Bitcoin Milestones from Its Introduction in 2009 to Present
At the end of 2009, the New Liberty Standard Exchange first offered Bitcoin for exchange with US dollars, at a price of about $0.001 each. On May 22, 2010, American programmer Laszlo Hanyecz made the first purchase of physical goods with Bitcoin by exchanging 10,000 Bitcoins (worth less than $40 at the time) for two pizzas (valued at $25).
In early 2011, Bitcoin broke $0.40, surpassed $1 on February 9, approached $30 by June, and ended the year at $4.70. In 2012, it consolidated and strengthened, experiencing a “halving” in November, ending the year at $13.50. In 2013, the world’s first Bitcoin ATM was launched in Vancouver, breaking $100 in April, surpassing $1,000 on November 28, reaching a yearly high of over $1,200, and ending the year at $805.
After touching $1,000 in January 2014, it fell to $111.60 in February due to the Mt. Gox hack, a drop of nearly 90%, ending the year at about $318. The year 2017 was a breakout year, with Bitcoin breaking $5,000 and $6,000 starting in September, reaching over $10,000 on November 28, exceeding $19,000 in mid-December, and closing the year at $13,850.
In 2018, it declined, ending at $3,709, down 73% for the year. After surging in 2019, it closed below $7,200. In early 2020, it fell due to the pandemic, but later rose nearly $20,000 in November due to Federal Reserve policies and vaccine expectations, ending at $28,949.
At the beginning of 2021, Bitcoin continued to rise, surpassing $64,000 in April. In June, El Salvador proposed making it legal tender. By the end of the year, the Federal Reserve tapered off, and Bitcoin weakened. In March 2022, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, leading to a drop in Bitcoin, which ended the year above $42,000 as interest rate expectations peaked and rumors of a spot ETF emerged.
In January 2024, the Bitcoin spot ETF was approved, reaching a new high of over $73,000 in March, and in November, with Trump re-elected, Bitcoin first broke $90,000, approaching the $100,000 mark.$BTC $ETH $BNB