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Term 134 of 1419
▤1 min read★Investing

Bitcoin halving.

A scheduled event that cuts the new bitcoin paid to miners in half, slowing how fast fresh supply enters circulation.

In plain English

The halving is written into bitcoin's software and triggers after a fixed number of blocks, reducing the block reward miners receive by 50 percent each time. Because that reward is the only source of new coins, each halving slows issuance and moves the network closer to its fixed maximum supply. It also cuts miner revenue overnight unless the price rises or transaction fees make up the gap, which pushes less efficient miners out. Traders watch halvings closely and build narratives around them, though a scheduled event known years in advance is available to every buyer at once. Over the long run, fees rather than new issuance are expected to pay for security.

Most useful ages
18 to 55

01Why it matters

Halvings are the mechanism behind bitcoin's capped supply story, and they are also fully known in advance, which matters when someone presents one as a hidden edge.

02The math, step by step

Say the block reward is 6.25 coins and blocks arrive every 10 minutes, which is 144 blocks a day, or 900 new coins daily. After a halving the reward is 3.125 coins, so daily issuance falls to 450 coins, a 50 percent cut in new supply.

Illustrative example. The amounts here are hypothetical, chosen to show how the math works, not real quoted rates or figures.

03What this is NOT

Do not confuse with A stock split

A stock split divides existing shares into more pieces and changes nothing about total value. A halving does not touch anyone's holdings. It only reduces the rate at which new coins are created, which affects miners and future supply.

04Receipts

Every figure on this page is sourced to a primary document. Tap to open the original.

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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.

Educational tool. Answers come only from ClearMoneySchool's published glossary and are not advice. Why we never give advice

Last updated August 23, 2026 · Drafted with AI assistance, not yet reviewed by a person