• 1983: eCash – David Chaum's brainchild, eCash, was like the secret handshake of online money. It put the "crypto" in cryptocurrency, making digital money a private affair.
• 1995: DigiCash – Chaum's next big thing, DigiCash, flirted with banks but ended up a wallflower. The tech was there, but the world just wasn't ready for cyberbucks.
• 1998: Crypto is Coined – The term "cryptocurrency" is born, and Wei Dai becomes a crypto celeb. His decentralised ideas are now the bread and butter of modern cryptocurrencies.
• 2007 - 2008: Economic Crisis Strikes with the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) – The financial world takes a tumble, and people start eyeing up decentralised alternatives. Satoshi Nakamoto gets inspired and Bitcoin's genesis block is born.

2008:

• October: Satoshi Nakamoto publishes the Bitcoin white paper, describing the first blockchain...

Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, emerged in 2008 with a revolutionary idea: a decentralised digital currency that didn’t rely on banks or governments. In the midst of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)—a time when trust in traditional financial institutions was crumbling—Satoshi released the now-famous Bitcoin Whitepaper. It proposed a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, allowing people to send money directly to one another without needing a middleman.

At the heart of it was a clever dig at the banking system: the first-ever Bitcoin block (the Genesis Block) contained a headline from The Times newspaper that read, “Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.” It was a subtle but powerful message—Bitcoin was born as a response to financial systems that had failed the people.

2009:

• January: Bitcoin's software released; the first block (genesis block) mined.
• Throughout the Year: Development of the Bitcoin network and initial transactions.
• New Liberty Standard – The first crypto exchange, where $1 USD was worth a whopping 1,309.03 BTC. Early birds got the worm, and then some!

2010:

• May 22: First known purchase with Bitcoin by Laszlo Hanyecz – two supreme pizzas from Papa John’s for 10,000 BTC, making it the most expensive takeaway in history – a tasty deal that's now worth a pizza empire (US$300 million and counting!!).
• November: The Bitcoin market cap reaches $1 million USD.

2011:

• Silk Road: The first modern day online marketplace was created and used for buying and selling illegal products using Bitcoin.
• Throughout the Year: Introduction of alternative cryptocurrencies… Litecoin and other altcoins enter the ring, but Bitcoin remains the heavyweight champ.

2012:

• Elon Musk first tweeted about Bitcoin
• September: Establishment of the Bitcoin Foundation to standardise and promote Bitcoin.
• Throughout the Year: Wider adoption and development of blockchain technology.
• The Halving, November 28 – Mining rewards get cut in half, making Bitcoin even more of a hot commodity.
• Staking Tokens – Peercoin introduces Proof of Stake, a new way to earn crypto without breaking a sweat.
• Winklevoss twins: Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss start amassing Bitcoin through BitInstant/Charlie Shrem
• 2012–2014: Coinbase – Coinbase launches, hitting 1 million users by 2014. It's like the Amazon of crypto exchanges.

2013:

• February-April: Bitcoin price surpasses the $100 mark.
• Silk Road Bust: In October the FBI shuts down Silk Road, seizing a large number of Bitcoins and landing founder Ross Ulbricht in jail for life. The site, despite being shut down, has given Bitcoin and cryptocurrency a nefarious association that even in 2023 is hard to shake.
• Dogecoin launches – A meme turned money-maker sits dormant for 7 years before Elon Musk brings the former joke coin to prominence.
• Elon Musk: Denies he’s Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
• HODL: A typo turned investment strategy and mantra of people not selling their crypto, “HODL”, or “Hold On for Dear Life”. A typo on a Bitcoin forum by a user, GameKyuubi, who'd had a bit too much to drink. In his slightly inebriated state, he misspelled "hold" as "hodl."
• Throughout the Year: Regulation and legal frameworks start developing.

2014:

• February: Mt. Gox, a major Bitcoin exchange, is allegedly hacked, leading to bankruptcy. Millions lose millions.

