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The fourth halving took place on the Bitcoin network on April 20 - the reward that miners received for adding a block was reduced from 6,25 to 3,125 bitcoins. Historically, this event has seen a significant increase in the price of the largest cryptocurrency, but now things may be different.
Halving is a scheduled event programmed into the network algorithm. Miners' computers perform complex calculations that confirm transactions in an open ledger called a blockchain. Transactions form blocks, and miners compete to complete the next block and add it to the blockchain. This happens approximately every ten minutes, and for adding a block to the blockchain, the miner is rewarded with re-released bitcoins. This reward was halved last night from 6,25 to 3,125 bitcoins, which is about $200 at today's rate.
Halvings occur approximately every four years. These events previously occurred in 2012, 2016, and 2020, and within a year or so of the halving, Bitcoin's value skyrocketed. The first halving took place on November 28, 2012 at a rate of $12,50 per coin — on November 29, 2013, Bitcoin was already worth $1163, i.e., it increased in price more than 93 times in a year. The second occurred on July 9, 2016 at a quote of $638,51 — on December 15, 2017, the value of bitcoin was $19, showing a 333-fold increase. The third occurred on May 30, 11, when Bitcoin cost $2020 — in November 8475, it reached $2021, i.e., it increased in price 68 times.
It is difficult to say how Bitcoin will behave this time, since the halving happened in unique circumstances. If before the cryptocurrency went into active growth after the halving, this time it increased intensively before it. Active positive dynamics were triggered by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which in January approved the listing of bitcoin ETF spot funds, which allow participants of the traditional stock market to play on the price of the cryptocurrency without actually buying it. As a result, Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $14 on March 2024, 73, and is currently trading around $797,68, 64% below its all-time high.
Before the appearance of the bitcoin ETF, its peculiar analogues on the stock exchanges were the shares of mining companies, which react to fluctuations in the quotations of the largest cryptocurrency. Many of them showed growth of 2023-300% in 600, but from the beginning of 2024 showed a double-digit decline: for example, Riot Platforms increased in price by 2023% in 356, and in 2024 it lost about 41%. Source
