redirected capacity to artificial‑intelligence workloads. Mining difficulty increased 5.92% on Oct. 16 and BlocksBridge projects a further 5.16% rise at the next adjustment, pushing the two‑step increase to roughly 11.4%. The hash‑rate rebound is attributed to smaller and mid‑size operators acquiring used equipment from larger miners, keeping competition intense.
Why it matters
BlocksBridge and CryptoQuant analysts say the higher hash rate signals stronger network security and better fundamentals for Bitcoin, which could support investor confidence. The rising difficulty means miners will face higher operating costs, potentially squeezing profit margins for those still mining Bitcoin.
Key facts
- 1The seven‑day average hash rate recovered above 1 zettahash per second (1,000 exahashes per second), the highest since March 3. tradingview.com
- 2Bitcoin mining difficulty rose 5.92% on Oct. 16. tradingview.com
- 3BlocksBridge projects an additional 5.16% difficulty increase at the next adjustment, for a total rise of about 11.4% across two adjustments. tradingview.com
- 4Publicly traded miners’ realized hash rate fell 23% in the recent quarter. tradingview.com
- 5AI and high‑performance‑computing revenue for those miners rose 52% in Q2 2026. tradingview.com
- 6The displaced mining hardware is estimated to be worth roughly $1.5 billion. tradingview.com
Summary written by AlphAI AI Desk from 3 of 3 sources. Not investment advice. Figures are as stated by the linked sources.