Bitcoin's halving event is a significant occurrence that happens every four years, and it's a crucial factor in the cryptocurrency's price movements. The event reduces the block reward by half, which means miners receive 6.25 BTC per block instead of 12.5 BTC.
This reduction in supply is expected to lead to a decrease in the circulating supply of Bitcoin, which can drive up the price. In fact, the last halving event in 2016 saw the price of Bitcoin increase by over 4,000% in the following year.
The halving event is a key indicator of the scarcity of Bitcoin, and it's a major event in the cryptocurrency's life cycle. It's a time of great anticipation and speculation among investors.
As the event approaches, we can expect to see increased demand for Bitcoin, which can drive up the price even further.
Here's an interesting read: Bitcoin Supply on Exchanges
Market Impact
The upcoming Bitcoin halving is likely to impact the market in several ways. Increased scarcity will lead to fewer Bitcoins being created, which could help mining companies' shares and increase the Bitcoin price after halving.
Historically, the price of Bitcoin has shown a pattern of increasing in value following a halving event. After the 2012 halving, the price of Bitcoin saw a significant increase, rising from $12 in November 2012 to over $1,000 in November 2013.
Investors may be less inclined to sell due to the declining supply of available Bitcoins. The supply is capped at 21 million Bitcoins, and more than 19 million are in circulation, making mining harder.
In the months leading up to a Bitcoin halving, the crypto market often enters a period of heightened anticipation and speculation. Many investors attempt to “price in” the expected reduction in supply, leading to increased volatility and, in some cases, a pre-halving price surge.
The price of Bitcoin has consistently increased within a year after the halving, but is then followed by a price adjustment period. After the 2020 halving, bitcoin’s price moved upwards from around $8,000 in May 2020 to a new all-time high of over $69,000 in April 2021.
Consider reading: Bitcoin Halving 2020
Understanding Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates independently of traditional financial systems. Its supply is carefully controlled through a process called mining.
Miners compete to solve a cryptographic puzzle, and the first one to solve it gets to add a new block to the blockchain and receives a block reward. The block reward is a crucial part of the process, and it's what drives the creation of new bitcoins.
The block reward is halved about every four years, which reduces the supply of new bitcoins entering the market. This increase in scarcity can lead to higher prices if market conditions remain the same.
Ordinals and BRC-20 Impact
The Bitcoin network has made significant progress with the incorporation of technologies like Ordinals and BRC-20. BRC-20 references a standard applied to create and issue smart contracts on the blockchain.
These technologies enable the creation of one-of-a-kind digital artifacts on the blockchain, expanding the flagship crypto's functionality beyond transactions. They support a wider range of applications and digital assets.
Ordinals make it possible to inscribe individual data pieces directly onto the smallest Bitcoin unit, a Satoshi. This innovation is expected to contribute to a higher Bitcoin price after halving.
What Is?
Bitcoin is a digital currency that's created and verified through a process called mining. Miners compete in a race to solve a cryptographic puzzle, and the first one to solve it gets a reward.
The block reward is a crucial part of this process, and it's given to the miner who successfully adds a new block to the blockchain. This reward is part of the blockchain's automatic process of validating transactions and opening new blocks.
Every four years, the block reward is reduced by 50% in an event called the Bitcoin halving. This reduces the supply of bitcoins entering the market, which can increase scarcity and potentially raise the price of bitcoin.
The block reward is given in new bitcoins, and it's a key incentive for miners to continue competing in the puzzle-solving process.
Price Trends and Historical Events
Historically, the price of Bitcoin has shown a pattern of increasing in value following a halving event.
After the 2012 halving, the price of Bitcoin saw a significant increase, rising from $12 in November 2012 to over $1,000 in November 2013.
The 2016 halving also led to a price increase, with Bitcoin rising from $650 in July 2016 to approximately $2,500 in July 2017.
Investors who purchased Bitcoin and held it for eight to 10 months following a halving event saw significant positive returns.
The 2020 halving saw the most dramatic run-up in Bitcoin’s value following the event, with a more than 234 percent increase in just a few months.
Bitcoin's price can take several months to rise after a halving event, with a significant drop initially following the halving.
