What is a bitcoin halving?
A halving is the moment when the reward for making a new block on the bitcoin blockchain is cut in half. It happens automatically every 210,000 blocks, which is roughly every four years. The latest halving was in April 2024, when the reward went from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoin per block. The next one is expected around 2028.
The reward for a new block halves every 210,000 blocks — roughly every four years.
The staircase so far
| Halving | Reward per block |
|---|---|
| Start, January 2009 | 50 BTC |
| November 2012 | 25 BTC |
| July 2016 | 12.5 BTC |
| May 2020 | 6.25 BTC |
| April 2024 | 3.125 BTC |
| Expected around 2028 | 1.5625 BTC |
Because the reward keeps being halved, fewer and fewer new bitcoin are created. The last tiny fractions of the 21 million are expected around the year 2140.
Why people talk about it
After a halving, half as many new bitcoin arrive each day. Some believe that less new supply pushes the price up. Historically the price has both risen and later fallen sharply in the years after a halving — and there have always been many other things going on at the same time. Four halvings are too few to say anything for certain. And everyone knows the halving is coming in advance, so it cannot surprise anyone.
For the miners
Miners spend electricity and machines making blocks. When the reward is halved, their income in bitcoin halves overnight. Miners with expensive power or old machines can be forced to stop. Over time they will increasingly have to live on the fees users pay to get their transactions into a block.
The typical beginner's mistake
Buying because "the price always rises after a halving". Four times is not "always", and what everyone knows in advance is often already in the price. History cannot promise anything about next time.
How you see it in Kiggo
Kiggo does not predict what a halving does to the price. Tap the bitcoin tile under Market → Crypto, and "10 years at a glance" shows the return year by year — so you can see for yourself how the years around earlier halvings went, both up and down. You also see three rings and the tax card for your country. Crypto is part of Kiggo Plus.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
When is the next bitcoin halving?
It is expected around 2028, when block number 1,050,000 is made. The exact date depends on how fast blocks arrive, so it can only be estimated.
How many halvings will there be?
The reward is halved until it is too small to split any further — after just over 30 halvings in total. Then no more bitcoin are created, around the year 2140.
Does the halving apply to other cryptocurrencies?
The rule belongs to bitcoin; a few other coins have similar rules. But because the rest of the crypto market often follows bitcoin, the whole market talks about it.
Kiggo explains — Kiggo does not advise. We never tell you what to buy or sell, and key figures can only be compared between companies in the same industry. The decision is yours. Last updated 2026-09-23.
Written by Claus Frisch, founder of Kiggo. Not an adviser, not a bank — Kiggo explains, you decide.
