2. The first Bitcoin transaction took place on January 12, 2009, when Nakamoto sent 10 bitcoins to a computer programmer named Hal Finney.
3. The total supply of Bitcoin is capped at 21 million, with approximately 18.7 million already mined as of November 2021.
4. The price of Bitcoin has experienced extreme volatility, reaching an all-time high of over $64,000 in April 2021 and dropping to below $4,000 in March 2020.
5. Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” due to its scarcity and store of value properties.
6. The first Bitcoin pizza transaction took place on May 22, 2010, when a programmer paid 10,000 bitcoins for two Papa John’s pizzas. This transaction is now recognized as the first real-world purchase made with Bitcoin.
7. Bitcoin has been used for various illegal activities, including drug trafficking and money laundering, leading to its association with criminal activities in the early days of its existence.
8. The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery, with various theories and individuals claiming to be the creator of Bitcoin over the years.
9. The first Bitcoin ATM was installed in Vancouver, Canada, in October 2013, allowing users to buy and sell Bitcoin with cash.
10. Bitcoin mining is the process of verifying transactions and adding them to the blockchain, with miners rewarded in newly minted bitcoins for their efforts.
11. The energy consumption of Bitcoin mining has been a topic of controversy, with critics arguing that it is harmful to the environment due to the high electricity usage required for mining.
12. Bitcoin has inspired the creation of thousands of alternative cryptocurrencies, known as altcoins, including Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple.
13. Bitcoin is decentralized, meaning it is not controlled by any government or financial institution, making it a borderless and censorship-resistant form of digital currency.
14. Bitcoin has a transparent and public ledger known as the blockchain, which records all transactions and can be viewed by anyone with an internet connection.
15. The first Bitcoin futures contract was launched by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) in December 2017, allowing investors to speculate on the future price of Bitcoin.
16. Bitcoin has gained mainstream adoption in recent years, with companies like Tesla, MicroStrategy, and Square investing billions of dollars in the cryptocurrency and accepting it as a form of payment for goods and services.
