Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops Nearly 8%

In Crypto Regulations
March 21, 2026

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops Nearly 8%

On March 21, following the latest recalibration, the difficulty of mining the leading cryptocurrency fell by 7.76% to 133.79 T.

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Source: CloverPool.

Despite the adjustment, the average interval between blocks at the time of writing exceeds 11 minutes.

This recent drop in difficulty is the second largest of the year; on February 7, the parameter plummeted by more than 11%. The primary factor then was a sharp decline in hashrate due to equipment shutdowns caused by a winter storm in the United States. The recovery was equally swift.

The average total computational power of the network (a metric smoothed by a seven-day moving average) has been steadily declining since reaching a peak in mid-October 2025.

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Source: Glassnode.

During this period, the hashrate fell from a record 1.15 ZH/s to 940 EH/s.

The reduction in Bitcoin’s difficulty by nearly 8% led to a rebound in hashprice to values above $33 per PH/s per day. Industry experts consider the average breakeven level for miners to be around $40 per PH/s per day.

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Source: Hashrate Index.

The current quotes for the leading cryptocurrency are approximately $70,800 (CoinGecko). According to TheEnergyMag, among the 14 largest public mining companies in the US, only IREN and the Trump family-affiliated American Bitcoin Corp mine profitably.        

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Source: TheEnergyMag.

The publication’s calculations are based on corporate financial reports for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Amidst economic pressures on mining, industry participants are diversifying into more lucrative AI services and seeking other ways to enhance business profitability.

BitFuFu Bets on Cloud Mining

By the end of 2025, BitFuFu reported a net loss of $57.4 million compared to a profit of $54 million in the previous period.

Total revenue increased to $475.8 million, with cloud mining services contributing $350.6 million. The service’s revenue share reached a record 73.7%, with a year-on-year growth of 29.9%.

Self-mining operations generated $63.1 million in revenue, while cryptocurrency mining equipment sales amounted to $53.7 million. The latter segment showed an annual growth of over 76% year-on-year.

BitFuFu’s customer base expanded to 675,765 users. The firm’s managed hashrate reached 26.1 EH/s with an installed capacity of 478 MW.

By the end of 2025, the company held 1,778 BTC.

“We remain focused on advancing our vertical integration strategy by scaling cloud mining, expanding capacities while maintaining disciplined returns, optimizing capital allocation, and further building our treasury,” stated BitFuFu in a press release.

Earlier, Wintermute specialists declared the traditional business model of Bitcoin miners obsolete due to declining profitability.

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Steven M. Crimmins is a cryptocurrency strategist and freelance writer who has followed the blockchain industry since Bitcoin’s early days. Known for his sharp analysis of altcoins and trading strategies, Steven provides Satoshi News Africa readers with market-focused content grounded in research. He is especially interested in how African traders are adopting crypto as an alternative to traditional markets. Steven is also a podcast host, where he discusses emerging technologies and investment trends.