There will never be more than 21 million bitcoin in existence. This limit is defined by an algorithm in Bitcoin’s code and is strictly enforced by each node in the Bitcoin network. When a miner creates a new block, they are rewarded with the ability to mint new bitcoin, but every node verifies that the miner has created no more new bitcoin than allowed by the algorithm. Learn more about Bitcoin's issuance schedule. The number 21 million is an arbitrary number. However, changing it would be disastrous for Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the first provably mathematically scarce asset in history, and its monetary policy has remained publicly known and unchanged since its inception. If this policy were to be changed once, it would destroy the credibility Bitcoin has built up over its entire history, and future changes would be far easier to introduce, inflating Bitcoin’s supply and undermining its scarcity.
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