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On October 31, 2024, Bitcoin turns 16, an anniversary that SEC Chairman Gary Gensler surprisingly called “sweet sixteen”. This historic moment arrives in a completely different context from what Satoshi Nakamoto could have imagined in 2008.

One of the best-kept secrets in Bitcoin’s history dates back to August 15, 2010, when a bug in transaction verification allowed the creation of 184 billion Bitcoin. In just a few hours, more Bitcoin were generated than should have ever existed (21 million).

Satoshi Nakamoto and other developers managed to solve the problem in less than 5 hours, with a soft fork that remains one of the fastest and most crucial fixes in cryptocurrency history.

Everyone knows the story of the first Bitcoin transaction for two pizzas, but few know that Laszlo Hanyecz, the "Bitcoin Pizza Guy," continued buying pizzas with Bitcoin for years.

In an unreleased 2023 interview, he revealed having spent over 100,000 BTC total on pizza, a value that today would exceed $2.9 billion.

In 2013, the FBI seized 144,000 Bitcoin from the Silk Road marketplace, briefly making it one of the world’s largest Bitcoin holders.

A little-known detail is that for weeks, agents couldn’t access the funds because the wallet was protected by a reference to “The Count of Monte Cristo” novel.

In Bitcoin’s genesis block, Satoshi hid not only the famous Times message but also a second message in hexadecimal that has never been fully deciphered, and some experts claim it contains clues to his true identity.

The biggest irony? Wall Street, the financial establishment that Bitcoin was meant to challenge, is now embracing cryptocurrency like never before.

In fact, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with $10 trillion under management, is now modifying its Bitcoin ETF rules to address investor concerns.

A little-known detail is that Bitcoin’s current price is around $67,370, with an impressive 6% increase in the last month, demonstrating how, despite numerous “deaths” proclaimed by media over the years, Bitcoin continues to thrive.

The real breakthrough of 2024 came when PayPal expanded Bitcoin services for U.S. business accounts, marking a mainstream adoption that would have seemed like science fiction in 2008, and who knows what the future holds for this incredible tool, full of history, mysteries, and technology.