When Was the First Bitcoin Halving?

The first Bitcoin halving event occurred on November 28, 2012, at 04:24:38 UTC. At this exact moment, the mining reward for adding new blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain was reduced by half. Before the halving, miners received 50 Bitcoins per block. The last block with this reward was block number 209,999. After the halving, starting with block number 210,000, the mining reward decreased to 25 Bitcoins per block.

This significant event also marked the moment when 10,500,000 Bitcoins (50% of the maximum supply of 21 million) had been brought into circulation. The halving mechanism occurs approximately every four years after every 210,000 blocks have been mined. This mechanism helps control the rate of new Bitcoin issuance and contributes to the cryptocurrency's long-term stability and value.