• Throughout the Year: Interest in applying blockchain in different industries emerges.
  2015:

• 30 July: Ethereum is launched, introducing the concept of smart contracts.

• Throughout the Year: Several major banks and companies begin exploring blockchain.

2016:

• June: DAO on Ethereum is hacked; results in a hard fork.
• Throughout the Year: Steady growth in the blockchain ecosystem.

2017:

• September 2017: People’s Bank of China bans ICO’s then later in the year China bans all cryptocurrency
• December: The almighty CME Group legitimises Bitcoin by launching Bitcoin futures
• December: Bitcoin price reaches all-time high near US$20,000
• December: JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon declared anyone found trading Bitcoin would be fired on the spot. A few years later and JP Morgan have embraced blockchain and are trading crypto products.
• Throughout the Year:
  • Bitcoin forks into Bitcoin Cash.
  • Boom in ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) using Ethereum.
  • Significant rise in cryptocurrency values and mainstream interest.

2018:

• September: BAKKT, the fully regulated Bitcoin futures platform, launched by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) - the same guys who run the NYSE - a big deal as it further legitimised Bitcoin.
• Throughout the Year:
  • Major price crash and market correction.
  • Increased regulatory scrutiny.

2019:

• Throughout the Year: Development and growth in Decentralised Finance (DeFi) on Ethereum.
• May: The hot new crypto trading exchange FTX is launched
• June: Facebook announces the Libra project (later renamed Diem).
• Commercial Buy-In: Big names like Microsoft, Amazon, and Walmart are all in on crypto. It's not just for geeks anymore.

2020:

• March: Elon Musk starts tweeting about Dogecoin sending it’s price on a moon ward trajectory.
• May: Bitcoin halving event.
• Throughout the Year:
  • Growth of DeFi and NFTs.
  • Widespread institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies.
  • PayPal announces support for cryptocurrencies.

2021:

• February 2021: Tesla reveals it’s bought US$1.5 billion of Bitcoin & plans to accept it as a payment method
• March: Bitcoin price reaches new all-time high, surpassing US$60,000.
• May: China reiterates it’s crypto restrictions and all related crypto services
• May: Tesla suspends Bitcoin payments due to environmental concerts
• June: China cracks down on crypto mining including key areas such as Mongolia & Sichuan.
• Market Cap Surpasses US$2 Trillion: From speculative toy to financial titan. Look at crypto now!
• Throughout the Year:
  • Further growth in DeFi and NFTs.
  • Increased regulatory developments.

  • Wider acceptance of cryptocurrencies by traditional financial institutions.

2022:

• The Crypto Winter: A crash, scams, and business meltdowns. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but crypto's here to stay.
• May 9: TerraUSD, the stablecoin that wasn't so stable, takes a nosedive, losing US$40 billion. Talk about a bad day at the office!
• June 12: Crypto lender Celsius hits the pause button on withdrawals. "Extreme market conditions" they say – sounds like a weather forecast gone wrong.
• June 17: Babel Finance, another crypto lender, also stops withdrawals. Must be contagious!
• June 27: Three Arrows Capital (3AC) misses the mark, defaulting on loan payments. Oops!
•  June 29: 3AC gets a court-ordered liquidation. Time to pack up the arrows.
• July 5: Voyager Digital files for bankruptcy protection. They're looking to "maximise value for all stakeholders" – a fancy way of saying "help!"
• November 8-11: FTX agrees to a takeover from Binance, then Binance walks away, and FTX files for bankruptcy. It's like a soap opera but with more numbers.
• November 28: BlockFi files for bankruptcy. Another one bites the dust.
• December 12 & 22: FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried gets arrested, then released on a US$250 million bond. House arrest with the parents? That's one expensive time-out.

