Foundry USA's Bitcoin mining hashrate has dropped by 60% due to winter storm "Fern," impacting operations and energy consumption.
The hashrate of Foundry USA, the largest Bitcoin mining pool, has plummeted by 60% since January 23, primarily due to severe weather disruptions caused by winter storm "Fern." This storm has led to widespread equipment shutdowns across various data centers in the United States.
As reported by TheMinerMag, the pool's hashrate fell by nearly 200 EH/s, leaving it with approximately 198 EH/s, which still represents 22% of the global Bitcoin mining total. Despite this significant drop, Foundry USA remains a major player in the mining sector.
During the peak of the storm, the time taken to discover Bitcoin blocks increased to over 12 minutes. Analysts predict that the upcoming difficulty adjustment will see a decrease of around 5%, reflecting the reduced mining activity.
The storm, which affected regions across the Southeast, Northeast, and parts of the Midwest, forced miners to cut back on their power consumption to help ease the strain on local electricity grids. This situation has also had repercussions for other mining pools across the country.
Mining operations play a crucial role in balancing energy demands. In times of high demand or emergencies, these companies frequently halt their operations to redirect power to homes and essential services.
The Weather Channel noted that storm "Fern" extended nearly 3,000 km, leaving over a million residents without power due to severe icing and snowfall. A similar situation occurred in February 2025, when rising electricity costs due to cold weather in southern states led to declines in Bitcoin mining difficulty and revenues for miners.
