Live snapshot: BTC $83,466 · hashrate 950 EH/s · difficulty 132.72T · block 971,354 · fee share 0.57% — as of Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:15 UTC
1,077.2 EH/s
132.72 T
-0.03%
~2 weeks
Difficulty Adjustment History
New: Bitcoin Price History by Year
Compare every year's BTC price on one chart with per-year start, end, average, and halving cycle context.
About this chart
Each Bitcoin difficulty adjustment as a percentage change, with notable events annotated. Positive adjustments mean more hashrate joined the network during the epoch; negative adjustments mean miners switched off.
How to read it
- Long runs of positive adjustments mean competition is rising and revenue per terahash is falling.
- Large negative adjustments usually mark miner capitulation after price falls, bans or the halving.
- An adjustment is capped at a factor of four either way, but real-world changes are almost always within ±15%.
Latest network figures
- Difficulty
- 132.72 T
- Last difficulty adjustment
- -0.03%
- Block height
- 971,354
As of Oct 14, 2026, 05:15:04 UTC; updated hourly.
Difficulty Adjustment FAQ
How often does Bitcoin difficulty adjust?+
Bitcoin difficulty adjusts approximately every 2,016 blocks, which takes roughly two weeks. The adjustment maintains the target of one block every 10 minutes on average, regardless of how much hashpower joins or leaves the network.
What triggers a Bitcoin difficulty increase?+
Difficulty increases when blocks are found faster than the 10-minute target, indicating more hashpower has joined the network. If 2,016 blocks are mined in less than two weeks, difficulty increases proportionally to slow block production back to target.
How does difficulty adjustment affect mining profitability?+
Difficulty increases reduce each miners share of block rewards, lowering hashprice and profitability. Conversely, difficulty decreases (when miners exit) increase remaining miners rewards. This self-regulating mechanism ensures mining remains competitive.
What is the maximum difficulty adjustment per period?+
Bitcoin limits difficulty adjustments to a maximum 4x increase or 0.25x decrease per period. This prevents extreme swings from sudden hashrate changes and ensures network stability during volatile mining conditions.
Why is difficulty adjustment important for Bitcoin security?+
Difficulty adjustment ensures consistent block times regardless of hashrate changes, maintaining predictable transaction confirmation times and controlled Bitcoin issuance. It also prevents any single entity from easily dominating block production.