btcminingdifficultyincrease

#btcminingdifficultyincrease While the $BTC bitcoin price struggles to regain its peaks, the network itself shows robust health. The mining difficulty has just recorded its largest increase since 2021, a paradox worth examining.
✨In brief
Bitcoin mining difficulty jumped 15%, reaching 144.4 T, its largest increase since 2021.
The hashrate rose back to 1 ZH/s, after falling to 826 EH/s following a winter storm in the United States.
Hashprice remains at a historic low level, around $23.9 per PH/s, squeezing miners’ margins.
Several listed mining companies are pivoting to AI, which weighs on available computing power.
✨Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Explodes by 15%
This is a surprising figure. On February 18, 2025, the Bitcoin network recorded a difficulty adjustment of +15%, raising it to 144.4 trillion (T). An increase the network hadn’t seen since 2021, precisely since the famous post-ban adjustment of mining in China, which then pushed difficulty up by 22%.
This adjustment comes directly after an 11.16% drop recorded in early February. At that time, Winter Storm Fern swept across 34 U.S. states, forcing major operators to shut down their machines.
Foundry USA lost up to 60% of its hashing power in a few hours. As a result: the network’s global hashrate plunged from 1.1 ZH/s, its peak reached in October during bitcoin’s record at about $126,500, down to 826 EH/s.
Since then, the situation has normalized. The hashrate bounced back to 1 ZH/s, and the bitcoin price stabilized around $67,000. The network therefore adjusted mechanically upwards, as it is designed to do every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks.
✨Miners Under Pressure, but the Network Remains Strong
This spectacular rebound nonetheless masks deep tensions. The hashprice, the estimated daily income per unit of computing power, stagnates at its lowest level in several years, around $23.9 per PH/s. Concretely, mining bitcoin has never been so unprofitable in proportion to the effort provided.

Lien copié
Home » News » Crypto News
Bitcoin Difficulty Jumps 15% Despite Falling Prices
Fri 20 Feb 2026 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Fenelon L.
Getting informed
▪
Bitcoin (BTC)
Summarize this article with:
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Grok
While the bitcoin price struggles to regain its peaks, the network itself shows robust health. The mining difficulty has just recorded its largest increase since 2021, a paradox worth examining.
Determined miner adjusts red-hot Bitcoin machines, while a 15% orange explosion occurs despite a sharply declining black graph.
Read us on Google News
In brief
Bitcoin mining difficulty jumped 15%, reaching 144.4 T, its largest increase since 2021.
The hashrate rose back to 1 ZH/s, after falling to 826 EH/s following a winter storm in the United States.
Hashprice remains at a historic low level, around $23.9 per PH/s, squeezing miners’ margins.
Several listed mining companies are pivoting to AI, which weighs on available computing power.
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Explodes by 15%
This is a surprising figure. On February 18, 2025, the Bitcoin network recorded a difficulty adjustment of +15%, raising it to 144.4 trillion (T). An increase the network hadn’t seen since 2021, precisely since the famous post-ban adjustment of mining in China, which then pushed difficulty up by 22%.
Your 1st cryptos with Bitpanda
This link uses an affiliate program.
This adjustment comes directly after an 11.16% drop recorded in early February. At that time, Winter Storm Fern swept across 34 U.S. states, forcing major operators to shut down their machines.
Foundry USA lost up to 60% of its hashing power in a few hours. As a result: the network’s global hashrate plunged from 1.1 ZH/s, its peak reached in October during bitcoin’s record at about $126,500, down to 826 EH/s.
Since then, the situation has normalized. The hashrate bounced back to 1 ZH/s, and the bitcoin price stabilized around $67,000. The network therefore adjusted mechanically upwards, as it is designed to do every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks.
✨Miners Under Pressure, but the Network Remains Strong
This spectacular rebound nonetheless masks deep tensions. The hashprice, the estimated daily income per unit of computing power, stagnates at its lowest level in several years, around $23.9 per PH/s. Concretely, mining bitcoin has never been so unprofitable in proportion to the effort provided.
In this context, small operators without access to cheap electricity are the first to be sacrificed. They turn off their machines, which contributes to the drops in hashrate observed in recent months.
On the other hand, large well-capitalized entities hold firm. The United Arab Emirates, for example, show nearly $344 million in unrealized mining profits, proof that access to energy remains the real competitive advantage.
Adding to this is a worrying trend: several publicly traded mining companies are redirecting their resources toward artificial intelligence. Bitfarms recently changed its name to erase any reference to Bitcoin.
Riot Platforms is under pressure from activist fund Starboard, which pushes for expansion into AI data centers. These pivots drain Bitcoin network computing power in the long term.
The 15% increase in difficulty sends a clear message: the Bitcoin network remains robust, able to absorb weather shocks, price collapses, and strategic reversals from its main actors. This is precisely what Satoshi Nakamoto designed.
However, behind this technical solidity lies a more nuanced economic reality: mining bitcoin in 2026 is a sport for the wealthy, reserved for those with the cheapest energy and the strongest balance sheets. The rest will have to choose between resisting… or pivoting.

