Bitcoin Hits Historic Hashrate of 1 Zetahash/sec - Network Power Soars.

Hashrate Hits Record High: A Symbol of Resilience and Security

The hashrate surpassing 1 ZH/s reflects the significant increase in computing power poured into the Bitcoin network. From 1 EH/s in 2016, the hashrate has grown exponentially thanks to the participation of large mining companies, the continuous improvement of ASIC (specialized mining equipment) hardware, and the expansion of mining pools such as Foundry USA or AntPool. This not only strengthens the security of Bitcoin – a network with a higher hashrate is less susceptible to a 51% attack – but also affirms the long-term confidence in the value of this cryptocurrency, even in a volatile market environment.

However, to maintain a stable block generation time of around 10 minutes as designed by Bitcoin, the mining difficulty increased by nearly 7%, reaching a record of 121.5 trillion on April 6, 2025. This is the largest adjustment since July 2024, and the 14th increase in the last 17 adjustments. The increased difficulty means that miners have to spend more energy and computational resources to find new blocks, increasing operating costs while the block reward remains fixed at 3.125 BTC after the April 2024 halving.

Hashprice Plunges: Financial Pressure on Miners

Despite the new all-time high hashrate, the average revenue per Exahash (hashprice) — a measure of miners’ daily earnings per unit of computing power — has dropped to an all-time low of around $42.40/EH/s. The decline is due to a number of factors: Bitcoin network transaction fees are currently low, Bitcoin’s price has not increased in line with mining costs, and the network difficulty has increased, reducing profitability.

With hash prices at this level, many miners, especially those using older equipment like the Antminer S19 or operating in regions with high electricity costs, are at risk of losing money. The halving of block rewards after the 2024 halving has already put a lot of pressure on profit margins, and the current drop in hash prices is making the situation worse. Some small miners may be forced to shut down or sell off equipment to cut losses, while large companies like Marathon Digital or Riot Platforms – which have hashrate in the tens of EH/s – can use their scale and efficiency to weather the storm.

Impact on the mining industry and future prospects

This event highlights a paradox in the Bitcoin mining industry: the network is becoming more powerful and secure, but miners’ profitability is under threat. The rising hashrate is not only a result of fierce competition among miners, but also reflects the industrialization of the industry, with the participation of large corporations and abundant capital. However, if the hashprice remains low without a recovery in Bitcoin price or transaction fees, the mining industry could see a restructuring: small miners are eliminated, while the “big guys” consolidate their positions.

In the long term, the 1 ZH/s milestone is a positive sign for Bitcoin, confirming its position as one of the most powerful computing networks in the world. If the Bitcoin price rebounds – for example, if it crosses the $100,000 threshold as some analysts expect – or if transaction activity on the network increases (which leads to higher transaction fees), the financial pressure on miners will be alleviated. Conversely, if the market continues to be depressed, the hashrate may temporarily decrease as inefficient miners leave the game, leading to a reverse adjustment in the mining difficulty.

Conclude

Bitcoin reaching a hashrate of 1 ZH/s is a historic step, a testament to the maturity of the network and confidence in the future of cryptocurrencies. However, it also exposes the inherent challenges of the mining industry amid rising costs and declining profits. For the Bitcoin community, this is a time to watch closely: will the resilience of the network be enough to push the market value up, or will this be a harsh purge for miners? The answer could shape the direction of Bitcoin in the coming months.