# Hashrate

Hashrate is how many hashes per second the Bitcoin network performs. It can't be measured directly; learn how it's estimated and why it matters.

Canonical page: https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/hashrate
Topic: Mining
Published: 2026-10-29
Updated: 2026-10-30


## Hashes per second
Hashrate is the number of hash attempts per second. Bitcoin's units get big fast:

| Unit | Hashes per second |
|---|---|
| TH/s (tera) | 10^12 |
| PH/s (peta) | 10^15 |
| EH/s (exa) | 10^18 |
| ZH/s (zetta) | 10^21 |

The whole network runs at hundreds of exahashes per second or more.

## How it's estimated
> Diagram: Hashrate isn't measured directly: it's inferred from difficulty and block times — Difficulty: known → + block times: observed → *Estimated hashrate: hashes per second

No one can see every miner. Instead, hashrate is estimated from difficulty and block times:

~~~
estimated hashrate ≈ difficulty × 2^32 ÷ average seconds per block
~~~

Because blocks arrive randomly, short-term estimates are noisy. Averages over days are more meaningful.

## Why it matters
More hashrate means an attacker needs more machines and electricity to overtake the honest chain. See [The 51% attack](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/51-percent-attack). Difficulty follows hashrate up and down. See [Difficulty adjustment](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/difficulty-adjustment).


## Hashrate vs difficulty
| | Hashrate | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Actual work per second | How hard the target is |
| Changes | Constantly | Every 2,016 blocks |
| Known exactly? | No, estimated | Yes, in every header |

Difficulty lags hashrate: when miners join, blocks speed up for a while before difficulty catches up.

## Why charts disagree
Different sites average over different windows, so their hashrate figures differ. A 1-day estimate is noisy; 7-day and 30-day averages are steadier.


## Key takeaways

- Hashrate is total hash attempts per second.
- It's estimated from difficulty and block timing.
- Higher hashrate makes attacks more expensive.

## Common questions

### Why does hashrate jump around on charts?

Block times are random, so short-window estimates are noisy. Look at 7-day or longer averages.

### Does more hashrate make blocks faster?

Briefly, until the next difficulty adjustment raises difficulty to match.

### What is the Bitcoin network hashrate?

It's estimated at hundreds of exahashes per second or more and changes daily.

### Does higher hashrate mean faster transactions?

Only briefly. The difficulty adjustment brings average block time back to 10 minutes.

## Related lessons

- [Difficulty adjustment](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/difficulty-adjustment)
- [Target and difficulty](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/target-and-difficulty)
- [The 51% attack](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/51-percent-attack)
- [ASIC miners](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/asic-miners)