What was the initial Bitcoin block reward in 2009?

The initial Bitcoin block reward in 2009 was 50 BTC.

When Bitcoin launched, miners received 50 bitcoins for successfully adding a block to the chain. This subsidy was issued through a special coinbase transaction and created new bitcoins according to the protocol’s fixed issuance schedule.

The reward is designed to decline over time through programmed halvings. It is cut in half every 210,000 blocks, an event that occurs approximately every four years. The first halving reduced the reward from 50 BTC to 25 BTC in 2012, which explains why 25 BTC is a frequent answer to this question.

The block reward is separate from transaction fees. Miners can collect both, but the subsidy has steadily shrunk. Bitcoin’s supply is capped near 21 million coins, and once new issuance ends, miners are expected to rely on transaction fees alone.