How Long Does It Take to Mine 1 Bitcoin

Bitcoin mining is not only the way new bitcoins are created, but also the process that keeps the entire network secure and running. Miners contribute computing power, and their machines continuously perform complex calculations to bundle new transactions into blocks and receive rewards. On the surface, mining looks like “machines running and producing bitcoins.” In reality, it involves multiple factors such as network difficulty, global hash rate, power costs, and hardware efficiency. Understanding these factors helps us see the true cost behind every bitcoin.

How Is a Block Mined?

You can think of mining as a giant guessing game. Each time the Bitcoin network needs to create a new block, the system poses an extremely difficult puzzle. Miners must find a number that fits the criteria (called a “nonce”), combine it with transaction data, and run it through a hash function. If the result is lower than the target set by the network, that answer is valid and the block can be mined successfully.

This process is much like a lottery. All miners around the world are “buying tickets” at the same time, trying different numbers nonstop. Whoever guesses the right number first wins the reward. The difference is that a lottery only draws once a week, while Bitcoin has a new “draw” every 10 minutes.

Another way to picture it is as a dice-rolling contest. Imagine a miner rolling an enormous die with trillions of sides. The system says, “You need to roll a number smaller than a certain value to win.” Hitting the right number once is nearly impossible, so the machine must keep rolling. The faster the rolls, the higher the chance of success. The more hash power a miner has, the more “rolls” they can make, and the higher the probability of winning.

Once a miner finds a valid result, they broadcast it to the network, essentially saying “I got it.” Other miners quickly verify it, and if it checks out, the block is added to the blockchain. The winning miner then receives the block reward (currently 3.125 BTC) along with the transaction fees included in that block.

Because this mechanism is based on probability, there is no guarantee that a machine producing a certain amount of bitcoin on paper will actually hit a reward on any given day. A miner might go days without winning, or they could suddenly hit “the jackpot.” That’s why many miners join mining pools, where computing power is shared and rewards are distributed proportionally, ensuring more stable income.

How Many Bitcoins Are Left to Be Mined?

Bitcoin’s supply is fixed in its code and will never exceed 21 million. By the end of August 2025, over 19 millionbitcoins had already been mined, leaving roughly 1.1 million still to be released. According to the rules, every 210,000 blocks (about every four years), the block reward is cut in half. Each halving slows down the release of new bitcoins, making issuance predictable and stable. That’s why the remaining supply will not flood the market all at once but will instead be released gradually over the next century.

How Do You Calculate the Cost of One Bitcoin?

New miners often ask, “If I buy a machine, how long will it take me to mine one bitcoin?” It sounds simple, but the answer depends on several key factors: hash power, network difficulty, block rewards, and electricity costs. We can start with a static model to estimate “theoretical output.”

Let’s assume network difficulty is 129T and the block reward is 3.125 BTC. With a Sealminer A2 Pro Hydro (500 TH/s), the machine produces about 0.00024497 BTC per day. At that rate, it would take roughly 4,082 days (11.2 years)to mine a full bitcoin. A Sealminer A2 Air (226 TH/s) produces 0.00011073 BTC per day, which would take 9,031 days (24.7 years) to reach one bitcoin. This is why many beginners feel that a single machine barely makes any progress.

Scaling up makes a clear difference. One hundred A2 Pro Hydros running together could mine one bitcoin in about 41 days. One hundred A2 Airs would take around 90 days, or roughly three months. The comparison is obvious: scaling improves efficiency, but it also requires higher upfront investment and stronger operations management.

It’s also worth mentioning that some companies market compact miners for home use. Technically, such devices could find a block, but the odds are lower than winning the lottery. If a small miner runs on its own, the hash rate is far too low, and it could take years—or even decades—without ever “winning.”

On top of that, no mining machine lasts forever. As new generations of chips roll out, older hardware becomes less efficient, and its power costs can quickly outweigh its output. Miners don’t expect a machine to run for ten years straight; what matters most is how quickly it pays for itself. Once costs are recovered, the coins mined afterward are where the real profit begins.

For a deeper dive into payback periods, check out our guide: “How to Calculate Mining Profitability.”

What Happens When All Bitcoins Are Mined?

The total supply of Bitcoin will never exceed 21 million. When the very last coin is mined, miners will no longer receive block rewards. Instead, their income will come from transaction fees paid by users. This shift won’t stop the Bitcoin network from functioning, but it could reshape miner competition. If fees aren’t high enough, smaller miners may be forced out, and hash power could become more concentrated in larger operations.

Learn More at Bitdeer

Bitcoin mining has never been as simple as “plug in a machine and get paid.” It’s governed by fixed rules, a constantly changing network, and very real operational costs. Solo mining rarely pays off, while industrial-scale mining requires significant capital and professional management. For beginners, it’s crucial to understand these fundamentals and use profitability calculators to weigh risks and returns before investing. Visit the Bitdeer Learning Hub for more beginner-friendly mining guides.