Bitcoin Overview
| Category | Information | Additional Context |
|---|---|---|
| Founder: | Satoshi Nakamoto | Pseudonymous identity; true identity remains unknown |
| Year Founded: | 2009 | Launched after the 2008 whitepaper publication |
| Founding Document: | “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” | Published on October 31, 2008 |
| Initial Launch Date: | January 3, 2009 | Marked by the mining of the Genesis Block |
| First Transaction: | May 22, 2010 | Famous “Bitcoin Pizza Day” – 10,000 BTC for two pizzas |
| Maximum Supply: | 21 million bitcoins | Fixed, unchangeable cap |
| Current Supply (2024): | 19 million bitcoins | 2 million remaining to be mined |
| First Major Exchange: | Mt. Gox | Founded July 18, 2010; collapsed in 2014 with 850,000 BTC loss |
| First Major Price Point: | $1 parity | Achieved in 2011 |
| First Bitcoin ATM: | Vancouver, Canada | Installed May 2, 2013 |
| First Country Adoption: | El Salvador | Became legal tender in June 2021 |
| Initial Market Entry: | No initial funding | Created as a decentralized currency without corporate backing |
| Development Model: | Open Source | Community-driven development |
| First Institutional Investment: | 2021 | Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment |
| First ETF Approval: | January 10, 2024 | SEC approved spot Bitcoin ETFs |
| All time high: | $109,114.88 | January 20, 2025 |
Key Insight: Unlike traditional companies or technologies, Bitcoin emerged without traditional funding or corporate structure, instead growing through community adoption and decentralized development, making its path to becoming a trillion-dollar asset unique in financial history.
Bitcoin Technology Milestones
| Date | Milestone | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| January 3, 2009 | Genesis Block Created | Launch of Bitcoin |
| May 22, 2010 | First Commercial Transaction | 10,000 BTC for two pizzas |
| November 28, 2012 | First Halving | Reward reduced to 25 BTC |
| May 2020 | Third Halving | Reward reduced to 6.25 BTC |
| November 14, 2021 | Taproot Upgrade | Enhanced privacy and smart contracts |
| January 10, 2024 | Spot ETF Approval | Institutional investment access |
| April 19, 2024 | Fourth Halving | Reward reduced to 3.125 BTC |
Key Insight: Bitcoin’s technical evolution shows a consistent pattern of upgrades and improvements, with each halving event marking a significant milestone in its monetary policy.
Bitcoin Price Evolution Milestones
| Year | Key Price Point | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $0 | Bitcoin launch |
| 2010 | $0.003 | First recorded price |
| 2011 | $1 | First dollar parity |
| 2013 | $1,000 | First major milestone |
| 2017 | $20,000 | First major peak |
| 2020 | $29,000 | Year-end close |
| 2021 | $69,000 | New all-time high |
| 2022 | $16,000 | Market downturn |
| 2024 | $73,835 | March 1st record |
| 2024 | $99,637 | November peak |
| 2024 | $103,900 | Break $100k |
| 2024 | $107,780.58 | Break $105k |
Key Insight: Bitcoin’s price journey shows extraordinary growth from $0.003 in 2010 to nearly $100,000 in 2024, representing one of the most dramatic value appreciations in financial history.
Historical Market Events Impact
| Year | Event | Market Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mt. Gox Launch | First major exchange |
| 2014 | Mt. Gox Collapse | 850,000 BTC lost |
| 2021 | El Salvador Adoption | First country adoption |
| 2024 | ETF Approval | Institutional access |
| 2024 | Trump Re-election Impact | Price surge to $107,780.58 |
| 2025 | Trump Inauguration day | Price surge to $109,114.88 |
Key Insight: Major institutional and regulatory events have consistently driven significant price movements in Bitcoin’s history, with the 2024 ETF approval and political developments marking new phases of mainstream acceptance.
