Bitcoin hits record: 20 million coins now mined
The Bitcoin network just passed a key mark. It has mined 20 million coins out of 21 million total. One million BTC still wait to be made. That last million will take more than 100 years.
Picture this: A miner smashes a digital block. A huge Bitcoin stamped 20,000,000 bursts out in an orange blast. A crowd cheers amid mining rigs in comic book style.
Key points.
Bitcoin now has 20 million mined coins. One million left to mine. About 450 new bitcoins appear each day. That rate cuts in half every four years at halvings. The final bitcoin comes around 2140.
One million BTC left marks true scarcity.
Bitcoin started in 2009. It follows strict rules: fixed supply, set schedule in code, community watches each block. On March 9, at block 940,000, it hit a top milestone since Satoshi's first block.
The global BTC crowd cheered the 20 millionth coin mined today. Now 450 coins join daily. Halvings cut that rate every four years. This Bitcoin-only feature slows new coins step by step. At this pace, 2140 brings the last one.
David Eng of Energy Co nails it. The market faces a first: a world asset with supply near empty.
The system's clear path draws eyes. Raphael Zagury of Elektron Energy says it plain. The release plan stays open for decades. People like steady rules for money.
Tommy Rogulj at Swyftx adds more. Bitcoin stays fixed-supply, open to all, neutral. It runs on a clear supply path, not like endless fiat money.
This shines amid rising prices, world fights, and doubt in central banks.
Big mark, small price move now.
Markets shrug for now. Charles Edwards of Capriole Investments calls it straight. Everyone knows Bitcoin's supply growth. No shake-up here.
Zagury nods. Cash flow and big economy rule prices.
Long run differs. Scarcity plus steady rules pack power. Markets like trusted setups over time, Zagury notes.
PlanB agrees. His Stock-to-Flow model eyes $500,000 average price for 2024-2028. It ties scarcity to worth.
One puzzle lingers. After 2140, no new coins. Miners live on fees alone. Some fear security drops. Others see it as the next step for a built-to-last net.
Twenty million down, one million to go. Bitcoin nears its hard cap. Markets may sleep now. But block-by-block scarcity rolls on. That may prove its real power.