How many bitcoins are there?
Quick Answer
Bitcoin's supply is capped at 21 million coins. Around 19.8 million have already been mined; the rest will be released slowly through mining until roughly the year 2140. A large but unknown number are also lost forever.
TL;DR
Max 21 million ever. About 19.8M mined so far; the last will be mined around 2140. Many are lost permanently.
Key Takeaways
- 1Hard cap of 21 million bitcoins — no more can be created
- 2Roughly 19.8 million already mined
- 3New supply halves about every four years
- 4Millions are likely lost forever, lowering effective supply
Full Explanation
Bitcoin has a fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, written into its code. This scarcity is a core part of why people value it — unlike traditional money, no one can create more. As of now, roughly 19.8 million have already been mined, which is around 94% of the total.
The remaining coins are released gradually as a reward to miners, and that reward halves roughly every four years in an event called the halving. Because of this shrinking issuance, the very last bitcoin is expected to be mined around the year 2140. After that, no new bitcoins will ever be created.
There is also an important catch: a large but unknowable number of bitcoins are effectively lost — sent to inaccessible addresses or held in wallets whose owners lost their keys. Estimates run into the millions, which means the real circulating supply is smaller than the headline number.