Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has surged to an unprecedented level, marking a new milestone in the network’s history. On Friday, the difficulty level for mining a block climbed to 134.7 trillion, surpassing the previous peak set in August. Despite earlier predictions of a decline, the metric has continued to rise steadily, signaling more intense competition among miners.

The increase comes as Bitcoin’s hashrate has slightly retreated. According to CryptoQuant data, the network hashrate has dropped to 967 billion hashes per second, down from its record high of over one trillion recorded on August 4. This shift underscores the mounting challenge for mining firms already operating under razor-thin profit margins.

The rising cost of securing the network has sparked concerns about centralization. As the industry requires ever-greater computing resources, smaller operators risk being pushed out by large corporations and massive mining pools. Critics warn this could undermine Bitcoin’s original vision of decentralization, making it increasingly difficult for independent miners to compete.

Yet, the recent months have also highlighted rare but remarkable success stories from solo miners. Against overwhelming odds, three independent miners managed to secure full block rewards this summer. On July 3, one miner added block 903,883 and earned nearly $350,000 in rewards and fees. Later in the month, on July 26, another solo miner mined block 907,283, claiming more than $373,000. The streak continued on August 17, when a third miner captured block 910,440 for another $373,000 payout.

All three breakthroughs came through the Solo CK Pool, a platform designed for individuals who want to mine independently without joining large operations. While rare, these wins prove that despite the increasing dominance of institutional miners, small players still have a chance to hit life-changing rewards in Bitcoin’s ever-competitive ecosystem.