
Bitcoin History

Satoshi Nakamoto… the legend

According to legend, Satoshi Nakamoto began working on the Bitcoin concept in 2007. While he is on record as living in Japan, it is speculated that Nakamoto may be a collective pseudonym for more than one person. He has said in a P2P foundation profile that he is from Japan. Beyond that, not much else is known about him and his identity. He has been working on the Bitcoin project since 2007.
Domain name Bitcoin.org is registered

Bitcoin.org is born! The domain was registered at anonymousspeech.com, a site that allows users to anonymously register domain names and currently accepts Bitcoins.
The Famous white paper published

Satoshi Nakamoto publishes a design paper through a metzdowd.com cryptography mailing list that describes the Bitcoin currency and solves the problem of double spending so as to prevent the currency from being copied.
The Bitcoin Project hits SourceForge

The Bitcoin project is registered on SourceForge.net, a community collaboration website focused on the development and distribution of open source software.
The Genesis Block is mined

Block 0, the genesis block, is established at 18:15:05 GMT, with the very peculiar message embedded: The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.
Version 0.1 of Bitcoin is relased

The first version of Satoshi’s client, includes only a command line interface and is so complete that it furthers speculation that it was developed by more than one person (or by an academic with little programming experience and a great deal of theoretical know-how). It includes a Bitcoin generation system that would create a total of 21 million Bitcoins through the year 2040.
The first Bitcoin transaction

The first transaction of Bitcoin currency, in block 170, takes place between Satoshi and Hal Finney, a developer and cryptographic activist. Hal Finney was the recipient of the first Bitcoin transaction. Finney has a long involvement in the crypto community. For years, he worked with the PGP Corporation developing one of the most prominent encryption products. He ran the first cryptologicially-based anonymous remailer and was involved with the cypherpunks mailing list. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=155054.0
An exchange rate is established

New Liberty Standard publishes a Bitcoin exchange rate that establishes the value of a Bitcoin at US$1 = 1,309.03 BTC, using an equation that includes the cost of electricity to run a computer that generated Bitcoins.
10,000 BTC spent on pizza

The first, real-world transaction using Bitcoins takes place when a Jacksonville, Florida programmer, Laszlo Hanyecz, offers to pay 10,000 Bitcoins for a pizza on the Bitcoin Forum. At the time, the exchange rate put the purchase price for the pizza at around US$25.
Slashdot drives surge in Bitcoin users

Mention of Bitcoin Client version 0.3 on slashdot brings in a large number of new Bitcoin users.
Bitcoin value increases tenfold

Over a five day period beginning on July 12, the exchange value of Bitcoin increases ten times from US$0.008/BTC to US$0.080/BTC.
MtGox is established

The MtGox Bitcoin currency exchange market is established by Jed McCaleb.
Slush Pool mines its first block

Bitcoin Pooled Mining (operated by slush), a method by which several users work collectively collaborate in efforts to mine Bitcoins and share in the benefits, mines its first block.
Financial task force issues warning

The Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental group that develops and promotes policies to prevent money laundering and funding of terrorists, publishes Money Laundering Using New Payment Methods, to warn about the use of digital currencies to finance terrorist groups.
Stalled Bitcoin value begins climb

The Bitcoin exchange rate, stalled at US$0.06/BTC for several months, begins to climb.
Market cap exceeds $1 million USD

Calculated by multiplying the number of Bitcoins in circulation by the last trade on MtGox, the Bitcoin economy exceeds US$1 million. The price on MtGox reached US$0.50/BTC.
25% of total Bitcoins generated

With the generation of Block 105000, 5.25 million Bitcoins have been generated, totalling more than 25 percent of the projected total of almost 21 million.
Silk Road opens for business

Silk Road, a Bitcoin marketplace, launches an illicit marketplace for drug deals, called the eBay for drugs.
Bitcoin reaches parity with US dollar

