Analysis: Bitcoin mining difficulty is expected to increase, causing the miner profitability metric hashprice to plummet to rock bottom.

According to a report by Cointelegraph, the Bitcoin network difficulty is expected to increase from approximately 149.3 trillion to approximately 149.8 trillion in the next adjustment, meaning that mining competition will intensify further. At the same time, hashprice, a key metric for measuring miners' profitability, has fallen to near-record lows—approximately $38.3 per PH/s per day, below the break-even point for most miners. Industry analysts point out that this combination (increased difficulty + low hashprice) will further compress miners' profit margins; smaller miners or those with higher electricity costs may be forced to shut down, potentially accelerating industry consolidation.