Will Bitcoin mining difficulty decrease for the first time in 2026? Can miners finally breathe a sigh of relief?

【Crypto World】Bitcoin mining difficulty slightly decreased to 146.4 trillion during its first adjustment in 2026, providing a breather for miners who have battled for a year. Lowering costs and improving efficiency, this year has been challenging for the entire industry.

But don’t celebrate too early — the block time has already exceeded 10 minutes. According to protocol rules, the next adjustment on January 22 is expected to push the difficulty back to around 148.2 trillion.

It seems that difficulty is still hovering at a high level, reflecting the aftereffects of the 2024 halving event. Miners are indeed having a tough time; profitability indicators like hash rate prices have fallen below sustainable levels. The short-term difficulty decrease is more of a buffer than a shift. The entire mining ecosystem still needs to adapt to this new normal of high difficulty and low profits.