Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Jumps 5.54% to Record 148.36 Trillion, Squeezing Margins

Bitcoin network mining difficulty reached a record 148.36 trillion at block 973,728 after a 5.54% increase, compressing miner profit margins to three-month lows. Daily hashprice declined to roughly $33 per petahash per second, down from an average of $40 in September. The adjustment follows an earlier 5.92% rise on October 16 to 140.58 trillion, driven by a 21% surge in network hashrate over 102 days that added approximately 185 exahashes per second. Consequently, mining rigs operating at 25 joules per terahash now face operational deficits at electricity costs of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.