Bitcoin Timeline
Every major milestone in Bitcoin's history, from the whitepaper to becoming a global financial asset.
bitcoin.org Domain Registered
The domain bitcoin.org was registered via anonymousspeech.com.
Bitcoin Whitepaper Published
Satoshi Nakamoto published 'Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' on the cryptography mailing list.
Genesis Block Mined
Block 0 mined with the message: 'The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks'
Bitcoin v0.1 Released
The first version of the Bitcoin software was released to the cryptography mailing list.
First Bitcoin Transaction
Satoshi sent 10 BTC to Hal Finney in block 170 - the first ever person-to-person Bitcoin transaction.
First Exchange Rate
New Liberty Standard established the first Bitcoin exchange rate: 1,309.03 BTC = $1 USD, based on electricity cost of mining.
Bitcoin Pizza Day
Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two Papa John's pizzas - the first known real-world Bitcoin transaction. Worth ~$41 at the time.
Bitcoin v0.3 on Slashdot
Bitcoin v0.3 was mentioned on Slashdot, bringing a huge wave of new users and interest.
Mt. Gox Exchange Launches
The Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange launched, becoming the dominant exchange for several years.
Value Overflow Bug
A critical bug created 184 billion BTC in a single transaction. Satoshi quickly released a patch and the chain was forked.
Satoshi's Last Forum Post
Satoshi made his final post on BitcoinTalk about DoS prevention, then disappeared from public view.
Bitcoin Reaches $1 USD
Bitcoin achieved parity with the US dollar for the first time.
Satoshi's Last Known Email
Satoshi's last known communication was an email to Gavin Andresen, asking him not to portray Satoshi as mysterious.
WikiLeaks Accepts Bitcoin
WikiLeaks began accepting Bitcoin donations after being cut off from traditional payment processors.
First Halving
Block reward reduced from 50 BTC to 25 BTC at block 210,000. Price was ~$12.
Market Cap Hits $1 Billion
Bitcoin's market capitalization exceeded $1 billion for the first time.
BTC Hits $1,000
Bitcoin price reached $1,000 for the first time, driven by Chinese demand.
Mt. Gox Collapse
Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy after losing ~850,000 BTC. A pivotal moment that led to better security practices.
Satoshi: 'I Am Not Dorian Nakamoto'
After Newsweek claimed to have found Satoshi, the real Satoshi posted his final known message on P2P Foundation.
Coinbase Launches US Exchange
Coinbase launched the first licensed US Bitcoin exchange, bringing mainstream accessibility.
Second Halving
Block reward reduced from 25 BTC to 12.5 BTC at block 420,000. Price was ~$650.
Bitcoin Cash Fork
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) forked from Bitcoin over the block size debate. BTC maintained the original chain.
SegWit Activates
Segregated Witness soft fork activated, fixing transaction malleability and enabling the Lightning Network.
BTC Hits $20,000
Bitcoin reached its then all-time high of nearly $20,000 during a massive bull run.
Lightning Network Launches
The first Lightning Network implementations went live on Bitcoin mainnet, enabling instant micropayments.
Facebook Announces Libra
Facebook's Libra announcement brought global attention to cryptocurrency and spurred regulatory discussions.
Third Halving
Block reward reduced from 12.5 BTC to 6.25 BTC at block 630,000. Price was ~$8,600.
MicroStrategy Buys Bitcoin
MicroStrategy became the first public company to adopt Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset.
Tesla Buys $1.5B in Bitcoin
Tesla announced a $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase, sending the price soaring.
El Salvador Legal Tender
El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.
BTC Hits $69,000
Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of approximately $69,000.
Taproot Upgrade Activates
The Taproot soft fork activated, bringing Schnorr signatures, MAST, and improved privacy to Bitcoin.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Approved
The SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs, opening Bitcoin to traditional investors through familiar vehicles.
Fourth Halving
Block reward reduced from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC at block 840,000.
BTC Hits $100,000
Bitcoin crossed the historic $100,000 mark for the first time.
US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Executive order signed establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the United States.