Bitcoin Miners Maintain Profitability Despite Record Difficulty Hike

Generated by AI AgentCoin World
Friday, Sep 19, 2025 5:34 am ET1min read
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- Bitcoin mining difficulty hit a record 136.04 T in late August 2025, with a projected 2.71% increase to 139.72 T on September 18, driven by rising hashrate and advanced ASIC adoption.

- Miners maintain profitability despite rising costs ($98,596 production vs. $111,530 price), though high-electricity operators face margin risks if prices fall below $100,000.

- Regulatory actions include U.S. DOJ crypto forfeiture efforts and Kyrgyzstan’s Bitcoin reserve plans, while institutional ETF inflows and corporate treasury purchases support price stability.

- A potential $95,000–$100,000 price correction could trigger weaker miner exits, but institutional adoption and stable Puell Multiple (1.20–1.21) indicate a resilient mining ecosystem.

Bitcoin mining difficulty surged by 4.89% to 136.04 T in late August 2025, marking a new historical highBitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1]. This adjustment followed a steady increase in the

Bitcoin
network’s hashrate, which reached 1.04 ZH/s as of September 12, 2025Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits New High as …[4]. The difficulty is projected to rise further by 2.71% on September 18, bringing the adjusted level to 139.72 TBitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1]. These changes reflect heightened global miner activity, driven by the deployment of next-generation ASIC hardware and improved energy efficiencyBitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits New High as …[4].

The rising difficulty has intensified competition among miners, with operational costs and energy consumption climbing in tandem. According to MacroMicro modeling, Bitcoin’s unit production cost stood at $98,596 as of September 9, 2025, while the spot price hovered at $111,530Bitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1]. This $13,000 premium ensures profitability for miners, particularly those leveraging low-cost electricity (e.g., regions with hydro or wind power). However, operators with electricity costs exceeding $0.08/kWh face margin compression, potentially triggering shutdowns if prices dip below $100,000Bitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1].

Network security has also strengthened, with the Puell Multiple—a metric measuring miner profitability—remaining stable at 1.20–1.21Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits New High as …[4]. This range indicates a healthy mining ecosystem, far from extreme bubble signals. Meanwhile, the on-chain indicator suggests miners remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s mid-to-long-term price trajectory, despite short-term volatilityBitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits New High as …[4].

Regulatory developments further shaped the landscape. The U.S. Department of Justice pursued forfeiture of Bitcoin stolen in SIM swap attacks, while the Hong Kong Monetary Authority proposed a crypto asset classification frameworkBitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1]. Additionally, Kyrgyzstan announced plans to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve, aligning with global trends of institutional adoptionBitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1].

Looking ahead, the September 18 difficulty adjustment will temporarily elevate production costs. If Bitcoin’s price remains above $110,000, the mining sector is expected to stay resilient. However, a prolonged correction to the $95,000–$100,000 range could force weaker miners to exit, potentially causing a temporary hashrate declineBitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits New High as …[4]. Analysts note that institutional investors continue to allocate capital to Bitcoin, with ETF inflows and corporate treasury purchases providing upward supportBitcoin Mining Weekly Report from September 06 to September 12[1].