It's worth noting that Bitcoin miners often need to sell as their revenue is cut in half, while their expenses remain the same.
Consider reading: Gasoline Prices Rising
Supply and Demand
The halving events directly influence Bitcoin's supply by reducing the rate at which new Bitcoins are created.
This reduction in supply, coupled with a steady or increasing demand, especially from institutional investors and retail adoption, tends to push the price upwards.
The anticipation of this supply squeeze may lead to increased holding behavior among existing Bitcoin owners, further reducing the liquid supply available on exchanges.
Approximately one year after the first halving, the share of Bitcoin held for long-term investors increased by about 73%.
Institutions now hold the majority of Bitcoin in circulation, and the percentage of Bitcoin held by institutions has increased after each halving.
The involvement of ETFs in this halving cycle introduces a new dynamic, potentially heightening the halving's impact compared to previous events.
This halving could lead to even greater supply shock, driven by the combination of reduced Bitcoin mining rewards and increased institutional buying spurred by the ETFs outpacing the creation of new coins.
Miners and Profitability
Miners have historically been able to recover revenue despite reduced block rewards after halvings, thanks to price increases.
The halving events reduce the immediate reward for mining new blocks, leading to a temporary decrease in profitability, especially for miners with higher operational costs.
Established miners like Marathon Digital Holdings have been increasing their Bitcoin holdings and mining capacity in anticipation of the halving, as seen in February 2024 when they increased their holdings to 16,930 and their fleet of Bitcoin miners to 231,000.
Smaller miners, however, face lower chances of profitability due to decreased rewards, even if prices increase.
Miners who are part of a mining pool will likely experience smaller rewards, even if prices increase, since the reward is being cut in half.
The aggregate balance of mining pools decreased starting around 3-6 months before the first and second halving occurred, attributed to miners building cash liquidity in anticipation of the reduction in block rewards.
As of the present, ahead of the fourth halving, the reserves have decreased by approximately 23% compared to October 18, 2023, which is approximately 180 days before the anticipated halving date in mid-April.
Timeline and Events
The first Bitcoin halving occurred on November 28, 2012, reducing the block reward from 50 Bitcoins to 25 Bitcoins. This event marked the beginning of Bitcoin's journey as a deflationary asset.
The average time between halving events has hovered around the four-year mark, with the second halving happening on July 9, 2016, and the third halving occurring on May 11, 2020.
Historically, the price of Bitcoin has increased following a halving event, with the price rising from $12 in November 2012 to over $1,000 in November 2013.
Here's a list of the dates of past and future halving events:
The fourth halving is anticipated to occur around mid-April 2024, reducing the block reward from 6.25 Bitcoins to 3.125 Bitcoins per block.
A fresh viewpoint: Bitcoin Halving Block Number
When Next?
The next Bitcoin halving is expected to occur in 2028, when the block reward will fall to 1.625 BTC. This is based on the fact that halving events occur every 210,000 blocks, which is roughly every four years.
To give you a better idea of the timeline, here are the past Bitcoin halving dates:
As you can see, the block reward has been reduced by half each time, effectively controlling the supply of new Bitcoins. The next halving will reduce the block reward to 1.625 BTC, and then to 0.8125 BTC, 0.40625 BTC, and so on, until the maximum supply of 21 million Bitcoins has been reached in the year 2140.
Previous Events
The first Bitcoin halving occurred on November 28, 2012, reducing the block reward from 50 Bitcoins per block to 25 Bitcoins.
This event marked the beginning of Bitcoin's journey as a deflationary asset.
The second halving took place on July 9, 2016, further reducing the block reward from 25 BTC to 12.5 BTC per block.
Historically, the price of Bitcoin has shown a pattern of increasing in value following a halving event.
After the 2012 halving, the price of Bitcoin saw a significant increase, rising from $12 in November 2012 to over $1,000 in November 2013.
The time between halvings can vary slightly, but on average, it has hovered around the four-year mark.
The third halving occurred on May 11, 2020, reducing the block reward from 12.5 to 6.25 Bitcoins per block.
After the 2020 halving, Bitcoin's price moved upwards from around $8,000 in May 2020 to a new all-time high of over $69,000 in April 2021.
