Definition
Mining difficulty is a dynamic value that controls how much computational work is required to find a valid block. When more miners join the network (increasing total hashrate), difficulty rises to keep the average block time at approximately 10 minutes.
The difficulty adjustment occurs every 2,016 blocks. If blocks were found faster than expected, difficulty increases; if slower, it decreases. This self-regulating mechanism is a core feature of Bitcoin’s design.
Higher difficulty means each individual miner has a lower probability of finding a block, which directly impacts mining profitability.
In Simple Terms
A value that controls how hard it is to mine a Bitcoin block, adjusted every two weeks to maintain 10-minute block times.
A measure of how hard it is to find a valid block hash. Bitcoin adjusts difficulty every 2,016 blocks (roughly two weeks) to maintain a 10-minute average block time.