The History of Bitcoin: Interactive Timeline (2007-2026)

Last updated June 30, 2026

Bitcoin history from 2007 to 2026

This page is a curated, interactive timeline of Bitcoin history. It follows Bitcoin from Satoshi Nakamoto's white paper and the genesis block through early adoption, exchange failures, halvings, protocol upgrades, institutional adoption, spot Bitcoin ETPs, and the June 30, 2026 market snapshot.

The timeline is educational, not investment advice. Price references are approximate historical snapshots and Bitcoin remains volatile.

Chronological Bitcoin milestones

2007 - Satoshi Nakamoto starts developing the ideas and software that become Bitcoin.
October 31, 2008 - The Bitcoin white paper is published. Source
January 3, 2009 - Bitcoin launches with the genesis block.
May 22, 2010 - Laszlo Hanyecz spends 10,000 BTC on pizza.
July 11, 2010 - Slashdot coverage brings Bitcoin to a wider technical audience.
December 12, 2010 - Satoshi's public activity fades.
February 9, 2011 - Bitcoin reaches rough parity with the US dollar.
June 8, 2011 - Bitcoin experiences its first major price spike and crash.
September 27, 2012 - The Bitcoin Foundation forms.
April 10, 2013 - Bitcoin surges to about $266 and then breaks lower.
November 29, 2013 - Bitcoin crosses $1,000 for the first time.
February 28, 2014 - Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy.
March 25, 2014 - The IRS says virtual currency is treated as property for US federal tax purposes. Source
July 9, 2016 - The second Bitcoin halving reduces the block subsidy to 12.5 BTC. Source
April 1, 2017 - Japan's amended Payment Services Act creates a framework for virtual currency exchange services. Source
August 1, 2017 - Bitcoin Cash splits from Bitcoin.
August 24, 2017 - SegWit activates on Bitcoin. Source
December 17, 2017 - Bitcoin nears $20,000 during the 2017 bull market.
December 18, 2017 - CME Bitcoin futures launch. Source
May 11, 2020 - The third halving reduces the block subsidy to 6.25 BTC. Source
August 11, 2020 - MicroStrategy adopts Bitcoin as a treasury asset. Source
February 8, 2021 - Tesla discloses a $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase. Source
April 14, 2021 - Coinbase lists on Nasdaq. Source
September 7, 2021 - El Salvador makes Bitcoin legal tender.
September 24, 2021 - China bans crypto transactions. Source
October 19, 2021 - ProShares BITO, the first US Bitcoin-linked ETF, begins trading. Source
November 10, 2021 - Bitcoin reaches a 2021 all-time high near $69,000.
November 14, 2021 - Taproot activates. Source
November 11, 2022 - FTX files for bankruptcy. Source
January 21, 2023 - Ordinals inscriptions emerge on Bitcoin. Source
August 29, 2023 - Grayscale wins its case against the SEC. Source
January 10, 2024 - The SEC approves spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products. Source
March 14, 2024 - Bitcoin sets a new record above $73,000.
April 20, 2024 - The fourth halving reduces the block subsidy to 3.125 BTC. Source
December 5, 2024 - Bitcoin crosses $100,000.
March 6, 2025 - The White House announces a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Source
June 30, 2026 - Bitcoin trades around $58.4k, a volatile snapshot at this point in the timeline.