The True Birthday of Bitcoin: January 9th

Many in the cryptocurrency community have long celebrated January 3rd as the birthday of Bitcoin. However, according to Vytautas Kašėta, the president of the Crypto Economy Organisation, this widely accepted date is technically incorrect. Kašėta argues that January 3rd, 2009, was not the true birthdate of the Bitcoin network, despite it being the day when Satoshi Nakamoto generated the #0 block of the Bitcoin blockchain, known as the Genesis block. This block served as the initial point for the network's creation but did not contain any actual transaction data.

In his blog, Kašėta explains, "The Genesis block is only used to kickstart blockchain projects, and anyone can technically generate it."

The real milestone in Bitcoin's history occurred on January 9th, 2009, when the first non-zero block was mined, marking the actual beginning of transactional activity on the Bitcoin network. This distinction is crucial in understanding the true birth of the Bitcoin blockchain and its evolution. While the Genesis block laid the foundation for the network, it was the creation of the first non-zero block that signaled the network's practical capability for secure peer-to-peer value exchange.

Experts agree that both dates hold historical significance, but considering January 9th as the "operational birthday" of Bitcoin provides a more accurate understanding of the network's transition from a conceptual project to a functional system.

In related news, Marathon Digital, an American mining company, has assured its shareholders of its readiness for the changes expected with Bitcoin's upcoming halving in 2024.