Invest ideasNews
22 Mar 2026, 07:23
Bitcoin mining difficulty drops nearly 8% as AI boom redirects miners
Data from CloverPool and CoinWarz shows Bitcoin mining difficulty fell 7.76% to 133.79 trillion in Saturday’s adjustment at block height 941,472. Aside from the 11.16% plunge on February 7, this 7.76% decrease is the most the network has dialed back since the 2021 China crackdown. The metric is also currently about 10% below its January benchmark. The dip, however, suggests that computational resources are being directed to AI processing. The network also saw blocks taking 12 minutes 36 seconds, well over the 10-minute target, prompting a recalibration to lower the average. BTC mining companies have been shifting to AI data centers The network’s average computational power has been declining since it hit its all-time high in mid-October 2025. With total hashrate sliding from 1.15 ZH/s to 940 EH/s, the nearly 8% difficulty drop gave hashprice a nice bump back above $33 per PH/s daily. According to industry specialists, the average breakeven point for miners is near $40 per PH/s per day. In early February, when difficulty plummeted by 11%, the primary factor was Winter Storm Fern, which knocked an estimated 200 EH/s offline. However, by February 20, a record 14.7% correction followed as hashrate surged past 1,000 EH/s. At the moment, most analysts think the drop in difficulty is linked to industry participants diversifying into more lucrative AI services, rather than to temporary fluctuations. For some time, BTC mining companies have been working hard to reinvent themselves as indispensable partners for hyperscalers like Meta , offering the infrastructure needed to win the AI race. Those massive cooling systems and electrical contracts once used for Bitcoin are now being flipped to power the next generation of AI. Nevertheless, the transition is not as easy as it seems. Companies still need to install more advanced cooling and network systems to support a new fleet of AI-focused graphics cards. Nevertheless, AI giants save a fortune by piggybacking on the miner’s existing land and power. Over the last year, CleanSpark secured $1.15 billion in funding for data center expansion. The firm, nonetheless, continues to prioritize its core Bitcoin mining activities. Major Bitcoin mining company Core Scientific also began its transition to AI in 2024. Its first AI deal back then quadrupled its share price, and its stock gained 10% in 2025. The firm is even planning to turn off its last Bitcoin rig, completing its exit from mining and focusing entirely on AI data centers by 2028. “The opportunity for miners to convert to AI is one of the greatest opportunities I could possibly imagine,” said Adam Sullivan, chief executive of Core Scientific, a Bitcoin mining company that is transitioning into AI data centers. Morgan Stanley predicts that US data centre power demand will surge by 74 gigawatts between 2025 and 2028. So far, the U.S. is facing a 49 GW deficit in its 74 GW demand; converting Bitcoin facilities could recover 10 to 15 GW, significantly narrowing that gap, according to the bank. Thiel says the Bitcoin network needs to grow by 50% to bolster mining profitability Fred Thiel, CEO of MARA Holdings, shared his frustrations with BTC mining late last year. He argued, “Bitcoin mining is a zero-sum game. As more people add capacity, it gets harder for everybody else. Margins compress, and the floor is your energy cost. [ . . . ] The global hashrate keeps growing, which means everyone else’s margins keep shrinking.” He warned that Bitcoin’s original economic “safety net” isn’t holding up as intended. According to him, the network was designed with the expectation that transaction fees would eventually cover its costs, but that shift has yet to materialize. He explained that between 2028 and 2032, the financial pressure on the network will only skyrocket unless it hits a 50% annual growth target to make up for the missing fee revenue. He added that they intend to slash production costs to improve profitability. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
22 Mar 2026, 00:30
Dogecoin Becomes The Next Target For Qubic’s Compute Network — Here’s Why
Dogecoin is entering a new phase of relevance as it becomes the latest focus for Qubic, a project aiming to transform blockchain networks into engines for distributed computation. This development signals a shift in how Dogecoin could be utilized, moving beyond its identity as a meme-driven asset toward a role in emerging compute-based ecosystems. A Bigger Target Emerges In Dogecoin’s Mining Economy Qubic’s expansion toward Dogecoin is a scaled-up continuation of the strategy it has already proven. In an X post , Qubic revealed that the firm went from controlling under 2% of Monero’s hasrate to demonstrating over 51% dominance in a live takeover event over the past year. This performance made headlines across the crypto media outlets such as CoinDesk, The Block, and Decrypt. During the process, the network reportedly generated more than $3.5 million in mining revenue and mined over 26,000 XMR blocks. This shows that a decentralized AI-driven compute network could outperform an established proof-of-work chain through better economic incentives. Currently, Qubic is applying that same strategy to Dogecoin, but at a much larger scale. Data show that Dogecoin produces approximately 14.4 million DOGE per day, translating to around $1.44 million in daily emissions