Bitcoin hash rate is tumbling as Iran war lifts energy prices

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bitcoin hash rate is tumbling as Iran war lifts energy prices A falling hash rate and the resultant pressure on miners could signal another potential capitulation phase, which could push prices down further By James Van Straten | Edited by Stephen Alpher Mar 18, 2026, 2:53 p.m. Make us preferred on Google Bitcoin Mining (Hashage) What to know : The Bitcoin network hash rate has declined roughly 8% in the past week to 920 EH/s, likely tied to energy market disruptions in the Middle East. Bitcoin mining difficulty is set to fall as much as 10%, marking one of the largest downward adjustments over the past five years. A sharp drop in hash rate often coincides with periods of miner stress and downside pressure on bitcoin prices. Bitcoin's hash rate is tumbling as the Middle East conflict drives up energy prices, adding pressure to the mining sector and broader market. The drop in hash rate is likely tied to geopolitical tensions due to the war against Iran and surge in oil prices, given that an estimated 8% to 10% of global bitcoin mining operates in energy markets sensitive to energy costs. With hash rate down roughly 8% over the past week to 920 EH/s, the network may be entering another phase of miner capitulation. Historically, such periods have coincided with downside pressure on bitcoin’s price, which is currently trading below $72,000, roughly 5% below its Monday high. As a result, the network is set for an approximately 8% downward difficulty adjustment, which would mark the second-largest negative shift in the past five years, according to mempool.space . This decline follows one of the largest difficulty drops on record in mid-February , highlighting significant volatility in mining activity. As a result of rising competition, persistently low transaction fees, and bitcoin price volatility, this has squeezed margins and pushed many publicly traded miners to diversify into AI and high-performance computing, alongside increased bitcoin sales to support operations, acting as a headwind for the bitcoin price. Bitcoin News Bitcoin Mining More For You Bitcoin quickly pulls back to $72,300 as Iran fears team up with poor U.S. inflation data By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Stephen Alpher 2 hours ago The price of oil moved higher after reported attacks against Iran's South Pars gas field. What to know : Trading around $74,000 for much of the last 24 hours, bitcoin quickly fell back to $72,500 following reports of stepped-up attacks against Iran's energy resources and an unexpectedly hot February PPI report. Results of the Federal Reserve's March policy meeting will come later today, and investors will be on the lookout for clues about how the central bank feels about the recent sharp rise in oil prices. Read full story Latest Crypto News Bank of Korea adds two banks to digital won trials as real-world testing begins 34 minutes ago Stripe-led payments blockchain Tempo goes live with protocol for AI agents 48 minutes ago CoinDesk 20 performance update: index falls 3.1% as all constituents trade lower 52 minutes ago Large investors are doubling down on crypto, but getting a lot pickier about risk 53 minutes ago RedotPay executive turnover clouds crypto payments firm's $4 billion U.S. IPO ambition 1 hour ago Bitcoin quickly pulls back to $72,300 as Iran fears team up with poor U.S. inflation data 2 hours ago Top Stories U.S. SEC issues first-ever definitions for what crypto assets are securities 18 hours ago Powell's comments on oil, inflation are likely to guide bitcoin traders 3 hours ago UK lawmakers urge ‘immediate moratorium’ on crypto political donations 2 hours ago Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary, defeating crypto-backed Krishnamoorthi 11 hours ago Bitcoin’s rally runs into 'sell the news' risk ahead of Fed decision 4 hours ago Mastercard's $1.8 billion deal 'a clear answer' to a massive shift in the global payment war 19 hours ago