Will Bitcoin mining difficulty decrease for the first time in 2026? Can miners finally breathe a sigh of relief?

2026-01-11 13:21:40

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【Crypto World】Bitcoin mining difficulty slightly decreased to 146.4 trillion during its first adjustment in 2026, providing a breather for miners who have battled for a year. Lowering costs and improving efficiency, this year has been challenging for the entire industry.

But don’t celebrate too early — the block time has already exceeded 10 minutes. According to protocol rules, the next adjustment on January 22 is expected to push the difficulty back to around 148.2 trillion.

It seems that difficulty is still hovering at a high level, reflecting the aftereffects of the 2024 halving event. Miners are indeed having a tough time; profitability indicators like hash rate prices have fallen below sustainable levels. The short-term difficulty decrease is more of a buffer than a shift. The entire mining ecosystem still needs to adapt to this new normal of high difficulty and low profits.

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OnchainGossiper

· 11h ago

Difficulty plunges again and then bounces back, the speed of this rebound is incredible... Miners are really riding a roller coaster

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AirdropHunterXiao

· 01-11 13:51

The difficulty is going up again. This decline is really just a temporary rebound; miners still have to hold on tough.

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SignatureVerifier

· 01-11 13:46

technically speaking, that difficulty bounce-back in like what, 72 hours? classic bait-and-relief pattern. miners getting played by protocol mechanics again...

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DeFiDoctor

· 01-11 13:43

A difficulty rebound is not surprising at all. The diagnostic records show that this wave is a "false recovery." Falling below 146.4 trillion and wanting to take a break? The protocol doesn't give this chance; on January 22nd, it will have to push back up to 148.2... Isn't this just a cycle of torment?

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0xSleepDeprived

· 01-11 13:36

Difficulty dropped in vain, and then had to surge back up. Miners are really incredible.

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