Part 2
### Current Trends (2021-Present)
- **2021**: Bitcoin hit new highs above $60,000. Major adoption milestones included El Salvador adopting Bitcoin as legal tender. The rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) drew further attention to the crypto space.
- **2022**: Market volatility continued, with significant corrections. Ongoing debates over regulation and environmental impact of Bitcoin mining intensified.
- **2023-Present**: Bitcoin's acceptance expanded in traditional finance, with more institutions offering crypto services. Technological advancements focused on improving scalability and energy efficiency, such as the Lightning Network.
Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe experiment to a significant financial asset, influencing global economic discussions and fostering innovations in decentralized technology.
