When Will the Last Bitcoin Be Mined?
Around the year 2140, the last fraction of a Bitcoin will be mined. After that, no new Bitcoin will ever be created. The supply will be permanently fixed at 21 million. So what happens to the miners who secure the network?
They get paid through transaction fees. Every Bitcoin transaction includes a small fee paid to the miner who confirms it. Right now, miners earn both block rewards (new Bitcoin) and transaction fees. The block rewards are the majority of their income. But as rewards halve every four years, fees become a larger percentage.
Will Transaction Fees Keep Bitcoin Secure?
By 2140, fees will be 100% of miner income. Will fees be enough to keep the network secure? This is the most common question, and the answer is that we don’t know for certain — but the incentives suggest yes.
If Bitcoin is worth millions per coin by then, even small fees in dollar terms would be substantial. A $5 fee on a transaction when Bitcoin is worth $5 million is 0.0001% of the value being transferred. That’s far cheaper than a bank wire.
How the Bitcoin Halving Schedule Works
The halving schedule is elegant in its simplicity. Every 210,000 blocks (roughly every 4 years), the block reward cuts in half. It started at 50 BTC in 2009. By 2024 it was down to 3.125 BTC. Each halving reduces new supply and increases scarcity pressure.
The transition from block rewards to fees is gradual, not sudden. Miners have over a century to adapt. And as Bitcoin’s value grows, the fee market grows with it. The incentive to secure the network doesn’t disappear — it transforms.
Why Bitcoin Scarcity Matters Today
The final coin being mined in 2140 is a mathematical formality. The real story is that Bitcoin’s fixed supply is already shaping its value today. Every halving tightens supply while demand grows. That’s the engine behind Bitcoin’s long-term price trajectory. Learn why 21 million matters.