The Bitcoin (BTC) network is about to reach a historic milestone. Once 940,000 blocks have been mined, the 20,000,000th Bitcoin will be issued, meaning that over 95% of the total supply is already in circulation.
Based on the average rate of block generation (approximately 1 every 10 minutes), we estimate: The event will take place from March 9th to 10th, 2026However, the exact time depends on changes in the computational power of the network.
Since its founding by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, Bitcoin has been designed around a fixed monetary policy. It will not exceed 21 million BTC. This means that the first 20 million will be mined in about 17 years, but the last 1 million will take more than a century, until around 2140.
A halving mechanism that reduces miners’ rewards by half approximately every four years. Guarantees predictable emissions reductions. According to a report by CriptoNoticias, the block reward after the 2024 halving will be 3,125 BTC, which equates to approximately 450 BTC per day, but will drop to 1.5625 BTC per block after the 2028 halving.
Bitcoiner Mathias Massei emphasized the historic proximity of this milestone on social networks, pointing out that within a few hours, the amount of 20 million BTC in circulation will be reached. This moment for Massey Symbolizes the end of Bitcoin’s fastest issuance phasereinforcing the story of programmed scarcity and predictability of supply, with characteristics that set it apart from other fiat currencies.
However, the move towards emissions limits has also sparked debate. As block rewards decrease, miners’ income decreases. Increased dependence on transaction feesknown as the network’s “security budget”.
Academic research on the ecosystem warns that if fees do not increase at the required rate, the economic incentives of miners could be affected, thereby impacting the security of the network. But other experts say a vibrant ecosystem and solid fee market will They were able to maintain security without any problems.
With block 940,000, Bitcoin enters a new phase in the history of the currency. Compared to the unlimited issuance of fiat currencies, new supply will become increasingly limited, reinforcing the protocol’s deflationary design and reinforcing its role as digital gold.