Bitcoin, the virtual currency, was launched 16 years ago in 2009. On January 3, 2009, the world’s first and still the largest cryptocurrency was launched with the creation of the “Genesis Block.” This is now known as mining. The Genesis Block is also referred to as “Block Number Zero” or “Block Zero.” On January 3, 2009, Bitcoin was introduced by a mysterious individual or group under the name Satoshi Nakamoto, who is credited as the creator of Bitcoin.
The first Bitcoin block included a special message with a symbolic text. The message referred to a headline from the British daily The Times on January 3, 2009, which mentioned the British finance minister’s second bailout of the banks. On October 28, 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto published the white paper for Bitcoin. When Bitcoin mining began on January 3, 2009, the cryptocurrency’s “birthday” is celebrated on that day.
On January 9, 2009, the Bitcoin software was first released. On January 12, the first transaction on the Bitcoin network took place. It was recorded in Block 170 between Satoshi and the legendary cypherpunk Hal Finney. For the first time, Satoshi sent 10 Bitcoins to Hal Finney.
Since its introduction, Bitcoin has sparked global interest. Shortly after its launch, it inspired thousands of cryptocurrency and blockchain projects. Today, the price of Bitcoin is over $97,000. Other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin, and Solana are also performing well in the market.
Source: Investing.com