Bitcoin: The Rollercoaster Journey of the World's Most Famous Cryptocurrency Over the Last Decade

• Bitcoin was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto to be a decentralized digital currency free from government and bank control. It works on a peer-to-peer network with no middlemen.

• The first Bitcoin transaction occurred in 2010 when software engineer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 bitcoins for two Papa John's pizzas. Those bitcoins would be worth $700 million today.

• Bitcoin saw early volatility, surpassing $1,000 in value in 2013 before crashing in 2014 after the Mt. Gox exchange hack. This led to a bearish market for several years.

• Bitcoin rebounded in 2017, reaching a high of $20,000 before plunging again in 2018 due to the $530 million Coincheck exchange hack.

• Bitcoin recovered to top $10,000 in 2019 and has seen growing mainstream adoption, despite remaining a volatile cryptocurrency.