From zero to $100K: Bitcoin’s evolution in milestones

Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD ) journey from a digital curiosity to a $100K milestone highlights its transformation into a key player in global finance. Below is a timeline on the highest-profile cryptocurrency’s history. Oct. 31 2008: Satoshi Nakamoto introduced bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) to the world with a white paper. Jan. 3, 2009: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD ) first block was mined by Satoshi. Jan. 12, 2009: The first bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) transaction occurred between Satoshi and Hal Finney; the price of BTC stood at roughly $0. May 22, 2010: The first real-world BTC transaction when 10K BTC were used to buy two pizzas; bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) was still valued at less than one cent. Feb. 9, 2011: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) reached $1 for the first time. Nov. 28, 2012: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) underwent its first halving, a process that reduces the number of new BTC created per block by half. April 1, 2013: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) exceeded $100 for the first time. Nov. 29, 2013: BTC hit $1K, drawing attention from tech enthusiasts and investors. Feb. 24, 2014: Mt. Gox, the world’s largest BTC exchange at the time, was hacked, sending BTC back down to around $400. July 9, 2016: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD ) second halving. March 29, 2017: BTC hit $1K again. Aug. 1, 2017: BTC underwent a hard fork, splitting into bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) and bitcoin cash ( BCH-USD ) due to disagreements over scalability. Dec. 17, 2017: BTC peaked at nearly $20K. March 13, 2020: Amid the pandemic-induced market crash, BTC dropped to as low as $4.3K but quickly recovered. May 11, 2020: Bitcoin’s ( BTC-USD ) third halving. Oct. 2020: Companies like MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) and Block ( SQ ) began accumulating bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) on their balance sheets. Jan. 3, 2021: BTC crossed $30K for the first time. March 13, 2021: Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) surpassed $60K for the first time, following Tesla’s ( TSLA ) $1.5B BTC investment. Jan. 10, 2024: the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved nearly a dozen spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which were cleared for trading a day later. April 19, 2024: BTC’s fourth halving. Dec. 4, 2024: Bitcoin hits $100K after President-elect Trump picks Paul Atkins, a crypto backer, for SEC chair. More on Bitcoin USD BRRR: Bitcoin's Dominance Is Slipping Renaissance Or Prelude To Chaos? Crypto's Role In The Trump Era Will Stocks Continue To Rhyme With 2016? Bitcoin hits $100K after Trump picks pro-crypto SEC head Here's what Seeking Alpha analysts are saying as Bitcoin trades above $100K