What Is a Halving?
A halving is a scheduled event in certain Proof-of-Work cryptocurrencies where the block reward — the amount of new coins paid to miners for adding a block — is reduced by 50%. It is hard-coded into the protocol to control the rate of new supply and enforce scarcity over time.
Bitcoin's halving is the most well known: it occurs every 210,000 blocks, approximately once every four years, and will continue until the maximum supply of 21 million BTC is reached around the year 2140.
How Does a Halving Work?
The protocol counts the number of blocks added to the chain.
When the block height reaches a multiple of 210,000 (for Bitcoin), the block reward is automatically cut in half.
Miners begin receiving the new, lower reward for every block they successfully mine.
This slows the rate at which new coins enter circulation, gradually approaching the fixed maximum supply.
Bitcoin Halving Schedule
| Halving | Year | Block Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2009 | 50 BTC |
| 1st | 2012 | 25 BTC |
| 2nd | 2016 | 12.5 BTC |
| 3rd | 2020 | 6.25 BTC |
| 4th | 2024 | 3.125 BTC |
| 5th (est.) | 2028 | 1.5625 BTC |
Why Do Halvings Matter?
Controlled supply — halvings enforce a predictable, disinflationary issuance schedule.
Scarcity — the slowing of new supply is a core reason Bitcoin is often called "digital gold."
Miner economics — each halving cuts miner revenue per block, increasing the importance of transaction fees and mining efficiency.
Market attention — halvings are major, widely anticipated events that historically draw significant attention to the asset.
Halving and Inflation
Because each halving reduces the rate of new coin creation, a cryptocurrency's inflation rate falls over time. For Bitcoin, this creates a long, predictable path toward its 21 million coin cap — unlike fiat currencies, where supply can be expanded by central banks.
Halving and Trust Wallet
With Trust Wallet, you can hold and manage assets like Bitcoin that follow a halving-based supply schedule. As a non-custodial wallet, you keep full control of your BTC through your private keys, track real-time price movements, and manage your holdings across 100+ blockchains — all from your mobile device or browser extension.
