The Impact of Bitcoin Halving on Price and Mining Profitability

Bitcoin halving is an event that occurs once every four years on the Bitcoin network.[0] In this occasion, the compensation for Bitcoin miners who contribute new blocks to the blockchain is cut in half, resulting in a decrease in the number of tokens earned for their labor.[1] The purpose of this system is to manage the flow of fresh Bitcoins that are released into circulation, capping it at 21 million.[2] The halving is anticipated to escalate the appeal of Bitcoin, resulting in a potential upsurge in its value by limiting the number of Bitcoins released into the market.

The most recent Bitcoin halving occurred on May 11, 2020, resulting in a block reward of 6.25 BTC.[3] It is predicted that the last halving of Bitcoin will take place in 2140, at which point the total number of Bitcoin tokens in circulation will have reached the maximum limit of 21 million.[3] During the halving cycle, the availability of Bitcoin tokens decreases, leading to a surge in the worth of unmined coins.[3]

In November 2012, during the initial halving event, the worth of Bitcoin skyrocketed from around $12 to nearly $1,000 within a year.[2] After the May 2020 halving, Bitcoin’s price was $8,787, but it showed a remarkable surge in the subsequent months, pointing towards the possibility of substantial transformations in the cryptocurrency market post every halving occurrence.

As spring approaches, there is talk of Bitcoin’s value potentially surging in the near future.[4] According to Markus Thielen, the head of research at Matrixport, Bitcoin is expected to hit approximately $65,623 by April 2024.[5] The current price is less than half of this.[6] According to Jamie Douglas Coutts, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, the market has factored in 50% of the upcoming halving that is anticipated to occur next year.[7]

On Monday, Standard Chartered forecasted that Bitcoin could hit $100,000 by the close of 2024, signaling the end of the “crypto winter.” According to Geoff Kendrick of Standard Chartered, the ‘crypto winter’ is believed to be over and there is potential for Bitcoin to reach the USD 100,000 level by the end of 2024.

It is crucial to bear in mind that the prices of cryptocurrencies are highly unstable and challenging to forecast.[8] Despite the recent surge in Bitcoin’s value, there is a chance that it may encounter substantial setbacks or adjustments in the coming days.[8] Bitcoin’s value is influenced by several factors, including supply and demand, market sentiment, economic conditions, government regulations, and technological advancements, just like any other asset.[6]

The profitability of mining is greatly affected by halving. When the mining reward is reduced, it becomes increasingly challenging for miners to generate profits.[6] A decrease in the number of miners may result in a slower network and increased transaction costs.[9] Miners’ profitability is directly affected by the decrease in mining rewards. Miners validate transactions and generate new blocks in the process of mining, and they receive bitcoin as a reward for their endeavors.[6] As the mining reward is cut in half, miners receive only half the amount of bitcoin for the same level of effort, inevitably leading to a decrease in their overall profitability.[6]

In addition, Standard Chartered predicts that Bitcoin’s value could reap the advantages of the current upheaval in the conventional banking industry, a steadying of high-risk investments after the U.S. Federal Reserve ceases to raise interest rates, and increased profitability from mining digital currency.[10]

ChatGPT has made a prediction that Bitcoin’s value will exceed $100,000 after its fourth halving event in 2024, which is nearly a year away.[1] Despite the Bitcoin prediction made by ChatGPT based on historical price movements, Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao asserts that ChatGPT is incapable of accurately predicting Bitcoin prices.[1]

In conclusion, while the halving event has a significant impact on Bitcoin’s price and adoption in the past, the situation is not quite simple as with many things in the crypto world. The predictions of sky-high valuations have been commonplace during Bitcoin’s past rallies, and it remains to be seen whether they will hold true this time around.[11]

0. “This Will Be Bitcoin’s Price During the Next Halving, According to PlanB’s S2F Model” CryptoPotato, 22 Apr. 2023, https://cryptopotato.com/this-will-be-bitcoins-price-during-the-next-halving-according-to-planbs-s2f-model/

1. “Binance CEO Downplays ChatGPT’s Bitcoin Halving Price Prediction” CoinGape, 20 Apr. 2023, https://coingape.com/binance-ceo-cz-downplays-post-halving-bitcoin-price-prediction-by-chatgpt/

2. “Bitcoin Halving: Is It the Key Factor Behind Bitcoin’s Strength? A Comparative Analysis Between Bitcoin and Big Eyes …” Atalayar, 21 Apr. 2023, https://atalayar.com/en/content/bitcoin-halving-it-key-factor-behind-bitcoins-strength-comparative-analysis-between-bitcoin

3. “Big Eyes Coin Presale Concludes Successfully Ahead Of Bitcoin’s Upcoming Halving Event In April 2024” NewsWatch, 22 Apr. 2023, https://newswatchtv.com/2023/04/22/big-eyes-coin-presale-concludes-successfully-ahead-of-bitcoins-upcoming-halving-event-in-april-2024

4. “Is The Final Shakeout Moment Coming For Bitcoin? Expert Weighs In” NewsBTC, 21 Apr. 2023, https://www.newsbtc.com/news/bitcoin/is-the-final-shakeout-moment-coming-for-bitcoin-expert-weighs-in/

5. “Bitcoin ‘halving’ due next year spurs predictions of rally in token past $50,000 | Mint” Mint, 23 Apr. 2023, https://www.livemint.com/market/cryptocurrency/bitcoin-halving-due-next-year-spurs-predictions-of-rally-in-token-past-50000-11682259786783.html

6. “Bitcoin Halving Due Next Year Fuels Widespread Anticipation” BeInCrypto, 24 Apr. 2023, https://beincrypto.com/bitcoin-halving-next-year-analysts-narratives/

7. “Bitcoin could top $50,000 as next year’s halving cuts supply: analysts” Markets Insider, 24 Apr. 2023, https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/bitcoin-predictions-outlook-50k-halving-august-2024-cuts-supply-analysts-2023-4

8. “Standard Chartered Predicts Bitcoin Could Reach $100,000 By End of 2024” NewsBTC, 24 Apr. 2023, https://www.newsbtc.com/news/bitcoin/standard-chartered-predicts-bitcoin-could-reach-100000/

9. “The Ultimate Bitcoin Halving Countdown Guide: Everything You Need to Know” Blockchain Council, 24 Apr. 2023, https://www.blockchain-council.org/blockchain/the-ultimate-bitcoin-halving-countdown-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/

10. “Standard Chartered Forecasts Bitcoin’s Price Could Hit $100,000” Baystreet.ca, 24 Apr. 2023, https://www.baystreet.ca/cryptonews/537/Standard-Chartered-Forecasts-Bitcoins-Price-Could-Hit-100000

11. “Bitcoin is likely to reach $100,000 by end-2024, says Standard Chartered” Business Today, 24 Apr. 2023, https://www.businesstoday.in/crypto/story/bitcoin-is-likely-to-reach-100000-by-end-2024-says-standard-chartered-378639-2023-04-24