Bitcoin is approaching a new milestone: 20 million coins issued

The bitcoin (BTC) network is about to reach a historic milestone: when block 940,000 is mined, the 20,000,000th bitcoin will be issued, meaning that more than 95% of the total supply will already be in circulation.

Based on the average rate of block production—approximately one every 10 minutes—it is estimated that The event will occur between March 9 and 10, 2026although the exact time will depend on changes in the network’s computing power.

Since its launch in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin was designed with a fixed monetary policy: there will never be more than 21 million BTC. This means that the first 20 million will have been mined in about 17 years, while the last million will take more than a century, until around the year 2140.

The halving mechanism, which halves the reward of miners approximately every four years, ensures a decreasing and predictable emission. After the 2024 halving, the block reward is 3,125 BTC, equivalent to about 450 BTC per day, which will drop to 1.5625 BTC per block after the 2028 halving, as reported by NoticiasVE.

Bitcoiner Matías Mathey highlighted on social networks the historical proximity of the milestone, pointing out that in a few hours 20 million BTC issued will be reached. For Mathey, this moment symbolizes the closing of the fastest issuance phase of bitcoinreinforcing the narrative of programmed scarcity and the predictability of supply, characteristics that differentiate it from any fiat currency.

However, the move towards the emission limit has also generated debate. As block rewards decrease, miners’ income will increasingly depend on transaction feesknown as the “security budget” of the network.

Academic studies of the ecosystem warn that, if commissions do not grow at the necessary rate, the economic incentive of miners could be affected and, consequently, the security of the network. Other experts, however, consider that an active ecosystem and a solid commission market They could maintain security without problems.

With block 940,000, bitcoin enters a new phase in its monetary history. The new supply will be increasingly limited, consolidating the deflationary design of the protocol and reinforcing its role as digital gold, compared to the unlimited issuance of fiat currencies.