SHORT VIDEO

Why are there only 21 million bitcoin?

Bitcoin has a fixed maximum supply: there will never be more than 21 million bitcoin.

That limit is built into the rules of the network.

In Simple Words

Unlike traditional currencies, where new money can be created, Bitcoin was designed from the beginning with a fixed limit.

New bitcoin are created gradually through mining, but the amount created decreases over time.

This happens through the halving, where roughly every four years the reward received by miners is cut in half.

As a result, new bitcoin are created more and more slowly until the total supply eventually reaches 21 million.

This limited supply is one of Bitcoin’s fundamental characteristics.

BOOK 1

Want to go deeper?

This topic is explained in more detail in Bitcoin in Simple Words — Book 1.

View Book 1