A Bitcoin halving is a programmed cut in the block subsidy: the coins miners receive for finding a block drop by half. It happens every 210,000 blocks, which works out to roughly four years. The point is a predictable path toward a hard cap of 21 million BTC, with issuance tapering toward zero around the year 2140, after which miners would rely on fees.
The subsidy history is public: 50 BTC at launch, then 25 (2012), 12.5 (2016), 6.25 (2020), and 3.125 after block 840,000 in April 2024. The next cut, toward 1.5625 BTC, is expected around 2028. Annual new supply after 2024 sits near 164,000 BTC (3.125 × 144 × 365), which is under one per cent of the coins already circulating. Users’ send rules do not change on halving day; fees still track demand for block space.
Marketers love to turn the event into a countdown with “buy before the cut” urgency. Past cycles sometimes saw later price rises, but that is history under many other influences — liquidity, regulation, macro risk — not a covenant in the code. Scam pitches borrow the same calendar: limited-time mining contracts, “halving portfolios”, or recovery desks that need a deposit before the next epoch. The protocol will halve on schedule whether or not you pay a stranger.
If a halving pitch took your deposit, start at Get help. If “recovery before the next cut” appears next, read Fake recovery.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.