Only 1 million BTC will remain to be mined after this week's historic milestone, with the final coin not expected until 2140.
Bitcoin is about to hit a number that cannot be undone. Between March 11 and 15, the network is projected to mine its 20 millionth coin, leaving just 1 million BTC to be created over the next 114 years.
Blockchain data and current block production rates point to the 20 millionth Bitcoin being mined sometime between March 11 and March 15, 2026. At the current issuance rate of roughly 450 BTC per day, a product of the 3.125 BTC block reward set by the April 2024 halving, the network is steadily approaching the mark.
Once the milestone is reached, 95.24% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist will be in circulation. The remaining 1 million BTC will take approximately 114 years to mine due to Bitcoin's halving mechanism, which cuts the block reward in half roughly every four years. The final satoshi is not expected until around the year 2140.
The milestone arrives during a turbulent period for markets. Bitcoin is trading near $66,000 after a five-day decline driven by rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Yet the scarcity narrative is more relevant than ever.
Research from Chainalysis and River Financial estimates that between 2.3 and 3.7 million BTC are permanently lost due to forgotten passwords, deceased holders, and coins sent to unspendable addresses. That means the effective circulating supply is significantly lower than 20 million. With spot Bitcoin ETFs managing over $85 billion in assets and institutional demand continuing to grow, the supply squeeze is becoming harder to ignore.
The exact block that pushes total supply past 20 million will be publicly verifiable on the blockchain. Community celebrations and on-chain commemorations are expected. More practically, the milestone coincides with the March 18 FOMC meeting, where the Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates steady. How Bitcoin responds to both events will signal whether scarcity narratives can offset macro headwinds in the short term.
Bitcoin's supply schedule is one of the few certainties in crypto. The 20 millionth coin will be mined this week regardless of price, regulation, or geopolitics. What the market does with that signal is still an open question.
Wall Street giant Citigroup projects Bitcoin could reach $143,000 within 12 months, citing ETF demand and regulatory tailwinds as key catalysts.
The largest US bank is assessing spot and derivatives trading services as regulatory clarity enables traditional finance to deepen crypto involvement.
All 12 U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw positive inflows on March 2, totaling $458M as BTC rebounds from February lows.
Disclaimer: News content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Market conditions can change rapidly. Always conduct your own research.
