Bitcoin Supply Formula Explained Simply
The formula is beautifully simple: start at 50 Bitcoin per block, cut in half every 210,000 blocks. From this one rule, everything follows — the 21 million cap, the declining inflation rate, and the approximate date of the last Bitcoin ever mined.
Think in blocks. The reward starts at 50 BTC per block, then halves to 25, 12.5, 6.25, and so on every 210,000 blocks.
Block reward by era (k):\n\nReward(k) = 50 × (1/2)^{k}\n\n• k = 0 → 50 BTC (genesis era)\n• k = 1 → 25 BTC\n• k = 2 → 12.5 BTC\n• k = 3 → 6.25 BTC\n• k = 4 → 3.125 BTC … and so on
Which era am I in?\n\nk = floor(blockHeight / 210,000)\n\nEvery 210k blocks we move to the next era and the reward halves.
You do not need to understand the math to appreciate the result: a money supply that is 100% predictable, 100% transparent, and 100% resistant to manipulation.
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