Bitcoin (BTC) had issued 95.7% of its planned supply by Oct. 20, leaving a shrinking share to be created as scheduled cuts reduce the new coins paid to miners.
At block 972,334, cumulative subsidies totaled 20,101,046.875 BTC. Against the commonly cited 21 million-coin limit, that leaves 898,953.125 BTC, or about 899,000, still to be issued. Scheduled issuance is separate from the amount holders can still use.
Bitcoin crossed the 20 million-coin threshold at block 939,999 on March 9. Neither that threshold nor the latest reading changed the issuance rule: the subsidy paid for each new block falls by half every 210,000 blocks.
The previous cut occurred at block 840,000 on April 20, 2024, according to Bitcoin.org’s halving schedule. It brought the subsidy to its current level of 3.125 BTC per block. Transaction fees pay miners with BTC already in circulation.
Each subsidy cut reduces the amount of newly created BTC miners receive per block. The schedule sets neither their future fee income nor their total earnings. Issuance also does not set a market price, as earlier EconoTimes coverage of Bitcoin’s supply limit explained.
Subsidy cuts continue until the calculated payment falls below one satoshi, Bitcoin’s smallest unit. The last new coins are expected around 2140, though that year is an estimate because block count, rather than a calendar date, governs the schedule. Miners may still collect transaction fees after new issuance ends.
Bitcoin.org lists block 1,050,000 as the next subsidy-cut trigger. It estimates the block will arrive in 2028, reducing the subsidy to 1.5625 BTC per block.
