Damus
BTCPrague profile picture
BTCPrague
January 3, 2009.

Seventeen years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block in Bitcoin’s blockchain — the Genesis Block.

This marked the transition
from a theoretical proposal
to a live, functioning monetary system.

Embedded in the Genesis Block is the following message:

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

The Genesis Block reflects the conditions that made Bitcoin necessary.

The Genesis Block is structurally unique.

– It has no predecessor
– Its block reward cannot be spent
– It was not issued by any institution or authority

It exists as an immutable starting point —
the foundation of the entire Bitcoin system.

Bitcoin began with a public record of monetary failure
and responded with an alternative based on:

– Transparency
– Rules, not discretion
– Decentralization by design