Bitcoin touches US$1.00/BTC at MtGox, reaches parity with the US dollar for the first time.
Vehicle offered for Bitcoins

An Australian member of the Bitcoin Forum attempts to sell his 1984 Celica Supra for 3000 BTC, and becomes the first person to offer a vehicle in exchange for Bitcoins.
MtGox Exchange sold to Mark Carpeles

Jed McCaleb sells the MtGox website to Japan’s Tibanne Company, run by Mark Carpeles. A new high of nearly 900Ghash/sec total Bitcoin network computation speed is reached. Jed McCaleb goes on to later found the coins XRP and Stellar, currently in position #3 and #5 by total market capitalization.
A six-week slow hits the exchanges

A six-week low of nearly US$0.70/BTC exchange rate is reached after a decline following the US$1.00/BTC high on February 9 and a short burst of sales of Bitcoin at lower prices (that may have been automated).
TIME publishes article on Bitcoin

TIME magazine publishes an article about Bitcoin and how Online Cash Bitcoin Could Challenge Governments, Banks. http://techland.time.com/2011/04/16/online-cash-bitcoin-could-challenge-governments/
Bitcoin passes parity with Euro

On MtGox, the BTC/USD exchange rate reaches and passes parity with the Euro and the British Sterling Pound. The value of Bitcoin money stock passes US$10 million.
Bitcoin reaches all-time high

The price of a Bitcoin on MtGox reaches an all-time high of US$31.91 with a market capitalization of around US$206 million.
The Great Bubble of 2011

In the largest percentage price decrease to-date, the MtGox Bitcon exchange rate plummeted to nearly US$10, just four days after its peak at US$31.91. The incident became known as the Great Bubble of 2011.
WikiLeaks starts accepting Bitcoin

WikiLeaks begins accepting anonymous Bitcoin donations.
EFF stops accepting Bitcoin

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) discontinues the acceptance of donations in the form of Bitcoins for reasons of legal uncertainties.
2011 Bitcoin and Future Technology European Conference

The 2011 Bitcoin and Future Technology European Conference is held in Prague, Czech Republic.
Bitcoin Magazine launches

Bitcoin Magazine launches with articles about Bitcoin and crypto-currency.
FBI report on Bitcoin leaked

An April 24, 2012 FBI report entitled Bitcoin Virtual Currency: Unique Features Present Distinct Challenges for Deterring Illicit Activity is leaked and brought attention to concerns that Bitcoin payment methods could facilitate illegal transactions for weapons and narcotics.
SatoshiDICE responsible for over half of Bitcoin transaction volume

SatoshiDICE becomes responsible for more than half the Bitcoin blockchain transaction volume.
Coinbase is founded

Coinbase, a bitcoin wallet and platform, is founded in San Francisco, California.
Bitcoin Foundation begins

The Bitcoin Foundation is formed, implementing a core development team for the protocol and a body to oversee the digital currency. The foundation was formed in late 2012, after bitcoin had earned a reputation for criminality and fraud, and was modeled on the Linux Foundation. The chairman of the board at the founding was Peter Vessenes. Former lead bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen was hired by the foundation as “chief scientist.” In June 2013, the foundation received a letter from the California Department of Financial Institutions requesting that they “cease and desist from conducting the business of money transmission in this state,” and again when it published their detailed response to the regulators. In November 2013, Patrick Murck, general counsel of the foundation, testified before a United States Senate committee convened to assess digital currencies, at which the reception of bitcoin by lawmakers was generally positive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin_Foundation
Halving Day

On Halving Day, Block 210,000 is the first with a block reward subsidy of 25 BTC.
Bitcoin goes to $30USD

The trade value of a Bitcoin reaches US$30 for the first time since 2011.
First all-time high in 601 days

With the first all-time high in 601 days, the MtGox exchange rate breaks the June 8, 2011 peak of US$31.91.
Let’s Talk Bitcoin! airs first episode

