15 years ago, an event that would change the financial world as we know it took place. On October 31, 2008, an anonymous author using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published the famous "Bitcoin Whitepaper" on a crypto forum. This was the starting point of a financial revolution that led to the creation of the first decentralized cryptocurrency: Bitcoin.
Since then, Bitcoin has come a long way and has seen unprecedented growth and adoption. The cryptocurrency has overcome numerous challenges and has maintained its position as the leading cryptocurrency in the market. On January 3, 2009, the first Bitcoin block, known as the "genesis block", was mined by Satoshi Nakamoto, marking the official start of the Bitcoin network.
In these 15 years, the amount of Bitcoin mined has reached significant figures. As miners have dedicated their computing power to solving complex cryptographic puzzles and confirming transactions on the network, new Bitcoin blocks have been created. To date, approximately 19.5 million Bitcoins have been mined, which represents 93% of the 21,000,000 Bitcoins that will exist.
However, it is important to note that Bitcoin has a maximum supply limit of 21 million coins. This means that only 21 million Bitcoin can be created in total. With 19.5 million Bitcoin already mined, there are a limited number of coins left to mine. Scarcity is a fundamental characteristic of Bitcoin and has been one of the factors that has contributed to its increasing value over time.
As for the amount of Bitcoin left to be mined, it is possible to calculate it with some precision. Approximately every four years, an event known as a "halving" occurs. In a halving, the reward that miners receive for validating blocks is reduced by half. The last halving took place in May 2020, which reduced the reward from 12.5 to 6.25 Bitcoin per block.
Based on the halving schedule, we can predict how much Bitcoin remains to be mined before reaching the 21 million limit. According to these estimates, the last Bitcoin is expected to be mined around the year 2140. This means that, although 93% of the total Bitcoin has already been mined, there are still only 1.5 million Bitcoins left to be discovered over the next few decades.
The 15th anniversary of the creation of Bitcoin is a reminder of the importance of this innovation in the financial world. From its inception as an idea on a white paper to its current status as a leading cryptocurrency and an asset class attracting the attention of institutional and individual investors around the world, Bitcoin has proven its resilience and ability to change the way What we think about money and finances.
Bitcoin's scheduled scarcity and growing adoption suggest its value could continue to rise in the coming years. As we continue to celebrate the anniversary of Bitcoin's creation, it is exciting to imagine what the future holds for this innovative cryptocurrency and the financial revolution it has unleashed.
