Bitcoin's Network Hashrate Pushes Toward 1 Zettahash as Mining Power Accelerates

Bitcoin’s computational power has reached remarkable new heights this week, with the network’s hashrate climbing to 976 exahash per second (EH/s)—a figure that demonstrates unprecedented growth in mining infrastructure. Just 24 EH/s away from the symbolic 1 zettahash per second (1 ZH/s) milestone, the network recently achieved this level of processing capacity, signaling intensified competition among mining operations.

Mining Pool Dominance Reshapes the Landscape

The distribution of hashing power reveals a concentrated ecosystem dominated by a handful of major players. Foundry leads the charge, contributing an impressive 278 EH/s, which accounts for 28.64% of the entire network’s computational capacity. This dominance underscores Foundry’s position as the largest mining pool operator in Bitcoin’s infrastructure.

Antpool secures the second position, directing more than 175 EH/s toward network security, representing 18.1% of total hashrate. Following closely behind, Viabtc commands 128 EH/s (13.25% of the network), while F2pool occupies fourth place with just over 100 EH/s, contributing 10.35% of Bitcoin’s aggregate computing power. Spiderpool rounds out the top five, operating at 83 EH/s and claiming 8.5% of the network’s collective hashing resources.

Understanding the 976 EH/s Milestone

The seven-day simple moving average (SMA) provides the industry standard for tracking hashrate trends, smoothing out short-term volatility to reveal meaningful directional patterns. This metric reached 976 EH/s just ten blocks before the network’s subsequent difficulty adjustment, according to hashrateindex.com data. At one point during the week, the three-day SMA briefly touched the 1 zettahash threshold between August 5 and 6, though the seven-day average remains the more reliable benchmark for assessing sustained growth.

Live readings taken at 2:05 p.m. Eastern time registered 972 EH/s across the network, demonstrating the dynamic nature of mining operations as pools continuously adjust their contributions.

Implications for Bitcoin’s Future

The sustained surge toward 976 EH/s reflects more than just raw computational power—it signals growing investment in mining hardware, energy infrastructure, and operational efficiency across global operations. If current growth trajectories persist, the network could cross the 1 zettahash barrier, establishing new industry benchmarks and reinforcing Bitcoin’s position as the most secure and resilient blockchain ecosystem available.

This escalating competition among mining pools drives continuous technological advancement and capital allocation toward next-generation hardware and renewable energy sources. Such intensity in the mining arena ultimately strengthens Bitcoin’s security foundation, as the immense computational resources required to attack the network become increasingly prohibitive. The concentration of hashrate among major pools, while notable, underscores the economic viability and profitability of Bitcoin mining at scale.