With the current mining difficulty of the leading cryptocurrency and electricity costs at $0.08 per kWh, many popular ASIC miner models are nearing their profitability threshold. This is evidenced by data from Antpool.
Models such as the Antminer S19 XP+ Hydro, WhatsMiner M60S, and Avalon A1466I are now on the brink of breaking even. As long as Bitcoin's price remains below $86,000, these miners are not generating profits.
Newer devices like the Antminer S21 have a profitability threshold ranging from $69,000 to $74,000 per BTC. The most resilient models currently include the U3S23H and S23 Hydro, which maintain profitability as long as the price of digital gold stays above $44,000.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $78,600. Over the past 24 hours, the asset's price has risen by 3% after hitting a local low of around $75,000.
Hourly chart of BTC/USDT on Binance. Source: TradingView.
Challenging Situation
On January 22, following another recalculation, the mining difficulty of the leading cryptocurrency decreased by 3.28% to 141.67 T. According to forecasts, the next adjustment is expected to reduce the figure by another 10.47% to 126.84 T.
Source: CloverPool.
According to Hashrate Index, Bitcoin's network hashrate has plummeted to 870 EH/s, the lowest level since June 2025. This decline is attributed to widespread miner shutdowns due to winter storms in the U.S.
The hash price has dropped to $34.8 per PH/s per day, a level not seen since November.
Source: Hashrate Index.
Previously, Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments, pointed out the worsening situation: the cost of production has fallen to $69,000, while the cost of electricity stands at $55,000.
It’s worth noting that an expert known as Brett has suggested the possibility of Bitcoin dropping to $40,000.