Can Bitcoin’s Hard Cap of 21 Million Be Changed?

A hard cap is the maximum supply of a cryptocurrency, hardcoded into the blockchain. Bitcoin has a hard cap of 21 million coins, promoting scarcity and preserving its value as a store of value akin to gold. Changing this cap remains a contentious topic among the Bitcoin community, as it would undermine trust and potentially lead to a massive market reaction, including panic selling. The integrity of Bitcoin's hard cap supports its decentralized nature, predictable monetary policy, and acts as a deterrent against inflation. Discussions around modifying the cap have included suggestions for introducing inflationary mechanisms or reconsidering mining incentives, but changing the core rule is unlikely due to strong community resistance. The consequences of changing the supply cap would likely lead to a hard fork, splitting the community and creating competing versions of Bitcoin. Therefore, while theoretically possible, any move to change the hard cap would be met with fierce opposition and could destabilize Bitcoin’s market and trustworthiness.

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