When Bitcoin gets choppy, people split into two camps fast: those who panic, and those who start doing math.

Kent Halliburton, Sazmining’s CEO and co-founder, joined Opti on Simply Bitcoin to talk through what he’s seeing in the market right now, why the recent price action can be an opportunity, and why mining looks especially interesting as the network rebalances.

Here are the biggest takeaways and how to think about them:

Price action is loud, but the signal is still there

Kent didn’t pretend the market feels comfy. It doesn’t. That’s the point.

When price is ripping, everyone feels like a genius. When price is sliding and sentiment turns sour, people start second-guessing everything. Kent’s framing was simple: volatility is not a thesis breaker. It’s part of Bitcoin’s nature, and it’s often where the best entries are made.

If you’ve been waiting for “certainty,” it usually shows up after the opportunity is gone.

Exchange stress brings the same lesson back to the surface

A big part of the conversation focused on exchange risk and the idea of a “bank run” dynamic when confidence gets shaky.

We’re not here to stir fear. But the principle is worth repeating: the more counterparties you rely on, the more ways your plan can get interrupted at the worst possible time.

If your goal is long-term sats accumulation and true ownership, reducing trust dependencies matters.

“Paper Bitcoin” is a real conversation, and Bitcoin gives you an out

Opti and Kent also dug into the “paper Bitcoin” idea, meaning claims on Bitcoin that are not the same as holding Bitcoin directly.

Kent referenced a point he’s heard from Caitlin Long: Bitcoin’s supply is auditable on a predictable schedule, and that changes the game compared to assets like gold.

If your goal is sovereignty, it’s hard to ignore the difference between “I own it” and “I have exposure to it.”

The mining setup: difficulty relief is a big deal

This is where the conversation got exciting.

Kent talked about a projected difficulty drop in the neighborhood of 15%, which is significant. When difficulty drops, miners who are already plugged in can earn more sats for the same work, all else equal.

That’s the network doing what it was designed to do. Weak operators unplug. The network adjusts. The miners who stay inherit a better environment.

If you’ve been on the fence about getting started, this is the kind of moment miners watch for.

Big miners chasing AI can mean more opportunity for smaller miners

Kent also touched on a trend we’re watching closely: big mining companies have incentives to chase higher-margin revenue, and AI/HPC has pulled attention and capital away from pure Bitcoin mining.

When large operators pivot, it can reduce competition on the network. That can be a tailwind for the miners who stay focused on stacking sats.

Kent’s vibe was basically: nature is healing. The network is rebalancing. The opportunities are shifting back toward the people mining for Bitcoin itself, not just quarterly earnings optics.

So what do you do with this?

If you’re thinking about mining, the real question is not “is this moment perfect?”

It’s: “Can I get a clean plan and execute it while the market is still uncertain?”

That’s exactly what our advisors are for.

Book a free consultation

If you want help mapping your next move, book a call here:
https://www.sazmining.com/free-consultation

We’ll talk through:

• Your goals (stacking sats, long-term ownership, simplicity)
• The right rig and setup for you
• What network conditions like difficulty changes actually mean in practice
• How to get off zero without overthinking it

Not financial advice. Just a clear plan and real-world mining guidance.