2023:

• January 12-19: The SEC sues Genesis and Gemini, and CoinDesk goes up for sale. It's like a clearance sale on lawsuits!
• February 16-28: Terra's founder gets charged, FTX's co-founder pleads guilty, and Silvergate Capital ponders its existence. Just another month in crypto.
• March 1-28: The SEC and CFTC go on a suing spree, Terra's founder gets nabbed with a fake passport, and Sam Bankman-Fried faces bribery accusations. Never a dull moment!
• May 8-12: Sam Bankman-Fried asks for a dismissal, and Do Kwon gets house arrest. It's like a courtroom drama, but with more blockchain.
• June 5-6: The SEC sues Binance and Coinbase back-to-back. They must be getting a bulk discount on legal fees.

2024:

• Sam Bankman-Fried Sentencing: Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud related to his cryptocurrency exchange and the associated hedge fund, Alameda Research. The court also ordered Bankman-Fried to forfeit US$11 billion during the proceedings in Manhattan federal court.
• Dencun Upgrade for Ethereum: The Dencun upgrade, combining the Deneb and Cancun updates, was implemented to enhance both the consensus and execution layers of Ethereum. This hard fork, which occurred at Ethereum epoch 269,568, aims to lower transaction fees for layer-2 solutions like Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism, thereby enhancing Ethereum's scalability. Notably, shard chains have been removed from Ethereum’s future development plans. The Dencun upgrade succeeded the Shanghai upgrade, facilitating the unstaking of Ether (ETH) since April 2023.
• Spot Bitcoin ETFs Impact: Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have been trading for just two months and have significantly influenced the cryptocurrency market, surpassing initial forecasts in terms of inflows, Bitcoin acquisition, and trading volume. They have played a pivotal role in driving a bullish trend in the market, elevating bitcoin’s price, and have been hailed as one of the most successful ETF launches in history. This success has also contributed to the broader acceptance of digital assets as a legitimate asset class.
• January 10, 2024: U.S. SEC Approves First Spot Bitcoin ETFs

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), marking a significant milestone in cryptocurrency adoption. This approval opened the door for institutional investors to gain direct exposure to Bitcoin through regulated financial products.

• March 13, 2024: Ethereum Implements Dencun Upgrade
  Ethereum activated the Dencun upgrade at epoch 269,568, introducing proto-danksharding (EIP-4844). This upgrade aimed to reduce transaction fees and improve scalability by enabling a new data storage method, benefiting Layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism.

• March 14, 2024: Bitcoin Reaches New All-Time High
  Bitcoin's price surged to a record high of US$73,737.94, driven by increased institutional adoption and optimism surrounding the newly approved Spot Bitcoin ETFs. This milestone reflected growing confidence in Bitcoin as a mainstream investment asset.

• March 28, 2024: Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison
  Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating a multi-billion-dollar fraud. He was also ordered to forfeit US$11 billion to compensate victims of the scheme.

• April 20, 2024: Bitcoin’s Fourth Halving Event Occurs
  Bitcoin underwent its fourth halving, reducing the mining reward from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block. This event, occurring approximately every four years, is designed to control inflation and has historically preceded significant price increases.

• May 2024: Spot Bitcoin ETFs Accumulate Over US$35 Billion in Inflows
  By mid-2024, Spot Bitcoin ETFs had attracted over US$35 billion in net inflows, significantly exceeding industry expectations. This influx of capital highlighted the increasing demand for regulated Bitcoin investment vehicles.

• November 6, 2024: Bitcoin Price Reacts to U.S. Presidential Election
  Following the U.S. presidential election, Bitcoin's price experienced volatility, reflecting market uncertainty and investor reactions to the election outcome and potential regulatory implications for the cryptocurrency industry.

• December 17, 2024: Bitcoin Achieves Year-End All-Time High
  Bitcoin closed the year by reaching an all-time high of US$108,135, capping off a year of significant growth and increased mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

January 2025

• Spot Bitcoin ETFs Keep Booming
  After a blockbuster close to 2024, inflows into Spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to surge. Wall Street can’t get enough — with BlackRock, Fidelity, and ARK now managing tens of billions in crypto assets. Your granddad’s stockbroker just bought his first satoshi.
• Bitcoin Starts the Year Strong  Bitcoin opens 2025 at around US$108,000, holding strong after the post-halving rally. Institutional demand, a friendlier U.S. political climate (more on that soon), and better infrastructure send bullish vibes across the market.

