Bitcoin's mining difficulty decreased slightly in the first adjustment of 2026, providing temporary relief for miners amid ongoing competitive pressures. The adjustment, completed on Thursday, reduced the difficulty to 146.4 trillion, reflecting minor changes in network conditions. Despite this dip, the difficulty remains historically high, following a year of intense competition and reduced margins. Average block times were recorded at 9.88 minutes, slightly faster than the 10-minute target, suggesting a potential increase in difficulty in the next adjustment scheduled for January 22. CoinWarz data predicts the difficulty could rise to approximately 148.2 trillion. The mining sector continues to face challenges from the April 2024 halving and macroeconomic factors, with miner hash prices falling below sustainable levels. External pressures, including new US tariffs and a significant market downturn, have further strained the industry. Bitcoin prices fell over 30% in November, briefly dropping to just above $80,000. Meanwhile, Bitmain has responded by cutting prices on mining hardware to alleviate sector pressures.