QuickBreakdown
- Bitcoin seven-day average hashrate hits 993 EH/s, lowest since mid-September 2025.
- Decline of 15% from recent peak; miners pivot to AI amid power competition.
- Network security holds steady despite a drop, with no immediate risks flagged.
Bitcoin’s network hashrate has fallen to its lowest level since September 2025, dipping below 1,000 EH/s for the first time in four months as miners redirect resources to high-profit AI computing. Data from Hashrate Index shows the seven-day average at approximately 993 EH/s, down nearly 15% from the October 2025 peak of 1,157 EH/s. Bitcoin miners are shifting electricity to AI and high-performance computing for better margins, according to StandardHash CEO Leon Lyu.
Bitcoin Hashrate Alert: A Shift in the Mining Landscape 📉
For the first time since Sept 2025, BTC’s 7-day average hashrate has fallen below 1 ZH/s. A -4.34% difficulty adjustment is expected in ~3 days.
What’s driving the exodus? 🧵
1️⃣ The AI Pivot: Major mining firms are… pic.twitter.com/hg8O8xBIkx
— Leon Lyu (@LeonLyuLv) January 19, 2026
Mining facilities are being repurposed to support data-centre operations due to persistent pressure on miner profitability, making AI compute an attractive, stabilizing alternative. Lyu notes that reported hashrate figures might be low, suggesting major manufacturer Bitmain could be deploying hardware privately.
Miners chase AI profits, spark hashrate slide
The profitability of Bitcoin mining is currently under significant strain as surging demand for AI computing is driving up electricity costs to levels miners cannot afford. This pressure is compounded by the fact that Bitcoin’s price is fluctuating between $80,000 and $90,000, a notable drop from its 2025 peak near $110,000, which is further tightening miner margins.
Consequently, the Bitcoin hashrate has fallen to a four-month low, currently registered at approximately 981 EH/s. This decline reverses the record highs seen in late 2025 and persists despite recent increases in the spot BTC price, which have not been enough to incentivize miners to reactivate their operations.
Network resilience persists, future trends unclear
Despite the near-term hashrate dip resulting from the pivot towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) power utilization, prominent crypto figure Arthur Hayes predicts that Bitcoin will nonetheless hit new all-time highs in 2026. He argues that the sustained, long-term rally in Bitcoin is contingent not on mining fluctuations but primarily on the expansion of US dollar liquidity, which solidifies Bitcoin’s value proposition as a premier digital hedge against ongoing fiat currency debasement and inflation.
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