The Bitcoin halving is a protocol rule that cuts the block subsidy paid to miners in half every 210,000 blocks (approximately every four years). It is the mechanism by which Bitcoin's supply curve tapers toward its 21-million-coin cap around the year 2140.
Historical halvings: - 2012: 50 BTC → 25 BTC per block - 2016: 25 BTC → 12.5 BTC - 2020: 12.5 BTC → 6.25 BTC - 2024: 6.25 BTC → 3.125 BTC - 2028 (projected): 3.125 BTC → 1.5625 BTC
Halvings are programmatic — no vote, no committee, just a counter in the reference software. Every Bitcoin node enforces the same rule. A miner that tried to pay themselves the old reward would produce blocks rejected by everyone else.
Market reactions vary. Historically, Bitcoin has rallied in the 12-18 months after each halving, though correlation is not causation — macro conditions, regulation, and adoption cycles all contribute. Betting on a specific price move around a halving has worked before and failed before; TheChainPost does not predict prices.
Ethereum Classic and Dogecoin have different halving schedules; Ethereum (proof-of-stake) has no halving at all.