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Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Edges to All-Time High

The bump in mining difficulty comes as hashrate remains strong, despite bitcoin’s price edging downward.

Updated May 11, 2023, 6:47 p.m. Published Sep 14, 2022, 5:17 a.m.
(Midjourney/CoinDesk)
(Midjourney/CoinDesk)

On-chain data shows that bitcoin’s mining difficulty has crossed an all-time high with its latest jump, the second in two weeks.

  • Bitcoin’s mining difficulty increased by 3.45% at block height 753,984 to 32.05 trillion hashes.
  • This is the second significant recent increase. On Aug. 31, the difficulty jumped by 9.26%.
  • Given bitcoin’s compressed value, with recent declines on high CPI numbers, and a possible bottoming out as low as $10,000, profitability is narrowing for miners.
  • Despite concerns about profitability, the average hash rate remains above 200 exahash per second at 229.39 EH/s, close to the all-time high of 231 EH/s.
BitBitcoin: Mean hashrate (7-day moving average) (Glassnode)
BitBitcoin: Mean hashrate (7-day moving average) (Glassnode)
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  • On-chain data shows that Digital Currency Group-owned Foundry USA is currently contributing 28% of the total global hash rate followed by AntPool at 16.15%.
  • CoinDesk is an independent subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, the crypto-focused conglomerate that also owns Grayscale and TradeBlock.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Millions in crypto wealth at risk of vanishing when holders die. Here's how to protect them

my-will-death-estate

Without proper planning, inherited crypto can easily be lost to delays, missing keys or fiduciaries unfamiliar with the asset class, experts warn.

What to know:

  • Crypto holders can take a few steps to prevent their assets from disappearing forever when they pass away.
  • Without proper planning, inherited crypto can easily be lost to probate delays, missing private keys, or fiduciaries unfamiliar with the asset class.
  • Even with improved regulatory clarity, crypto adds complexity beyond what many in the advisory space are accustomed to.