Bitcoin's mining difficulty decreased by 2.6% in early January 2026, providing relief to miners as Bitcoin trades below $100,000. This adjustment comes with Bitcoin priced around $91,000, following a period of tight range trading. On-chain analyst Darkfost highlighted the importance of mining data, noting that miners are significant sellers in the market. When mining costs exceed revenue, miners may sell Bitcoin or halt operations, impacting market dynamics. The recent difficulty drop, with another 1.88% decrease expected, reduces the need for miners to sell Bitcoin to cover costs, potentially stabilizing network activity. This change follows a year of rising difficulty, which increased by 35% in 2025 due to investments in new hardware. Despite the easing pressure, Bitcoin remains range-bound, trading between $89,000 and $94,000, with $100,000 as a resistance level. Analysts suggest that easing miner stress could reduce sell-side pressure, although a breakout is not imminent.