btcminingdifficultyincrease

#btcminingdifficultyincrease While the $BTC bitcoin price struggles to regain its peaks, the network itself shows robust health. The mining difficulty has just recorded its largest increase since 2021, a paradox worth examining.
✨In brief
Bitcoin mining difficulty jumped 15%, reaching 144.4 T, its largest increase since 2021.
The hashrate rose back to 1 ZH/s, after falling to 826 EH/s following a winter storm in the United States.
Hashprice remains at a historic low level, around $23.9 per PH/s, squeezing miners’ margins.
Several listed mining companies are pivoting to AI, which weighs on available computing power.
✨Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Explodes by 15%
This is a surprising figure. On February 18, 2025, the Bitcoin network recorded a difficulty adjustment of +15%, raising it to 144.4 trillion (T). An increase the network hadn’t seen since 2021, precisely since the famous post-ban adjustment of mining in China, which then pushed difficulty up by 22%.
This adjustment comes directly after an 11.16% drop recorded in early February. At that time, Winter Storm Fern swept across 34 U.S. states, forcing major operators to shut down their machines.
Foundry USA lost up to 60% of its hashing power in a few hours. As a result: the network’s global hashrate plunged from 1.1 ZH/s, its peak reached in October during bitcoin’s record at about $126,500, down to 826 EH/s.
Since then, the situation has normalized. The hashrate bounced back to 1 ZH/s, and the bitcoin price stabilized around $67,000. The network therefore adjusted mechanically upwards, as it is designed to do every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks.
✨Miners Under Pressure, but the Network Remains Strong
This spectacular rebound nonetheless masks deep tensions. The hashprice, the estimated daily income per unit of computing power, stagnates at its lowest level in several years, around $23.9 per PH/s. Concretely, mining bitcoin has never been so unprofitable in proportion to the effort provided.

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Home » News » Crypto News
Bitcoin Difficulty Jumps 15% Despite Falling Prices
Fri 20 Feb 2026 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Fenelon L.
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Bitcoin (BTC)
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While the bitcoin price struggles to regain its peaks, the network itself shows robust health. The mining difficulty has just recorded its largest increase since 2021, a paradox worth examining.
Determined miner adjusts red-hot Bitcoin machines, while a 15% orange explosion occurs despite a sharply declining black graph.
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In brief
Bitcoin mining difficulty jumped 15%, reaching 144.4 T, its largest increase since 2021.
The hashrate rose back to 1 ZH/s, after falling to 826 EH/s following a winter storm in the United States.
Hashprice remains at a historic low level, around $23.9 per PH/s, squeezing miners’ margins.
Several listed mining companies are pivoting to AI, which weighs on available computing power.
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Explodes by 15%
This is a surprising figure. On February 18, 2025, the Bitcoin network recorded a difficulty adjustment of +15%, raising it to 144.4 trillion (T). An increase the network hadn’t seen since 2021, precisely since the famous post-ban adjustment of mining in China, which then pushed difficulty up by 22%.
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This adjustment comes directly after an 11.16% drop recorded in early February. At that time, Winter Storm Fern swept across 34 U.S. states, forcing major operators to shut down their machines.
Foundry USA lost up to 60% of its hashing power in a few hours. As a result: the network’s global hashrate plunged from 1.1 ZH/s, its peak reached in October during bitcoin’s record at about $126,500, down to 826 EH/s.
Since then, the situation has normalized. The hashrate bounced back to 1 ZH/s, and the bitcoin price stabilized around $67,000. The network therefore adjusted mechanically upwards, as it is designed to do every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks.
✨Miners Under Pressure, but the Network Remains Strong
This spectacular rebound nonetheless masks deep tensions. The hashprice, the estimated daily income per unit of computing power, stagnates at its lowest level in several years, around $23.9 per PH/s. Concretely, mining bitcoin has never been so unprofitable in proportion to the effort provided.
In this context, small operators without access to cheap electricity are the first to be sacrificed. They turn off their machines, which contributes to the drops in hashrate observed in recent months.
On the other hand, large well-capitalized entities hold firm. The United Arab Emirates, for example, show nearly $344 million in unrealized mining profits, proof that access to energy remains the real competitive advantage.
Adding to this is a worrying trend: several publicly traded mining companies are redirecting their resources toward artificial intelligence. Bitfarms recently changed its name to erase any reference to Bitcoin.
Riot Platforms is under pressure from activist fund Starboard, which pushes for expansion into AI data centers. These pivots drain Bitcoin network computing power in the long term.
The 15% increase in difficulty sends a clear message: the Bitcoin network remains robust, able to absorb weather shocks, price collapses, and strategic reversals from its main actors. This is precisely what Satoshi Nakamoto designed.
However, behind this technical solidity lies a more nuanced economic reality: mining bitcoin in 2026 is a sport for the wealthy, reserved for those with the cheapest energy and the strongest balance sheets. The rest will have to choose between resisting… or pivoting.

