Bitcoin Hashrate Slides as Texas Miners Curtail Hashpower to Bolster the Grid
Bitcoin’s total hashrate tapped a low of 170 exahash per second (EH/s) on Dec. 25, as reports noted that bitcoin miners in Texas curtailed their hashpower during a massive winter freeze. Statistics show that close to 100 exahash dropped off the network but rebounded from the 170 EH/s low to 240 EH/s by 12:00 p.m. (ET). Texas Bitcoin Miners Curtail Computational Power
After reaching 272 exahash per second (EH/s) on Dec. 24, 2022, the network’s hashrate plunged during the early hours the very next day as it dropped to 170 EH/s. A myriad of reports detail that because of the cold weather in Texas, bitcoin miners located in the area have voluntarily shut down operations. Bitcoin supporter Dennis Porter shared a screenshot of a message from the bitcoin mining operation Lancium as the business shut down its Ft. Stockton facility to give more power to the grid.
“Bitcoin miners have once again voluntarily shut off power during an extreme weather event in Texas,” Porter tweeted. “Bitcoin miners are good for the grid.” The bitcoin mining operation Core Scientific explained that it too was participating in operational curtailments. “Due to extreme cold weather sweeping across the eastern and southern half of the U.S., we will be participating in multiple power curtailments to help stabilize the electrical grid,” the mining operation detailed.
Statistics from coinwarz.com indicates that while close to a 100 exahash went offline, the hashrate came back roughly around noon (ET) to around 240 EH/s. In fact, for the first time in a long period of time, Antpool has surpassed Foundry USA’s hashrate. Antpool commands 29.92 % of the global network at press time, as it has roughly 69 EH/s of computational power. Foundry USA has 19.68% of the global hashrate with 45.51 EH/s. Just two days ago, Foundry USA had around 70 EH/s and roughly 31% of the global hashrate on Dec. 23.
Reports show that Texas is dealing with a major cold freeze and Texans do not want to experience icy blackouts like they did in 2021. The entire state will be dealing with subzero realfeel during the course of the holiday weekend. Reports on Friday noted that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid in the state was holding its own but more cold winter tests are on the horizon.
“Please be prepared for some ups and downs this weekend as we deal with the winter storm,” Compass Mining’s director of mining operations Neil Galloway tweeted. “Our hosting partners and technicians are working in rough conditions that may slow down progress but we are monitoring things throughout the weekend. This is what bitcoin mining does.” Galloway added: Because your miner is offline, people can heat their homes and cook, hospitals can continue to take care of patients, military bases can continue to monitor our borders and you can be proud to have been a integral part of balancing your grid. Tags in this story 70 EH/s, Antpool, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Miners, Bitcoin mining, BTC, BTC Mining, Coinwarz.com, cold weather, Core Scientific, electric, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, Foundry, Foundry USA, Lancium, mining, Neil Galloway, Texas
What do you think about the miners in Texas curtailing their hashrate to help the grid deal with the cold freeze? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman
Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. Russian Parliament Postpones Adoption of Crypto Mining Bill MINING | 2 days ago Bitcoin Miners Discovered 53,240 Blocks This Year, Foundry Led the Pack, Hashrate Tapped an All-Time High MINING | 2 days ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleAs the Fed Turns 109 Years Old, the US Dollar’s Purchasing Power Eroded by More Than 96% Since It Was Created Next articleElon Musk: Twitter No Longer in Fast Lane to Bankruptcy Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItRipple CEO: SEC Lawsuit Over XRP "Has Gone Exceedingly Well"
The CEO of Ripple Labs says that the lawsuit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against him and his company over XRP "has gone exceedingly well." He stressed: "This case is important, not just for Ripple, it’s ... read more.Australia to List Bitcoin ETF After 4 Clearinghouse Participants Commit to Meet Stringent Margin Terms Fed"s Bullard Wants to Raise Bank Rate to 3.5% by Year"s End, Hints at 75 Basis Point Rate Hike Microbt Reveals Latest Bitcoin Mining Rigs — Machines Produce up to 126 TH/s With Custom 5nm Chip Design Ethereum Foundation"s Financial Report Discloses It Holds $1.6 Billion in Assets, 80.5% Held in Ether