Version 0.1 of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was released.
In 2009, the virtual currency Bitcoin was released in an online post by its pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Version 0.1 of the software included a generation system intended to create, or ‘mine’, 21 million bitcoins through 2040. It catalyzed a boom in digital cryptocurrencies that have been used by various market participants to bypass traditional fiat currencies and seen wild swings in value driven by speculators.