Well, butter my blockchain, folks! The Bitcoin network has decided it’s time for a little siesta, with its second consecutive difficulty reduction this week. On May 1, it took a leisurely 2.3% dip, following a 2.43% decline on April 17. Meanwhile, the hashrate-that mighty measure of computational muscle-has slipped below the 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s) mark, proving that even digital behemoths need a breather now and then.
Key Takeaways (because who has time to read the whole thing?):
- Bitcoin difficulty fell 2.3% on May 1, marking its sixth cut in 2026 as the hashrate decided to take a vacation below 1 ZH/s.
- Foundry USA mined 31.51% of 987 blocks in the last seven days, while Antpool and ViaBTC joined the party, pushing their combined share to 58.35%. Because why share the spotlight when you can hog it?
- Hashprice climbed to $37.52/PH/s, but block times hit 10:28-slower than a snail on a Sunday drive. Another difficulty adjustment is looming around May 17, because why not keep the drama going?
Bitcoin Adjustment at Block 947520: Difficulty Takes a 2.3% Nap
On Sunday, May 3, 2026, the network’s computational power wobbled between 899 exahash per second (EH/s) and 958 EH/s over 24 hours. Not long ago, the hashrate was flexing its muscles above 1,000 EH/s (aka 1 ZH/s), but it started slacking off on April 19. By the time the difficulty adjusted at block height 947520, it was lounging at around 899 EH/s. Talk about a mid-life crisis.
This May 1 adjustment marks the network’s sixth reduction in 2026 out of nine total epochs. Post-adjustment, difficulty is chilling at 132.47 trillion, and it’s expected to stay put until around May 17. Because why rush when you can procrastinate?
What’s truly baffling is that while the hashrate took a nosedive, the network’s hashprice jumped from $34.39/PH/s to $37.52/PH/s. Miners’ earnings got a boost, but the computational power kept drifting lower from mid-April. It’s like giving a raise to someone who’s already napping on the job.
Block intervals have stretched longer than a teenager’s bedtime, and even after the adjustment, they’re still lagging. On May 3, the average block time was 10 minutes 28 seconds. If this keeps up, another downward adjustment could hit on May 17. But let’s not jump to conclusions-there’s still plenty of time for the network to change its mind.
Miners have over 1,800 blocks left to process before then, so anything could happen. In the past week, 987 blocks were produced, with Foundry USA claiming 311 (31.51%). Antpool snagged 163 (16.51%), and ViaBTC got 102 (10.33%). Together, these three pools control 58.35% of the network’s hashrate. Meanwhile, 115 other pools are chipping in, because why let the big guys have all the fun?
As the next adjustment window approaches, miners are walking a tightrope: hashprice is up, but the hashrate is down, and blocks are moving slower than a government bureaucracy. With 1,800 blocks to go and conditions as stable as a house of cards, the network’s path into mid-May is anyone’s guess. Grab your popcorn, folks-this is going to be interesting.
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2026-05-03 17:27