Mining Capitulation Cycle
A mining capitulation cycle occurs when a significant portion of miners are forced to shut down their operations because the cost of production exceeds the revenue generated. This often happens during prolonged bear markets where the price of the mined asset falls below the breakeven point for many participants.
As these miners capitulate and exit, the network hashrate drops, which eventually triggers a downward difficulty adjustment. This cycle serves as a market cleansing process, removing inefficient players and concentrating the hashrate among the most cost-effective and well-capitalized miners.
Once the difficulty adjusts downward, the remaining miners see their profitability improve, which can eventually stabilize the network and set the stage for a new growth phase. It is a classic example of market equilibrium in a competitive, decentralized environment.