Retarget epoch & projection
Mining Difficulty
Current difficulty, progress through the 2,016-block epoch, and the projected next retarget with its extrapolation method stated.
Current epoch
The only number Bitcoin adjusts on purpose.
Retarget in progress
2,016 blocks, then a correction.
- Blocks remaining
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- Retarget height
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- Estimated time remaining
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- Observed block interval this epoch
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- Projection method
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This projection has been clamped: Bitcoin limits any single retarget to a factor of four in either direction, so the raw extrapolation would exceed what consensus rules permit.
History
Difficulty over the last year.
Loading difficulty history…
- 30-day change
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- 1-year change
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How it works
The feedback loop in one paragraph.
The rule
Bitcoin targets a block every ten minutes, so 2,016 blocks should take exactly two weeks. Every 2,016 blocks each node measures how long they actually took and multiplies difficulty by target time ÷ actual time. Faster blocks raise difficulty; slower blocks lower it. No committee, no vote, no discretion — and no single retarget may move by more than a factor of four.
Why it matters
This is what makes Bitcoin’s issuance schedule hold regardless of how much mining hardware exists. Whether the network is secured by one computer or by millions, blocks keep arriving at roughly the same rate, and the 21 million cap keeps its timetable.