Bitcoin Transaction History (2020-2024)
| Period | Peak Daily Transactions | Peak Date | Low Daily Transactions | Low Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 2020 | ~348,000 | Mar 10th, 2020 | ~257,000 | Mar 24th, 2020 |
| H2 2020 | ~354,000 | Sep 8th, 2020 | ~225,000 | Nov 3rd, 2020 |
| H1 2021 | ~161,000 | Jun 27th, 2021 | ~46,000 | Feb 21st, 2021 |
| H2 2021 | ~217,000 | Oct 31st, 2021 | ~166,000 | Jul 11th, 2021 |
| H1 2022 | ~234,000 | May 15th, 2022 | ~209,000 | Feb 13th, 2022 |
| H2 2022 | ~230,000 | Nov 20th, 2022 | ~196,000 | Jul 31st, 2022 |
| H1 2023 | ~632,000 | May 14th, 2023 | ~188,000 | Jan 1st, 2023 |
| H2 2023 | ~731,000 | Dec 31st, 2023 | ~242,000 | Oct 8th, 2023 |
| H1 2024 | ~658,000 | Jan 1st, 2024 | ~278,000 | Feb 6th, 2024 |
Key Insight: Bitcoin transaction volumes showed remarkable growth in 2023, more than tripling from 2022 levels, with peak daily transactions reaching 731,000 by the end of 2023.
Historical Transaction Low Points
| Period | Lowest Daily Transactions | Bitcoin Price at Low |
|---|---|---|
| H1 2021 | 46,000 | ~$56,000 |
| H2 2021 | 166,000 | ~$34,000 |
| H1 2022 | 209,000 | ~$42,000 |
| H2 2022 | 196,000 | ~$24,000 |
| H1 2023 | 188,000 | ~$17,000 |
| H2 2023 | 242,000 | ~$28,000 |
Key Insight: Interestingly, lower transaction volumes don’t necessarily correlate with lower prices, suggesting other factors influence Bitcoin’s value.
Countries’ Legal Stance on Bitcoin
| Legal Status | Countries |
|---|---|
| Full Ban (Trading & Banking) | Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Tunisia |
| Partial Ban (Banking Only) | Argentina, Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Jordan, Namibia, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE |
| Legal Tender | El Salvador |
Key Insight: Despite growing global adoption, Bitcoin faces regulatory challenges with 29 countries maintaining either full or partial bans on its use.
Bitcoin Network Statistics Over Time
| Year | Peak Daily Transactions | Market Cap | Notable Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | First $1B market cap | $1 billion | Mt. Gox dominance |
| 2021 | 217,000 | $1 trillion | Tesla investment |
| 2023 | 731,000 | $800 billion | Market recovery |
| 2024 | 658,000 | $1.32 trillion | ETF approval |
Key Insight: Bitcoin’s network growth is reflected in both transaction volumes and market capitalization, with 2024 marking new highs in institutional adoption and market value.
Bitcoin Awareness Demographics (USA)
| Demographic | Awareness Level |
|---|---|
| Overall American Adults | 89% |
| White Respondents | 80% |
| Hispanic Respondents | 66% |
| African-American Respondents | 61% |
| Male Respondents | 78% |
| Female Respondents | 71% |
Key Insight: Significant demographic disparities exist in Bitcoin awareness, with a notable 19-percentage-point gap between white and African-American respondents.
Demographic Adoption Patterns
| Group | Key Statistics |
|---|---|
| Gen Z & Millennials | 94% of crypto buyers |
| Millennial Parents | 29% ownership rate |
| General Population | 13% ownership rate |
| Male Awareness | 78% |
| Female Awareness | 71% |
| Understanding Gap | 69% don’t understand |
Key Insight: The generational divide in crypto adoption is stark, with Gen Z and Millennials representing the vast majority of buyers.
Millennial Bitcoin Adoption
| Metric | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Millennial Parents Owning Crypto | 29% |
| All Generations Owning Crypto | 13% |
| Millennials Unconcerned About Zero Value Risk | 21% |
| Millennials Believing Bitcoin Outranks Gold as Safe-Haven | 67% |
Key Insight: Millennials show significantly higher crypto adoption rates and risk tolerance, with Millennial parents being more than twice as likely to own cryptocurrency compared to the general population.
