On Dec. 28, Eli Nagar, CEO of Bitcoin mining pool Braiins Mining, posted a compelling observation on social media platform X, emphasizing the scale of MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin holdings. According to Nagar, MicroStrategy’s stash of 444,262 BTC surpasses the amount of Bitcoin expected to be mined in the next halving epoch, projected at 328,125 BTC.
Let’s fact-check this.
Bitcoin halving, a fundamental feature of the cryptocurrency’s protocol, occurs approximately every four years or every 210,000 blocks mined. During each halving, the reward for mining a Bitcoin block is reduced by 50%, effectively slowing the creation of new Bitcoins and enhancing its scarcity.
The current halving epoch began on April 20, 2024, reducing the block reward from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block. This epoch will continue until around March or April 2028, when the next halving will take place. At that point, the reward will be halved again to 1.5625 BTC per block. Over the course of this future epoch, miners are expected to produce 328,125 BTC (calculated as 210,000 blocks multiplied by 1.5625 BTC per block). This reduction follows Bitcoin’s programmed design, ensuring a diminishing supply growth until the cap of 21 million BTC is reached.
MicroStrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR), formerly known primarily as a business intelligence software firm, has become synonymous with corporate Bitcoin adoption. On Aug. 11, 2020, the company announced its first Bitcoin purchase, positioning the cryptocurrency as a key treasury reserve asset. This bold move marked the beginning of an aggressive accumulation strategy under then-CEO Michael Saylor (who is currently the executive chairman of the company).
As of Dec. 22, 2024, MicroStrategy holds an astounding 444,262 BTC, acquired for approximately $27.7 billion at an average price of $62,257 per Bitcoin. The company’s latest acquisition, announced on December 23, 2024, involved purchasing 5,262 BTC for $561 million at an average price of $106,662 per Bitcoin.
https://twitter.com/saylor/status/1871179886036910278
Eli Nagar’s comparison of MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin reserves to the next halving epoch’s projected output provides a striking perspective. The company’s holdings exceed the 328,125 BTC expected to be mined between 2028 and 2032. This dynamic illustrates the influence of institutional players like MicroStrategy in the Bitcoin ecosystem and the scarcity-driven economics of the cryptocurrency.
Featured Image via Pixabay
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