For your interest: What Is Bitcoins All Time High
Investing and Crypto
Investing in Bitcoin can be a speculative game, as investors are hoping for gains after the halving event. This is because the reduced supply of new coins could lead to an increase in investment value.
Investors pour into the new asset space, creating demand that the cryptocurrency's designers may not have anticipated. This demand can drive up the price of Bitcoin.
The halving event reduces miners' Bitcoin rewards, leading to fewer Bitcoins being created. This scarcity can impact the Bitcoin price after halving, making it more valuable.
ETFs to Disrupt the Market
Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have transformed Bitcoin's market dynamics, launching in January and seeing massive inflows right from the start.
These products have turbocharged demand and the price of Bitcoin, with inflows into Bitcoin ETFs averaging six times the new Bitcoin units generated daily.
Coinbase predicted the "equilibrium" Bitcoin price after halving would be around $74,000, based on the assumption that the pace of new inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs drops to $1 billion of net inflows monthly.
The predicted price is measured against roughly 13,500 Bitcoin mined per month.
Take a look at this: What Is Spot Price Silver
Investing
Investing in Bitcoin can be a speculative game, especially with a halving event on the horizon. Investors poured into the new asset space, creating demand that the cryptocurrency's designers may not have anticipated.
The potential for gains is a major draw for investors, who hope to see an increase in investment value if the event's effects remain the same. The halving reduces the new coin supply, which can lead to an increase in investment value.
Check this out: Invest in Bitcoin Mining
However, this places Bitcoin investing into the realm of speculation, as investors are hoping for gains rather than a guaranteed return. It's essential to understand that there's no guarantee that Bitcoin will follow the same trajectory as it has in the past.
Historically, prices have trended upward after a halving event, but the trends move slowly over months and years until the next halving. Market conditions, your outlook, and risk tolerance level should all be taken into account before investing in Bitcoin.
The latest halving was unique in that Spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved by the SEC only a few months before the event, attracting investors and speculators. One month after the halving, the market shifted again, and prices dropped, followed by significant outflows from the ETFs.
Suggestion: What Time Does the Bitcoin Halving Start
Fourth Means for Crypto
The fourth Bitcoin halving is a significant event that's been making waves in the crypto world. Reducing Bitcoin's issuance rate to increase scarcity is the fundamental mechanics behind this halving, just like prior ones.
Institutional engagement has reached an unprecedented level, with institutions shaping the market's trajectory and bringing credibility, stability, and interest from mainstream finance.
Bitcoin's integration into the global economy is opening up new paths for demand and utility, setting the stage for a new phase of its evolution.
The consistent rise in weekly active wallets post-halving shows that Bitcoin's usage and adoption are growing.
If this caught your attention, see: New Coin Market Cap
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
Bitcoin's halving event occurs about every four years, reducing the rate at which new coins are created and thus lowering the available amount of new supply. This process has significant implications for the network and its users.
The reward for mining is cut in half during each halving event, with the most recent one occurring on April 19, 2024, resulting in a block reward of 3.125 BTC. This reduction in rewards has been a recurring pattern since the first halving.
The final halving is expected to occur in 2140, when the number of bitcoins circulating will reach its maximum supply of 21 million. This milestone marks the end of the rewards system.
Here's a brief timeline of the block reward reductions:
- 2009: 50 bitcoins
- Halving 1: 25 bitcoins
- Halving 2: 12.5 bitcoins
- Halving 3 (May 11, 2020): 6.25 bitcoins
- Halving 4 (April 19, 2024): 3.125 bitcoins
The halving event may result in consolidation in the mining ecosystem as individual miners and small outfits drop out or are taken over by larger players.
Sources
- https://www.banklesstimes.com/news/2024/04/10/bitcoin-price-after-halving-the-only-5-factors-to-consider/
- https://www.investopedia.com/bitcoin-halving-4843769
- https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/bitcoin-halving-2024/
- https://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/247593/the-bitcoin-halving-is-here-what-does-it-mean-for-investors.aspx
- https://www.bankrate.com/investing/halving-why-isnt-bitcoan-soaring/
Featured Images: pexels.com