Bitcoin mining difficulty dropped to 146.7 trillion while network hashrate hit over 1.2 trillion hashes per second. The next difficulty adjustment is estimated for October 29, 2025, at 156.92 trillion. Miners face increased pressure due to trade policies, reduced rewards, and fierce competition, pushing them to expend more resources.

Mining companies diversify into AI data centers for additional revenue streams. Core Scientific, Hut 8, and IREN shifted resources to AI centers in 2024. Tension arises between miners and AI providers over energy sources. Regulatory challenges and supply chain issues persist, exacerbated by trade tariffs and potential export controls on hardware.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Bitcoin Mining Hashrate Signals a Tougher Road Ahead for Miners