Bitcoin Difficulty Falls 2.3% as Hashrate Slips Below 1 ZH/s and Block Times Slow

Key Takeaways:

• Bitcoin trouble fell 2.3% connected May 1, marking 6 cuts successful 2026 arsenic hashrate dipped beneath 1 ZH/s.
• Over the past 7 days, Foundry USA mined 31.51% of 987 blocks, and with Antpool and ViaBTC combined, it pushes the 3 pools’ stock to 58.35%.
• Hashprice roseate to $37.52/PH/s arsenic artifact times deed 10:28, with different trouble accommodation eyed astir May 17.

Bitcoin Adjustment astatine Block 947520 Cuts Difficulty 2.3%

The network’s computational power connected Sunday, May 3, 2026, has ranged betwixt 899 exahash per 2nd (EH/s) and 958 EH/s implicit the past 24 hours. Not agelong ago, the hashrate exceeded 1,000 EH/s, equivalent to a azygous ZH/s, but began drifting little connected April 19. When the difficulty adjusted astatine artifact tallness 947520, the hashrate was coasting on astatine astir 899 EH/s.

The May 1 accommodation represents the network’s sixth simplification of 2026 retired of 9 full epochs. After the latest change, trouble stands astatine 132.47 trillion, and this level is expected to clasp until connected oregon astir May 17.

Bitcoin web hashrate according to hashrateindex.com connected May 3, 2026. One-month presumption via the seven-day elemental moving mean (SMA).

What stands retired successful the latest hashrate dip and trouble accommodation is that the network’s hashprice climbed from a regular complaint of $34.39 per petahash per 2nd (PH/s) to $37.52 per PH/s. Miner net improved during this stretch, yet wide computational powerfulness continued to drift little from mid-April done the contiguous period.

Block intervals person lengthened, and adjacent aft the erstwhile day’s epoch adjustment, they stay somewhat down schedule. The mean artifact clip connected May 3 stood astatine astir 10 minutes 28 seconds. If that tempo persists, different downward accommodation could materialize connected May 17, though it remains premature to gully steadfast conclusions.

Miners inactive person much than 1,800 blocks near to process earlier that point, leaving ample country for conditions to shift. Over the past week, 987 blocks were produced, with Foundry USA accounting for 311, oregon 31.51%.

Just behind, Antpool uncovered astir 163 blocks, representing astir 16.51% of past week’s total. In 3rd place, ViaBTC identified 102 blocks, securing 10.33% of the network’s full hashrate.

Together, these 3 mining pools relationship for 58.35% of the network’s full hashrate. Meanwhile, miningpoolstats.stream information reports that 115 chiseled entities oregon pools are presently contributing computational powerfulness to the Bitcoin network.

As the adjacent accommodation model approaches, miners are navigating a constrictive corridor wherever improved hashprice offers relief, but softer hashrate and slower blocks present uncertainty.

With much than 1,800 blocks remaining and conditions inactive successful flux, the network’s trajectory into mid-May volition beryllium connected whether computational powerfulness stabilizes oregon continues its gradual retreat successful the days ahead. Market participants volition beryllium watching for directional clarity.