Bitcoin Hits 20 Million Mined Coins — Only 1 Million Remain

The Bitcoin network has reached a significant milestone, with 20 million of its capped 21 million coins now in circulation ^[1]. The remaining one million BTC are expected to be mined gradually over the coming century, with the final bitcoin projected to be created around the year 2140.

Unlike fiat currencies, which central banks can issue without restriction, Bitcoin's supply is permanently capped at 21 million units. This hard limit, combined with periodic halving events that cut the rate of new coin issuance in half approximately every four years, underpins the asset's deflationary design. Currently, roughly 450 new bitcoins enter circulation each day ^[1].

As the supply of newly minted coins diminishes, a long-standing debate within the Bitcoin community is gaining renewed attention. The core concern centers on network security: once block rewards disappear entirely, miners will rely solely on transaction fees for revenue. Some developers have raised alarms that fee-based income alone may prove insufficient to sustain adequate security incentives — a scenario that has led certain voices to question whether Bitcoin's 21 million supply cap could eventually come under pressure ^[1].