Hash Rate
The total computational power being used to mine and process transactions on a proof-of-work blockchain.
What is Hash Rate?
Hash rate (or hashrate) is the measure of total computational power dedicated to mining and validating transactions on a proof-of-work blockchain network. It is expressed in hashes per second (H/s), with modern networks measured in terahashes per second (TH/s) or exahashes per second (EH/s). A higher hash rate means more miners are competing to solve the cryptographic puzzle required to add the next block — making the network more secure against a 51% attack, in which an attacker controls a majority of the network's computing power to rewrite transaction history. Bitcoin's hash rate has generally risen over time as more efficient mining hardware (ASICs) has been deployed. When the hash rate drops, the network's difficulty adjustment mechanism reduces the puzzle complexity to maintain the target block time of approximately 10 minutes.
Example
Bitcoin's hash rate reached an all-time high of over 600 exahashes per second (EH/s) in late 2023. For comparison, the attack needed to conduct a 51% attack on the Bitcoin network at that level would require more electricity and hardware than some small countries consume — making it economically unfeasible.