Bitcoin mining difficulty
How hard it is to mine a block over time and by how much difficulty will change at the next adjustment.
Data as of 23 Oct 2026
The estimate is based on how fast blocks are being mined in the current period. 884 blocks remain until the adjustment, expected around 29 Oct 2026. The estimate keeps changing until then as the mining pace changes.
Higher difficulty means mining costs more per bitcoin mined. At the same price, miners' returns shrink. You can follow the network's power on the hashrate page.
Difficulty over time
Trillions (T). Changes every 2016 blocks.
Change at each adjustment
In percent. Positive values mean harder mining, negative values easier.
Frequently asked questions
What is mining difficulty?
It is a number that sets how hard it is to find a new block. Bitcoin adjusts it every 2016 blocks (about two weeks) so that blocks are mined on average every 10 minutes regardless of how much power is on the network.
What does rising difficulty mean?
Blocks have been mined faster than every 10 minutes in recent weeks because more power joined the network. The network balances this by making mining harder. Miners with worse machines then have a smaller margin.
Can difficulty predict the price?
No. Difficulty follows the hashrate, meaning miners' behaviour, not the price. It helps judge the health of the mining industry.
Sources: mempool.space. For information only, not investment advice.