In a landmark moment for Bitcoin, the network’s hashrate has officially crossed the 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s) threshold—an unprecedented level of computational power securing the blockchain. The milestone, confirmed by Glassnode data on Friday, marks a significant leap from the previous record of 975 exahashes per second (EH/s) set earlier this year on January 31.

This growth represents a staggering 1,000x increase since 2016, when Bitcoin’s hashrate first hit 1 EH/s. The achievement signals just how far the network’s infrastructure has evolved—but it comes at a time when miners are facing intense financial pressure.

On Sunday, Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment jumped nearly 7%, reaching a record-setting 121.5 trillion (T)—the steepest increase since July 2024. It’s the latest in a string of upward adjustments, with 14 of the last 17 moving higher. These regular tweaks are designed to maintain Bitcoin’s average block time of around 10 minutes, regardless of how much mining power is added to the network.

Despite the network’s growing strength, miner profitability continues to slide. The hashprice, which measures miner revenue per unit of hashrate, has dropped to an all-time low of $42.40. A combination of factors—including lower transaction fees, surging difficulty, and a cooling bitcoin price—are compressing margins across the industry.

Bitcoin’s price, meanwhile, has fallen another 10% in recent days and now trades around $77,000. The dip comes amid broader macroeconomic concerns, including market reactions to renewed tariffs introduced by President Trump.

While daily hashrate readings can fluctuate due to random variations in block discovery, the longer-term 7-day moving average provides a clearer picture, currently showing the network operating at 879 EH/s. Still, the moment Bitcoin briefly touched 1 ZH/s marks a historic step in the ongoing arms race of mining.

As Bitcoin’s network becomes more secure and competitive, miners face a paradox: their operations are helping to reinforce the system, but at the cost of their own profitability.