at current prices , which is roughly 10 times the output of Monero. For Qubic, it’s the same playbook they are applying to Dogecoin, but a much bigger target. Qubic has also revealed that on March 19th, the All-Hands recap signals a major acceleration phase, with multiple milestones converging into a significant month-to-date. One of the key headlines is the launch of the Vottun Brighe IPO, with mainnet scheduled to go live on April 2nd. Meanwhile, Dogecoin mining is confirmed for April 1st, with the dispatcher already active. On the research front, progress continues to build momentum. A second Neuraxon paper has been accepted for presentation in Berlin with Scopus indexing, and 2 additional papers are being prepared for major conferences such as ALife and AGI. The network is also evolving rapidly. Tick speed has nearly doubled to 0.6 seconds, while guardian nodes have surged from 34 to over 150 in just two weeks. With major launches and integrations lined up, April is shaping up to be a defining period for Qubic as it pushes further into real-world execution. Why This Long-Term Pattern Could Define DOGE’s Future The long-term outlook for Dogecoin is showing one of its most bullish technical setups to date. An analyst known as Trader Tardigrade on X has highlighted that on the monthly timeframe, the DOGE chart is forming a massive bullish pennant, a pattern that can drive long-term moves in 10 to 30 years. Trader Tardigrade argues that in the next 30 years, those who remain positioned over time may look back on this pattern as a defining moment, one that may potentially shape long-term outcomes well beyond the current market cycle.
22 Mar 2026, 00:01
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops Sharply as Miners Face Escalating Pressure
Bitcoin mining difficulty recorded its sharpest drop since 2026, intensifying margin pressure on miners. Rising costs push inefficient miners out, while large firms invest in AI for stable returns. Continue Reading: Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops Sharply as Miners Face Escalating Pressure The post Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops Sharply as Miners Face Escalating Pressure appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
21 Mar 2026, 18:47
If XRP Hits $10, Who Gets Richest From the Next XRP Rally?
If XRP ever reaches $10, the next wave of millionaires will not just be the whale wallets at the top of the XRP rich list. It would also include a large group of long-term retail holders who quietly accumulated during years of sideways trading, fear, and skepticism. At today’s roughly $1.40-$1.90 zone, many of those wallets look ordinary. At $10, they suddenly become life-changing positions. That is the real power of XRP’s distribution map. Recent rich-list data shows that about 2,232 XRP is enough to enter the top 10% of all XRP holders, while around 46,400 XRP places a wallet in the top 1%. If XRP hits $10, those holdings would be worth about $22,320 and $464,000 respectively. That means a surprisingly broad group of holders could move from “small bag” status to serious wealth, especially those who kept stacking through the market’s weaker phases. The Next Millionaire Tier At $10, the new XRP millionaire class would likely come from three groups. First are the early believers who built positions in the tens or hundreds of thousands of XRP before the market started paying attention again. A wallet with 100,000 XRP would be worth $1 million at that price, and that is still within reach of some long-term holders and smaller treasury-style positions. Second are the whale wallets already visible on the rich list. CoinCarp shows that the top addresses are dominated by exchanges, Ripple-linked wallets, and a handful of large individual holders, with the top 10 addresses controlling roughly 10 billion XRP. If XRP moves to $10, those top-tier wallets would not just be wealthy; they would be sitting on mark-to-market gains measured in billions. Third are the millionaire wallets that Santiment says have already started growing again. In early 2026, the number of addresses holding at least 1 million XRP rose by 42 since January 1, signaling that large holders were quietly adding even while prices stayed weak. If that trend continues, the $10 scenario would reward the very people who were willing to buy when sentiment was still cautious. Why the Rich List Matters XRP’s rich list is important because it shows how the upside could be distributed if the token finally re-rates higher. The top of the list is dominated by Ripple, exchanges, and founders like Chris Larsen, but the lower tiers tell a different story: that a growing base of smaller holders could still become wealthy if the next cycle is strong enough. That is what makes the $10 question interesting. It is not just about whether XRP can get there. It is about who is already positioned for that move, who is still accumulating, and how many ordinary holders could be pushed into the millionaire category if the rally finally arrives. The Hidden XRP Map The next XRP millionaire wave would likely be a mix of old whales, active accumulators, and patient retail holders who ignored the noise. At $10, 2,200 XRP becomes meaningful, 46,000 XRP becomes powerful, and 100,000 XRP becomes millionaire territory. That is why the XRP rich list is more than a leaderboard. It is a preview of who benefits most if the market gives XRP a much higher valuation in the next cycle.
