Bitcoin mining costs surge past $70K – Will rising expenses hit miners hard?

• Bitcoin mining costs now exceed $70K, outpacing price and pressuring miner profitability post-halving.
• Elevated whale transactions suggest institutional miners may be selling via OTC to manage rising expenses.

Bitcoin [BTC] mining is getting brutally expensive.

The cost to mine one Bitcoin has surged beyond $70,000—now higher than BTC’s current market value.

This spike, fueled by rising energy costs and reduced block rewards post-2024 halving, is squeezing miners’ profit margins and ramping up operational stress.

With profitability under pressure, the big question is: can the mining sector endure these headwinds, or are we on the brink of widespread miner capitulation and industry consolidation?

Miners are paying more than ever, while making less than before

MacroMicro data shows the average cost to mine one Bitcoin has jumped above $70,000, even as BTC’s price hovers near that level. This marks the widest cost-price gap since the April halving.

Source: MicroMacro

The chart reveals that while prices stayed relatively flat, mining expenses surged post-halving; squeezing profit margins to near zero.

For many miners, it’s now a break-even game at best. And unless Bitcoin rallies significantly, smaller operations may struggle to survive the heat.

Hashrates high, reserves low

Source: CryptoQuant

Bitcoin’s hashrate remains elevated, even as miner profit margins shrink. That means miners are doubling down on efficiency and scale just to stay afloat.

Source: CryptoQuant

While mining rigs are working overtime, Bitcoin reserves held by miners are telling a different story. 

According to CryptoQuant data, the USD value of miner-held BTC has dropped sharply since March—even as Bitcoin’s price has been rising.

This suggests that more miners may be cashing out to cover increasing operational costs.

Whale moves hint at off-exchange activity

Santiment data shows a persistent surge in $1M+ Bitcoin transactions, peaking in early April and remaining elevated since.

This pattern – especially during periods of rising miner reserves – could be a sign of offloading via OTC desks rather than public exchanges.

Source: Santiment

The timing aligns with rising operational costs, showing institutional miners may be liquidating discreetly to avoid slippage.

These silent exits won’t always reflect in spot prices, but they offer a glimpse into capital rotation within the mining sector.