Bitcoin mining difficulty has reached an all-time high of 127.6 trillion, highlighting intensified competition among miners. This increase necessitates greater computing power for transaction validation, though a slight reduction to 123.7 trillion is expected by August 9. Despite the challenges, miner earnings have surged to a post-halving peak, indicating that efficient machinery or robust Bitcoin prices are mitigating the impact. In parallel, the combined assets under management of gold and Bitcoin ETFs have surpassed $500 billion, with Bitcoin ETFs alone accounting for $162 billion. This growth underscores rising institutional interest and Bitcoin's expanding influence in the financial sector. Since the introduction of US spot Bitcoin ETFs, Bitcoin's price has soared by 175%, significantly outpacing gold's 66% increase.