Bitcoin’s block reward slashed by 50% following 2024 halving (2024)

Per-block bitcoin mining rewards officially dropped at 8:10 pm ET Friday in New York, marking the arrival of a rare industry event expected to spur ripple effects.

Known as a Bitcoin halving, such events happen roughly every four years. With the 2024 halving complete, the block reward that miners collect now stands at 3.125 BTC — down from 6.25 BTC.

Bitcoin’s 840,000 block was mined by ViaBTC Friday evening.

The halving has been top of mind for industry participants due in part to the event’s historical impact on bitcoin price.

Despite the small sample size of such occurrences, Bitcoin halvings have seemed to catalyze crypto bull markets.

Bitcoin’s price grew nearly 100 times from $12 on Nov. 28, 2012 — the date of the first Bitcoin halving — to $1,164 some 367 days later, Berenberg Capital Markets analysts said in a 2023 report.

After the 2016 halving, it took 524 days for BTC to rise from about $650 to a then-record $19,712, the report added. Bitcoin hit a then-all-time high of more than $69,000 in November 2021, 549 days after the 2020 bitcoin halving.

Read from our opinion section: This Bitcoin halving will be different — the institutions are here

Bitcoin’s price was roughly unchanged immediately following the event. It was trading at $63,783 at time of publication, per Coinbase.

Fineqia research analyst Matteo Greco pointed out in a research note earlier this month that BTC for the first time reached a new price record leading up to the halving — “a departure for previous cycles” that could signal uncertainty about what’s next.

Bitcoin reached its latest all-time high price of more than $73,500 on March 14.

“If historical trends hold true, we might anticipate the peak of this cycle occurring between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first half of 2025,” Greco previously told Blockworks.

Aside from the halving’s projected impact on bitcoin price, the event is set to affect the mining companies that will now start collecting lower rewards per block.

Players in the industry had been preparing for the halving in a number of ways — from acquiring mining sites and machines to cutting costs and diversifying revenue sources.

Read more: The Bitcoin halving is just weeks away — here’s how miners have prepared

Still, segment observers expect pain to hit a number of miners in the coming weeks and months — particularly those with weaker balance sheets and higher energy costs.

Some with more capital at their disposal have signaled they could opt to acquire machines, sites or even companies in the coming months.

Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

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Bitcoin’s block reward slashed by 50% following 2024 halving (2024)

FAQs

Bitcoin’s block reward slashed by 50% following 2024 halving? ›

Bitcoin last halved on April 19, 2024, resulting in a block reward of 3.125 BTC. The final halving is expected to occur in 2140, when the number of bitcoins circulating will reach the theoretical maximum supply of 21 million.

What is the block number of Bitcoin halving in 2024? ›

The most recent Bitcoin halving occurred on 19 April 2024, when block 840,000 was mined. As a result of that halving, now 3.125 new bitcoins (down from 6.25) are created roughly every 10 minutes.

How much is the block reward for Bitcoin? ›

Known as a Bitcoin halving, such events happen roughly every four years. With the 2024 halving complete, the block reward that miners collect now stands at 3.125 BTC — down from 6.25 BTC.

Are rewards from mining BTC cut in half? ›

The Bitcoin network completes the fourth-ever 'halving' of rewards to miners. The Bitcoin network on Friday evening completed its fourth “halving,” reducing the rewards earned by miners to 3.125 bitcoins from 6.25.

What is the reward of Bitcoin block halving? ›

The Bitcoin halving, also known as “the halvening,” is the name for one of the most hotly anticipated recurring events in Bitcoin's history. In April 2024, the number of bitcoin entering circulation every 10 minutes – known as block rewards – will drop by half, from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC.

What is the Bitcoin reward for 2024? ›

On April 19, 2024, the block reward for bitcoin miners was reduced by half, from 6.25 BTC per mined block to 3.125 BTC per mined block. However, you wouldn't know it from the lack of fanfare. No bells were rung, no fireworks lit up the sky, and the price of bitcoin remained relatively stable at around $64,000.

How much will 1 Bitcoin be worth in 2024? ›

Our most recent Bitcoin price forecast indicates that its value will increase by 14.58% and reach $66,426 by May 03, 2024.

What happens when the Bitcoin block reward is gone? ›

After all 21 million bitcoin are mined, which is estimated to occur around the year 2140, the network will no longer produce new bitcoin. The block subsidy will go to zero but miners will continue to receive transaction fees, which will make up an ever greater portion of the block reward.

How long does it take to get a Bitcoin block reward? ›

The reward for mining is 6.25 bitcoins. In April 2024, it will drop to 3.125 bitcoins. It takes the network about 10 minutes to mine one block, so it will take 10 minutes to mine 3.125 bitcoins.

How is the Bitcoin block reward calculated? ›

The block reward is fixed at 6.25 BTC. Future block reward and hash rate changes are not taken into account. The average block time used in the calculation is 599 seconds. The electricity price used in generating these metrics is $ 0.12 per kWh.

Will Bitcoin mining be profitable after halving? ›

“Miners need their revenues to be more than their costs, like any business,” Malekan says. “What is likely to happen after the halving is that some miners will no longer be profitable, and they will stop mining.”

How much does BTC go up after halving? ›

The past three halvings – in 2020, 2016 and 2012 – have resulted in an average price increase of 16% over the 60 days that followed, according to data from the asset research firm 10x Research. The 2016 halving resulted in a decrease of 6% over the following 60 days, although it then rallied strongly throughout 2017.

Is Bitcoin halving good or bad for miners? ›

This reward is reduced by half every four years, hence the term halving. It's akin to a predictable, scheduled pay cut for these miners. Halving not only adjusts miners' rewards. It also reduces the rate at which new coins are created, decreasing the new supply and influencing the market value.

Who gets Bitcoin block reward? ›

A block reward is a financial incentive given to cryptocurrency miners for validating blocks of transactions on a blockchain. The reward is typically a portion of transaction fees and cryptocurrency tokens newly minted by the blockchain network.

Should I buy before or after Bitcoin halving? ›

Consider this: if it were universally anticipated that bitcoin's value would surge immediately following the 2024 halving, investors would likely move to acquire bitcoin before the event, driving up its price in the present rather than in the future.

What is the future Bitcoin block reward? ›

Fifth halving and beyond: Future halvings will continue at intervals of approximately 210,000 blocks, or roughly every four years, reducing the block reward until the maximum supply of 21 million Bitcoins has been reached. This is estimated to happen in the year 2140.

How many bitcoins are left to mine in 2024? ›

As of 2024, approximately 19.4 million bitcoins have been extracted, indicating that more than 92% of the entire available amount is currently in use. This leaves fewer than 2 million bitcoins yet to be mined​​.

What is the block count for Bitcoin halving? ›

Bitcoin halvings will occur every 210,000 blocks until around 2140, when all 21 million coins will have been mined.

How many bitcoins will a miner be able to add to a block around may 2024? ›

Fourth halving: The Bitcoin fourth halving is anticipated to occur around mid-April 2024, reducing the block reward from 6.25 Bitcoins to 3.125 Bitcoins per block.

What will happen when Bitcoin halves in 2024? ›

A Bitcoin halving event occurs when the reward for mining Bitcoin transactions is cut in half. Halvings reduce the rate at which new coins are created and thus lower the available amount of new supply. Bitcoin last halved on April 19, 2024, resulting in a block reward of 3.125 BTC.

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