Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin's Scarcity Milestone Ignored as Price Dips 1.5%-Market Focus Shifts

Bitcoin Touches New Milestone With 95% Of Total Supply Now Mined. Here's What That Means

Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, has reached a pivotal moment in its monetary lifecycle: 95% of its total supply has now been mined. According to on-chain data from Whale Insider and other tracking platforms, the circulating supply stands at 19,949,776 BTC, with just 1,049,996 coins remaining to be issued according to data. The milestone underscores Bitcoin's deflationary design, reinforcing its narrative as a scarce digital asset in a world of inflationary fiat currencies.

The path to full issuance is governed by Bitcoin's halving schedule, which reduces block rewards every four years. The most recent halving, in April 2024, cut miner rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. With each subsequent halving, the rate of new Bitcoin creation will slow further, with the final coins projected to be mined by 2140. This gradual scarcity has long been a cornerstone of Bitcoin's appeal, with proponents like Kraken Global Economist Thomas Perfumo emphasizing its role as a "natural hedge against fiat debasement".

Despite the milestone, Bitcoin's price has shown little immediate reaction. The asset dipped below $93,000 earlier this week before rebounding to $94,040, a 1.47% decline over 24 hours according to price data. Analysts, including Nansen's Jake Kennis, caution that the supply milestone alone is unlikely to drive short-term price action, as broader macroeconomic factors and market sentiment remain dominant forces.

The distribution of mined Bitcoin reveals a fragmented landscape of holders. Satoshi Nakamoto's estimated 1.09 million BTC stake remains the largest single holding, followed by exchanges like Binance which controls 570,729 BTC. Institutional investors, including ETF issuers, hold approximately 2.53 million BTC collectively. Meanwhile, DeFi projects and private companies manage smaller but growing portions of the supply.

The milestone has also spurred activity in related crypto projects. Bitcoin Munari (BTCM) launched a $0.35 presale for its Solana-based SPL token. The project aims to combine Bitcoin's scarcity with modern blockchain features, including EVM compatibility and privacy options, before transitioning to its own Layer-1 chain in 2027. Similarly, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) raised $18.8 million in its presale, with 45.5% of its 4 billion token supply allocated to public sales.

While Bitcoin's scarcity narrative remains intact, the market's focus has shifted to broader adoption trends and regulatory developments. Singapore's SGX announced plans to launch Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures contracts, citing rising institutional demand. These moves highlight the maturing infrastructure supporting crypto assets, even as Bitcoin's supply approaches its hard cap.