According to U.Today, today marks the 14th anniversary of a significant statement made by Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin. Fourteen years ago, Nakamoto outlined a fundamental aspect of Bitcoin's nature that has since become integral to its identity and functionality. This statement, dating back to June 17, 2010, has shaped the future of digital currency. Nakamoto declared, 'The nature of Bitcoin is such that once version 0.1 was released, the core design was set in stone for the rest of its lifetime.' This statement emphasized the immutability that would characterize Bitcoin, distinguishing it from other digital and traditional currencies.
Bitcoin's initial version, 0.1, was released in January 2009, marking the inception of the first decentralized cryptocurrency. This version established the foundation for the peer-to-peer electronic cash system that would transform finance and technology. By asserting that the core design was unalterable, Nakamoto ensured that Bitcoin would stay true to its original vision. Bitcoin was designed with a fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, a feature hard-coded into its protocol by Nakamoto. The current Bitcoin Core is a continuation of the original client that Nakamoto worked on, now maintained and developed by a global group of contributors.
As of the end of May, a new release candidate of Bitcoin Core, v27.1rc1, was made available for testing following the v27.0 major release. Bitcoin, the first and largest cryptocurrency, currently has a market capitalization of $1.28 trillion, accounting for roughly half of the $2.4 trillion global market cap. Currently, approximately 19.71 million BTC are in circulation, representing 94% of the currency's maximum supply of 21 million.