Bitcoin’s ‘genesis’ block of transaction was created 15 years ago

The anniversary comes amid rampant speculation about a US spot bitcoin ETF approval

article-image

Dall-e and Adobe Stock modified by Blockworks

share

“The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks”

That was the message contained in bitcoin’s first-ever transaction block on Jan. 3, 2009. Today marks the 15th anniversary of that event.

The so-called “genesis” block featured what was then a 50 bitcoin (BTC) block subsidy — worth a whopping $2.1 million at today’s prices — and the message above, referring to the economic turbulence of the day when bitcoin went live. 

Months earlier, bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, first published the protocol’s white paper, which outlined a system for digital money that didn’t rely on a trusted central administrator. The white paper’s 15th anniversary was observed last October, as Blockworks previously reported. 

Nakamoto played a central role in overseeing the protocol’s progress in its early years, but by 2010 had largely faded from public view

As of the time of writing, the bitcoin network has processed 824,210 blocks, each occurring roughly — though not precisely — every ten minutes. 

The anniversary comes during an auspicious time in bitcoin’s history. 

The price is hovering above $40,000 — a far cry from the days before bitcoin ever traded against the dollar. Bitcoin has become more deeply enmeshed in the global financial system, a state of affairs perhaps reflected best in the push by major institutions like BlackRock and Fidelity to create exchange-traded products that hold BTC. 

The US Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to potentially approve such a product, though today’s price declines reflect what may be lingering anxieties around those prospects.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
  • Supply Shock: Tracking Bitcoin’s rise from internet plaything worth less than a penny to global phenomenon disrupting money as we know it.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research

article-image

Anticipating an economic downturn, venture firms may be less likely to invest

article-image

Trump’s tariffs may have potentially significant impacts on GDP, household spending and food prices — if they hold

article-image

The Binance-affiliated stablecoin lost about $200M of market capitalization

article-image

How the Bitcoin conversation has evolved since the price was less than $1

article-image

The platform also rolled out 13 tokenized funds for institutions on the Connect platform

article-image

The company’s expanded lineup introduces new ETF products, as more and more issuers get into crypto funds