Many people counted out bitcoin and all cryptocurrency a few years ago, but lately, it is undeniable what a price run-up it’s been on. Bitcoin is here to stay.

Although it’s often referred to as new, Bitcoin has existed since 2009 and the technology it is built on has roots going back even further. If you had invested just $1,000 in Bitcoin the year it was first publicly available, you would now be richer to the tune of £36.7 million.

Bitcoin: Stats and Facts – Is Bitcoin The New Gold?

Here are some interesting stats and facts about Bitcoin. Many people wonder “Is Bitcoin the new gold?”

2009 – Bitcoin begins

The Bitcoin software is made available to the public for the first time and mining – the process through which new Bitcoins are created and transactions are recorded and verified on the blockchain – begins.

2017 –Bitcoin reaches $10,000 and continues to grow

A gradual increase in the places where Bitcoin could be spent contributed to its continued growth in popularity, during a period where its value remained below previous peaks. Gradually as more and more uses emerged, it became clear that more money was flowing into the Bitcoin and cryptocoin ecosystem.

During this period the market cap of all crypto coins rose from $11bn to its current height of over $300bn. Banks including Barclays, Citi Bank, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas have said they are investigating ways they might be able to work with Bitcoin.

Meanwhile the technology behind Bitcoin – blockchain – has sparked a revolution in the fintech industry (and beyond) which is only just getting started.

Whatever your opinion on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency – and educated commenters have described them as everything from the future of money to an outright scam – it seems they are here to stay.

Will it succeed in doing what many early adopters and evangelists claim it is destined to – replace government-controlled, centralized money with a distributed and decentralized alternative, controlled by nothing besides market forces? We are unlikely to know the answer for some time yet.

More Details — HuffPost.com

Every 4 years, the reward given to Bitcoin miners for processing transactions is cut in half. This reduction in supply drives up prices based on scarcity
The most recent halving occurred in May 2020 — as pandemic lockdown brought the economy to a standstill. More than 20% of all dollars in circulation were printed in 2020

BUT, the supply of crypto coins is finite, believed to lower inflation risk. Investment in crypto is widely used as a hedge against U.S. inflation
Accessibility Spurs New Investments

DeFi grew from $1 billion to $14 billion in “locked” assets — increasing the value of tokens associated with the decentralized finance platform
Adoption of central bank digital currencies by governments around the globe — Many fearing China’s aggressive moves will leave them behind

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency gave banks permission to hold crypto on behalf of customers — indicating mainstream acceptance

Proof of Stake blockchains became more prominent — Represent just 15% of the crypto market but responsible for driving significant growth
Proof of stake blockchains incentivizing users to “lock” their coins into the network — ensuring long term operability

In January 2021, Bitcoin reached a new high of nearly $42,000, before it (along with other coins) fell by 12% overnight — wiping out $200 billion from the cryptocurrency market

In February, bitcoin hit a new record of $53,000

Tesla purchased $1.5 billion in bitcoin
Announced plants to accept bitcoin payments
CEO Elon Musk called crypto “less dumb” than cash
Apple Pay began accepting BitPay — a prepaid bitcoin MasterCard
Bitcoin can now be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted
Elon Musk is also partially credited for the growth of Dogecoin which has risen over 900% since the start of 2021

What To Expect With Bitcoin In 2021

Increased investing from traditional finance leaders
The emergence of new use cases
The rapid adoption of crypto cards
Proof of Stake will drive most of the activity outside bitcoin
Investors view cryptocurrency as a portfolio optimizer
The U.S. dollar is expected to continue to weaken in 2021 — driving more investment in cryptocurrencies
With cryptocurrencies tearing through records, investors should keep in mind the cost of mining coins

The Cost Of Mining & Maintaining Crypto

In 2017, the estimated power required to run cryptocurrency
More than all the power used by the Republic of Ireland
On track to exceed the power needs of Hungary and New Zealand
In 2018, mining accounted for 1% of the world’s energy consumption
In 2020, Bitcoin consumed 120 gigawatts per second
156 million horses
49,440 wind turbines
It takes 10 minutes and 72,000 GW (or 72 Terawatts) to mine one Bitcoin
As the popularity of cryptocurrency continues to grow, the potential for wild success is attracting investors willing to take on big risks

Crypto’s the future of currency — don’t get left behind!

More Details https://www.expensivity.com