From zero to $100K: Bitcoin’s evolution in milestones
Dec. 05, 2024 6:54 AM ET
By: Liz Kiesche, SA News Editor
 Vasil Dimitrov/iStock via Getty Images
Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD) journey from a digital curiosity to a $100K milestone highlights its transformation into a key player in global finance. Below is a timeline on the highest-profile cryptocurrency’s history.
Oct. 31 2008: Satoshi Nakamoto introduced bitcoin ( BTC-USD) to the world with a white paper.
Jan. 3, 2009: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD) first block was mined by Satoshi.
Jan. 12, 2009: The first bitcoin ( BTC-USD) transaction occurred between Satoshi and Hal Finney; the price of BTC stood at roughly $0.
May 22, 2010: The first real-world BTC transaction when 10K BTC were used to buy two pizzas; bitcoin ( BTC-USD) was still valued at less than one cent.
Feb. 9, 2011: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD) reached $1 for the first time.
Nov. 28, 2012: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD) underwent its first halving, a process that reduces the number of new BTC created per block by half.
April 1, 2013: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD) exceeded $100 for the first time.
Nov. 29, 2013: BTC hit $1K, drawing attention from tech enthusiasts and investors.
Feb. 24, 2014: Mt. Gox, the world’s largest BTC exchange at the time, was hacked, sending BTC back down to around $400.
July 9, 2016: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD) second halving.
March 29, 2017: BTC hit $1K again.
Aug. 1, 2017: BTC underwent a hard fork, splitting into bitcoin ( BTC-USD) and bitcoin cash ( BCH-USD) due to disagreements over scalability.
Dec. 17, 2017: BTC peaked at nearly $20K.
March 13, 2020: Amid the pandemic-induced market crash, BTC dropped to as low as $4.3K but quickly recovered.
May 11, 2020: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD) third halving.
Oct. 2020: Companies like MicroStrategy ( MSTR) and Block ( SQ) began accumulating bitcoin ( BTC-USD) on their balance sheets.
Jan. 3, 2021: BTC crossed $30K for the first time.
March 13, 2021: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD) surpassed $60K for the first time, following Tesla’s ( TSLA) $1.5B BTC investment.
Jan. 10, 2024: the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved nearly a dozen spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which were cleared for trading a day later.
April 19, 2024: BTC’s fourth halving.
Dec. 4, 2024: Bitcoin hits $100K after President-elect Trump picks Paul Atkins, a crypto backer, for SEC chair. |