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$BTC 🟠 Why Some Traders Think the $BTC “Breakout” Is a Liquidity Grab
1️⃣ What Is a Liquidity Grab?
A liquidity grab happens when price pushes above a key resistance level to trigger:
Stop-losses from short sellers
FOMO market buys
Breakout traders entering late
Smart money uses that liquidity to sell into strength, then price reverses.
2️⃣ Signs This Could Be a Fake Breakout
If you’re referring to a potential trap on Bitcoin, traders usually watch for:
❌ Weak volume on breakout
❌ No strong daily close above resistance
❌ RSI bearish divergence
❌ Quick rejection wick after breakout
❌ Funding rates getting overheated
If price breaks resistance and instantly pulls back under it — that’s classic stop-hunt behavior.
3️⃣ Why It Still Might Be Real
Let’s stay balanced:
✅ Strong weekly structure
✅ Institutional ETF inflows
✅ Higher timeframe bullish trend
✅ Supply absorption at resistance
Sometimes what looks like a liquidity grab on lower timeframes is just consolidation before expansion.
🔥 How to Trade It Smart (Instead of Guessing)
Instead of saying “don’t buy,” smarter strategy is:
Wait for retest confirmation
Enter on support reclaim
Use invalidation levels
Don’t chase green candles
Breakouts are either:
📈 Expansion phase
🪤 Bull trap
Confirmation separates pros from retail.

📊 Crypto Market Pulse — BTC, ETH, SOL & DOGE (Feb 2026)
1) 🟠 Bitcoin (BTC) — Still the Market King
Bitcoin is trading around mid-$60K to high-$60K, struggling to reclaim the $70,000+ level after recent rallies. Some short-term gains happened after legislative optimism, but overall momentum is mixed and cautious. �
Barron's +1
Possible Moves: 🔹 If BTC holds $65K support, we could see a bounce back toward $70K–$72K.
🔹 A break below $65K risks a deeper correction toward $60K–$62K.
🔹 Macro data (like U.S. inflation & Fed policy) will heavily sway BTC direction.
Bullish Trigger: BTC reclaiming $70K with steady volume could ignite altcoin strength.
Bearish Risk: Weak macro catalysts could push BTC into consolidation.
2) 🟣 Ethereum (ETH) — Tech Core Under Pressure
ETH has dipped below $2,000, reflecting profit-taking and consolidation after recent rallies. � Demand remains tied to DeFi and network activity, but short-term sentiment is cautious.
The Economic Times
Possible Moves: 🔹 If $1,900–$1,950 holds, ETH might rebound to $2,100+.
🔹 A breakdown signals possible move toward $1,800–$1,850.
Bullish Trigger: Renewed DeFi activity or shake-out could attract buyers back.
Bearish Risk: Strong resistance above $2,000 keeps ETH rangebound in the short term.
3) 🔵 Solana (SOL) — Altcoin Engine Still Alive
Solana has historically seen strong attention due to its fast network and growing decentralized activity. Recent metrics show high transaction volume and developer growth, making SOL one of the altcoin market leaders. �
Mudrex +1
Possible Moves: 🔹 Upside: If SOL flips near-term resistance and shows rising volume, it can outperform BTC/ETH moves.
🔹 Downside: Like all majors, SOL reacts to broader fear-driven selloffs; weak market means volatility persists.
Bullish Trigger: A breakout above key resistance zones with rising DeFi metrics would attract trend traders.
Bearish Risk: Weak macro + low volume could keep SOL stuck in consolidation.
4) 🐶 Dogecoin (DOGE) — Meme Coin Sentiment Play
DOGE currently floats near low-volatility levels, heavily sentiment-driven rather than fundamental. Its price can spike from social attention, viral movements, or renewed retail inflows. �
sergeytereshkin.com
Possible Moves: 🔹 Upside: Community rallies or breakout on BTC/crypto optimism could send DOGE higher.
🔹 Downside: Without strong market catalysts, DOGE might stay sideways and risk sharp corrections.
Bullish Trigger: Meme hype, celebrity moments, or listings can fuel short squeezes.
Bearish Risk: High fragility — rapid selloffs if momentum fades.
🧠 Overall Market Sentiment
🔹 Sentiment remains cautious to fear-driven, with investors waiting for macro catalysts (PCE data, Fed policy). �
🔹 Higher volume + rebounds are key signals to watch before declaring a fresh bull run.
🔹 Altcoins (especially SOL) may outperform if BTC stabilizes.
Barron's
📌 Key Levels & What They Mean
Asset
Key Support
Key Resistance
Next Move Signal
BTC
$65,000
$70,000
Break above = bullish; Break below = range shift
ETH
~$1,900
~$2,100
Hold support = short squeeze; Fail = deeper test
SOL
depends on recent swing lows
major resistance zones
Better volume = alt gain
DOGE
lower pivot zones
social/hype peaks
sentiment drive
🧲 Call-to-Action (High Engagement)
👉 BTC/ETH weakness right now means smart traders watch support rebounds for altcoin entries.
👉 SOL & DOGE could explode if BTC stabilizes and fear eases.
👉 Post this with actionable alerts like:
🔹 “Watch SOL if it flips this resistance…”
🔹 “DOGE space heating up — could run fast.”
⚠️ Reminder: Crypto markets are volatile. Always DYOR before trading or investing.$BTC
$ETH
$SOL
#TokenizedRealEstate #WhenWillCLARITYActPass #PredictionMarketsCFTCBacking #BTCMiningDifficultyIncrease

