Bitcoin Miners Face Financial Challenges Amid Declining Transaction Fees and Hashprice Drop

According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin miners are experiencing increased financial pressure due to a decline in transaction fees and a drop in hashprice, as detailed in TheMinerMag’s February 2025 report. The hashrate for Bitcoin rose by 3.8% in February, reaching 810 EH/s, indicating a slowdown in the growth of mining competition. Despite this, the hashprice, which represents the revenue miners earn per unit of computing power, fell to $45/PH/s, negating the gains from the price surge driven by the U.S. election. This situation is particularly challenging for inefficient miners. Transaction fees accounted for only 1.3% of total block rewards in February, marking their lowest share since the bear market bottom in 2022. March is showing an even lower trend, with transaction fees comprising just 1.12% so far. These developments, coupled with increased competition from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, are exerting additional pressure on mining operations that depend on hosting agreements and asset-light strategies. MARA continues to lead the industry with a hashrate of 44 EH/s following a 6% increase, while CleanSpark saw a 12% growth, reaching 39 EH/s. Despite some firms like HIVE Digital and Cipher Mining selling their production to fund expansion, total Bitcoin holdings among miners have surpassed 100,000 BTC for the first time. However, mining stocks have suffered, with the combined market capitalization of 15 major firms dropping from $36 billion in January to $22 billion in March. Companies such as Cipher, Canaan, Hut 8, HIVE, and Bitdeer have all experienced losses exceeding 40%. As network growth slows and energy costs rise, miners may require a Bitcoin price rally to alleviate further financial strain. The current environment poses significant challenges for the industry, highlighting the need for strategic adjustments to navigate the evolving landscape.