Bitcoin — from digital manifesto to global asset
When the world plunged into a financial crisis in 2008, public trust in banks and regulators was undermined. Against this backdrop of instability, a mysterious figure under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto emerged, publishing a white paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System." This was not just a technical document — it was a challenge to the established system.
In January 2009, Satoshi launched the Bitcoin network and mined the first block — the Genesis Block, in which he embedded a message:
"The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks."
This was not accidental. It is a political statement. A hint that the new financial system should be independent, not controlled by central banks, and not prone to printing money at the push of a button.
From the very beginning, Bitcoin had a hard monetary supply: a maximum of 21 million coins. New coins are released through mining — extraction based on the Proof of Work algorithm. Every ~4 years, halving occurs — the reward for a block is cut in half, making the asset increasingly scarce. At the time of writing this article, a miner receives 3.125 BTC for each found block, but over time this figure will become negligible. The last bitcoin will be mined around the year 2140.
What makes Bitcoin special?
First of all, it is decentralized — no one can stop it or take control of the network.
Secondly, it is transparent — the entire ledger is available to anyone who wishes.
Thirdly, it is resistant to inflation — the supply is predictable, unlike fiat currencies.
At first, it was just a cryptocurrency experiment. Then it became a symbol of revolution. Today, Bitcoin has become a full-fledged store of value asset, a digital equivalent of gold. It is bought by institutions, states, ETF funds. People pay with it, store it, and discuss it at economic forums.
It is still not perfect as a means of payment: high volatility and relatively slow transactions limit everyday use. But here comes the Lightning Network — a second-layer solution that allows for instant and almost free BTC payments.
Since the moment someone bought two pizzas for 10,000 BTC, decades have passed. The idea, once living in code and forums, has turned into a financial phenomenon. Bitcoin has proven that a global, state-independent currency can exist in the digital world. And this is just the beginning.
