#BTC

History of Bitcoin

1. Origin (2008)

Bitcoin was proposed in October 2008 by an unknown person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

A whitepaper titled

Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”

was published.

Aim:

To create a decentralized digital currency

No control by governments or banks

Secure, transparent, and trustless transactions

2. Launch of Bitcoin (2009)

January 3, 2009:

First Bitcoin block mined → Genesis Block (Block 0)

Block reward: 50 BTC

First Bitcoin software released.

First transaction:

Satoshi sent 10 BTC to Hal Finney.

3. Early Adoption (2010–2012)

2010:

First real-world transaction:

10,000 BTC used to buy 2 pizzas (Bitcoin Pizza Day – May 22)

Bitcoin value was less than $0.01

Bitcoin exchanges began (e.g., Mt. Gox).

Used mainly by programmers and cryptography enthusiasts.

4. Growth & Volatility (2013–2016)

Bitcoin price crossed $1,000 in 2013.

Increased media attention.

Issues:

Exchange hacks (Mt. Gox collapse in 2014)

Regulatory concerns by governments

Despite problems, blockchain technology gained recognition.

5. Mainstream Attention (2017)

Bitcoin reached nearly $20,000.

Huge public interest and investment.

Many new cryptocurrencies (altcoins) emerged.

Governments began framing crypto regulations.

6. Institutional Acceptance (2020–2021)

Bitcoin seen as “digital gold”.

Major companies and institutions invested:

Tesla

MicroStrategy

2021:

Bitcoin hit an all-time high of about $69,000.

El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender.

7. Recent Developments (2022–Present)

High volatility due to:

Global inflation

Interest rate hikes

Crypto exchange failures

Growth in:

Bitcoin ETFs

Regulation and compliance

Use as long-term store of value

Bitcoin remains the largest and most trusted cryptocurrency.