The "miners" who work hard to extract bitcoins from intricate mathematical formulas are losing 50% of their earnings, which will again limit the amount of new bitcoins that can be created.
The "miners" who work hard to extract bitcoins from intricate mathematical formulas are losing 50% of their earnings, which will again limit the amount of new bitcoins that can be created. (Photo : by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The most recent "halving" of Bitcoin happened on Friday night. The much-anticipated event was followed by a stable price for bitcoin at around $63,907.
Right now, everyone is focused on what could occur later. Beyond the long-term price behavior of bitcoin, which is highly dependent on other market circumstances, analysts highlight possible effects on the daily activities of the asset's miners. However, the future is unpredictable, much like everything else in the erratic cryptoverse.
What is Bitcoin Halving and Why Is It Important?
The manufacturing of bitcoin is impacted by the "halving" of bitcoin, a predetermined occurrence that happens about every four years. Miners tackle complex arithmetic puzzles using farms of loud, specialized computers; they are rewarded with a certain quantity of bitcoins upon solving a puzzle.
Halving reduces that fixed income by half, precisely as it sounds. Additionally, as the mining incentive declines, fewer new bitcoins are introduced to the market. This indicates that the amount of coins available to meet demand is growing more slowly.
One important aspect of bitcoin is its limited quantity. Less than 1.5 million bitcoins remain to be mined out of the total 21 million that will ever exist. Of them, more than 19.5 million have already been mined.
As output is limited by the halving of bitcoin, prices should rise as long as demand stays the same or increases more quickly than supply. As a result, some contend that bitcoin can combat inflation; nonetheless, experts emphasize that there is never a guarantee for future profits.
Although the exact dates are not known, that equates to around once every four years.
Can Halving Affect the Price of BTC?
We'll find out in time. The price of bitcoin fluctuated in the first few months after each of the previous three halvings, but it was much higher after a year. However, as investors know, historical performance does not guarantee future outcomes.
For instance, according to CoinMarketCap, the price of bitcoin was around $8,602 at the time of the most recent halving in May 2020. By May 2021, it had increased nearly seven-fold to over $56,705. One year following the July 2016 halves of bitcoin, its price nearly quadrupled, while a year after its initial halving in November 2012, it surged by over 80 times. McCarthy and other experts emphasize that high returns were also a result of other optimistic market conditions.
The halving on Friday also comes after a year of sharp rises in the price of bitcoin. According to CoinMarketCap, the price of bitcoin was $63,907 as of Friday night. Even if it's less than the asset's all-time high of almost $73,750 reached last month, it's still twice what it was a year ago.
The early success of a novel approach to invest in the commodity, spot bitcoin ETFs, which were first authorized by U.S. authorities in January, is largely credited for the cryptocurrency's current surge. According to a study analysis by cryptocurrency fund manager Bitwise, these exchange-traded funds, or spot ETFs, had inflows of $12.1 billion in the first quarter.
Some experts emphasize the need for caution, citing the potential that the benefits have already been achieved.
JPMorgan analysts stated in a research note on Wednesday that they do not anticipate post-halving price gains because they believe the event "has already been already priced in," adding that their study of bitcoin futures indicates the market is still in overbought circumstances.
