Hash Rate: How It Works and How to Measure

What Is Hash Rate? Hash rate is the measure of the computational power of a proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrency network, group, or individual. The hash rate is used to determine the mining difficulty of a blockchain network and can be used as a gauge of security. A hash is an alphanumeric code that is randomly generated, and hashing is the process of guessing that code (or as close to it as possible). Each guess submitted by computers on the network is measured, and the hash rate is how many guesses per second are occurring on a single miner, a pool, or across an entire network. KEY TAKEAWAYS Hash rate is a measure of the computational power of a blockchain network, group, or individual. Hash rate is determined by how many guesses are made per second. The overall hash rate helps determine the mining difficulty of a blockchain network. Hash rates can change over time, with the most popular blockchains increasing year over year. Understanding Hash Rates Hash rates are measured by the number of guesses each mining computer makes per second to solve for the hash on a blockchain network. This is an essential part of the crypto mining process on a proof-of-work (PoW) network. Here's how it works: 1 A blockchain network employs a hashing algorithm that randomly generates a hash code. Mining computers on the blockchain network compete to guess the hash value. The amount of guesses per second on the blockchain network is measured as the network's hash rate. Each miner has its own hash rate, and groups of miners called pools have a combined hash rate. The hash is "solved" when a miner or group guesses a value that is lower than or equal to the numeric value of the target hash. The winning miner(s) earn crypto rewards (known as block rewards). The more computers that join a blockchain network and process hashes (guesses) on the network, the higher its hash rate is. A high hash rate represents more security and health on a PoW blockchain network, as there is less of a chance of an attack on the network. How to Measure Hash Rate Hash rate is measured by the number of hashes (or guesses) per second on a blockchain network. The larger the blockchain network, the higher the hash rate. Hash rate is typically measured in how many hashes per second are being generated. Here are the common hashrate measurements, what they mean, and some examples of networks or devices that generate them: Kilohash per second: 1,000 hashes per second, very slow Megahash per second: 1 million hashes per second, typically a single GPU or CPU. Gigahash per second: 1 billion hashes per second, typically a smaller mining pool or cluster of GPUs. Terahash per second: 1 trillion hashes per second, typically a single ASIC or large mining pool. Petahash per second: 1 quadrillion hashes per second, typically a large mining pool. Exahash per second: 1 quintillion hashes per second, typically a huge mining pool or entire network. Zettahash per second: 1 sextillion hashes per second, not reached yet. The Bitcoin network hash rate grew from 268 EH/s to more than 500 EH/s over 2023. 2 The pool with the largest Bitcoin hash rate on Dec. 6, 2023, was FoundryDigital, a whopping 140.2 EH/s or nearly 28% of the Bitcoin network's total hash rate. 3 Why Is Hash Rate Important? Hash rate has importance as an indicator of the overall security of a blockchain network, as well as the mining difficulty for miners to earn block rewards. The more miners who are part of a blockchain network competing to mine blocks, the less likely it is for a malicious attack on the network to occur. Hash rate also affects the mining difficulty of a given blockchain. Some blockchains increase the difficulty of mining a block as the hash rate increases. This means that crypto networks with very high hash rates may be nearly impossible for individual miners to compete. What Happens When the Hash Rate Increases or Decreases? The hash rate is a gauge of the overall network activity by miners on a proof-of-work (PoW) network. When the hash rate increases, here’s what it means: More computational resources are being used to mine blocks. More electrical power is consumed. The network increases in security, as it becomes too big to overpower by a single entity. Mining becomes much more difficult, and most blockchain network algorithms increase the difficulty to mine as the hash rate increases. When the hash rate of a PoW blockchain network decreases, this typically means: Fewer miners are competing to add blocks and earn block rewards. The network becomes less secure, and more vulnerable to a 51% attack, which occurs when a group of miners who control more than 50% of the network’s mining hash rate alter the blockchain. Less power is consumed by mining computers. Mining difficulty declines, making it easier to mine blocks. What Is Bitcoin’s Hash Rate? The hash rate on the Bitcoin network hit 580 EH/s on Dec. 4, 2023. The network first hit a hash rate of 1 TH/s in May 2011 and has increased every year since then. 4 What Is Terahash? Terahash is a measurement of how many hashes per second a mining device, pool, or network can generate. Tera, in this case, means trillion, so one terahash is one trillion hashes per second. Where Can I See Different Crypto Hash Rates? There are several data aggregator websites that allow you to view the hash rates of popular PoW crypto blockchain networks. Websites such as BitInfoCharts, Blockchain, Blockchair, MiningPoolStats, and others display the hash rates and other blockchain information for various cryptocurrencies. The Bottom Line Hashrates are how many hashes an entity generates per second. It can indicate how popular a cryptocurrency is, but it also tells you how powerful your mining competitors or peers are. The more computing power dedicated to a given crypto miner or pool, the more chance it has of winning the reward. The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes online. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info. Compete Risk Free with $100,000 in Virtual Cash Put your trading skills to the test with our FREE Stock Simulator. Compete with thousands of Investopedia traders and trade your way to the top! Submit trades in a virtual environment before you start risking your own money. Practice trading strategies so that when you're ready to enter the real market, you've had the practice you need. Try our Stock Simulator today >>