Bitcoin Hashrate Falls Below 1 Zettahash Threshold After Four-Month Run

Bitcoin's network hashrate plummeted below 1 zettahash per second for the first time since mid-September 2025, dropping to 988 exahash per second based on seven-day moving averages. This decline marks a 15% erosion from the October 19 peak of 1,162 EH/s, according to Hashrate Index data.

The mining difficulty retreated to 146.47 trillion following a 1.2% downward adjustment January 8, marking the network's first recalibration of 2026 after reaching an all-time high of 155.97 trillion in late October.

Hashprice, measuring revenue per petahash of computational power, rebounded 19.3% from November 21's $34.55 low to current levels near $41.22, though profitability remains 32% lower year-over-year as miners navigate post-halving economics.