Counter · 1 min
This long until the halving
Every 210,000 blocks the reward for a found block halves. The counter takes the current block height from the chain, converts the missing blocks into days, and shows how many new bitcoin will still be created per day afterwards.
The current epoch
Chain data is loading.
Measured is the average of the current difficulty period. Ten minutes is the target value of the protocol. Half a minute of difference already moves the date by weeks.
| Halving | Block | Date | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 210,000 | 28/11/2012 | 50 to 25 |
| 2nd | 420,000 | 09/07/2016 | 25 to 12.5 |
| 3rd | 630,000 | 11/05/2020 | 12.5 to 6.25 |
| 4th | 840,000 | 20/04/2024 | 6.25 to 3.125 |
| 5th | 1,050,000 | estimated | 3.125 to 1.5625 |
Block heights and rewards are fixed in the protocol. The dates of the first four halvings are confirmed, the fifth is an estimate.
The chain data comes from a file on this site that is rewritten every ten minutes. The date is a projection, not a date from the protocol.
Note: The chain data is more than two hours old. Block height, counter and estimated date may therefore be off.
The chain data could not be loaded just now. Please reload the page in a few minutes.
Note: Block height and reward are fixed in the protocol; the date is a projection from the block time. The tool makes no statement about the price and is not investment advice.
How the tool works it out
The counter needs only three numbers from the chain: the current block height, the timestamp of that block and a block time. The blocks still missing are the difference to the next height divisible by 210,000, so 1,050,000. Multiplied by the block time and added to the timestamp of the last block, that gives the estimated date. There are two sensible values for the block time, and you can switch between them: the protocol target of 600 seconds, and the measured average of the current difficulty period. The chain data comes from a file on this site that is rewritten every ten minutes, so a block may already have arrived between two updates.
What happens at a halving
Whoever finds a valid block may credit themselves a fixed amount of new bitcoin. That amount halves every 210,000 blocks, which at six blocks an hour is around four years. The rule sits in the protocol and is not a decision anyone takes afresh each time. From it follows the cap on the money supply: the sum of all rewards is a geometric series running towards a fixed value. Because amounts are held internally as whole satoshi, the arithmetic end lies at 20,999,999.9769 bitcoin, just under 21 million. The last block carrying a reward is expected around the year 2140, after which the operators of the machines live on transaction fees alone.
| Epoch | from block | reward per block | new bitcoin per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2009 to 2012) | 0 | 50 BTC | 7,200 |
| 2 (2012 to 2016) | 210,000 | 25 BTC | 3,600 |
| 3 (2016 to 2020) | 420,000 | 12.5 BTC | 1,800 |
| 4 (2020 to 2024) | 630,000 | 6.25 BTC | 900 |
| 5 (since 20/04/2024) | 840,000 | 3.125 BTC | 450 |
| 6 (estimated) | 1,050,000 | 1.5625 BTC | 225 |
Why the date is only an estimate
Ten minutes per block is a target, not a beat. A block is found as soon as some machine in the network hits a matching hash, and that is a random process. To keep the average at ten minutes anyway, the network recalculates the difficulty every 2,016 blocks. At exactly ten minutes per block, 2,016 blocks take precisely two weeks; if the last 2,016 blocks were faster, the difficulty rises, and if they were slower, it falls.
For the countdown that means: with the number of blocks still missing, the estimate using ten minutes and the estimate using the measured average can be several weeks apart. In September 2026 around 83,000 blocks were still to go. Try the switch and you see the range. The closer the halving comes, the smaller the difference, because fewer blocks are left over which the deviation can add up.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next bitcoin halving?
It falls on block 1,050,000, and that much is fixed. The date is not fixed, because the block time varies. The counter above converts the missing blocks into days using a block time you choose, and updates every second.
Why does the reward halve at all?
Because the protocol says so: half every 210,000 blocks. From that rule follows the fixed cap on the money supply of just under 21 million bitcoin. Without the halving there would be no cap, only a constant issuance.
How many halvings are left?
As many as it takes for the reward to fall below one satoshi. Because amounts are held internally as whole satoshi, issuance ends at that point. The last block with a reward is expected around the year 2140, at 20,999,999.9769 bitcoin created.
Does the price rise after a halving?
This tool does not answer that. It counts blocks, nothing more. A lower issuance is one of many forces in the market, and four halvings so far do not support a reliable rule. You will deliberately find no price forecasts here.
Why does another counter show a different date?
Because it uses a different block time. Ten minutes, the average of the last two weeks, or the average of a whole year lead to dates that are weeks apart. The switch on the left lets you see the difference yourself.
Sources
- Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (Whitepaper)Satoshi Nakamoto, 2008
- Controlled supply (halving rule, epochs, final supply)Bitcoin Wiki
- Difficulty (adjustment every 2,016 blocks)Bitcoin Wiki
- Block Chain Reference (block header and reward)Bitcoin Developer Reference
Related tools
Satoshi converter
Convert euro, US dollars, bitcoin and satoshi into one another at the current price.
Hands-on blockchain
Three blocks, real SHA-256 hashes, one mining button: change a block and watch the chain break.
Volatility simulator
200 random price paths show what 60 per cent of volatility really means, with the chance of a loss and the range of outcomes.
Further reading
BitcoinBitcoin halving explained: 210,000 blocks and 4 dates
Every 210,000 blocks the reward halves. Since 20 April 2024 it has been 3.125 BTC per block, 450 a day. Why the next date can only be estimated.
BasicsBitcoin explained simply, from 2008 to 21 million
Bitcoin has run since 3 January 2009, writes a block every 10 minutes and ends at just under 21 million units. The figures, and who sets them.
BasicsHow a blockchain works: hash, block and 6 confirmations
A blockchain links blocks through hash values. Why 6 confirmations are enough, why the difficulty is reset every 2,016 blocks, and what 51 per cent means.