What is the total number of bitcoins that can be mined?

1 answers

• Dec 26, 2021 · 3 years ago
  The total number of bitcoins that can be mined is 21 million. This limit was set in the original Bitcoin whitepaper and is enforced by the Bitcoin protocol. Currently, around 18.5 million bitcoins have been mined, leaving approximately 2.5 million bitcoins yet to be mined. The rate at which new bitcoins are created is halved approximately every four years in an event called the halving. This means that the rate of bitcoin production decreases over time, leading to a finite supply. The last bitcoin is projected to be mined in the year 2140. It's important to note that the total number of bitcoins that can be mined does not include lost or inaccessible bitcoins, which can happen due to various reasons such as lost private keys or forgotten passwords. These lost bitcoins contribute to the overall scarcity of bitcoin and can never be recovered.
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