The audio show, Let’s Talk Bitcoin! is launched by Adam B. Levine with its first episode, and was later co-hosted by Andreas M. Antonopoulos and Stephanie Murphy, PhD.
FinCEN defines stance on Bitcoin

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the United States Department of the Treasury publishes its Application of FinCEN’s Regulations to Persons Administering, Exchanging, or Using Virtual Currencies, which defines its position on virtual currencies.
Bitcoin spikes to $74.90

The value of Bitcoin spikes after two days of increasing nearly 70 percent, reaching a high of US$74.90.
The Cyprus government bail out of the banks

In March of 2013, the government of Cyprus announced a bail-in for banks, meaning that the financial institutions would have to impose losses on their shareholders, debt holders and even large depositors. After the bail-in was announced people ended up rushing to their bank accounts to withdraw funds and a lot ended up putting the money into bitcoin, where governments could not touch it. Bitcoins were growing slowly until Cyprus. Cyprus was the catalyst for the big increase in the price. The price started trading at about $40 and then doubled within a couple of days. Because of Cyprus, prices pushed towards $200, but dropped to about $60 after the banking crisis abated and surprise internet attacks on a few of the exchanges. Those attacks caused these exchanges to go offline for short periods. After a summer lull of relatively stability, the crypto-currency started making headlines again as the latest, safe-from-government-seizure, investment vehicle.
Bitcoin surpasses $100

The value of Bitcoin on MtGox and other exchanges surpasses US$100.
Bitcoin Bubbles

Bitcoin hits an all-time high of US$266, up from only $13 the year before.
Coindesk is launched by Spotify investor

Coindesk, a bitcoin-focused resource and news website is launched by Shakil Khan, an angel investor and advisor to Spotify.
First Bitcoin ATM unveiled

The first Bitcoin ATM in the world is debuted in San Diego, California.
Coinbase receives $5 million in funding

Coinbase announces a US$5 million investment from funding that is led by Union Square Ventures, becomes the largest funding of a Bitcoin startup to-date.
MtGox funds seized by Homeland

The United States Department of Homeland Security seizes over US$2.9 million from a Dwolla account that belonged to a subsidiary of MtGox because it allegedly “failed to register as a ‘money transmitting business’ in accordance with 18 U.S. Code 1960.”
Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust filed

Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust is filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) by Tyler and Cameron Winkelvoss. According to the twins that are known for their legal dispute with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is “designed for investors seeking a cost-effective and convenient means to gain exposure to Bitcoins with minimal credit risk,” amidst mixed reactions.
Bloomberg gets Bitcoin ticker

The Bitcoin ticker arrives on the Bloomberg terminal so that Bloomberg employees can track the value of BTC under XBT Currency.
Bitcoin ruled private money in Germany

The German Federal Ministry of Finance announces that it recognizes Bitcoin as a form of private money, or a “unit of account,” and allows its use in commercial and private sales. Bitcoins become tax exempt when held for longer than one year.
FBI shuts down Silk Road

FBI shuts down infamous online drug marketplace Silk Road, seizing 3.6 million dollars worth of bitcoins.
Bitcoin price drops after Silk Road closure, recovers

Bitcoin price drops from $139/bitcoin to $109.71/bitcoin in less than three hours in response to Silk Road shutdown. It then recovers to $128.
Bitcoin sets new all-time high

The price of the Bitcoin breaks record set in April 2013, despite the Silk Road bust and fears over security, reaching US$269 per bitcoin.
Bitcoin doubles

Bitcoin price hits a landmark figure at 11.50am GMT on 17 November, reaching US$503.10 on Mt. Gox.
US Senate Hearing on Bitcoin

Senate hearing titled Beyond Silk Road: Potential Risks, Threats and Promises of Virtual Currencies discusses legitimacy and challenges of virtual currencies.
Bitcoin goes above $1000

Bitcoin price surges to a record of US$1242 after Senate hearings.
Bitcoin moves more money than Western Union

Bitcoin transaction volume surpasses Western Union.
Cyprus university begins accepting Bitcoin

