Bitcoin's mining difficulty dropped by 2.3% on May 1, 2026, to 132.47 trillion (T), following a 2.43% decline on April 17. This marks the sixth downward adjustment in nine epochs this year, indicating persistent network weakness.
Hashrate Dips Below 1 ZH/s, Mining Pool Landscape Shifts
As of May 3, the network's hashrate fluctuated between 899 EH/s and 958 EH/s over the previous 24 hours, falling below the 1 Zettahash per second (ZH/s) threshold. The hashrate had briefly exceeded 1,000 EH/s (1 ZH/s) on April 19 but has since declined steadily. The lowered hashrate has extended block times to an average of 10 minutes and 28 seconds, slightly above the ideal 10-minute target.
Over the past week, 987 blocks were mined. Foundry USA led with 311 blocks (31.51%), followed by Antpool with 163 (16.51%) and ViaBTC with 102 (10.33%). Together, these three pools control 58.35% of total hashrate. According to miningpoolstats.stream, 115 distinct entities are currently contributing computational power to the Bitcoin network.
Hashprice Rebounds, Offering Temporary Relief
Despite the hashrate decline, the hashprice—a measure of daily revenue per PH/s—rose from $34.39 to $37.52, a 9.1% increase. This provides miners with a short-term income boost even as overall computational power contracts. However, the combination of slower blocks and higher hashprice creates an uncertain environment for miners.
Next Adjustment Window Ahead
With more than 1,800 blocks remaining before the next difficulty recalculation (estimated around May 17), the outcome hinges on whether hashrate stabilizes or continues to slide. If block production remains at the current pace, a third consecutive downward adjustment is possible. Meanwhile, some miners are increasingly pivoting to AI workloads, as seen in recent deals by firms like Terawulf, which signed $12.8 billion in AI contracts amid Bitcoin's 12% decline in 2026.