Bitcoin Mining Shifts Toward Cheaper Energy Sources Amidst Growing Pressure
The Bitcoin network has seen a decline in hashrate and mining difficulty in recent times, indicating growing pressure on miners.
In October 2025, the network's hashrate climbed above 1.1 EH/s, but it has since fallen to around 900 EH/s several times. Mining difficulty dropped by 11.16% in February 2026 and another 10.09% in June, with some miners shutting down operations.
Some of the largest mining companies are finding better returns elsewhere, such as in AI and HPC leasing. For instance, Core Scientific reported a negative 56% gross margin from self-mining in the second quarter, while its data-center colocation business generated nearly $80 million in gross profit.
The competition for premium power is becoming increasingly intense, with AI hardware and Bitcoin mining machines not being interchangeable. However, this does not mean that AI will push out Bitcoin miners entirely; instead, it may shift the industry toward cheaper, intermittent, or stranded energy sources.