Mining Difficulty

Definition

Bitcoin's mining difficulty is a parameter that adjusts automatically every 2,016 blocks (roughly every 2 weeks) to maintain an average block time of 10 minutes. If miners add more computing power (hashrate), difficulty rises to compensate; if they withdraw, it falls. This automatic adjustment mechanism ensures that the issuance of new BTC stays predictable regardless of how many miners compete. Difficulty is historically the most reliable metric of the network's long-term growth.