Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Slides 10.09% in 11th-Largest Downward Adjustment

Bitcoin's mining difficulty fell sharply on Sunday, dropping 10.09% in what Galaxy Research called the network's 11th-largest downward adjustment. The move lowers the computational work needed to find new blocks, offering miners a near-term margin boost as Bitcoin's softer price squeezes profitability. Galaxy Research said difficulty declined from 138.96 trillion to 124.93 trillion at block 953,568. The latest adjustment followed an "epoch" lasting 15.6 days, longer than the typical 14 days, a pattern consistent with a meaningful amount of mining capacity going offline. Blockchain.com data cited in the report puts total network hash rate at about 886 EH/s, down roughly 12% month-to-date and around 23% below the October peak. With fewer machines competing, miners that remain online can capture a larger share of block rewards. Crypto trader Merlijn Enkelaar estimated remaining miners are earning about 9% more per machine. Economics also improved through hashprice, a commonly watched proxy for miner revenue per unit of hash power before costs. Hashrate Index data cited in the report shows hashprice rising 13% to roughly $33 per PH/s per day. The Energy Mag noted $33 is a key level that can push more efficient fleets toward gross breakeven, while older-generation machines with higher power costs are more likely to be idled. Galaxy Research framed the setup as margin-driven: Bitcoin is down about 15% so far in June, which it said has "squeezed miner margins." Higher-cost operators may respond by curtailing or disconnecting equipment, thinning hashrate and contributing to lower difficulty during the adjustment window. The decline was described as the second-largest difficulty drop of 2026 and leaves difficulty about 20% below the peak recorded in November. The next difficulty adjustment is expected on June 27. Coinwarz forecasts a modest rebound, projecting an increase of about 1.69% to around 127 trillion. Whether conditions tighten again will hinge on how much offline capacity returns: a hash-rate recovery would likely push difficulty higher, while continued curtailments amid price pressure could keep difficulty under downward pressure. This article was originally published as "Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Falls 10% in 11th Largest Downward Move" on Crypto Breaking News.