A severe Arctic blast sweeping across the United States forced major Bitcoin miners offline, reducing block production times and straining grid operations. FoundryUSA and Luxor recorded steep hashrate drops as mining firms curtailed usage to support electricity grids. Data shows more than 110 EH/s of computing power went offline during the storm’s peak over the weekend.
The Arctic blast triggered a strong response from mining operators across the U.S. as power demand surged in multiple states. FoundryUSA’s hashrate dropped from around 340 EH/s to 242 EH/s, showing a 60% reduction. Luxor saw a similar fall from 45 EH/s to nearly 26 EH/s.
UPDATE: #Bitcoin hashrate on FoundryUSA is down by nearly 200 EH/s, or 60%, since Friday amid continued curtailment. Temporary block production slows down to 12 minutes
https://t.co/e51LyWoxjs pic.twitter.com/uIrCD5JudD
— TheMinerMag (@TheMinerMag_) January 25, 2026
These shutdowns formed one of the largest coordinated mining curtailments since the 2021 Texas grid emergency. Cold weather and high heating demand pressured electricity providers, prompting urgent conservation alerts across several regions. Though Texas issued warnings, ERCOT confirmed that the grid remained stable throughout the event.
FoundryUSA operates a major share of the U.S. hashrate, making the drop in power output a sharp decline in network contribution. Real-time figures from Mining Pool Stats confirmed the pullback, aligning with The Miner Mag’s 110 EH/s estimate. Smaller pools like Antpool and Binance Pool also showed minor reductions during the storm.
Bitcoin miners in the U.S. now play a role in supporting grid stability during harsh weather, unlike during past grid events. Bitdeer, a Singapore-based mining company with rigs in Texas, reported it was ready to pause operations if required. The company said it would comply with ERCOT’s flexible-load requests during grid stress.
“Bitdeer stands ready to fully support the grid should supply constraints occur,” said a company spokesperson. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas described miners as “large flexible loads,” which allows them to quickly adjust consumption. This feature helps operators ease pressure on the grid during energy shortages.
After the 2021 Texas blackout, grid upgrades included systems to better handle surging demand, especially from data centers and mining farms. These changes enabled faster responses during emergencies such as this Arctic event. Many mining facilities now participate in demand response programs to reduce risks of outages.
The average Bitcoin block time extended to 12 minutes during the curtailments, according to data compiled by The Miner Mag. This delay came as the seven-day average hashrate dropped to around 992 EH/s from October’s high of 1.15 ZH/s. The 13.7% decrease reflects both weather impacts and weaker mining economics.
Bitcoin’s market price has declined almost 30% since October, placing extra pressure on miners’ profitability. Lower revenue per computing unit has already slowed hashrate growth in recent weeks. This financial strain made it easier for operators to pause machines during energy alerts.
The winter storm impacted nearly 60 million people across more than twelve states, pushing grid infrastructure close to its limit. According to AccuWeather, over 1 million people could lose power due to icing and high electricity demand. The storm stretched 1,800 miles from Texas to the mid-Atlantic coast.
Many areas still have temporary power lines after Hurricane Helene, increasing risks of outages, said Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. These fragile systems may collapse faster under the weight of snow and ice. Recovery crews could face major challenges in restoring power quickly.
Airlines cancelled thousands of flights, citing snow, freezing rain, and displaced crews across major hubs. AccuWeather’s William Clark said supply chains may break down due to long highway closures. This could affect shipments of essentials such as medicine and food in the hardest-hit areas.
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