The History of $BTC š²
2008: A person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto publishes the Bitcoin white paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."
2009: Bitcoin is launched with the mining of the genesis block (Block 0) on January 3. The first open-source Bitcoin software is released.
2010: The first real-world Bitcoin transaction occurs when 10,000 $BTC
is used to buy two pizzas (now known as "Bitcoin Pizza Day"). Bitcoin begins to gain value, reaching $0.01 to $0.10.
2011ā2013: Bitcoin reaches parity with the US dollar in 2011 and grows in popularity. Several alternative cryptocurrencies ("altcoins") emerge. By 2013, Bitcoin's price hits $1,000 briefly.
2014ā2016: Major exchange Mt. Gox collapses due to hacking, leading to tighter security and regulation concerns. Adoption slowly increases, and blockchain technology gains broader interest.
2017: $BTC reaches a record high of nearly $20,000 in December, driven by speculative investment. This sparks global interest and discussions around regulation.
2018ā2019: The market crashes, with Bitcoin falling to around $3,000. Despite this, institutional interest and infrastructure development continue.
2020ā2021: Bitcoin surges again, hitting an all-time high over $60,000 in 2021. Factors include institutional investment, growing acceptance (e.g., Tesla, PayPal), and economic uncertainty during COVID-19.
2022ā2023: Bitcoin faces volatility amid global inflation, rising interest rates, and major crypto scandals (e.g., FTX collapse). Prices dip but the technology continues to mature.
2024 and beyond: bitcoin remains the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, widely seen as a digital asset or āstore of valueā akin to gold. Its role in global finance is still evolving.
