Live countdown to the next Bitcoin halving. Block reward drops from 3.125 to 1.5625 BTC. Updated every 60 seconds.
| Epoch | Block | Date | Reward | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Jan 2009 | 50 BTC | Done |
| 2 | 210,000 | Nov 2012 | 25 BTC | Done |
| 3 | 420,000 | Jul 2016 | 12.5 BTC | Done |
| 4 | 630,000 | May 2020 | 6.25 BTC | Done |
| 5 | 840,000 | Apr 2024 | 3.125 BTC | Current |
| 6 | 1,050,000 | ~2028 | 1.5625 BTC | Next |
| 7 | 1,260,000 | ~2032 | 0.78125 BTC | Future |
| 8 | 1,470,000 | ~2036 | 0.390625 BTC | Future |
The Bitcoin halving is one of the most important events in the cryptocurrency calendar. Programmed directly into Bitcoin's protocol by Satoshi Nakamoto, it occurs automatically every 210,000 blocks — roughly every four years — and cuts the reward miners receive for processing transactions exactly in half.
This mechanism is Bitcoin's primary tool for enforcing its 21 million coin hard cap. By reducing new supply issuance at predictable intervals, the halving ensures Bitcoin becomes progressively scarcer over time, regardless of demand or price.
When Bitcoin launched in January 2009, miners received 50 BTC for every block they successfully added to the blockchain. After the first halving in November 2012, that reward dropped to 25 BTC. Each subsequent halving has continued the pattern: 12.5 BTC in 2016, 6.25 BTC in 2020, and the current 3.125 BTC following the April 2024 halving.
The next halving will reduce the reward to 1.5625 BTC per block. At approximately 144 blocks per day, this means roughly 225 new BTC will enter circulation daily — down from the current 450. Annual issuance will fall to around 82,000 BTC per year.
The halving directly affects Bitcoin's Stock-to-Flow ratio — a measure of scarcity that divides total supply by annual new production. After the next halving, Bitcoin's S2F will roughly double its current value, making it significantly scarcer than gold on a flow-adjusted basis.
Historically, the 12–18 months following each halving have seen substantial price appreciation as reduced supply issuance intersects with continued or growing demand. However, past performance does not guarantee future results, and many macro factors influence Bitcoin's price beyond the halving cycle alone.
For miners, each halving is a significant economic event. Revenue from block subsidies is cut in half overnight, which historically triggers a period of miner capitulation as less efficient operations become unprofitable. The network difficulty then adjusts downward, restoring profitability for remaining miners and maintaining Bitcoin's 10-minute block target.
Over the long term, as the block subsidy diminishes through successive halvings, transaction fees are expected to become a progressively larger component of miner revenue — a necessary evolution for Bitcoin's long-term security budget.
Bitcoin's halving doesn't occur at a fixed calendar date — it triggers at a specific block height (1,050,000 for the next halving). Since blocks are produced approximately every 10 minutes on average, the countdown above gives a reliable estimate, but the actual date can shift by days or weeks as hashrate fluctuates and block times vary. The live countdown on this page updates every 60 seconds using real block height data from mempool.space.