Crypto start story
Pre-Bitcoin Era
• 1980s-1990s: Cryptographers and computer scientists began exploring the idea of digital cash. Notable works include David Chaum’s DigiCash and Wei Dai’s b-money.
The Birth of Bitcoin
• 2008: An individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a whitepaper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” proposing a new form of digital currency that would operate without a central authority.
• 2009: Nakamoto released the first version of the Bitcoin software and mined the first block, known as the “genesis block,” which contained a reward of 50 bitcoins.
Early Adoption and Growth
• 2010: The first real-world Bitcoin transaction occurred when a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. Bitcoin’s value began to increase as more people became interested in the technology.
• 2011-2013: Alternative cryptocurrencies, or “altcoins,” such as Litecoin and Ripple, were created, building on Bitcoin’s open-source code and introducing new features.
Mainstream Recognition
• 2013-2017: Bitcoin gained more attention from mainstream media, investors, and regulators. Major companies started accepting Bitcoin as a payment method. Ethereum, a new blockchain platform with smart contract functionality, launched in 2015, expanding the possibilities of blockchain technology.
Market Boom and Regulation
• 2017: Bitcoin’s price surged to nearly $20,000, attracting widespread attention. The ICO (Initial Coin Offering) boom saw many new projects raising funds through the sale of tokens.
• 2018-2020: The market experienced significant volatility, with regulatory scrutiny increasing worldwide. Despite this, blockchain technology continued to evolve, and new use cases emerged.
Institutional Adoption and DeFi
• 2020-2021: Major financial institutions and corporations began investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The decentralized finance (DeFi) movement gained traction, offering new financial services without traditional intermediaries.
Present Day
