Bitcoin miners face nearly $19,000 loss per BTC amid rising costs and network strain

PANews, March 22: According to Coindesk, data shows increasing pressure on the Bitcoin mining economy, with the current average production cost per BTC at approximately $88,000, while the Bitcoin price stands at around $69,200—resulting in a loss of nearly $19,000 per BTC and an overall loss rate of about 21%. Meanwhile, the network mining difficulty has decreased by approximately 7.8%, the second-largest drop since 2026, reflecting reduced hash power and rising network strain; the hash rate has declined to around 920 EH/s, and the average block time has extended to over 12 minutes. Analysis suggests that rising energy prices, combined with heightened tensions in the Middle East, have further increased mining costs, placing continued pressure on electricity expenses. If miners are forced to sell Bitcoin to sustain operations, this could add additional downward pressure on the market. If Bitcoin prices remain below the cost line and difficulty continues to decline, the miner exit process may persist, exerting short-term pressure on spot market dynamics.