# Bitcoin Curious
## How do miners earn Bitcoin after all 21 million coins are mined?
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![Screenshot 2025-08-19 at 5.07.54 PM.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmXxYsQZSzfyiMMAabtVZ6vWdYEH2cC4CozooMpSJYaFCd/Screenshot%202025-08-19%20at%205.07.54%E2%80%AFPM.png)
[Picture Source](https://www.dreamstime.com/stacked-bitcoin-coins-gold-tableware-shining-like-metal-jewellery-stack-bitcoin-coins-arranged-neatly-table-image308195246)

#### Background:
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Currently, Bitcoin miners are rewarded for their work in two main ways: a block subsidy (newly minted bitcoins) and transaction fees. However, the block subsidy is cut in half approximately every four years in an event called "halving." 
Once all 21 million Bitcoins are mined, which is estimated to occur around the year 2140, the block subsidy #will cease to exist. At that point, Bitcoin miners will earn their revenue solely from transaction fees. 
##  Here's a breakdown of how this system is intended to work:
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#### Miners process transactions: 
Even after all bitcoins are mined, the Bitcoin network will still need to process and verify transactions. Miners will continue to play a crucial role in validating these transactions and adding them to the blockchain in blocks.
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#### Users pay fees: 
When users want to send a Bitcoin transaction, they include a transaction fee to incentivize miners to pick up their transaction and include it in the next block.
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#### Fee market: 
Since there's a limited amount of space in each block, users effectively compete to have their transactions included quickly. This creates a fee market where users who pay higher fees are prioritized by miners.
#### Miners choose transactions: 
Miners will naturally prioritize transactions with higher fees, as this maximizes their income.
#### Network security: 
The transaction fees will become the primary incentive for miners to continue supporting the network, ensuring its long-term security and instilling confidence in the future of Bitcoin. 
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## Concerns and potential solutions
#### Insufficient fees: 
Some critics argue that transaction fees alone might not be enough to maintain Bitcoin's network security after the block subsidy disappears. A decreased security budget could potentially expose the network to 51% attacks or make it more centralized.
#### Higher fees: 
A reliance on transaction fees could lead to higher fees, potentially making Bitcoin less accessible for smaller transactions or everyday use.
#### Scalability solutions: 
The Lightning Network and other Layer 2 solutions offer ways to handle transactions off-chain, potentially reducing congestion on the main Bitcoin blockchain and lowering fees.
#### Technological advancements: 
Continued advancements in mining hardware efficiency and the exploration of cheaper, more sustainable energy sources can help miners remain profitable even with reduced or no block rewards.
#### Increased demand: 
Proponents believe that the scarcity of Bitcoin and its growing adoption will lead to increased demand for block space, driving up transaction fees and ensuring miner profitability. 
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## Last words
In conclusion, after all 21 million Bitcoins are mined, the incentive for miners will entirely shift from block subsidies to transaction fees. The long-term viability of Bitcoin mining and network security will depend on the value of those transaction fees, which in turn will be influenced by factors like Bitcoin's price, adoption rates, and the evolution of scaling solutions.

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