The Genesis Block ↗
On January 3, 2009, Bitcoin’s first block recorded a newspaper headline. Here is what its data tells us—and what it does not.
On this day / The calendar of an ideaEvery beginning
Every beginning
has a date.
Revisit the moments in Bitcoin’s history, one anniversary at a time. Choose a date or browse the full calendar below.
The First Bitcoin Software Release ↗
On January 8, 2009 UTC, Satoshi announced Bitcoin v0.1: experimental software people could actually run.
The U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETP Approvals ↗
On January 10, 2024, the SEC approved exchange rule changes allowing spot bitcoin investment products to list and trade.
The First Bitcoin Transfer ↗
A ten-bitcoin test payment, an early collaborator, and the difference between ledger data and personal testimony.
The Collapse of Mt. Gox ↗
The exchange’s February 2014 failure exposed the gap between a customer balance and control of bitcoin.
The March 2013 Chain Split ↗
A database compatibility problem caused Bitcoin software versions to disagree about a block at height 225,430.
The Fourth Bitcoin Halving ↗
At block 840,000 in April 2024, Bitcoin’s permitted block subsidy fell from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC.
Bitcoin Pizza Day ↗
In May 2010, a public forum offer turned 10,000 bitcoin into two pizzas—and left a record anyone can read.
The Bitcoin Faucet ↗
In June 2010, Gavin Andresen offered free bitcoin so more people could try the software.
SegWit Activation ↗
At block 481,824 in August 2017, new witness rules changed Bitcoin’s transaction format and capacity accounting.
The Bitcoin White Paper ↗
A nine-page proposal, announced on October 31, 2008, set out a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
Taproot Activation ↗
Bitcoin’s November 2021 upgrade introduced new spending paths built around Schnorr signatures and script commitments.
Bitcoin’s First Halving ↗
At block 210,000 on November 28, 2012, Bitcoin’s permitted block subsidy fell from 50 BTC to 25 BTC.
A quiet day in our archive.
No event is recorded here for this date yet. That’s a gap in this collection, not a claim that nothing happened.
The full calendar
Dates worth revisiting.
- The Genesis Block
- The First Bitcoin Software Release
- The U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETP Approvals
- The First Bitcoin Transfer
- The Collapse of Mt. Gox
- The March 2013 Chain Split
- The Fourth Bitcoin Halving
- Bitcoin Pizza Day
- The Bitcoin Faucet
- SegWit Activation
- The Bitcoin White Paper
- Taproot Activation
- Bitcoin’s First Halving
Only events with a supported day and month appear here. The timeline also includes events dated more broadly.