Bitcoin Difficulty Adjustment May Bring Miners a 16% Lifeline
The upcoming Bitcoin difficulty adjustment is expected to bring some relief to miners, with an estimated 16% decrease in mining difficulty around July 26. However, this may not be enough to alleviate the pressure on the industry's largest companies, which are facing expensive power contracts, debt obligations, and strategic pressures.
According to data from Hashrate Index, the daily revenue for miners has recovered somewhat, standing at $30.88 per petahash per second (PH/s) on July 13, with a seven-day average of $30.39. However, this remains 37% below its peak near $49.40 in October 2025.
Bitcoin's protocol can automatically adjust the computational burden required to produce blocks, but it cannot renegotiate power contracts or refinance convertible notes. The industry is facing significant challenges, with some companies selling their BTC reserves and pivoting towards AI infrastructure.