<p>All nodes and all clients have this logic hardcoded into them. So in that sense, everybody is responsible for understanding that every 2016 blocks the difficulty changes.</p>

<p>The calculation that is hardcoded into each client is described here: <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Difficulty#What_is_the_formula_for_difficulty.3F">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Difficulty#What_is_the_formula_for_difficulty.3F</a></p>

<p>So it's not a piece of information that is announced or broadcast. Since each node knows about every block that appears in the network, it can calculate on its own the difficulty, without the need of a third-party.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T15:45:07.243Z
2015-06-24T15:45:07.243Z
Luca Matteis
<p>I know that the Bitcoin difficulty is recomputed every 2016 blocks (about two weeks).</p>

<p>But who is responsible for this job and how is the new value announced to all miners. Does every miners do the computation or is there a specific entity of the network do it?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T16:16:51.693Z
related: [How do nodes come to a consensus on difficulty?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/13223/5406); [How is the difficulty of bitcoin mining propagated?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/23411/5406)
Murch
<difficulty><hashpower>
Who recomputes and announces the difficulty in Bitcoin?
Tail of Godzilla
# Who recomputes and announces the difficulty in Bitcoin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-24)

I know that the Bitcoin difficulty is recomputed every 2016 blocks (about two weeks).

But who is responsible for this job and how is the new value announced to all miners. Does every miners do the computation or is there a specific entity of the network do it?

**Tags:** difficulty, hashpower

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: related: [How do nodes come to a consensus on difficulty?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/13223/5406); [How is the difficulty of bitcoin mining propagated?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/23411/5406)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-24. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

All nodes and all clients have this logic hardcoded into them. So in that sense, everybody is responsible for understanding that every 2016 blocks the difficulty changes.

The calculation that is hardcoded into each client is described here: <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Difficulty#What_is_the_formula_for_difficulty.3F>

So it's not a piece of information that is announced or broadcast. Since each node knows about every block that appears in the network, it can calculate on its own the difficulty, without the need of a third-party.


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