Recently, Bitcoin's mining difficulty has generally increased. An increase in mining difficulty means that it becomes more difficult for miners to obtain new Bitcoins. This has two main effects on the price and market supply. First, in terms of supply, it reduces the rate of new Bitcoin issuance, which can tighten the market supply in the long run. Second, for miners, higher mining costs due to increased difficulty may lead some miners to stop mining if the price of Bitcoin is not high enough to cover their costs. This can further affect the supply side. In terms of price, a reduction in supply may put upward pressure on the price of Bitcoin, assuming demand remains stable or increases.