A common misconception: everyone says there are a maximum of 21 million bitcoins, and once mined, there are none left. But this understanding is actually flawed.

The key lies in Satoshi Nakamoto's design logic. Every 210,000 blocks, the mining reward is halved. 50 BTC → 25 BTC → 12.5 BTC → 6.25 BTC → 3.125 BTC… and so on. It sounds like a countdown, but mathematically, this sequence approaches zero infinitely but can never truly reach zero. You can think of it as a cup of water, each time pouring out half; in theory, it will never be completely empty.

By around 2140, the newly created bitcoins will be almost negligible, but the network will still be slowly producing. So, do miners still have the motivation to continue mining? The answer is yes — through transaction fees. As long as there are transactions flowing on the chain, miners will have an income source, and mining activity will not cease.

What is the current data like? Approximately 19.68 million have been mined, with less than 1.32 million remaining. As it gets closer to the theoretical limit, the output rate slows down, but there will always be a gap from the 21 million mark. This is the ultimate design of Bitcoin's scarcity: seemingly finite total supply, but in reality, infinitely approaching. In a sense, this mathematical property has long determined its long-term value.