Bitcoin's fixed supply of 21 million coins remains the bedrock of its value proposition. As of February 2025, the network has minted approximately 19,722,500 BTC, leaving only 1.18 million—or 5.6% of the total cap—yet to be mined.
Daily Output: ~900 New Bitcoins
The Bitcoin blockchain produces about 144 blocks per day, each yielding 6.25 BTC as a block reward. This translates to roughly 900 new coins added to circulation daily. However, variable block times (often 9.5 minutes instead of 10) can push the daily number higher. The next halving, projected for March 30, 2028, will slash the reward to 3.125 BTC per block.
Lost Forever: 3–4 Million BTC Out of Reach
Experts estimate that 3 to 4 million bitcoins are permanently inaccessible due to forgotten private keys, damaged hardware, or lost passwords. Many early adopters did not secure their wallets properly before Bitcoin gained value. These coins are effectively removed from the circulating supply, boosting scarcity.
Satoshi's Sleeping Hoard: ~1 Million BTC
Bitcoin's creator Satoshi Nakamoto is believed to control around 1 million BTC, mined between 2009 and 2010 and never spent. Some estimates put the figure closer to 300,000, but the 1-million consensus prevails. These untouched coins are often excluded from active supply calculations and remain a psychological anchor for the market.
Stolen Coins: Nearly 1 Million Lost to Hacks
The Mt. Gox hack in 2014 saw 850,000 BTC stolen, followed by the Bitfinex breach in 2016 costing 120,000 BTC. Together, these two incidents account for nearly 970,000 BTC. Advances in chain analytics have made laundering stolen coins increasingly difficult, but the threat persists.
Last Bitcoin Expected Around 2140
At current rates, the final Bitcoin will be mined around 2140. After that, miners will rely solely on transaction fees for revenue. Layer-2 solutions like the Lightning Network aim to increase transaction throughput, potentially supporting a fee-based mining economy.
Over 85,000 Bitcoin Millionaires
A 2024 Henley & Partners study identified 172,300 crypto millionaires globally, of whom 85,000 are Bitcoin millionaires. The anonymous nature of the blockchain makes this count conservative; actual numbers may be higher.