Bitcoin's mining difficulty has surged by 15% to 144.4 T, marking the largest increase since 2021. This adjustment follows a previous 12% reduction due to U.S. winter storms impacting mining operations. The network's hash rate has rebounded to 1 ZH/s, with Bitcoin prices recovering to approximately $67,000. Despite the hash price remaining at a multi-year low of 23.9 PH/s, large mining operators with access to low-cost energy continue to mine aggressively. In the United Arab Emirates, mining operations hold about $344 million in unrealized profits. Meanwhile, some publicly traded mining companies are shifting focus towards AI and high-performance computing, with Bitfarms rebranding to emphasize AI infrastructure and Riot Platforms being urged to expand AI data center operations.