In 2140, the last of the world’s 21 million Bitcoins will have been mined. At that point, the bulk of miners’ income will have disappeared. Instead, the network’s security will completely rely on transaction fees. According to experts from OKX Singapore, JuCoin, and XBO, the timeline gives the community enough time to prepare for this moment. Bitcoin will have generated enough institutional demand and retail-driven activity to justify premium transaction fees for security. However, concerns over centralization and adequate adaptability remain. The 2140 Challenge: A Post-Subsidy Bitcoin For over a century, a block subsidy has secured the Bitcoin network. This reward serves as payment for miners for validating transactions made to create new Bitcoins. This subsidy has been the primary incentive for miners, ensuring the network’s security and decentralization. This code halves the block subsidy, ensuring bitcoin remains sound money. By the year 2140, the subsidy will be 0 sats, and all of the bitcoin will have been mined. pic.twitter.com/GKoa4rmyXr — Wicked (@w_s_bitcoin) June 16, 2025 However, in 2140, the last Bitcoin will be mined, and the subsidy will disappear entirely. “When the block subsidy finally runs out… Bitcoin’s security will depend fully on transaction fees. The big question is how demand for block space will evolve after that,” OKX Singapore CEO Gracie Lin told BeInCrypto. If Bitcoin’s demand continues to grow at the current pace, experts believe it will naturally fill in the gap left behind by the disappearance of block subsidies. Bullish Potential: The Case for Optimism Bitcoin’s growing utility, driven by increased demand and high-value transactions, will organically create a robust fee market capable of sustaining security over time. This, paired with the development of the Bitcoin network over time, will inherently increase the price of transaction fees. “By‬‭ 2140,‬‭ Bitcoin’s‬‭ role‬‭ as‬‭ digital‬‭ infrastructure‬‭ will‬ likely‬‭ be‬‭ so‬‭ embedded‬‭ in‬‭ global‬‭ finance‬‭ that‬‭ high-value‬‭ settlements‬‭ naturally‬‭ generate‬‭ substantial‬‭ fees.‬‭ It’s‬‭ like‬‭ premium‬‭ real‬‭ estate;‬‭ when‬‭ something‬‭ becomes‬‭ truly‬‭ scarce‬‭ and‬‭ essential,‬‭ people‬‭ pay accordingly,” Sammi Li, Co-Founder and CEO of JuCoin‬, explained. A key driver behind this belief is the increasing participation of large institutions. As these entities integrate Bitcoin into their operations, they will generate consistent demand for on-chain transactions and a reliable source of revenue for miners. institutional adoption isn’t a theory anymoreharvard’s $50B+ endowment added $117M of bitcoin through blackrock’s IBIT ETFmichigan’s pension fund is in toobitcoin is only ~0.2% of global assetsand the bid is just getting started pic.twitter.com/Rj6THwDrwG — Jackson (MacroJack) (@macrojack21) August 13, 2025 The large-scale transactions from these players will be the key to a healthy fee market. Their involvement will legitimize the fee market and ensure its stability. “Institutional treasury movements, cross-border settlements, and final settlement of large Layer 2 batches will drive consistent demand. Central bank digital currencies and corporate Bitcoin adoption will create regular, high-value transaction flows that justify premium fees,” Li added. The infrastructure supporting the network will also naturally improve. The future development of Layer 2 solutions will be a crucial component in ensuring Bitcoin’s long-term sustainability. How Layer 2s Strengthen the Network Protocols like the Lightning Network are designed to address Bitcoin’s scalability limitations by processing small, frequent transactions off the main blockchain. These Layer 2s reduce congestion and fees on the main network by processing this activity off-chain. “‭Layer‬‭ 2‬‭ is‬‭ critical.‬‭ It‬‭ helps‬‭ scale‬‭ everyday‬‭ usage‬‭ while‬‭ keeping‬‭ Bitcoin’s‬‭ main‬‭ chain‬‭ uncluttered‬‭ and‬‭ valuable.