ASIC Mining Glossary
What is hashrate?
Hashrate is the number of hash calculations a miner performs every second. For a Bitcoin ASIC it is expressed in terahashes per second (TH/s); for the whole Bitcoin network it is expressed in exahashes per second (EH/s).
Every hash is one attempt to find a valid block. The more attempts a machine makes per second, the larger its statistical share of the rewards paid by the network or by a mining pool. Hashrate is therefore the first figure to check on an ASIC miner, together with its power draw.
Hashrate units
| Unit | Hashes per second | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| MH/s | 1,000,000 | Scrypt miners (Litecoin, Dogecoin) in the past |
| GH/s | 1,000,000,000 | Scrypt and X11 ASICs today (for example 16 GH/s) |
| TH/s | 1012 | Bitcoin (SHA-256) ASIC miners |
| PH/s | 1015 | Mining farms and hashprice quotes |
| EH/s | 1018 | The whole Bitcoin network |
Hashrate is only comparable between machines that run the same algorithm: 16 GH/s on a Scrypt miner and 16 GH/s on a SHA-256 miner are not the same work.
How hashrate turns into mining revenue
Your expected share of the rewards equals your hashrate divided by the network hashrate. Miners usually shortcut this with the hashprice: the revenue earned per unit of hashrate per day.
Worked example
On September 29, 2026 the Bitcoin network ran at about 946 EH/s and the hashprice was about $40 per PH/s per day (OMS calculator data). A Bitmain Antminer S21 at 151 TH/s is 0.151 PH/s, so its gross revenue was about 0.151 × $40 = $6.04 per day.
That machine draws 2,643 W, or about 63.4 kWh per day. At $0.08 per kWh, electricity costs about $5.07 per day, which leaves roughly $0.97 per day before pool fees. Hashrate sets the revenue; power draw decides how much of it you keep.
Network hashrate, difficulty and hashprice change every day. Use the profitability calculator with your own electricity rate for a current estimate.
Hashrate versus energy efficiency
Two machines with different hashrates are compared by their energy efficiency in joules per terahash (J/TH): power draw divided by hashrate. A lower J/TH means more hashrate for the same electricity bill.
| Miner | Hashrate | Power | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitmain Antminer S21 | 151 TH/s | 2,643 W | 17.5 J/TH |
| MicroBT Whatsminer M61S+ | 230 TH/s | 3,910 W | 17 J/TH |
| Bitmain Antminer S21 XP | 270 TH/s | 3,645 W | 13.5 J/TH |
The S21 XP delivers 79% more hashrate than the S21 for only 38% more power. When electricity is expensive, efficiency usually matters more than raw hashrate.
Network hashrate and mining difficulty
The network hashrate is the combined hashrate of every miner working on Bitcoin. When it rises, each machine's share of the rewards falls, even though the machine itself has not changed. To keep blocks coming roughly every 10 minutes, Bitcoin adjusts its mining difficulty every 2,016 blocks, about every two weeks: difficulty goes up when blocks arrive too fast and down when they arrive too slowly.
This is why the same miner earns fewer bitcoins over time when the network grows, and why revenue estimates must be refreshed regularly. The block subsidy itself is also cut in half every four years by the Bitcoin halving.
How to check your miner's hashrate
- Miner dashboard: open the miner's IP address in a browser. Bitmain and MicroBT interfaces show the real-time hashrate, the average hashrate and the figure for each hashboard.
- Hashboard balance: the hashboards of a healthy miner run at similar speeds. One board far below the others usually points to a hardware, cooling or power problem.
- Pool dashboard: your mining pool shows the hashrate it receives from each worker. It is the figure that pays, so compare it with the miner over 24 hours.
What to watch for
- Nominal versus measured hashrate: the rated figure is an average; the hashrate shown on the miner and on the pool moves up and down around it.
- Local versus pool hashrate: the pool estimates your hashrate from the shares it receives, so short-term figures are noisy. Compare averages over 24 hours.
- Temperature and power supply: overheating, dust or a weak electrical circuit makes a miner throttle and lose hashrate.
- Firmware tuning: custom firmware can raise hashrate or lower power draw, with effects on heat, noise and warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Is a higher hashrate always more profitable?
No. A higher hashrate earns more revenue, but profit depends on power draw, electricity price and purchase price. Compare miners by J/TH and by payback period.
How much is 1 TH/s?
One terahash per second is one trillion (1012) hash calculations every second.
Why does my pool show less hashrate than my miner?
Pools estimate hashrate from submitted shares, so short windows vary. A 24-hour average that stays several percent below the miner's own figure can point to rejected shares or a network issue.