Block #74,638. A glitch so massive it created 184 billion BTC — $BTC in a system that’s only supposed to have 21 million.
In 2010, a critical vulnerability known as an integer overflow allowed two wallets to receive 92.2 billion BTC each. That’s not just a bug — it was an existential crisis for Bitcoin’s core value: scarcity.
🧠 CVE-2010-5139: The Tech Breakdown
The flaw (CVE-2010-5139) meant Bitcoin didn’t validate huge transaction outputs properly. That let someone bypass the cap and mint coins out of thin air.
If this had gone unchecked, Bitcoin might have died that day.
⏱️ Enter Satoshi: The Patch That Saved Everything
Just hours later, Satoshi Nakamoto and Gavin Andresen released a fix: Bitcoin v0.3.10, rolling back the chain and erasing the fake coins.
A soft fork sealed the vulnerability. It was Bitcoin’s first major test — and it passed.
🛡️ Why It Mattered
This moment wasn’t just about the bug — it was about resilience.
✅ The community responded fast
✅ The network patched securely
✅ Trust was restored, not lost
For a decentralized system, that’s massive.
📈 Bitcoin Didn’t Just Survive — It Thrived
Instead of crashing, Bitcoin surged — from $0.07 to $0.30 by year’s end.Why? Because it proved Bitcoin could heal itself. And that made people believe even more.
🔍 Key Takeaways
No system is flawless — not even Bitcoin
The power of decentralization is in its people
Great systems adapt, not collapse
Bitcoin didn’t just dodge a bullet.
It earned its stripes.
🪙 Current BTC Price: $104,639.82