University of Nicosia in Cyprus becomes first university to accept Bitcoin for tuition.
Space travel becomes possible with Bitcoin

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic begins accepting Bitcoin for space travel.
Shopify joins Bitcoin

Shopify officially integrates bitcoin as a payment option for its 70,000+ merchants.
China’s Central Bank bans Bitcoin transactions

China’s central bank bars financial institutions from handling Bitcoin transactions, causing a price drop of more than 20 percent to below $1,000.
Vitalik Buterin introduces Ethereum

Th Ethereum whitepaper is released by Vitalik Buterin. His proposed technology is a Smart Contract blockchain, which will end up becoming the #2 coin in market cap and probably the coins with most development efforts in current times.
Continuing price decline

Bitcoin crashes to nearly US$500 after further is banned from accepting deposits in Yuan.
Mt.Gox Halts trading

Mt. Gox exchange, the largest bitcoin exchange at the time, said that 850,000 bitcoins had been stolen from its customers, amounting to almost $500 million. Bitcoin’s price fell by almost half, from $867 to $439 (a 49% drop). Prices would remain stagnant until late 2016.
Newsweek claims to have found Satoshi Nakamoto

Newsweek says it knows the answer. In its latest issue, the magazine reports that Bitcoin’s creator is a cranky 64-year-old Japanese-American programmer living in Southern California who wasn’t too enthusiastic about being discovered. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/525381/newsweek-says-its-found-bitcoin-creator-satoshi-nakamoto/
Mt Gox Begins Liquidation proceedings

Mt. Gox, once the world’s biggest bitcoin exchange, is likely to be liquidated after a Tokyo court dismissed the company’s bid to resuscitate its business, the court-appointed administrator said on Wednesday. CEO Mark Karpeles is also likely to be investigated for liability in the collapse of the Tokyo-based firm, the provisional administrator, lawyer Nobuaki Kobayashi, said in a statement published on the Mt. Gox website. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bitcoin-mtgox/mt-gox-set-to-liquidate-as-court-denies-rehabilitation-idUSBREA3F09U20140416
Ethereum project is launched

The Ethereum project is launched with Crowdfunding as its first Smart Contract
Paypal enters the game

Paypal begins to allow its merchants to accept Bitcoin payments
Microsoft enters the game

Microsoft starts accepting Bitcoin payments on its website
EU Court of Justice issues key ruling

The European Court of Justice rules that the exchange of Bitcoin and cyptocurrencies is NOT subject to VAT in the European Union.
Bitcoin currency symbol officially accepted into Unicode characterset

The Bitcoin currency symbol is accepted by the Unicode Committee as an uppercase B with two vertical bars going trhough it.
Segwit proposal

A public statement is released by a group of influential members of the Bitcoin community, proposing their support for a new functionality named, Segregated Witness. This feature would require a hard fork, but eventually allow to increase the block size limit by compressing the signatures for all transactions into one.
US SEC denies Bitcoin based ETF

The US government denies the application of Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss to operate an exchange traded fund.
The world has gone mad: Bitcoin at $3.000

Bitcoin price shoots up to hit another record high and suprassed the $3.000 USD mark
Contentious hard fork divides the community

Bitcoin splits into Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash
I can’t believe it’s Bitcoin: Bitcoin at $5.000

The Bitcoin price hits historic new milestone and reaches $5.000 USD
CBOE Global Markets Fund is in

Cboe Global Markets starts futures trading of Bitcoin. For a brief moment, prices touch $20,000.
On 10 year anniversary, Bitcoin price steady at above $6.300

On the 10 year anniversary of Bitcoin, price holds steady above $6,000 during a period of historically low volatility.[
Real Estate get on the Blockchain Train

JPMorgan, Bloomberg et el, get on the Blockchain train: Real Estate example disruption: This 36.5 million dollar condominium has just been sliced into digital shares, and you could own a piece of it.