Satoshi Nakamoto released the Bitcoin whitepaper with the aim of creating a system that replaces the need for central authorities like banks and financial institutions to facilitate transactions. The nine-page document called “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” contained a detailed description of how payments can be made directly to one another based on cryptographic proof and not relying on any third-party intermediaries.
Since then, Bitcoin grew from $0.05816 in 2010 to $72,500 today making it one of the largest asset classes in the world. As we celebrate the 16th anniversary of the Bitcoin Whitepaper, let's take a look at how Bitcoin evolved over the years and shaped the crypto market to what it is today.
When Bitcoin first launched, At the time, Bitcoin had virtually no value, and early adopters traded it more as an experiment than an investment. This changed in May 2010, when Laszlo Hanyecz, a programmer from Florida, famously paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas. This transaction became a milestone as it marked the first recorded real-world purchase using Bitcoin, establishing it as a medium of exchange beyond digital communities. Today, those Pizzas are valued at over $7.2 million, and this event is commemorated as “Bitcoin Pizza Day.”