🚀🚀🚀 FOLLOW BE_MASTER BUY_SMART 💰💰💰
Appreciate the work. 😍 Thank You. 👍 FOLLOW BeMaster BuySmart 🚀 TO FIND OUT MORE $$$$$ 🤩 BE MASTER BUY SMART 💰🤩
🚀🚀🚀 PLEASE CLICK FOLLOW BE MASTER BUY SMART - Thank You.

$BTC 🟠 Why Some Traders Think the $BTC “Breakout” Is a Liquidity Grab
1️⃣ What Is a Liquidity Grab?
A liquidity grab happens when price pushes above a key resistance level to trigger:
Stop-losses from short sellers
FOMO market buys
Breakout traders entering late
Smart money uses that liquidity to sell into strength, then price reverses.
2️⃣ Signs This Could Be a Fake Breakout
If you’re referring to a potential trap on Bitcoin, traders usually watch for:
❌ Weak volume on breakout
❌ No strong daily close above resistance
❌ RSI bearish divergence
❌ Quick rejection wick after breakout
❌ Funding rates getting overheated
If price breaks resistance and instantly pulls back under it — that’s classic stop-hunt behavior.
3️⃣ Why It Still Might Be Real
Let’s stay balanced:
✅ Strong weekly structure
✅ Institutional ETF inflows
✅ Higher timeframe bullish trend
✅ Supply absorption at resistance
Sometimes what looks like a liquidity grab on lower timeframes is just consolidation before expansion.
🔥 How to Trade It Smart (Instead of Guessing)
Instead of saying “don’t buy,” smarter strategy is:
Wait for retest confirmation
Enter on support reclaim
Use invalidation levels
Don’t chase green candles
Breakouts are either:
📈 Expansion phase
🪤 Bull trap
Confirmation separates pros from retail.

⬆️ The chart you're sharing captures the classic Bitcoin cycle pattern that has repeated across multiple halvings

From the $20K bottom in the 2022 bear market, we saw the explosive climb past the previous all-time high of ~$69K, peaking around $120K+ in the recent bull run (as marked on your graph)

Now, in early 2026, Bitcoin trades around $67,000–$68,000 after a notable -13.8% monthly drop, sitting in what many view as a consolidation or correction phase post-peak

This setup mirrors historical "history repeats" behavior in prior cycles:

Post-2017 peak (~$20K cycle top) → deep bear → accumulation → 2020–2021 bull to $69K

Post-2021 peak → 2022 bear to ~$16K–$20K → 2024–2025 bull to $120K+ territory

The green trendline and arrows suggest we're potentially entering (or already in) the buildup toward the next major leg up, fueled by the upcoming 2028 halving (expected around March–April 2028, reducing block rewards to 1.5625 BTC)

Halvings historically catalyze supply shocks that — combined with growing demand from institutions, ETFs, potential nation-state adoption, and macro tailwinds — drive parabolic moves

Are you ready for another run?

Absolutely — if the cycle thesis holds

Bitcoin has never failed to deliver a new all-time high cycle after each halving

The current dip from $120K highs looks like a healthy reset (similar to mid-cycle corrections in 2017 or 2021), not a cycle-ender

Volume remains solid, on-chain metrics show accumulation by long-term holders, and macro factors (like persistent inflation concerns and fiat debasement) continue favoring hard assets like BTC. The question isn't if another major run comes — it's when and how explosive

Many analysts expect the real fireworks in 2027–2028 leading into and after the halving, with diminishing but still significant returns compared to early cycles

What do I think BTC price could be in 2028?

Predictions vary wildly because cycles get more mature and volatile as market cap grows, but here's a realistic range based on patterns and forecasts:Conservative scenario (~2–3x from current levels): $150,000–$250,000

This assumes tempered gains, regulatory headwinds, or macro slowdowns — still a strong outcome

Base/moderate case (historical cycle average adjusted for maturity): $300,000–$500,000

Aligns with many post-halving targets, power-law models, and continued institutional inflow.
Bullish/outlier views (echoing voices like Arthur Hayes): $750,000–$1,000,000+. Hayes has repeatedly called $1M by 2028, tied to aggressive monetary policy, potential U.S. strategic reserves, and fiat system pressures

Extreme stock-to-flow extensions even float higher, but $1M would require perfect storm conditions.

My personal lean?

Somewhere between $350,000–$600,000 by end of 2028 feels plausible if the halving ignites another strong bull phase and adoption accelerates (especially politically). We're likely midway through this supercycle — the "?" on your chart could resolve much higher than $120K before the next bear

The key: stay disciplined, manage risk, and remember Bitcoin rewards patience through volatility. History hasn't broken yet — are you positioned for the next leg?

#BTCMiningDifficultyIncrease #TrumpNewTariffs #MarketCorrection #Market_Update

$BTC