Bitcoins Left to Be Mined

Bitcoin has a fixed supply. From the very beginning, its rules were written so that only 21,000,000 BTC will ever exist. No one can print more, change the limit, or adjust it later. This is one of the key ideas behind Bitcoin.

Unlike traditional money, Bitcoin does not rely on central banks or governments. Its supply is controlled by code and enforced by the network itself, making it fully transparent and predictable.

New Bitcoin are created through a process called mining. Miners run computers that help secure the Bitcoin network and confirm transactions.

Roughly every ten minutes, a new block is added to the blockchain. When this happens, a small amount of new BTC is created and given to the miner as a reward.

The amount of new Bitcoin created does not stay the same. About every four years, the block reward is cut in half in an event called the Bitcoin halving.

Because of this, Bitcoin’s supply grows more slowly over time. Today, more than 93% of all Bitcoin have already been mined, and only a small portion is left to be created.

Each day, fewer new Bitcoin enter circulation. This makes Bitcoin increasingly scarce and is a major reason it is often compared to gold — with one important difference: Bitcoin’s limit is known in advance.

As the supply slows down, every remaining Bitcoin becomes harder to obtain.

The final Bitcoin is expected to be mined around the year 2140. Long before then, nearly all BTC will already be in circulation, as new coins are released more and more slowly.

Even after the last Bitcoin is mined, the network will continue to operate. Miners will earn transaction fees instead of block rewards, ensuring that Bitcoin remains secure and functional.

Not all mined Bitcoin are accessible. A significant number of coins are believed to be lost forever due to forgotten private keys, destroyed wallets, or early users discarding coins before they had value.

Because of this, the effective circulating supply of Bitcoin may be far lower than 21 million. Some estimates suggest that millions of BTC will never move again.