⬆️ The chart you're sharing captures the classic Bitcoin cycle pattern that has repeated across multiple halvings

From the $20K bottom in the 2022 bear market, we saw the explosive climb past the previous all-time high of ~$69K, peaking around $120K+ in the recent bull run (as marked on your graph)

Now, in early 2026, Bitcoin trades around $67,000–$68,000 after a notable -13.8% monthly drop, sitting in what many view as a consolidation or correction phase post-peak

This setup mirrors historical "history repeats" behavior in prior cycles:

Post-2017 peak (~$20K cycle top) → deep bear → accumulation → 2020–2021 bull to $69K

Post-2021 peak → 2022 bear to ~$16K–$20K → 2024–2025 bull to $120K+ territory

The green trendline and arrows suggest we're potentially entering (or already in) the buildup toward the next major leg up, fueled by the upcoming 2028 halving (expected around March–April 2028, reducing block rewards to 1.5625 BTC)

Halvings historically catalyze supply shocks that — combined with growing demand from institutions, ETFs, potential nation-state adoption, and macro tailwinds — drive parabolic moves

Are you ready for another run?

Absolutely — if the cycle thesis holds

Bitcoin has never failed to deliver a new all-time high cycle after each halving

The current dip from $120K highs looks like a healthy reset (similar to mid-cycle corrections in 2017 or 2021), not a cycle-ender

Volume remains solid, on-chain metrics show accumulation by long-term holders, and macro factors (like persistent inflation concerns and fiat debasement) continue favoring hard assets like BTC. The question isn't if another major run comes — it's when and how explosive

Many analysts expect the real fireworks in 2027–2028 leading into and after the halving, with diminishing but still significant returns compared to early cycles

What do I think BTC price could be in 2028?

Predictions vary wildly because cycles get more mature and volatile as market cap grows, but here's a realistic range based on patterns and forecasts:Conservative scenario (~2–3x from current levels): $150,000–$250,000

This assumes tempered gains, regulatory headwinds, or macro slowdowns — still a strong outcome

Base/moderate case (historical cycle average adjusted for maturity): $300,000–$500,000

Aligns with many post-halving targets, power-law models, and continued institutional inflow.
Bullish/outlier views (echoing voices like Arthur Hayes): $750,000–$1,000,000+. Hayes has repeatedly called $1M by 2028, tied to aggressive monetary policy, potential U.S. strategic reserves, and fiat system pressures

Extreme stock-to-flow extensions even float higher, but $1M would require perfect storm conditions.

My personal lean?

Somewhere between $350,000–$600,000 by end of 2028 feels plausible if the halving ignites another strong bull phase and adoption accelerates (especially politically). We're likely midway through this supercycle — the "?" on your chart could resolve much higher than $120K before the next bear

The key: stay disciplined, manage risk, and remember Bitcoin rewards patience through volatility. History hasn't broken yet — are you positioned for the next leg?

#BTCMiningDifficultyIncrease #TrumpNewTariffs #MarketCorrection #Market_Update

$BTC