An independent miner successfully packaged block 960,804 early on Monday morning. The reward for confirming transactions was 3,157 bitcoins worth about $199,300. Details about the specific equipment used are still unknown to the general public. The success came just three weeks after another participant's similar achievement. The previous miner used the only amateur Bitaxe device to find block 957,382. That user earned about two hundred thousand dollars with his modest home installation. These consecutive victories highlight a notable trend in the current calendar year. Single miners have already successfully mined thirteen blocks since the beginning of this year. Individual operators continue to find valid solutions using relatively modest computing facilities.

The broader industrial mining sector has found itself in a difficult financial situation. Limited profitability forces companies to look for alternative uses of available energy capacity. Several large mining organizations have already switched to servicing data centers. The artificial intelligence infrastructure offers more stable conditions for long-term commercial cooperation. Small Bitcoin holders continue to express concern about the recent Coldcard incident. The vulnerability of popular hardware wallets has led to the loss of long-standing user savings. The output of on-chain analytics showed signs of large volumes of digital assets moving. Some owners transferred coins worth millions of dollars to external platforms. Community members carefully study manufacturers' recommendations for updating vulnerable firmware.

Research company CryptoQuant recorded a noticeable increase in holder activity on Friday. The number of bitcoin sending addresses has reached its maximum since the beginning of 2024. The exchange's reserve of coins increased from 2,706 to 2,718 million units. These changes occurred on July 30th, the day the Coldcard incident began. The analytical firm Glassnode offers an alternative explanation for the observed network activity. Experts say that holders transfer coins exclusively to new wallets. Users create fresh addresses to securely store their own cryptographic keys. Sending funds to trading platforms is not the only reason for movements. Rising Treasury bond yields create additional conditions for risky assets. The increase in mortgage rates also affects the market situation.

***

The material has been prepared solely for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice or recommendation.