Bitcoin Network Difficulty (BTC)
Difficulty now
as of Oct 24, 2026, 17:32 UTC
- Next adjustment
- ≈ October 29in 5d 3h
- Difficulty forecast
- +4.95%to ≈ 147.54 T
- Change over a year
- −4.2%from 146.72 T
Bitcoin difficulty chart
Since 2009, difficulty has grown from 1 to 140.58 T, 140.6 trillion times over. Adjustments: 482 — 357 up, 110 down, 15 unchanged. The biggest increase was +300% (Jul 16, 2010), the biggest drop −27.94% (Jul 3, 2021).
Difficulty and shutdown price
The shutdown price rises with difficulty, by the same percentage.
- Before the October 16 adjustment
- $68,401
- Now
- $72,453
- Forecast for October 29
- $76,040
Recent difficulty adjustments
| Date | Block | Difficulty | Change | Network hashrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 971,712 | 140.58 T | +5.92% | 1,010 EH/s |
| Oct 3, 2026 | 969,696 | 132.72 T | −0.03% | 936 EH/s |
| Sep 19, 2026 | 967,680 | 132.76 T | +4.16% | 954 EH/s |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 965,664 | 127.45 T | +1.31% | 915 EH/s |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 963,648 | 125.81 T | −1.31% | 946 EH/s |
| Aug 8, 2026 | 961,632 | 127.48 T | +0.99% | 905 EH/s |
| Jul 25, 2026 | 959,616 | 126.23 T | −0.74% | 869 EH/s |
| Jul 11, 2026 | 957,600 | 127.17 T | −5.00% | 915 EH/s |
| Jun 27, 2026 | 955,584 | 133.87 T | +7.15% | 971 EH/s |
| Jun 14, 2026 | 953,568 | 124.93 T | −10.09% | 858 EH/s |
Hashrate on the day of the adjustment. The full history is on the chart.
Bitcoin difficulty FAQ
What is Bitcoin network difficulty?
A number that shows how hard it is to find a new block. The higher the difficulty, the more computation miners need for the same reward. The network adjusts it so that a block is found every 10 minutes on average.
How often does difficulty change?
Every 2016 blocks — roughly every two weeks. If blocks came faster than every 10 minutes, difficulty goes up; if slower, it goes down. A single adjustment can change it by no more than a factor of 4.
How is the adjustment forecast calculated?
From the average block time since the start of the current period. In the first days the forecast jumps around noticeably; closer to the adjustment it gets more accurate.
Why does difficulty grow?
Because the network hashrate grows: miners plug in new ASICs. When the price falls and old machines are switched off, difficulty can go down.
How does difficulty affect miner revenue?
Output is inversely proportional to difficulty: if difficulty rises 5%, the same ASIC mines about 5% fewer bitcoins. See your device's revenue in the mining calculator.
What does “T” mean in the difficulty value?
Trillion. For example, 140.58 T means 140.58 trillion.