Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Increases 5.92% to 140.58 Trillion at Block 971,712

Bitcoin mining difficulty rose 5.92% to 140.58 trillion at block height 971,712 on October 16, marking its highest level since March 5 and the third-largest upward adjustment of 2026. The increase followed a 0.03% dip to 132.72 trillion in the previous cycle, driven by expanding computing capacity. Total network hashrate climbed above 1 zettahash per second to approximately 1,024.96 EH/s, reducing average block times to roughly 8 minutes and 45 seconds. Meanwhile, hashprice moderated to $36.75 per PH/s, with preliminary estimates projecting a potential 14.24% increase on October 28.