Bitcoin (BTC) turned 16 last Friday. In December 2024, this digital currency hit a new record price of $108,000. Despite a slight setback, Bitcoin recently surged to $98,690 on January 3. Bitcoin operates on blockchain technology, where transactions are recorded on a decentralized network. The first Bitcoin block was mined on January 3, 2009, marking its 16th anniversary. Over these 16 years, Bitcoin’s price surged from an average of $0.0009 to around $98,000, a remarkable growth of 989 trillion percent. This growth has caught the attention of traditional financial markets. Google stocks, which were priced at $85 in 2004, now stand at $193, yielding a 4,541% return on investment after stock splits in 2022. Amazon stocks rose from $18 in 1997 to $224, resulting in a 29,866% return. Facebook stocks, launched at $38 in 2012, are now trading at $604, delivering a 1,589% return over 12 years. While these companies had significant achievements at age 16, Bitcoin is being embraced by giants like MicroStrategy and Meta Platforms today, possibly accelerating its global adoption and further price growth.
