Exact number of galaxies in the Universe

Determine the exact number of galaxies in the Universe to quantify the ultimate upper bound on the total possible supply of a cryptocurrency that mints one token per spectroscopically confirmed galaxy and to refine empirical estimates that currently place the count for the observable Universe at approximately 10^12 galaxies.

Background

The paper proposes a cryptocurrency in which each coin is uniquely associated with a spectroscopically confirmed galaxy. Consequently, the total potential money supply is bounded by the total number of galaxies that exist (practically, those in the observable Universe).

Within this framework, the authors note that the exact number of galaxies in the Universe has not been determined, though empirical extrapolations from observed luminosity and mass functions suggest the observable Universe likely contains on the order of 1012 galaxies. Resolving this unknown would tighten bounds on the currency’s ultimate supply and inform its long-term economic characteristics.

References

While the exact number of galaxies in the Universe is unknown, empirical extrapolations provide meaningful bounds.

— An innovative alternative to traditional funding streams for extragalactic astronomy  (2603.29340 - Wilkins et al., 31 Mar 2026) in Appendix: Properties, Subsection "Money supply and value" (app:properties.supply)