Key Takeaways Bitcoin mining just got a whole lot tougher, with difficulty climbing 5.92% to 140.58 trillion, its highest reading since March 5 and the third-largest increase of 2026. Better mining revenue brought more computing power back into the competition, pushing Bitcoin’s hashrate above 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s), even as daily earnings have recently cooled. Another sizable difficulty increase could be around the corner on Oct. 28, with early estimates pointing to a 14.24% jump, although there’s still plenty of time for that figure to change. Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Hits Seven-Month High After 5.92% Increase The network’s difficulty, basically …