The Bitcoin mining industry experienced significant growth in 2024, with various milestones and challenges.
The year began at block 823,807 and ended at block 877,270, producing 53,463 blocks with an average block time of approximately 9 minutes and 83 seconds.
The fourth Bitcoin halving event occurred, reducing miner rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block.
Despite the challenges, the industry demonstrated resilience and achieved a record increase in hashrate.
The hashrate grew from 515 EH/s to 807 EH/s, peaking at 808 EH/s.
The halving event led to a decline in the Bitcoin hashprice, but high fees and increased hashrate indicated a robust demand for block space.
In addition to the growth in hashrate, there was also an increase in mergers and acquisitions among large mining companies.
Miners adapted by pivoting towards a bitcoin treasury strategy, which is expected to increase profitability in the future.
Emerging regions like Africa and South America attracted attention as cost-effective options for mining operations.
Industry analysts predict increased profitability for miners through the adoption of the bitcoin treasury strategy and anticipate the network's hashrate to surpass 1 zetahash.
The market capitalization of publicly traded mining stocks has already exceeded $50 billion, highlighting the growing interest and investment in the sector.
Overall, 2024 was a transformative year for Bitcoin mining, characterized by record-breaking developments and strategic shifts.