Bitcoin hashrate posts first-quarter drop for first time in 6 years as miners pivot to AI

The first-quarter decline breaks a long-standing growth trend, but could ultimately support decentralization as public U.S. miners face losing dominance. What to know : Bitcoin’s hashrate is down around 4% this year, the first first-quarter decline since 2020, following five consecutive years of double-digit growth. As mining economics deteriorate, firms are allocating capital to AI infrastructure, a shift that may reduce concentration among large U.S. miners and improve network decentralization.