On Dec. 10, 2023, Bitcoin (BTC) mining difficulty decreased by 0.96% with an average hashrate at 462.60 EH/s.
The decrease in mining difficulty occurred against the backdrop of a drawdown in the Bitcoin price. On the night of Dec. 11, the price dropped to $40,500.
This is the first reduction in mining difficulty since mid-September 2023, according to BTC.com. A change in this indicator directly affects the date of the halving, which is expected in April 2024.
The last change in the indicator occurred on Nov. 26, 2023. It showed an increase of 5.07% compared to the previous value. The hash rate was 480.85 EH/s.
The next change in mining difficulty will tentatively take place on Dec. 23, 2023. The forecast is a reduction of 0.12%, according to BTC.com.
Notably, since mid-September, the average hashrate on the Bitcoin network has been growing almost constantly. A PlanB expert stated that this is due to ETF issuers.
According to the analyst, large companies who buy Bitcoins directly from miners impact price, and transactions are often mired in a corresponding increase in hash rate.
Source: https://crypto.news/bitcoin-mining-difficulty-declined-for-first-time-since-september/