21 Mar 2026, 15:46
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops 7.76% in Major 2026 Decline
Bitcoin mining difficulty adjusted to 133.79T, a drop of 7.76%.
21 Mar 2026, 13:32
Why I Just Became Even More Bullish On The Canton Network
Summary The article analyzes the Canton Network and its CIP-0105 update, which incentivizes Super Validators to lock rewards, aligning interests with long-term network success. CIP-0105 could result in 20–32% of Canton Coin supply being locked over the long run, reducing circulating supply and disincentivizing opportunistic selling. Major financial institutions like Nasdaq, DTCC, and others serve as Super Validators, signaling strong institutional adoption and potential for network effects. Despite execution and competitive risks, Canton Network generates higher fees than Ethereum/Solana and dominates tokenized asset value, potentially positioning it as a leading financial settlement layer. Introduction Blockchains like Ethereum and Solona, among others, allow for something called staking. Owners of ETH or SOL can “stake” their tokens, effectively locking up their tokens, as a means of creating stability for the network. In return, the owners of staked coins receive a yield in the form of the native token. To unstake tokens, the owners may need to wait a few days to over a week. From a tokenomics perspective, the yield incentivizes investors to buy the tokens as a productive asset and the locking mechanism reduces the supply available to be sold on the open market. The idea is that it creates buyer demand and reduces selling. The ability to stake tokens is glaringly absent from the Canton Network and frankly, I love that it is. Instead of paying out Canton Coin to those that simply buy and stake the coin, all Canton Coin rewards go to those that add value to the network either in the form of building applications or validating transactions. This incentivizes long term value creation on the network rather than speculating on the token. I believe this is hands down a better long-term incentive structure for how rewards should be paid out but this does not address the other benefit to staking which is that it slows the ability to sell. However, the Canton Networks has now taken steps to address this gap with CIP-0105 . This approved proposal created a rewards structure that incentivizes the Super Validators on the network to lockup a significant percentage of their past and future Super Validator rewards. While this change did not result in an immediate increase in the price of the coin, I do believe it makes the coin more valuable in the long run. (Note: This article is largely focused on the CIP-0105 update with little background on the overall network. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of the Canton Network, including some of the risks associated with the Canton Coin, I recommend checking out my previous Seeking Alpha article on the Canton Network which provides a deeper dive into how the network operates) CIP-0105: Super Validator Locking & Long-Term Commitment Framework The key parts of the proposal are fairly straight forward. Super Validators must now lock up a percentage of their past and future Super Validator rewards in order to continue to receive rewards going forward. Participation is voluntary, but if the Super Validator elects not to participate, they will no longer receive rewards. The proposal creates three tiers of reward levels laying out what the Super Validators must lock in order to receive 40%, 60% or 100% of their potential Canton Coin rewards for validating transactions. Here’s the breakdown: Canton Foundation As you can see, over the long term this creates an incentive structure where between 35% and 55% of all Super Validator rewards may be locked. If a Super Validator determines that they want to unlock a certain amount of Canton Coin, they can initiate the unlock request at any time but only 1/365.2 of the requested amount will become liquid per day, meaning it will take one year to unlock the full request. This structure aligns Super Validators with the long-term success of the network and reduces the incentive for opportunistic or panic based selling. Impact on The Available Supply of Canton Coin Canton Coin White Paper The chart above shows the minting curve and reward allocation for Canton Coin. As you can see, by year ten (we are currently in year two ) 100 billion coins will have been minted in total and 35 billion of those will go to Super Validators. Based on CIP-0105, we can estimate that somewhere between 35-55% of those coins may be locked. For simplicity’s sake, let’s take the average between the two and say that 45% of the coins will be locked meaning roughly 16 billion Canton Coin will be locked by year ten. To assess the significance of this, we need to develop an understanding of how many Canton Coins will actually be in existence at year ten. The network burns Canton Coin as part of each transaction on the network. To