Is the 21 Million BTC Cap Still That Important in 2025?

[ahmedabubakarabbo]

I’ve been thinking about how much people still talk about Bitcoin’s 21 million supply limit — and honestly, I think it still matters a lot.

We’re in a time where governments and central banks are printing money like there’s no tomorrow. Inflation, currency devaluation, and financial censorship are more real now than ever. In that context, Bitcoin’s fixed supply becomes more than just a number — it’s a statement. It represents rules over rulers.

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

[Upgrade00]

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

None of all that affects Bitcoin directly. It isn't influenced by what altcoins are doing, it usually happens the other way around. Bitcoin finite supply will always be relevant and as the supply thins, it automatically causes demand to grow against it and resist inflation.

Bitcoin also isn't digital gold; maybe gold is analog Bitcoin.

[Oshosondy]

Layer 2 and others including tokenized bitcoin which are altcoins still make use of bitcoin in one way or the other in a way that they can not create bitcoin but make use of the existing bitcoin. In short, bitcoin supply is still 21 million. Even the bitcoin spot ETFs are still making use of bitcoin.

[Ambatman]

Since it's a new account.
AI generated post are not allowed here and even when it's used
Reference that it was either AI generated or assisted.


The only reason institutions and government are jumping into Bitcoin is because of the supply limit
Privacy and decentralization doesn't mean much to them as it should be to the masses (unfortunately many don't care too).

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

uhh your statement are quite confusing.
How does layer 2 and altcoins affect Bitcoin supply limit? I can't really comprehend the scenario you trying to paint


Bitcoin is already more than Digital Gold

[philipma1957]

I’ve been thinking about how much people still talk about Bitcoin’s 21 million supply limit — and honestly, I think it still matters a lot.

We’re in a time where governments and central banks are printing money like there’s no tomorrow. Inflation, currency devaluation, and financial censorship are more real now than ever. In that context, Bitcoin’s fixed supply becomes more than just a number — it’s a statement. It represents rules over rulers.

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

The entire point of the coin is the fixed limit of 21 million.

So yeah I think it is still important.

[Jawhead999]

For sure it's important, but no longer a something special because it has been discussed so many times, almost all people know Bitcoin has a limited supply.

If Bitcoin has an unlimited supply, the price won't hit $112K, because if it's not scarce it also affect to other use cases.

How does layer 2 and altcoins affect Bitcoin supply limit? I can't really comprehend the scenario you trying to paint

Anyone can create layer 2 for Bitcoin with unlimited supply, but I doubt people will trust such coin because it's already strange in the first place.

[Ambatman]

Anyone can create layer 2 for Bitcoin with unlimited supply, but I doubt people will trust such coin because it's already strange in the first place.

The tokens created on layer 2 are not Bitcoin so it doesn't change anything.

[|MINER|]

Anyone can create layer 2 for Bitcoin with unlimited supply, but I doubt people will trust such coin because it's already strange in the first place.

The tokens created on layer 2 are not Bitcoin so it doesn't change anything.

Well said.
Just by creating a coin or token on Layer 2, it will not become Bitcoin, now basically any coin that is created will be an alternative to Bitcoin. And it doesn't seem like any such alternative coin will ever be created to replace Bitcoin or come close to Bitcoin.
Because the potential market and its market dominance, like Bitcoin, will not allow that to happen.
And besides, we have to remember that Bitcoin is the only crypto currency that has no paid developer team, as well as no paid miners, and more importantly, it has no owner. There, a coin with unlimited supply can never be logically compared to Bitcoin. 

[adultcrypto]

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

The limited supply is definitely one of its strongest features because in economics, when the supply is fixed and the demand increases, it becomes natural that the price of the goods will rise. This is the case with bitcoin, it has limited supply and increasing adoption as well as increasing population. The price will always go up with time. Another important feature of bitcoin is that it is decentralized, meaning no single individual can control it, not the government nor the high and mighty. They may attempt to regulate bitcoin but that will not completely take away its decentralized nature.

[Obim34]

Anyone can create layer 2 for Bitcoin with unlimited supply, but I doubt people will trust such coin because it's already strange in the first place.

The tokens created on layer 2 are not Bitcoin so it doesn't change anything.

Bitcoin has a base layer, and it is programmed to resist more supply being brought into the blockchain, once the 21 million Bitcoin is mined, that will become the total supply in circulation.

Layer 2 solutions are just there to enhance Bitcoin usage instance Lightning Network.

21 million BTC supply shouldn't be underrated, it's a powerful tool to those who understand the future of Bitcoin scarcity, demand and supply, the more Bitcoin is being captured into holdings, creates an irresistible price hike.

[bitbollo]

There are some entities that are creating doubts about having a total cap of 21 millions but if you change the supply, you will just complete an hard fork so you will create a copy of bitcoin. Basically, the CAP is essential. Scarcity and rules, are essentials for Bitcoin.
If you made some "hard" modification that creates a serious inpact on some of the rules you will create just another thing.

[el kaka22]

Considering we went with ETF route, and institutions are involved, we can have more than 21 million bitcoins now. You may think... "how"? But the reality is that people sell "tranches" for mortgages, so you think they won't do it for bitcoin?

As in, you could have 100 people, who all have 1 bitcoin each, that would cost 100 bitcoins, but then you could have 1 person, buy 100 bitcoins worth, invest into their investment, and people will be betting long or short position on those 100 too, so as you can see, some 100, could be invested in a ten different way to make it even more. Banks are famous for it, hence why they crash, otherwise why would banks crash from just getting savings from you, and giving loans to others, they crash because the yare overly greedy.

