"The countdown has been reset -- see you in 2028."

“倒计时已经重置——2028 年见。”

Bitcoin is created as a reward when computers solve complex puzzles to decide which miner wins the privilege to validate the block -- and receive the reward in bitcoins.

当计算机解决复杂的难题来决定哪个矿工赢得验证区块的特权并获得比特币奖励时，比特币就被创建为奖励。

However, since the digital currency's launch in 2009, the reward has been halved for every 210,000 blocks in a process called halving.

然而，自 2009 年数字货币推出以来，每 210,000 个区块奖励就会减半，这一过程称为减半。

With one block validated roughly every ten minutes, this critical industry event occurs just under every four years.

由于大约每十分钟验证一个区块，这一重要的行业事件几乎每四年就会发生一次。

The reward, which was fixed since May 2020 at 6.25 bitcoins per new block, has now fallen to 3.125 bitcoins.

自 2020 年 5 月以来，奖励固定为每个新区块 6.25 比特币，现在已降至 3.125 比特币。

Bitcoin was conceived in 2008 by a person or group writing under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

比特币是由化名中本聪的个人或团体于 2008 年提出的。

The halving process slows the rate at which new bitcoins are created, thereby restricting supply.

减半过程减慢了新比特币的创建速度，从而限制了供应。

The reward amount has been trimmed over time, via halving, to implement Nakamoto's overall global limit of 21 million bitcoins.

随着时间的推移，奖励金额通过减半来削减，以实现中本聪 2100 万比特币的全球总体限制。

But this ceiling is due to be reached by 2040.

但这个上限预计到 2040 年就会达到。

- Controlling supply -

"The primary purpose of halving is to control bitcoin's supply," City Index analyst Matthew Weller said in a research note ahead of the event.

- 控制供应 - “减半的主要目的是控制比特币的供应，”城市指数分析师马修·韦勒在活动前的一份研究报告中表示。

"By slowing the rate at which new bitcoins are created, halving helps to maintain scarcity and potentially increase the cryptocurrency's value, assuming demand remains steady or increases," he added.

他补充道：“通过减缓新比特币的创造速度，减半有助于维持稀缺性，并可能增加加密货币的价值，前提是需求保持稳定或增加。”

The price of bitcoin has blazed a record-breaking trail on the prospect of reduced supplies, as well as big moves toward greater trading accessibility.

比特币的价格在供应量减少的前景以及提高交易可及性方面取得了重大进展，创下了破纪录的纪录。

Bitcoin has rocketed by 50 percent in value since the start of the year, climaxing last month at a record $73,797. Prices have fallen in recent days.

自今年年初以来，比特币的价值已飙升 50%，上个月达到创纪录的 73,797 美元。最近几天价格有所下跌。

"This is the first time that bitcoin beat the previous historical record before the halving has even taken place," said eToro analyst Simon Peters, noting there had been a pullback in recent days.

eToro 分析师西蒙·彼得斯 (Simon Peters) 表示：“这是比特币在减半之前首次打破之前的历史记录。”他指出，最近几天出现了回调。

Commercial bitcoin mining companies operate thousands of computers in huge hangers or warehouses, consuming large amounts of electricity at a vast cost.

商业比特币挖矿公司在巨大的仓库或仓库中运行着数千台计算机，消耗大量电力，成本高昂。

Halving therefore represents a major survival test for such companies because it slashes their main income source.

因此，减半对这些公司来说是一个重大的生存考验，因为它削减了他们的主要收入来源。

- Reduced margins -

Faced with the prospect of reduced margins, bitcoin players have invested heavily in cutting-edge new computers, in tandem with an efficiency drive which in particular seeks to slash energy costs.

- 利润减少 - 面对利润减少的前景，比特币玩家大量投资于尖端的新计算机，同时提高效率，特别是寻求削减能源成本。

In addition, some mining companies will have to "turn off some of their machines to cut costs, which equates to fewer bitcoins being created," said Manuel Valente, founder of cryptoasset investment group Coinhouse.

此外，加密资产投资集团 Coinhouse 的创始人曼努埃尔·瓦伦特 (Manuel Valente) 表示，一些矿业公司将不得不“关闭部分机器以削减成本，这相当于生产的比特币减少”。

"And if the price of bitcoin goes down, their profitability decreases" further, he told AFP.

他告诉法新社，“如果比特币价格下跌，他们的盈利能力就会进一步下降”。

Halving therefore exposes the weakest bitcoin mining firms, and could potentially spark a fresh wave of sector consolidation in a survival of the fittest, commentators say. 

因此，评论员表示，减半暴露了最弱的比特币挖矿公司，并可能引发新一波的行业整合，适者生存。

At around 0030 GMT, after the halving had taken place, the price of bitcoin was up 0.7 percent at $63,467.46.

格林尼治标准时间 0030 左右，减半发生后，比特币价格上涨 0.7%，至 63,467.46 美元。

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