A severe US winter storm forced Bitcoin miners offline, slowing block production to about 12 minutes as hashrate drops and grid demand rises.
More than 110 exahashes per second (EH/s) of Bitcoin mining capacity went offline as an Arctic blast swept across the United States, forcing miners to curtail operations to reduce strain on regional power grids. The pullback temporarily slowed Bitcoin block times to around 12 minutes, according to The Miner Mag.
The widespread shutdown represents one of the largest coordinated mining curtailments since Texas’s 2021 grid crisis. FoundryUSA, the world’s largest mining pool, saw its hashrate fall nearly 60% since Friday. Data from Mining Pool Stats shows FoundryUSA’s hashrate dropped from roughly 340 EH/s to about 242 EH/s over the weekend, while Luxor declined from approximately 45 EH/s to 26 EH/s.
Smaller reductions were also observed at Antpool and Binance Pool. Because these pools host fewer U.S.-based operations, The Miner Mag noted that total curtailments may exceed the initial estimate of 110 EH/s.
The mining slowdown coincided with a severe Arctic air mass bringing subfreezing temperatures, snow, and ice across much of the central and eastern United States. Grid operators in several states issued conservation alerts as heating demand surged, but Texas grid operator ERCOT said conditions remained stable as of Friday.
That stability stands in contrast to February 2021, when Winter Storm Uri caused widespread outages across Texas. Since then, the state has added significant large-load capacity, much of it linked to Bitcoin mining and data center operations.
Unlike traditional industrial users, many Bitcoin miners participate in demand-response programs, enabling them to rapidly reduce power consumption during periods of grid stress. According to The Miner Mag, this flexible-load model marks a significant shift from 2021, when such infrastructure was largely absent.
Singapore-based miner Bitdeer, which operates more than 293,000 mining rigs globally, including in Texas, said it does not expect major disruptions from the storm. A company spokesperson noted that ERCOT classifies Bitcoin miners as “large flexible loads,” allowing them to curtail usage on request.
“Bitdeer stands ready to fully support the grid should supply constraints occur,” the spokesperson said.
The curtailments come as Bitcoin’s seven-day average network hashrate had already slipped to about 992 EH/s, down roughly 13.7% from the October all-time high above 1.15 zettahashes per second, according to data cited by The Miner Mag. The decline follows a nearly 30% drop in Bitcoin’s price from its October peak, adding pressure to mining economics.
The massive winter storm spans roughly 1,800 miles from western Texas to the mid-Atlantic, threatening up to 60 million people across more than a dozen states, according to AccuWeather.
AccuWeather Senior Vice President Evan Myers warned that widespread snow, ice, and extreme cold could disrupt daily life for several days, with some power outages lasting extended periods. The company estimates that about 60 million people will experience icing conditions, while up to one million could face prolonged power loss.
Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter added that regions still recovering from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 remain vulnerable, as temporary power infrastructure could fail under the storm’s weight. The weather has already triggered thousands of flight cancellations, straining airline operations.
AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark cautioned that extended interstate closures could disrupt supply chains, potentially limiting access to critical goods such as pharmaceuticals and basic necessities.
The United States currently accounts for nearly 38% of global Bitcoin hashrate, according to Hashrate Index estimates, making U.S. mining operations a critical component of the network’s overall security.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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