[tabas]

We will be dead if Bitcoin's last supply limit is mined. But that 21M is no longer talked about because it's fixed. It's the biggest factor why Bitcoin is loved by all of us. So, if there are people suggesting that Bitcoin could be better with what they think and to become more of a digital gold. It's already enough of what it has got, there is no need for any upgrade at all except to maintain the cheap fee that it currently has. We've waited for so long for its 1 sat/vB transaction fee. If there is anything to be scaled, that's the speed only IMO.

[JeffBrad12]

Those layer 2 tokens that you mentioned should be out of equation, those are just random token with inflated valuation. Bitcoin's 21 million total supply cap is fine as it is. It has decimals so why does it even matter anyway. People can buy in fraction.
Meanwhile those layer 2 tokens are centralized and majority of total supply owned by the team. It's entirely different thing like comparing apple to orange.

[lionheart78]

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

The 21 million cap will be one of Bitcoin's strongest features, it prevents inflation thus attracting investors from all walks of life.  Aside from that, this fixed amount simply means Bitcoin has scarcity, there will be no more than 21 million that will be produced.  What does this mean?  This means if the supply is fixed and the demand keeps increasing, the price of Bitcoin increase is inevitable.

If people and institutions come to a realization that Bitcoin has only 21m, there is no doubt there will be FOMO in the market thus pushing the price increase of Bitcoin even more.

[davis196]

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

Bro, that's just plain stupid. Bitcoin is Bitcoin. Altcoins are altcoins. Bitcoin and the altcoins exist on different blockchains.
How would the altcoins/tokens influence Bitcoin's 21 million cap? There's no way for this to happen. Bitcoin is great at being "digital gold", do we really need to change this? Bitcoin is a deflationary asset in an era, where almost all financial assets are inflationary and losing value in the long term. Do you really want to turn Bitcoin into some devaluating currency, that is being used for everyday purchases? Almost all BTC investors and long term HODLers, would sell their BTC and run away, if such thing happens. This would crash the BTC price to ridiculous levels.

[AbuBhakar]

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

The 21 million cap will be one of Bitcoin's strongest features, it prevents inflation thus attracting investors from all walks of life.  Aside from that, this fixed amount simply means Bitcoin has scarcity, there will be no more than 21 million that will be produced.  What does this mean?  This means if the supply is fixed and the demand keeps increasing, the price of Bitcoin increase is inevitable.

If people and institutions come to a realization that Bitcoin has only 21m, there is no doubt there will be FOMO in the market thus pushing the price increase of Bitcoin even more.

I will also add that it becomes difficult to mine while its supply increases. Bitcoin's current supply is 19.8 million and it will only reach its maximum supply by year 2140.  Earth's total population is 8.2 billion people. If 1 billion of our population is each holding 0.001 bitcoin (currently price at $110), that would be total of 1 million bitcoin already. Price could really surge if more countries starts to acquire large supply of it.

[d5000]

The 21 million limit is a very popular rule of the Bitcoin protocol. Just for fun I recently posted polls in the Spanish and German subforums about the possibility to remove it and the overwhelming majority voted to preserve it. So it could disappoint a lot of investors if this was changed. It would probably trigger a hard fork.

My personal opinion is slightly different, I would not oppose a tail emission (i.e. a change in the reward schedule) if this didn't change the predictable character of the supply. For example, a fixed 0.1 BTC reward from the 2040s on would increase the supply only by about 5000 BTC per year. This would be probably less than the Bitcoin that are lost per year. But this is a technical opinion. It would need a lot of discussion and fine-tuning.

In 2022 there was a post by Peter Todd (HBO's "Satoshi" candidate, remember? Also a prominent member of the OP_RETURN conspiracy.) on that topic which sparked some discussion here: Surprisingly, Tail Emission Is Not Inflationary.


@ahmedabubakarabbo it would be nice if you answer at least to some posts, because your first post smells a bit like AI. Prove us wrong.

[BALIK]

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

The limited supply is definitely one of its strongest features because in economics, when the supply is fixed and the demand increases, it becomes natural that the price of the goods will rise. This is the case with bitcoin, it has limited supply and increasing adoption as well as increasing population. The price will always go up with time. Another important feature of bitcoin is that it is decentralized, meaning no single individual can control it, not the government nor the high and mighty. They may attempt to regulate bitcoin but that will not completely take away its decentralized nature.

But how to increase demand? The demand for bitcoin would not increase if it did not have something special and different from other assets. Demand only increases if it can provide useful utilities and use cases, so I agree that limited supply is an advantage but not the strongest feature that makes bitcoin different. In my opinion, decentralization is the most important feature that makes it different and in high demand. Because creating a coin with a finite supply is not difficult, and Bitcoin is not the only coin with that feature. Many altcoins have even less supply than bitcoin but have never been able to compare to bitcoin and the reason is because it is not decentralized.

Decentralization is the strongest and most important feature that makes bitcoin different.

[Yaunfitda]

I’ve been thinking about how much people still talk about Bitcoin’s 21 million supply limit — and honestly, I think it still matters a lot.

It's one of it's strength, it's cap to 21 million so that is the magic number as everyone wanted to have at least 1 BTC in their lifetime. And if we go by it, every 4 year cycle it's getting limited, so it's very important that least you have some Bitcoin.

But I’ve also seen arguments lately saying that with layer 2s, tokenized assets, and so many altcoins, maybe the hard cap isn't as big a deal anymore. That Bitcoin can evolve beyond just being “digital gold.”

I’d love to hear what others think — do you believe the 21 million cap is still one of Bitcoin’s strongest features? Or has the conversation moved on?

That argument of layer2s, or whatever for altcoin is not in the same breath of Bitcoin's 21 million cap. So that argument is flaw, of course Bitcoin has evolved so much already that it's more than digital gold. But still if you see that it has a cap and not the same as other crypto, you will know that numbers is still very important are it's going to be a race for everyone to have at least .001-1 BTC.