Bitcoin's mining difficulty rose 5.92% to 140.58 trillion at block height 971,712, its highest level since March 5 and the third-largest increase of 2026. The adjustment followed a 0.03% reduction that had set difficulty at 132.72 trillion. Improved mining revenue alongside Bitcoin's price increase drew more computing power to the network, lifting hashrate above 1 zettahash per second. With block times below the network's target, an early projection estimated a further 14.24% difficulty increase around Oct. 28, 2026, though the estimate remains subject to change.