Total Supply

Total supply refers to the total number of coins or tokens that exist for a cryptocurrency, including those that have been mined, issued, and those that are yet to be released. It provides insight into the availability and scarcity of a digital asset, which in turn influences its value and price dynamics. Total supply differs from circulating supply, which refers to the number of tokens currently available for trading on the market. The total supply figure includes all tokens, even those that are locked, reserved, or not yet distributed.

For investors, understanding a cryptocurrency’s total supply is essential for evaluating its long-term value potential. For example, Bitcoin's total supply is capped at 21 million coins, which creates a scarcity effect as the supply nears its limit, driving up demand and potentially increasing its price over time. In contrast, a cryptocurrency with an unlimited total supply may face inflationary pressures, leading to a dilution of value if new tokens are continuously introduced into the market.