Hash rate is the number of hash calculations that miners on a proof-of-work network, such as Bitcoin, perform every second. A higher network hash rate means more computing power protects the blockchain, so rewriting confirmed transactions takes more work. Hash rate is an estimate, and it does not set or predict a coin's price.
How hash rate works
Miners run block data through a hash function again and again, changing one small number each time. A block only counts when its hash falls below a target set by the network. Each attempt is one hash, and hash rate counts attempts per second. On Bitcoin, ASIC miners make most of them.
No one measures the total directly. Explorers estimate it from how fast recent blocks were found and how hard they were to find. Units step up by 1,000: TH/s (trillion), PH/s (quadrillion) and EH/s (quintillion hashes per second). Every 2,016 blocks, the difficulty adjustment moves the target so blocks keep arriving about every 10 minutes.
Example
As of 28 September 2026, the public explorer mempool.space estimated Bitcoin’s network hash rate at about 950 EH/s, based on the past week of blocks. Its daily estimates for September 2026 ranged from about 830 to about 1,040 EH/s, because each one rests on a single day’s blocks.
Why it matters when you buy crypto
Hash rate shows how much computing power protects a proof-of-work coin. To change a confirmed block, an attacker must redo that work faster than all other miners. A higher hash rate makes past transactions harder to rewrite, and each extra confirmation adds protection. Hash rate does not set or predict the price. See the Bitcoin price and payment options.
Risks and red flags
- It is an estimate. Explorers use different time windows, so compare figures from one source.
- Small networks are easier to attack. Whoever controls about half of a network’s computing power could block or reverse recent transactions. On low hash rate coins, wait for more confirmations.
- A falling hash rate is not a price signal. A sharp drop can mean miners are switching machines off (miner capitulation). It does not show where the price will go.
- Beware of “rent hash rate” offers. Promises of high returns at little risk are a common scam sign. See how to spot mining scams.
Go deeper: What is cryptocurrency mining? For Bitcoin’s hash rate history up to 2019, read Bitcoin hash rate explained.
