Bitcoin difficulty plunges, Buterin sells off Ethereum: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 1 – 7

CoinTelegraph

by Editorial Staff

February 8, 2026

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Bitcoin mining difficulty has experienced its sharpest drop since China's 2021 crypto mining ban, falling by over 11% to 125.86 T at block 935,429. This adjustment reflects the reduced computational power required to mine Bitcoin, with average block time now at 9.47 minutes compared to the target of 10 minutes. While this drop is significant, it is expected to be temporary, with difficulty projected to rise by about 5.63% in the next adjustment on February 20. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin made headlines by selling approximately $6.6 million worth of ETH over three days, executed through multiple small swaps via CoW Protocol to minimize market impact. This transaction occurred after Buterin had previously flagged his intention to reduce his holdings. Ethereum’s price dropped slightly following the sale, trading at around $2,130 as of writing. Vietnam is set to introduce a crypto tax framework mirroring its stock trade regulations, imposing a 0.1% personal income tax on transactions conducted through licensed service providers. While value-added tax (VAT) would be exempt for crypto transfers, institutional investors would face a 20% corporate income tax on profits from crypto activities. This aligns Vietnam’s crypto regulations with traditional financial markets, signaling increased oversight and integration of digital assets into the mainstream economy. Meanwhile, Bitcoin

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Originally published on CoinTelegraph on 2/8/2026