History of Bitcoin 2008: The Genesis

Bitcoin in 2008

The concept of Bitcoin (BTC) was introduced to the world in 2008. On August 18, the domain name bitcoin.org was registered. Later that year, on October 31, a white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” was published to a cryptography mailing list by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. 

This paper detailed the workings of a decentralized digital currency, aiming to solve the problem of double-spending without needing a trusted third party. Nakamoto’s identity remains unknown to this day. This foundational year laid the theoretical groundwork for what would become the world’s first and most well-known cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Milestones in 2008

  • August 18: The domain name bitcoin.org was registered.
  • October 31: Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin white paper, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.”