How Is the Total Network Hash Rate Estimated by Blockchain Observers? ▴ Learn

How Is the Total Network Hash Rate Estimated by Blockchain Observers?

The total network hash rate is estimated indirectly by observing the rate at which new blocks are found and comparing it to the current mining difficulty. Since the protocol adjusts difficulty to target a specific block time (e.g.

10 minutes), if blocks are found faster, it is inferred that the hash rate has increased. Observers use the difficulty and the time elapsed between blocks to back-calculate the approximate total computational power currently securing the network.

How Is the “Target Hash” Calculated from the Difficulty Setting?

How Does Increased Network Difficulty Affect a Mining Pool’s Profitability?

How Does an Increase in Network Hash Rate Affect Mining Difficulty?

How Does the Time-to-Block-Discovery Relate to the Network’s Difficulty Target?