Here's a concise history of cryptocurrency and its major milestones:
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Early Foundations (1980s–2008)
1983: David Chaum, a cryptographer, introduces eCash, an anonymous cryptographic electronic money.
1998: Wei Dai publishes a proposal for b-money, a concept for distributed digital cash, which inspired later projects.
2004: Hal Finney develops Reusable Proof of Work (RPoW), a system for digital tokens with cryptographic proof.
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The Birth of Bitcoin (2008–2010)
2008: "Satoshi Nakamoto" (pseudonym) publishes the Bitcoin white paper: "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."
2009:
Bitcoin network goes live.
First block (Genesis Block) is mined by Satoshi.
First Bitcoin transaction: Satoshi sends BTC to Hal Finney.
2010:
Bitcoin gains value; first real-world transaction: 10,000 BTC used to buy two pizzas.
Bitcoin exchanges like Mt. Gox are founded.
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Expansion and Altcoins (2011–2014)
2011:
Other cryptocurrencies emerge: Litecoin, Namecoin.
Media starts covering Bitcoin; its value reaches $30 before a crash.
2012–2013:
Bitcoin adoption grows.
Major companies begin accepting BTC.
Ripple (XRP) and Dogecoin are launched.
2014:
Ethereum is proposed by Vitalik Buterin—introduces smart contracts and a programmable blockchain.
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Ethereum and ICO Boom (2015–2017)
2015: Ethereum blockchain launches.
2016:
Ethereum suffers the DAO hack, leading to a split into Ethereum and Ethereum Classic.
2017:
Initial Coin Offering (ICO) boom—startups raise billions using Ethereum.
Bitcoin hits $20,000 in December.
Crypto enters mainstream public
$BTC $XRP $SOL
---
Early Foundations (1980s–2008)
1983: David Chaum, a cryptographer, introduces eCash, an anonymous cryptographic electronic money.
1998: Wei Dai publishes a proposal for b-money, a concept for distributed digital cash, which inspired later projects.
2004: Hal Finney develops Reusable Proof of Work (RPoW), a system for digital tokens with cryptographic proof.
---
The Birth of Bitcoin (2008–2010)
2008: "Satoshi Nakamoto" (pseudonym) publishes the Bitcoin white paper: "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."
2009:
Bitcoin network goes live.
First block (Genesis Block) is mined by Satoshi.
First Bitcoin transaction: Satoshi sends BTC to Hal Finney.
2010:
Bitcoin gains value; first real-world transaction: 10,000 BTC used to buy two pizzas.
Bitcoin exchanges like Mt. Gox are founded.
---
Expansion and Altcoins (2011–2014)
2011:
Other cryptocurrencies emerge: Litecoin, Namecoin.
Media starts covering Bitcoin; its value reaches $30 before a crash.
2012–2013:
Bitcoin adoption grows.
Major companies begin accepting BTC.
Ripple (XRP) and Dogecoin are launched.
2014:
Ethereum is proposed by Vitalik Buterin—introduces smart contracts and a programmable blockchain.
---
Ethereum and ICO Boom (2015–2017)
2015: Ethereum blockchain launches.
2016:
Ethereum suffers the DAO hack, leading to a split into Ethereum and Ethereum Classic.
2017:
Initial Coin Offering (ICO) boom—startups raise billions using Ethereum.
Bitcoin hits $20,000 in December.
Crypto enters mainstream public
$BTC $XRP $SOL
