Live network security tracker. The total computational power protecting the Bitcoin blockchain, updated every 60 seconds.
Bitcoin hashrate is the total amount of computational work being performed by all miners on the Bitcoin network, measured in exahashes per second (EH/s). One exahash equals one quintillion (10¹⁸) SHA-256 hash computations every second. At current levels, the Bitcoin network performs more calculations per second than any other computing system ever built by humans.
Hashrate is the single most important measure of Bitcoin's security. To attack the Bitcoin network — to rewrite its transaction history or double-spend coins — an attacker would need to control more than 50% of the total hashrate. At current levels, acquiring that much computing power would cost billions of dollars and consume more energy than most countries.
Bitcoin's hashrate has grown by several orders of magnitude since its launch in 2009, driven by three main factors. First, mining hardware has become exponentially more efficient as generations of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) have replaced GPUs and CPUs. Second, industrial-scale mining operations have deployed hundreds of thousands of machines in energy-cheap regions. Third, rising Bitcoin prices have made mining more profitable, attracting new entrants.
Rising hashrate is a bullish signal for Bitcoin fundamentals. It means more capital is being deployed to secure the network, miners are confident enough in future Bitcoin prices to make long-term infrastructure investments, and the cost of attacking the network is increasing.
Bitcoin's protocol automatically adjusts mining difficulty every 2,016 blocks (approximately two weeks) to maintain an average block time of 10 minutes. When hashrate rises quickly, blocks come in faster than 10 minutes, and the protocol increases difficulty at the next adjustment. When hashrate falls — such as after a mining ban or large miner capitulation — blocks slow down and difficulty decreases, restoring profitability for remaining miners.
This self-regulating mechanism is one of Bitcoin's most elegant design features. No matter how much computing power joins or leaves the network, the protocol automatically recalibrates to maintain its 10-minute block rhythm and its predictable issuance schedule.
Hashrate and Bitcoin price are loosely correlated over long time horizons but can diverge significantly in the short term. Miners make capital investment decisions based on long-term price expectations, so hashrate often continues rising even during price drawdowns. Conversely, a sharp hashrate decline can sometimes precede or accompany capitulation events where distressed miners sell holdings to cover operating costs.