Super new technologies and more internet users every year as well as more people knowing about mining.
I reckon bitcoin mining will be done by 2025 or so.
Unless i am completely missing alot of facts here...
I personally do not understand block time and all that stuff, but i just guesstimate that as early as 2025 its done.
Thanks for reading and educating me.
As per satoshi's post way back in 2009,
"Total circulation will be 21,000,000 coins. It'll be distributed to network nodes when they make blocks, with the amount cut in half every 4 years.
first 4 years 10,500,000 coins
next 4 years 5,250,000 next 4 years
next 4 years 2,625,000 next 4 years
next 4 years 1,312,500 next 4 years
etc... "
it is hard to determine if when will the last block be mined, as the value is cut to half every 4 years but as time goes by the value of each block is also cut into half so it is the efficiency of mining that will be considered.
The halfing that is made every 4 years is of the reward.
So it is the same think, not two separate events.
The coins that are mined are dependent of the reward, as the reward halves the amount mined will he reduced. the blocks are fixed, so that is why the total mined for 4 years halves as well.
1050000/50 = 5250000/25 = 2625000/12.5 = 1312500/6.25 = 210000 blocks for 4 years.
So the last satoshi will be mined 2140 or couple of year before, but not 100 years earlier...
As stated up the year that the last satoshi will be mined should be 2140 not 2040.
This is due to the fact that each 2016 blocks the dificulty is calibrated, so the next 2016 blocks will be mined for 14 days.
So even if you double the mining power you will mine 2016 for a week, but unless next week you do not bring double fresh power again the time will be fixed
Even if you manage to provide double minign power each week it will be 2071 not 2040