Bitcoin mining difficulty drops by the largest margin in 5 years, with listed mining companies boosting production and financing efforts

Entering Week 7 of 2026 (February 6–February 12), significant changes have occurred in the Bitcoin mining industry. According to data from multiple agencies, this week’s Bitcoin mining market experienced fluctuations in hash rate, difficulty adjustments, and accelerated financing, reflecting a transition from old to new driving forces in this traditional industry.

Major Adjustment in Mining Difficulty, Network Hash Rate Fluctuates

The most notable event this week was the largest single decrease in Bitcoin mining difficulty since summer 2021. On-chain data shows the seven-day average hash rate dropped to 990.08 EH/s. Behind this adjustment was a clear fluctuation in hash rate—according to Cloverpool data, the Bitcoin network’s average hash rate was 1030 EH/s, peaking at 1116 EH/s and dropping to 901 EH/s. Compared to last week’s average of 912 EH/s, this represents a 9.28% increase.

A decrease in mining difficulty usually indicates market participants are optimizing mining costs. Although overall hash rate still has room to grow, the significant drop in difficulty provides a breathing space for small and medium miners, which is a key signal during industry cycle adjustments.

Leading Mining Companies Maintain Stable Production, Crypto Reserves Continue to Grow

Despite market volatility, publicly listed mining companies maintained good production levels. Bitdeer mined 668 BTC in January, with a total Bitcoin holding of 1,530 BTC at the end of the month, demonstrating stable output and asset accumulation strategies. Canaan Technology mined 83 BTC during the same period, with crypto reserves reaching 1,778 BTC and 3,951 ETH, reflecting a multi-chain asset allocation strategy.

These figures show that top mining firms have not slowed down due to difficulty adjustments but continue to strengthen their crypto reserves, building long-term capacity.

Cangu New Financing of $75.5 Million, AI Computing Platform Becomes New Focus

On the financing front, the Bitcoin mining industry is also gaining new growth momentum. Cangu announced an additional $75.5 million in funding and clarified its focus on transforming into an AI distributed computing platform. This financing marks a move by traditional mining companies to explore new sectors, combining mining infrastructure with AI computing demands, indicating an industry-driven innovation upgrade.

Data shows that this week, the average BTC price was $68,401, down 13.18% from last week’s average of $78,781, with a high of $72,232 and a low of $60,001. Currently, BTC is fluctuating around $69,320. Despite short-term price pressures, the financing and production strategies of mining companies suggest market confidence in the long-term prospects of Bitcoin mining.

This week’s industry data collectively reflect multi-layered progress in difficulty cycle adjustments, corporate reserve optimization, and industry innovation, indicating that the industry is evolving toward greater professionalism and diversification.