While pundits seek alpha amid omega, fiat flows on towards its only good use: subsidizing Bitcoin mining. The new difficulty of 113,354,299,801.4711`3037 (a 9.12% increase over the 2015 close) pushes hashpower estimates over 850 PH/s, placing what nobody could've predicted merely 17.6% away (readily attainable in a single leap, should miners quit dicking about and resume their one fucking job).