Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Falls 10% in Historic Weekend Drop

According to Galaxy Research, Bitcoin mining difficulty fell 10.09% over the weekend (June 15), dropping from 138.96 trillion to 124.93 trillion at block height 953,568. The adjustment ranks as the 11th-largest downward shift in the network's history and the second-largest cut of 2026. The decline followed a sharp deterioration in miner economics after Bitcoin fell roughly 15% in June, forcing some operators to shut down machines that were no longer profitable at current power and hardware costs.

The difficulty cut immediately improves revenue for miners remaining online. Hashprice, a key measure of miner revenue per unit of computing power, recovered to $32.31 per petahash per day on Sunday after falling into the high $20s earlier in June. However, even with the adjustment, mining economics remain strained. According to Checkonchain, Bitcoin's average production cost stood at approximately $84,300 as of June 13, while spot price hovered near $63,780, leaving much of the network underwater on an all-in basis despite short-term relief.