Bitcoin Hashrate Dips Again, Mining Profitability Plummets

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AuthorAnanya Iyer|Published at:
Bitcoin Hashrate Dips Again, Mining Profitability Plummets
Overview

Bitcoin's network hashrate declined for a second consecutive month in December, signaling increased competition and reduced mining efficiency. Analysts at JPMorgan reported a 3% monthly drop in hashrate and a significant 32% year-over-year fall in miner revenue, marking the lowest levels on record. Daily gross profits for miners also saw a notable decrease.

Bitcoin's network hashrate declined for a second consecutive month in December. JPMorgan analysts Reginald Smith and Charles Pearce reported the total combined computational power, a key indicator of industry competition, fell 3% month-over-month to an average of 1,045 exahashes per second (EH/s).

This downturn in network activity directly impacted mining profitability. Miners earned an estimated $38,700 per EH/s in daily block reward revenue last month. This figure represents a 7% decrease from November and a substantial 32% drop year-over-year, reaching the lowest point on record. Daily block reward gross profit also diminished, falling 9% to $17,100 per EH/s.

Despite these headwinds for mining operations, the collective market capitalization of 14 tracked U.S.-listed bitcoin miners and data center operators saw a 73% surge over the past year. In December, Hut 8 (HUT) was the sole performer with a modest 2% gain. CleanSpark (CLSK) experienced significant underperformance, dropping 33%. Over the full year, nine of the fourteen companies managed to outperform bitcoin, with IREN and Cipher Mining (CIFR) leading the pack.

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