<p>Bitcoin’s network has several specialized nodes called “miners” who use specialized equipment to solve cryptographically hard puzzles. If they are successful, then they will get the opportunity to add blocks to the BTC blockchain successfully.</p>
<p>This is how it works:</p>
<ul>
<li>The miner picks up transactions waiting in the mempool and hashes
them.</li>
<li>They add a random hexadecimal value to the front of the hash and hashes the entire value.</li>
<li>This hash needs to be less than a particular value, which is called “<em>target</em>”</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Difficulty</strong> is a measure of how difficult it is to find a hash below a given <em>target</em>.</p>
<p>The Bitcoin network has a global block <strong>difficulty</strong>. Valid blocks must have a hash below a <em>target</em>. This Difficulty changes every 2016 blocks (Approximately every two weeks). The level of Bitcoin mining <strong>difficulty</strong> increases or decreases according to the ease of mining within the protocol. Remember, Bitcoin needs to have a consistent block time of 10 minutes.</p>
<p>The problem is that <em>targets</em> are hard for people to comprehend. The <strong>difficulty</strong> is inversely proportional to the <em>target</em> and easier to understand.</p>
<p>The specific formula is: <code>difficulty = [0xFFFF x 256^(0x1D - 3)] / target</code>, to find the <em>target</em> you just rearrange the formula.</p>
<p>The <strong>difficulty</strong> of Bitcoin at the genesis block was 1. The <strong>difficulty</strong> can be thought of as how much more difficult mining is now than it was at the start. The current <strong>difficulty</strong> level is: <code>28.6 x 10^12</code>.</p>
<p>You can check the current difficulty rate at: <a href="https://bitcoin.clarkmoody.com/dashboard/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Clark Moody's Dashboard</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-10T17:35:01.443Z
I appreciate the deep dive but I just wanted that formula you gave me there. Although, I am a bit confused if you could clear up what the values in the brackets are specifically that would be awesome.
Joe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-12T23:49:29.823Z
Fixed a typo in the formula, the correct one is with 256 not 255, `difficulty = [65535 x (256^26)] / target`
Bitcoin_1o1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-10T04:39:17.453Z
2022-04-12T23:48:19.527Z
2022-04-12T23:48:19.527Z
Bitcoin_1o1
<p>So basically I was researching target hash and trying to figure out how I can find it. I know there are posts out there that have said that Bitcoins target hash is a 256 bit number with 32 bits of leading zeros. But, where can I find this information. Basically is there an equation I can use to find how many leading zeros are currently in the target hash or a direct source where I can find this? Also, how often and by how much does this target change?</p>

<blockchain><block><hash><difficulty>
How often does target hash change and how to find it?
Joe
# How often does target hash change and how to find it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-09)

So basically I was researching target hash and trying to figure out how I can find it. I know there are posts out there that have said that Bitcoins target hash is a 256 bit number with 32 bits of leading zeros. But, where can I find this information. Basically is there an equation I can use to find how many leading zeros are currently in the target hash or a direct source where I can find this? Also, how often and by how much does this target change?

**Tags:** blockchain, block, hash, difficulty


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-10. Score: 1

Bitcoin’s network has several specialized nodes called “miners” who use specialized equipment to solve cryptographically hard puzzles. If they are successful, then they will get the opportunity to add blocks to the BTC blockchain successfully.

This is how it works:

* The miner picks up transactions waiting in the mempool and hashes
  them.
* They add a random hexadecimal value to the front of the hash and hashes the entire value.
* This hash needs to be less than a particular value, which is called “*target*”

**Difficulty** is a measure of how difficult it is to find a hash below a given *target*.

The Bitcoin network has a global block **difficulty**. Valid blocks must have a hash below a *target*. This Difficulty changes every 2016 blocks (Approximately every two weeks). The level of Bitcoin mining **difficulty** increases or decreases according to the ease of mining within the protocol. Remember, Bitcoin needs to have a consistent block time of 10 minutes.

The problem is that *targets* are hard for people to comprehend. The **difficulty** is inversely proportional to the *target* and easier to understand.

The specific formula is: `difficulty = [0xFFFF x 256^(0x1D - 3)] / target`, to find the *target* you just rearrange the formula.

The **difficulty** of Bitcoin at the genesis block was 1. The **difficulty** can be thought of as how much more difficult mining is now than it was at the start. The current **difficulty** level is: `28.6 x 10^12`.

You can check the current difficulty rate at: [Clark Moody's Dashboard](https://bitcoin.clarkmoody.com/dashboard/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I appreciate the deep dive but I just wanted that formula you gave me there. Although, I am a bit confused if you could clear up what the values in the brackets are specifically that would be awesome.  
> **username_1**: Fixed a typo in the formula, the correct one is with 256 not 255, `difficulty = [65535 x (256^26)] / target`  

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