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What happens when the last bitcoin is mined?

The last new bitcoin is expected around the year 2140. After that, no new coins are created, and miners are paid only by the fees people attach to their transactions.

How new bitcoin is made today

Every block, roughly every ten minutes, the miner who adds it collects a reward of new bitcoin plus the fees from the transactions inside. The reward is 3.125 BTC since April 2024 and halves every 210,000 blocks. See the halving countdown.

Why it stops around 2140

Each halving cuts the reward in two. After 32 or so halvings the reward rounds down to less than one sat, the smallest unit, so it ends. Add every reward up and the total lands just under 21 million. More in How many Bitcoin are there?

Who pays miners after that?

Fees. Every transaction offers a fee, and miners pick the ones that pay best. Fees already make up part of miner income today, and they jump when the network is busy. The bet behind Bitcoin is that, as more people use it, fees can keep miners securing the network without any new coins.

Will Bitcoin stay secure?

That is an open debate, and honest people disagree. What is not in doubt is the rule itself: no node will accept a block that creates more bitcoin than allowed, so the supply stays fixed whatever happens to fees. Read the counter arguments in our Bitcoin myths vs data.

What it means for you

• You do not need to wait for 2140 for anything to change. The supply schedule is already known.
• Transaction fees are worth learning about now. Sending at quiet times costs less.
• Lost coins are gone for good, so keep your recovery words safe. See Seed phrases and backups.

Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.