Bitcoin Miner Capitulation Deepens with 19.9% Difficulty Decline

The Bitcoin mining industry has entered one of its longest periods of contraction, with a 19.9% decline in difficulty as of July 31.

This marks the third-deepest ASIC-era drawdown, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro.

Hashrate Index reports that the seven-day average hashrate stood near 868 exahashes per second on July 29, down from more than one zettahash per second at its late-2025 peak.

The decline in hashrate coincides with a low hashprice and expanding artificial-intelligence contracts globally.