Total Supply

Total Supply refers to the total number of coins or tokens that currently exist, including those in circulation and those locked or reserved. It shows how many coins have been created so far, minus any that have been permanently burned. Unlike Max Supply, it doesn’t include coins that haven’t been minted yet. Total Supply helps assess a crypto’s current inflation and token distribution.

Total Supply in Crypto

Total Supply in crypto means the number of coins or tokens that have been created so far and still exist, whether they are in use or not. This includes:

• Coins currently circulating in the market
• Coins that are locked in smart contracts
• Coins reserved for future use by the team or community
• Any unreleased tokens that have been minted but not distributed

It does not include burned tokens, which are permanently removed from the supply.

Total Supply vs. Circulating Supply vs. Max Supply

To better understand Total Supply, it helps to compare it to the two other major supply metrics:

• Circulating Supply:
  The amount of coins currently available for trading and spending
• Max Supply:
  The maximum number of coins that will ever exist
• Total Supply:
  The amount of coins that currently exist, including locked or reserved tokens, but excluding burned ones

For example, a project might have a Max Supply of 1 billion tokens, but only 700 million have been minted so far. Of those, 500 million are circulating, and 200 million are locked. In that case, the Total Supply would be 700 million.

Why Is Total Supply Important?

Total Supply gives insight into a cryptocurrency’s current economics and helps:

• Track inflation:
  How fast the supply is growing over time
• Understand token allocation:
  Who holds what, and how much is locked or vested
• Evaluate scarcity:
  How much supply is already in existence compared to what’s left
• Compare tokens:
  Total Supply affects token price and perceived value

Especially in DeFi or newer projects, high total supply with low circulating supply might signal upcoming token unlocks, which could affect price and demand.

Where to Find Total Supply

Total Supply can usually be found on:

• Blockchain explorers like Etherscan or BscScan
• Market data sites like CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko
• Official project whitepapers
• Token dashboards provided by the protocol

Note: In some cases, projects don’t clearly report their Total Supply, or they include or exclude tokens in different ways. Always double-check sources.

Can Total Supply Change?

Yes. Total Supply increases when new tokens are minted and decreases when tokens are burned. Projects often adjust their supply through:

• Token emissions
• Unlock schedules
• Token burns
• Smart contract updates or protocol upgrades

That’s why Total Supply is a dynamic number, unlike Max Supply, which is often fixed.

Final Thoughts

Total Supply helps users understand how many tokens are out there today — both active and inactive. While it doesn’t reflect scarcity as directly as Circulating Supply or Max Supply, it gives important insight into a token’s economics, risks, and growth potential. If you’re evaluating a coin, Total Supply is a metric you shouldn’t overlook.