Bitcoin's network difficulty underwent its second consecutive downward adjustment on May 1, 2026, at block height 947520, decreasing by 2.3%. This follows a 2.43% drop on April 17, marking the sixth difficulty reduction in 2026 out of nine epochs. The current difficulty stands at 132.47 trillion, and the next adjustment is expected around May 17.
Hashrate Dips Below 1 ZH/s, Block Times Lengthen
As of May 3, the network's estimated hashrate fluctuated between 899 EH/s and 958 EH/s over the past 24 hours. While hashrate briefly exceeded 1,000 EH/s (1 ZH/s) earlier in April, it began declining on April 19. At the time of the adjustment, hashrate was approximately 899 EH/s. The average block interval has stretched to 10 minutes and 28 seconds, slightly above the ideal 10 minutes, indicating slower processing.
Hashprice Rises, Miners See Short-Term Gains
Despite the declining hashrate, the hashprice (revenue per PH/s) increased from $34.39 to $37.52, offering miners a modest improvement in unit economics. This boost may be attributed to stable network fees and block subsidies. However, overall computational power continues to trend downward, and miners face margin pressure if Bitcoin's price remains weak.
Mining Pool Concentration: Top Three Pools Control 58.35%
In the last seven days, 987 blocks were mined. Foundry USA led with 311 blocks (31.51%), followed by Antpool with 163 blocks (16.51%) and ViaBTC with 102 blocks (10.33%). Collectively, these three pools represent 58.35% of the network's total hashrate. Meanwhile, according to Miningpoolstats.stream, 115 distinct entities or pools currently contribute hashrate to Bitcoin.
Outlook
With over 1,800 blocks remaining before the next difficulty window, the network's trajectory remains uncertain. If hashrate fails to recover, further downward adjustments could occur, potentially improving hashprice again. However, headwinds persist: Bitcoin's price has dropped roughly 12% year-to-date in 2026, prompting some mining firms to pivot toward AI data centers for revenue diversification. Market participants await clarity on hashrate stabilization and block time normalization in the coming weeks.