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U.S. Winter Storm Curbs Bitcoin Mining, Pushing Hashrate to Multi‑Month Low Before Rebound

Grid stress led miners to power down through demand‑response programs, showcasing their role as flexible loads.

Overview

  • Federal actions included Energy Department emergency orders as PJM prepared for days of extreme demand and ERCOT warned of record load.
  • Foundry USA’s pool lost roughly 200 EH/s, about a 60% decline, helping drive the network near 663 EH/s before a partial recovery toward the mid‑800s EH/s.
  • Average block times lengthened to around 12 minutes, with a downward difficulty adjustment projected to follow.
  • On‑chain data showed sharp, synchronized production drops at major public miners including CleanSpark, Riot, Marathon and Iris Energy.
  • Day‑ahead power and U.S. natural gas prices spiked during the storm, yet bitcoin’s price showed limited immediate reaction as miners gradually restored capacity.