Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Dips 1.1% as Miners Dump Record 32K BTC in Q1

Bitcoin mining difficulty eased 1.1% to 135.5T on April 18, providing brief relief amid record Q1 sales of 32,000 BTC by public miners like Marathon Digital (13,210 BTC), Riot Platforms (4,026 BTC), and Core Scientific (1,992 BTC), slashing reserves by 61,000 BTC this cycle. Hashprices plunged to $33/PH/s/day below $35 breakevens, forcing liquidations to fund operations and AI pivots after the 2025 halving. Prediction markets now price in near-100% odds for dips below $68K/$60K mid-April, amplifying short-term bearish pressure on BTC near $75K despite the difficulty drop.