Bitcoin has just crossed a major milestone: more than 20 million of its 21 million coins have now been mined. That means over 95% of the cryptocurrency’s total supply is out in the world, leaving less than one million coins yet to be created.

But don’t expect them to appear anytime soon — the last fractions of Bitcoin, called satoshis, are projected to be mined around the year 2140.

Bitcoin’s supply is built into its code, making it very different from traditional money like dollars or euros. When Satoshi Nakamoto launched the network in 2009, the system was designed to release coins gradually. 

Miners earn new bitcoins as rewards for validating transactions and adding them to…

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