Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
The Bitcoin network’s computational power has officially surpassed the monumental threshold of 1 Zetahash per second (ZH/s), marking a significant milestone in its operational history. This achievement, recorded on September 11, 2025, according to data from Luxor’s Hashrate Index, underscores the rapid expansion of mining infrastructure and enhances the network’s overall security.
Network Hashrate Reaches New Heights
This unprecedented surge reflects the accelerating deployment of new mining hardware by Bitcoin miners globally. The network’s hashrate has climbed dramatically from under 800 Exahash per second (EH/s) at the beginning of 2025 to its current zetahash scale, demonstrating a robust and ongoing investment in the cryptocurrency’s underlying infrastructure.
A substantial portion of this processing power, approximately 30%, is contributed by publicly listed Bitcoin mining operations based in the United States. While the daily network hashrate has briefly touched 1 ZH/s intraday on several occasions over the past year, the current measurement represents the first sustained period above this critical threshold, as indicated by the more stable seven-day moving average.
Security and Efficiency Implications
The leap to 1 ZH/s is particularly noteworthy when considering Bitcoin’s history; the network first crossed the 1 EH/s milestone just nine years ago in 2016. This means its processing capacity has multiplied by a factor of 1,000 in less than a decade, showcasing exponential growth in its computational strength.
A higher network hashrate directly translates to enhanced security for the Bitcoin blockchain, making it significantly more expensive and difficult for malicious actors to execute network reorgs or 51% attacks. Concurrently, this escalating competition puts increasing pressure on miners to continuously optimize for energy efficiency and reduce operational costs to remain profitable in a rapidly evolving landscape.
The sustained breach of the 1 ZH/s mark signifies not only a remarkable technical achievement for the Bitcoin network but also a testament to the continued investment and innovation within the global mining industry. This milestone reinforces Bitcoin’s resilience and security, while simultaneously driving forward the imperative for greater efficiency among its participants.