Three Countries Dominated Bitcoin Mining Capacity
Global hashrate data from the third quarter of 2026 revealed that the United States, Russia, and China hold most of the network.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Data Centers
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Recent findings from October 5 show that the United States, Russia, and China controlled 65.4% of the global Bitcoin network hashrate during the third quarter of 2026. While the United States remains the leader with 35.6% of total mining power, its share declined as industry priorities shifted.
Why it matters
The concentration of mining power reflects an ongoing industry pivot as major operators reallocate resources from Bitcoin mining to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure. This strategic movement explains recent fluctuations in regional hashrate contributions across the global network.
The global network hashrate reached 941 EH/s, with the U.S. contributing 335 EH/s and Russia reaching 170 EH/s. Calculations utilize a 30-day simple moving average of computing work combined with ASIC trade data.
The players
Core Scientific
This company is a major data center operator that is currently pivoting its physical infrastructure toward high-density colocation services.
Keel Infrastructure
This firm is a mining operator that recently ceased all of its Bitcoin mining operations within the United States.
The details
Industry leaders are actively reshaping their footprints, with Keel Infrastructure decommissioning United States operations and Core Scientific repurposing existing facilities for high-density colocation services. These technical adjustments align with broader shifts toward utilizing data center power for computationally demanding AI tasks.
Timeline
July 16: Hashrate Index published its previous comparison edition.
July 28: Core Scientific described its repurposing of mining facilities.
August 10: Keel Infrastructure reported the decommissioning of its U.S. operations.
October 5: Hashrate Index released the Q3 2026 country mining estimates.
The Tech Race
This activity follows the industry-wide migration of high-density data centers toward artificial intelligence computing. As companies move away from legacy mining workflows, they are replacing old hardware setups with infrastructure designed to support large-scale AI research and services.
As operators repurpose specialized mining hardware, global access to high-performance computing power may improve for researchers and developers. Consumers and businesses utilizing these cloud services could see increased availability and potentially more competitive pricing for AI-driven tech tasks.
The takeaway
The decline in traditional mining share reflects a broader technological evolution toward specialized processing power for artificial intelligence. Market participants should monitor how legacy mining facilities adapt to these new, high-demand computing roles.
Further reading
For more information on the infrastructure shift, read our latest reports on Data Centers.
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Does Bitcoin mining concentration in three countries make the network less trustworthy for the future?
