Bitcoin evolution is a term that refers to the changes and developments of the Bitcoin network, protocol, and technology over time. Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, Bitcoin has undergone several upgrades, forks, and innovations that have shaped its current state and future potential.
Some of the major events in Bitcoin evolution are:
- 2010: The first Bitcoin exchange, Bitcoin Market, was launched. The first Bitcoin transaction for a real-world good, two pizzas, was made by Laszlo Hanyecz for 10,000 BTC¹.
- 2012: The first Bitcoin halving occurred, reducing the block reward from 50 BTC to 25 BTC. The Bitcoin Foundation was established to promote and protect Bitcoin².
- 2013: Bitcoin reached $1,000 for the first time. The first Bitcoin ATM was installed in Vancouver, Canada. China banned financial institutions from dealing with Bitcoin³.
- 2014: Mt. Gox, the largest Bitcoin exchange at the time, collapsed due to a hack that resulted in the loss of 850,000 BTC. Microsoft started accepting Bitcoin as a payment option.
- 2015: The second Bitcoin halving occurred, reducing the block reward from 25 BTC to 12.5 BTC. The Lightning Network, a layer-2 solution for fast and cheap Bitcoin transactions, was proposed.
- 2016: The Bitfinex exchange was hacked, losing 120,000 BTC. Segregated Witness (SegWit), a protocol upgrade that increased the block capacity and enabled further scaling solutions, was activated.
- 2017: Bitcoin reached $20,000 for the first time. Bitcoin Cash, a hard fork that increased the block size from 1 MB to 8 MB, was created. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) launched Bitcoin futures contracts.
- 2018: Bitcoin dropped to $3,000, marking the end of a year-long bear market. The Lightning Network went live on the mainnet, enabling instant and low-cost Bitcoin payments.
- 2019: Facebook announced Libra, a stablecoin project backed by a consortium of companies, sparking regulatory scrutiny and debate over the future of digital currencies.
- 2020: The third Bitcoin halving occurred, reducing the block reward from 12.5 BTC to 6.25 BTC. PayPal enabled its users to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. MicroStrategy, Square, and other publicly traded companies invested in Bitcoin as a reserve asset.
- 2021: Bitcoin reached $60,000 for the first time. Tesla bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and started accepting it as a payment option. The first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) was approved in Canada.
- 2022: Bitcoin reached $100,000 for the first time. El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. The first Bitcoin futures ETF was launched in the US.
- 2023: Bitcoin reached $200,000 for the first time. The fourth Bitcoin halving occurred, reducing the block reward from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. The Bitcoin network surpassed 1 exahash per second of computing power.
Bitcoin evolution is an ongoing process that involves technical, economic, social, and political factors. Bitcoin is constantly adapting to the changing needs and demands of its users, developers, miners, investors, and regulators. Bitcoin evolution is also influenced by the innovation and competition from other cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects. Bitcoin evolution is a testament to the resilience, diversity, and creativity of the Bitcoin community. 🚀
Referencias Bibliográficas
(1) Ésta es la nueva estafa que utiliza el nombre de Carlos Slim - MILENIO. https://www.milenio.com/negocios/mas-negocios/carlos-slim-estafa-utiliza-nombre-bitcoin-evolution.
(2) Histórico del Bitcoin (BTC) - Investing.com. https://es.investing.com/crypto/bitcoin/historical-data.
(3) History of bitcoin - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_bitcoin.
