A new milestone has just been reached for Bitcoin. More than 18,900,000 BTC have been mined since the Bitcoin network was launched by Satoshi Nakamoto on January 3, 2009.
Since Bitcoin's supply is hard-capped at 21 million units no matter what, this means that the number of BTC in circulation now exceeds 90%. You read that correctly: there is only 10% of BTC left to be issued by 2140 when the entire Bitcoin supply has been put into circulation.
Bitcoin inflation will then be zero. As you know, at each Halving, the next one will take place in early 2024, the inflation of the supply of new Bitcoin is halved, in an event called Halving.
The fact that 90% of the supply of Bitcoin is already in circulation should make you wonder. If the hyperbitcoinization of the world takes place as all Bitcoiners hope it will in the future, then you have to ask yourself if the amount of Bitcoin you have will be enough for this future world where everything will be digital
The supply shock will only intensify in the future.
It will be even more violent because while the maximum supply of Bitcoin is 21 million units, the number of Bitcoin that is actually usable is much lower. It is estimated that 5 to 7 million BTC are already lost forever. For various reasons, the owners no longer have private keys associated with their Bitcoin, so they are no longer usable.
They can no longer be moved from one address to another on the Bitcoin blockchain via a transaction
From the point of view of this supply shock, the situation is therefore even stronger than many people can imagine. If slightly less than 10% of the Bitcoin supply remains to be issued, the supply currently in circulation is not 18,900,000 BTC but probably in the range of 11,900,000 to 13,900,000 BTC.
To use a famous meme in the Bitcoin world, this is not infinity divided by 21 million, but more likely, infinity divided by 14 or 16 million!
So this only increases the value of the Bitcoin you own. Satoshi Nakamoto had already anticipated this problem, and he saw it the same way I do:
“Lost coins only make everyone else's coins worth slightly more. Think of it as a donation to everyone.”
All that lost Bitcoin is a donation for those who are able to really take care of their Bitcoin, knowing how important it will be in a future world where everything is digital.
It is up to you to see where you stand in your goals with Bitcoin to protect the fruits of your labor. Because everyone has to define their own goals and stick to them. We are all different, and we must each do what is best for our profile.
The important thing is to make your choices with full knowledge of the facts. This is what I have always advocated, and this is what I try to share with you in my articles.
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