date, roughly 2.56 billion Canton Coins have been burned which is close to 6% of the total minted supply. If the 6% rate remains constant, by year ten there will be roughly 94 billion Canton Coin in existence. However, the network is currently well outpacing that rate. It is currently burning between 8 and 18 million coins per day while it mints a little over 27 million new coins per day. This means it is currently burning the equivalent of 30-65% of new supply. Over the next eight years, there are roughly 60 billion coins left to be minted before the network stabilizes at minting 2.5 billion coins per year. If the network continues to burn the equivalent of somewhere close to 50% of the new coin supply, this means the network will only add around 30 billion coins over the next 8 years bringing the total supply closer to 70 billion. I don’t know which of these scenarios will play out so let’s take the average between the two and estimate that eight years from now there will be roughly 83 million Canton Coins in circulation. If 16 billion of those coins are locked, it effectively removes 20% of the supply from circulation. However, if the burn rate ends up remaining closer to 65% of new supply and Super Validators generally elect to lock 55% of their rewards, we could see upwards of 32% of the total supply locked. For comparative context, roughly 30% of ETH are currently staked. Why This Matters Obviously, from a tokenomics perspective this decreases the available supply of Canton Coin that could be sold at any given time, and it disincentivizes Supver Validators from panic selling their unlocked supply. But it’s more than that. There are over 40 Super Validators on the Canton Network and CIP-0105 effectively turns each one of them into long term holders of the Canton Coin. The Super Validators are not all just random crypto companies you’ve never heard of. The list of Super Validators includes Nasdaq, Broadridge, Chainlink, Tradeweb, Circle Internet Group, and the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation . When it comes to the DTCC alone, we are talking about the highest processor of financial value in the world as they provide custody for over 100 trillion dollars worth of assets. What is key to understand here is that the DTCC is user-owned and directed, meaning their decision to utilize Canton was driven by some form of consensus within the financial community. The Board of Directors at the DTCC has representation from NYSE, JP Morgan, UBS, Citibank, Morgan Stanley, BNY, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America. This to me looks like bottom-up consensus followed by top-down implementation. If adoption of the Canton Network continues, the network effects will really be incredible to see. Additionally, I think this increases the chances that Canton Coin will one day be accepted as collateral and that holders of the coin will be able to earn a yield by lending it out. This allows companies holding Canton Coin to maximize the use of their balance sheet. Furthermore (caution: I’d imagine this idea will really drive some Bitcoin maxis up a wall), I think this increases the chances that Canton Coin achieves store of value status. To be clear, we have miles to go before that is achieved and that statement is highly speculative. There is nothing in the Canton White Papers indicating that the aim is to achieve store of value status. The focus is utility. However, the Ethereum Foundation is not shy about the fact that they want to position ETH as a store of value . One of the key features that allows for ETH to potentially become a store of value is staking. With CIP-0105, the Canton Network just took a step in that direction. Conclusion The risks with the Canton Network are still numerous. In my opinion, execution risk and the competitive landscape are the top among them. Competition is fierce. There are dozens of other L1 chains looking to gain adoption as a financial settlement layer. While the trend of blockchain adoption is obvious, the winning horse will only appear obvious in hindsight. When it comes to execution, Canton has gone through years of private testing, but it still needs to prove itself at scale. Despite the risks, there is a lot to like about the network. It is generating fees that are orders of magnitude higher than chains like Ethereum and Solana, yet trades at a network value that is a fraction of where Ethereum and Solana trade. According to data on RWA.xyz , roughly 90% of the total value of tokenized assets (not including stable coins) resides on the Canton Network. Daily transactions on the network have grown from roughly 50 thousand one year ago to over one million. If the Canton Network does earn a place as a key settlement layer for the financial system, it will have been very obvious in hindsight because all of the signs are there now. The CIP-0105 update is just one more feather in the Canton Network's cap to make it even more competitive in relation to other blockchains.
