A severe winter storm sweeping across the United States has triggered a notable decline in Bitcoin's hashrate, briefly pushing it to levels last seen in mid-2025. The storm, which has caused widespread power outages and grid disruptions, has forced major mining operations to curtail their electricity consumption.
The Bitcoin network experienced a measurable hashrate reduction of approximately 15-25% during the peak of the winter storm. Data compiled by Mining Pool Stats indicates a steep decline in a key measure of computing power used to mine Bitcoin. This decline is largely attributed to output decreases in mining pools such as FoundryUSA and Luxor, which primarily serve US-based operators. At its lowest point, the hashrate dipped to around 711.96 EH/s from over 1 ZH/s. One report indicated a 30% plummet, equalling roughly 260 EH/s.
The states most affected by operational reductions include Texas, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, which collectively represent nearly 40% of the United States' Bitcoin mining capacity. This weather event represents one of the most substantial weather-related impacts on the Bitcoin network since China's mining ban in 2021.
The severe winter storm has created unprecedented strain on regional power grids across multiple states. Grid operators issued emergency alerts, requesting voluntary and mandatory load reductions to prevent widespread blackouts. Bitcoin mining facilities, known for being large and flexible energy consumers, have responded by reducing their operations.
The drop in hashrate has had an immediate impact on the Bitcoin network, leading to longer average block generation times and temporarily slowing transaction processing. Losing a significant portion of computing power has slowed Bitcoin block production by around 20%. In response to the hashrate reduction, Bitcoin's mining difficulty adjusted lower to around 141.67 T, reflecting a continued downward trend. The temporary hashrate drop and slower block times demonstrate the real-world impact of climate events on network performance. Fortunately, Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment mechanism is designed to help the network recover smoothly.
The hashrate is indirectly linked to price, as it underpins the security of the investment. For instance, in April 2021, a 50% drop occurred before a crash.
