Bitcoin has built-in scarcity, and a definitive “full stop” by design. There will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin, and roughly 19.6 million have already been mined.
It is expected to take until 2140 to generate those last 1.4 million Bitcoin, because Bitcoin production slows down over time. This is part of a system designed to generate scarcity and increase Bitcoin’s value.
The slow-down is managed through a process called Bitcoin halving. It’s one of the key ways Bitcoin is unlike a traditional fiat currency, and is more of an investor’s asset than anything else.
