The Lost Bitcoins: How Much Bitcoin Is Gone Forever?
Over the years, a significant portion of Bitcoin has been lost forever, making the actual supply even scarcer than the original 21 million limit. These "lost" bitcoins include those locked in wallets with forgotten passwords, wallets belonging to early miners who discarded their hard drives, and wallets whose owners have passed away without sharing access information.
Estimates suggest that between 3 to 4 million bitcoins—about 15-20% of the total supply—are permanently lost. This scarcity has only fueled Bitcoin’s “digital gold” narrative, as each remaining Bitcoin becomes increasingly valuable over time.
Did You Know? One of the most famous stories of lost Bitcoin involves a British man who accidentally threw away a hard drive containing 8,000 BTC in 2013. To this day, he continues to search for it in a landfill, as its value has soared into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Posted on November 9, 2024