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How Long Each Million Bitcoin Took to Mine

New bitcoin are created only when miners add a block, and the reward per block is cut in half every 210,000 blocks. This ranks the first 20 millions by how many days each took, from the 99.1 days it took to reach 4 million in 2010 to the 1,438 days the 20th million needed, reached on Mar 9, 2026.

Data as of · 20 milestones, genesis block (Jan 3, 2009) to Mar 9, 2026 · block heights and timestamps from mempool.space · chain tip 973,708

Illustration: the days it took to create each of the first 20 million bitcoin, fastest first.
How Long Each Million Bitcoin Took to Mine, data as of 2026-10-29
Rank Milestone Date reached Days for this million Minutes a block Block Subsidy then
1 4 million Sep 16, 2010 99.1 7.1 79,999 50 BTC
2 5 million Dec 29, 2010 104.3 7.5 99,999 50 BTC
3 7 million Aug 7, 2011 104.7 7.5 139,999 50 BTC
4 3 million Jun 9, 2010 115.6 8.3 59,999 50 BTC
5 6 million Apr 24, 2011 116.5 8.4 119,999 50 BTC
6 10 million Sep 22, 2012 131.7 9.5 199,999 50 BTC
7 9 million May 13, 2012 134.0 9.6 179,999 50 BTC
8 8 million Dec 31, 2011 146.0 10.5 159,999 50 BTC
9 11 million Apr 6, 2013 196.3 9.4 229,999 25 BTC
10 1 million Jul 22, 2009 200.1 14.4 19,999 50 BTC
11 2 million Feb 13, 2010 205.7 14.8 39,999 50 BTC
12 12 million Nov 16, 2013 224.1 8.1 269,999 25 BTC
13 13 million Jul 9, 2014 235.0 8.5 309,999 25 BTC
14 14 million Mar 30, 2015 264.0 9.5 349,999 25 BTC
15 15 million Dec 24, 2015 268.8 9.7 389,999 25 BTC
16 16 million Nov 22, 2016 333.3 9.6 439,999 12.5 BTC
17 17 million Apr 26, 2018 520.4 9.4 519,999 12.5 BTC
18 18 million Oct 19, 2019 540.6 9.7 599,999 12.5 BTC
19 19 million Apr 1, 2022 895.7 9.9 729,999 6.25 BTC
20 20 million Mar 9, 2026 1,437.9 9.9 939,999 3.125 BTC

The Nth million is reached by the first block at which the total subsidy created, counting the genesis block’s 50 coins, is at least N million; the subsidy is 50 coins halved every 210,000 blocks.1 Days for this million = that block’s timestamp minus the previous milestone block’s (the genesis block’s for the first), in UTC.2 Minutes a block = days × 1,440 ÷ blocks in the million. Miners set block timestamps themselves, so a block’s time can be a little earlier or later than the true time. Ranked fastest first. Observed facts, not a forecast.

The top 8

A block is a batch of transactions added to bitcoin’s record roughly every ten minutes; the miner who adds it receives the block subsidy, newly created coins. The software adjusts a setting called difficulty every 2,016 blocks, about two weeks, to aim at ten minutes a block, so when more computing power arrives faster than that, blocks come quicker than ten minutes until the next adjustment.1 For how the subsidy and fees compare, see how miners’ income splits between new coins and fees; for halvings, bitcoin’s halvings, explained.

#1

4 million Sep 16, 2010

99.1 days

The 4 millionth bitcoin was created in block 79,999 on Sep 16, 2010.3 The million took 99.1 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 7.1 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#2

5 million Dec 29, 2010

104.3 days

The 5 millionth bitcoin was created in block 99,999 on Dec 29, 2010.4 The million took 104.3 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 7.5 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#3

7 million Aug 7, 2011

104.7 days

The 7 millionth bitcoin was created in block 139,999 on Aug 7, 2011.5 The million took 104.7 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 7.5 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#4

3 million Jun 9, 2010

115.6 days

The 3 millionth bitcoin was created in block 59,999 on Jun 9, 2010.6 The million took 115.6 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 8.3 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#5

6 million Apr 24, 2011

116.5 days

The 6 millionth bitcoin was created in block 119,999 on Apr 24, 2011.7 The million took 116.5 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 8.4 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#6

10 million Sep 22, 2012

131.7 days

The 10 millionth bitcoin was created in block 199,999 on Sep 22, 2012.8 The million took 131.7 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 9.5 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#7

9 million May 13, 2012

134.0 days

The 9 millionth bitcoin was created in block 179,999 on May 13, 2012.9 The million took 134.0 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 9.6 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

#8

8 million Dec 31, 2011

146.0 days

The 8 millionth bitcoin was created in block 159,999 on Dec 31, 2011.10 The million took 146.0 days and 20,000 blocks, an average of 10.5 minutes a block against a target of 10, with a subsidy of 50 BTC a block at the end of it.1

Sources

  1. Bitcoin Core, GetBlockSubsidy in src/validation.cpp (50 coins, halved every 210,000 blocks), and nPowTargetSpacing = 10 * 60 and nPowTargetTimespan = 14 * 24 * 60 * 60 in src/kernel/chainparams.cpp, retrieved 2026-10-29.
  2. mempool.space, block 0, the genesis block, timestamp Jan 3, 2009 18:15:05 UTC.
  3. mempool.space, block 79,999 (hash …da9c8bba), timestamp Sep 16, 2010 04:57 UTC.
  4. mempool.space, block 99,999 (hash …19011250), timestamp Dec 29, 2010 11:55 UTC.
  5. mempool.space, block 139,999 (hash …d2fea629), timestamp Aug 7, 2011 17:06 UTC.
  6. mempool.space, block 59,999 (hash …cdc29dfe), timestamp Jun 9, 2010 02:05 UTC.
  7. mempool.space, block 119,999 (hash …5827bca4), timestamp Apr 24, 2011 23:16 UTC.
  8. mempool.space, block 199,999 (hash …970da215), timestamp Sep 22, 2012 10:26 UTC.
  9. mempool.space, block 179,999 (hash …d437c55b), timestamp May 13, 2012 18:03 UTC.
  10. mempool.space, block 159,999 (hash …4508ed4c), timestamp Dec 31, 2011 18:12 UTC.

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