When did Monero tail emission start?

Monero’s tail emission started on June 9, 2022, at block 2,641,623. That marked the switch from a gradually shrinking mining reward to an ongoing base reward of 0.6 XMR per block, with no scheduled end date.

What changed on that date?

Before tail emission, Monero’s mining reward gradually decreased. Miners—the people using computers to help check transactions and secure the network—received newly created XMR, but the amount issued per block kept getting smaller.

A block is a group of transactions added to Monero’s shared transaction record, called the blockchain. Monero aims to add one about every two minutes.

When tail emission began, the declining reward reached its long-term floor. Instead of continuing toward zero, the base reward settled at 0.6 XMR per block.

The change followed Monero’s existing issuance rules. You did not need to exchange your coins, move your wallet, or claim anything to take part.

Why you may see “around June 2022”

You will often see the start described simply as June 2022. That is a useful summary, but June 9 is the date generally used for the milestone.

Before the transition happened, its calendar date could only be estimated. Monero targets a two-minute block time, but individual blocks can arrive sooner or later. That means a future block height—the numbered position of a block in the blockchain—does not translate into a perfectly predictable clock time.

For checking the event yourself, block 2,641,623 is the useful reference. A Monero block explorer, which lets you inspect the public blockchain, can show the block’s details. This is more precise than relying on an old countdown or a forecast written before the transition.

What the start meant for Monero’s supply

By the transition, Monero’s main emission had produced roughly 18.13 million XMR. Main emission means the initial phase during which mining rewards gradually declined.

That number was not a final supply cap. Tail emission means new XMR continues to be created:

• 0.6 XMR per block as the base mining reward.
• About 0.3 XMR per minute, using the target block time.
• About 432 XMR per day, on average.

These are network-wide issuance figures, not what you can expect to earn by mining. Actual daily totals depend on how many blocks are found.

The purpose is to keep a continuing reward for miners rather than making them rely entirely on transaction fees. Although new coins keep entering circulation, the yearly addition becomes a smaller percentage of the growing total supply.

The bottom line

The date to remember is June 9, 2022, and the blockchain milestone is block 2,641,623. That is when Monero entered its ongoing 0.6 XMR base-reward phase—not when mining ended or when its supply stopped growing.