Bitcoin issues new coins through the block subsidy paid to whoever mines a block. That subsidy halves every 210,000 blocks — roughly every four years — and will keep halving until it rounds to zero. This is what makes the supply schedule predictable without anyone administering it: the rule is enforced independently by every full node, which rejects any block that pays itself more than the schedule allows.
Halving
The scheduled event, every 210,000 blocks, at which the reward for mining a block is cut in half.
Also called: halvening, block subsidy halving
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Hashrate
The total computational power miners are pointing at the Bitcoin network, measured in hashes per second.
Lightning Network
A payment layer built on Bitcoin that settles most transfers off-chain, keeping them fast and cheap.
Mempool
The waiting room of transactions that have been broadcast but not yet included in a block.
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