Key Bitcoin Usage Statistics (2024)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Bitcoin Wallets (>$1) | 46 million |
| Average Daily Transactions (Jan-Mar 2024) | 378,000 |
| Americans Who Have Heard of Bitcoin | 89% |
| Americans Who Don’t Understand Cryptocurrency | 69% |
| Total Cryptocurrency Market Cap | $2.41 trillion |
| Bitcoin Market Cap | $1.32 trillion |
| Bitcoin Market Share | 55% |
Key Insight: Despite high awareness levels (89%), a significant knowledge gap persists with 69% of Americans reporting they don’t understand cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin Wallet Distribution (2024)
| Value Threshold | Number of Unique Addresses | Proportion of Wallets |
|---|---|---|
| Over $1 | 46 million | 100% |
| Over $100 | 21.5 million | 46.8% |
| Over $1,000 | 10.2 million | 22.2% |
| Over $10,000 | 3.4 million | 7.5% |
| Over $100,000 | 0.6 million | 1.4% |
| Over $1 million | 0.1 million | 0.2% |
| Over $10 million | ~10,000 | <0.01% |
Key Insight: The dramatic decrease in wallet numbers at higher value thresholds reveals that less than 1.4% of Bitcoin wallets hold more than $100,000.
Evolution of Daily Transaction Peaks
| Year Half | Peak Transactions | Increase from Previous |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 H1 | 348,000 | Baseline |
| 2020 H2 | 354,000 | +1.7% |
| 2021 H1 | 161,000 | -54.5% |
| 2021 H2 | 217,000 | +34.8% |
| 2022 H1 | 234,000 | +7.8% |
| 2022 H2 | 230,000 | -1.7% |
| 2023 H1 | 632,000 | +174.8% |
| 2023 H2 | 731,000 | +15.7% |
Key Insight: The most dramatic increase in transaction volume occurred in H1 2023, showing a 174.8% jump from the previous period.
Bitcoin Understanding vs Investment Interest
| Category | Percentage | Population Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Don’t Understand Crypto | 69% | Majority |
| Have Heard of Bitcoin | 89% | High Awareness |
| Would Consider Investing | 27% | Potential Growth |
| Currently Invested | 13% | Current Market |
| Understanding Gap | 58% | Education Need |
Key Insight: The large gap between awareness and understanding (58%) versus the smaller gap between understanding and investment (14%) suggests that education is the primary barrier to adoption.
Let me compile key factual points from the content that don’t fit well into comparative tables but are important historical and foundational information.
Bitcoin Key Facts
Foundation & Creation
- Founding Date: 2009
- Creator: Satoshi Nakamoto (pseudonymous)
- Founding Document: “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” whitepaper (October 31, 2008)
- Genesis Block Date: January 3, 2009
- Supply Cap: 21 million bitcoins (fixed)
Historical Firsts
- First Commercial Transaction: May 22, 2010 (Two pizzas for 10,000 BTC)
- First Dollar Parity: 2011
- First Major Exchange: Mt. Gox (Founded July 18, 2010)
- First Bitcoin ATM: Vancouver, Canada (May 2, 2013)
- First Country Adoption: El Salvador (June 2021)
Technical Milestones
- First Halving: November 28, 2012
- Second Halving: 2016
- Third Halving: May 2020
- Fourth Halving: April 19, 2024
- Taproot Upgrade: November 14, 2021
- First ETF Approval: January 10, 2024
Regulatory Framework
- U.S. Classification: Money services business (MSB)
- IRS Classification: Property for taxation purposes
- FinCEN Guidance: First issued in 2013
- Treasury Requirements: Registration for exchanges and processors
- Transaction Reporting: Required for amounts over $10,000
Environmental Impact
- U.S. Electricity Usage: 0.6% to 2.3% of total consumption
- Primary Mining States: Texas and Georgia
- Mining Concerns: High electricity consumption and environmental impact
References
DataGlobeHub makes use of the best available data sources to support each publication. We prioritize sources of good reputation, like government sources, authoritative sources, expert sources, and well-researched publications. When citing our sources, we provide the report title followed by the publication name. Where not applicable, we provide just the publication name.
- Bitcoin (BTC) – statistics & facts – Statista
- In a world first, El Salvador makes bitcoin legal tender – Reuter
- Countries Where Bitcoin Is Legal and Illegal – Investopedia
- How Many People Own Bitcoin? – Exploding Topics
- Bitcoin’s Price History – Investopedia
- Bitcoin Price: Milestones Since 2009 – Zerocap
- Bitcoin’s history: A timeline of milestones, highs, & lows – TheStreet
- Bitcoin’s history: A timeline of milestones and key events – Remitano