February 2025            

• Ethereum Eyes the Stars  Ethereum pushes past US$5,000 for the first time since 2021, thanks to successful Layer-2 integrations post-Dencun upgrade. Gas fees? Practically pocket change. Developers rejoice, meme coins go wild, and Uniswap gets another UI update no one asked for.
• AI x Crypto Collabs Accelerate
  AI-powered DeFi bots, decentralised AI models, and tokenised compute marketplaces start trending. Bittensor (TAO) and similar projects ride a hype wave — AI might just be Web3’s new best friend.

March 2025

• Bitcoin Hits New All-Time High (Again!)
  🚀 March 4, 2025 — Bitcoin officially breaks its previous record and hits a new all-time high of US$138,965.
  Analysts scramble. X (formerly Twitter) explodes. You can almost hear the collective “I told you so” echo from every early adopter.
• Altcoins Follow the Leader  Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink rally hard. Altcoins are back in fashion — with meme coins like $DOGE and $WIF tagging along for the ride like that mate who shows up uninvited but somehow brings the party.

April 2025

• Trump Wins Republican Nomination (Again)
  Donald Trump cruises through the Republican primaries and is officially re-nominated. His campaign leans heavily on "anti-CBDC" (Central Bank Digital Currency) rhetoric and "pro-freedom finance" — a wink to Bitcoin fans and libertarian-minded voters.
• Crypto Markets React With Glee                                         The market interprets this as bullish: less regulatory hostility, fewer clampdowns, and more “hands-off” policy talk. Bitcoin breaks $140K mid-month before cooling slightly.

May 2025

• Trump Re-Elected President of the United States
  In one of the most polarising elections in U.S. history, Donald Trump wins re-election. His second-term policies are expected to be friendlier to crypto, with advisors pushing for innovation rather than enforcement.

📰 “We will never allow unelected bureaucrats to crush the future of financial freedom.”
– Trump, at a campaign rally in Texas.

• Bitcoin Pumps (Again)
  Following the win, Bitcoin briefly spikes to US$147,500, fuelled by optimism that the new administration may pull back on SEC lawsuits and let crypto "breathe a little."

June 2025

• Stablecoin Regulation Framework Finalised
  After years of hand-wringing, the U.S. passes a Stablecoin Act, setting clear guardrails for issuers like Circle (USDC) and Paxos (PYUSD). It includes full 1:1 backing, regular audits, and a licensing regime. Surprisingly… it’s actually pretty good.
• Market Reaction
  Institutions get comfy. USDC volumes explode. PayPal’s stablecoin gains traction. Even banks begin quietly piloting stablecoin settlements.

July 2025

• ETH Crosses US$6,000
  Ethereum cements its role as the decentralised finance backbone. With low fees, slick UX, and booming staking yields, ETH gets treated less like a coin and more like digital real estate.
• DAOs Go Corporate
  A Fortune 100 company announces the launch of its own DAO-style voting structure for shareholders. Web3 Twitter collectively faints. Governance just got a glow-up.

August 2025 (So Far!)

• Bitcoin Holds Steady Above US$130,000
  With a strong halving year, institutional inflows from ETFs, and a friendlier U.S. policy landscape, Bitcoin stays comfortably above six figures. There’s cautious optimism it could hit US$150,000 by year’s end.
• Pocket University Community Grows
  Okay, we made this one up — but you know it’s true. With mainstream media pushing “learn before you earn” narratives and scams still lurking, Carly’s crew is thriving. Educated, empowered, and holding their own keys.

• ETH ETF approval? 👀
• Web3 social platforms eating into TikTok’s market share?
• A bear market nap? Or another leg up?

Whatever comes next, one thing’s for sure: crypto’s not going anywhere — and neither is this wild ride.