‬‭ In‬‭ providing‬‭ a‬‭ user-friendly‬‭ gateway,‬‭ while‬‭ Lightning‬‭ and‬‭ similar‬‭ innovations‬ ‭ make‬‭ Bitcoin‬‭ viable‬‭ for‬‭ micro‬‭ and‬‭ macro‬‭ transactions‬‭ alike,‬‭ centralized‬‭ exchanges‬‭ will‬‭ still‬‭ help‬‭ onboard new users and liquidity into the space,” Lior Aizik, COO at XBO, told BeInCrypto. These solutions will even increase traffic to the Bitcoin network rather than diminish the value of its original layer. “‬Layer‬‭ 2s‬‭ actually‬‭ drive‬‭ more‬‭ valuable‬‭ activity‬‭ back‬‭ to‬‭ Bitcoin’s‬‭ main‬‭ chain,‬‭ not‬‭ less.‬‭ Lightning‬‭ channels‬‭ need‬‭ to‬‭ open‬‭ and‬‭ close‬‭ on-chain,‬‭ and‬‭ newer‬‭ solutions‬‭ are‬‭ creating‬‭ entirely‬‭ new‬‭ types‬‭ of‬‭ high-value‬‭ transactions,” Li explained. Although this optimism is defensible, the transition is not without significant risk. Its success depends on the network’s ability to generate adequate transaction fee volumes. Will a Fee-Driven Model Undermine Security? While many believe that Bitcoin’s enduring utility will solve the post-subsidy security challenge, others warn that the transition may come at the cost of long-term security. 99% of all $BTC will be mined by 2040What happens after when there's no incentives for miners?The answer makes me doubt the future of #Bitcoina thread pic.twitter.com/MP0n8GZ7z9 — Leshka.eth (@leshka_eth) July 27, 2025 If transaction fees fail to grow consistently, the financial incentive for miners could diminish, leading to a drop in the network’s hash rate. Such an event could wear down the network’s resilience. “Bitcoin’s security budget would erode over time and weaken incentives to secure the network. That could lead to a scenario where a sizeable chunk of mining power –possibly 20-30%– goes offline, as seen during past hashrate shocks caused by squeezed profits or regulatory changes,” Lin said. The volatility of transaction fees would also threaten Bitcoin’s decentralization. Can Bitcoin Keep Its Decentralized Promise? If the fee market becomes unpredictable, this could lead to a concentration of hash power and compromise a core Bitcoin tenet. “If‬‭ transaction‬‭ fees‬‭ aren’t‬‭ sufficient‬‭ to‬‭ sustain‬‭ smaller,‬‭ independent‬‭ miners,‬‭ Bitcoin’s‬‭ network‬‭ could‬‭ become‬‭ more‬‭ centralized—undermining‬‭ one‬‭ of‬‭ its‬‭ foundational‬‭ principles,” Aizik told BeInCrypto. A failure of the fee-driven model could have existential consequences for Bitcoin’s role in the global economy. If the network’s functionality takes a hit, so will its reputation as a reliable store of value. “There’s‬‭ a‬‭ risk‬‭ that‬‭ Bitcoin‬‭ could‬‭ be‬‭ seen‬‭ more‬‭ as‬‭ a‬‭ museum‬‭ piece‬‭ than‬‭ a‬‭ living‬‭ ecosystem,” Aizik added. Luckily, the Bitcoin community has 115 years to plan ahead. Planning Ahead Despite the potential risks, the overall sentiment from industry leaders is one of high confidence. The consensus is that Bitcoin’s inherent design, coupled with a committed community and a growing ecosystem, will allow it to transition successfully to a purely fee-driven model. “Markets are remarkably efficient at pricing security when the stakes are high enough. If Bitcoin remains valuable in 2140, the economics will align to protect that value. The transition timeline allows for gradual adaptation rather than sudden shock,” Li concluded. Aizik agreed, noting that the very fact that this conversation is happening so far in advance attests to its resilience. “The‬‭ industry‬‭ needs‬‭ committed‬‭ entities‬‭ to‬‭ be‬‭ a‬‭ part‬‭ of‬‭ this‬‭ evolution– helping‬‭ onboard‬‭ the‬‭ next‬‭ generation‬‭ of‬‭ users‬‭ while‬‭ honoring Bitcoin’s foundational principles,” he said. By continuing to cultivate this forward-thinking nature, the future of Bitcoin should remain in good hands. The post Bitcoin’s‬‭ Endgame:‬‭ How‬‭ Will‬‭ the‬‭ Network‬‭ Survive‬‭ After‬‭ All‬‭ 21‬‭ Million‬‭ Bitcoins Are Mined?‬ appeared first on BeInCrypto.