Bitcoin’s hashrate hit beast mode this week, flexing a record-smashing 1,109 exahash per second (EH/s) because the community cranked its computational biceps tougher than ever. In the meantime, Bitcoin’s hashrate fireworks are lighting up merge mined neighbors too, with Namecoin, Rootstock, and Fractal Bitcoin all hitching a journey on the rocket and scoring monster boosts of their very own.
How Merge Mining Has Unleashed 700+ EH/s Energy Performs
Because of merge mining—aka auxiliary proof-of-work (AuxPoW)— Bitcoin’s hashrate isn’t a one-trick pony. Miners can flex the identical computational grind to lock down a number of chains without delay, turning their application-specific built-in circuit (ASIC) rigs into multitasking machines.
Just lately, Bitcoin has formally stomped into the zettahash per second (ZH/s) period, the place right this moment’s miners are collectively pumping out a mind-bending 1,000 EH/s. That tidal wave of hashpower isn’t simply bulking up Bitcoin—it’s juicing Namecoin, Rootstock, and Fractal Bitcoin too, as right this moment’s heavyweight mining swimming pools moonlight throughout these facet gigs whereas flexing their mainnet muscle.
Take Namecoin, the OG altcoin born in 2011—it rides shotgun with Bitcoin by way of merge mining and has for years. Proper now, it’s flexing 732 EH/s, and at block 791037 final week, it cranked out an all-time excessive of 786.98 EH/s. Clocking in at 786.98 EH/s, Namecoin’s peak hash isn’t only a mere blip—it outmuscles the mixed energy of a number of of right this moment’s prime proof-of-work (PoW) networks.
Rootstock (RSK) hashrate at 9:25 a.m. Jap on Sept. 29, 2025.
Rootstock, a Bitcoin sidechain constructed for sensible contracts with its RBTC token pegged 1:1 to BTC, is one other huge winner from Bitcoin’s towering hashrate. Utilizing merge mining, it faucets into Bitcoin’s safety whereas miners pocket RSK transaction charges alongside their BTC rewards. At current, Rootstock is clocking roughly 822.92 EH/s.
In different phrases, Namecoin is using on about 69.3% of Bitcoin’s present 1,057 EH/s, whereas Rootstock is locking down a strong 77.85%—severe hashpower hand-me-downs from the large chain. Fractal Bitcoin (FB) isn’t any slouch both, pulling in 768.91 EH/s from Bitcoin’s overflow.
FB runs on a hybrid setup—merge mined alongside Bitcoin, but additionally mined by itself. Framed as a Bitcoin scaling resolution, it stacks recursive layers constructed from Bitcoin Core code, aiming to stretch the chain’s attain with out breaking its base.
Altogether, Bitcoin’s march into the zettahash period isn’t simply flexing its personal dominance—it’s lifting a number of ecosystems in its wake. With a number of networks siphoning off huge parts of that hashrate, merge mining has confirmed itself greater than a technical footnote—it’s a full-blown multiplier of safety and scale throughout a number of PoW networks.
