About 090110.xyz: The Transaction That Started It All
In the chronicle of the digital world, some dates forever alter the course of history. January 10, 2009, is one of them. On this day, the first peer-to-peer transfer of value occurred on the Bitcoin network, not only validating a revolutionary idea but also heralding the dawn of a new era. This domain, `090110.xyz`, exists to commemorate that milestone.
The Context: In the Beginning
On January 3, 2009, the mysterious figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto mined the Genesis Block (Block 0), embedding the now-famous message: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." This not only timestamped Bitcoin but also revealed its ideological opposition to the failures of the traditional financial system. For the next few days, the network was silent, with only Satoshi mining. The world was waiting for the first "other" to join.
The Protagonists: The Creator and The First Believer
Satoshi Nakamoto: The anonymous creator of Bitcoin, whose true identity remains one of the greatest mysteries in tech history. He not only authored the whitepaper but also coded the first client software.
Hal Finney: A pioneer in cryptography and a key figure in the "Cypherpunk" movement. He was the first person besides Satoshi to run the Bitcoin software. A staunch believer and early contributor, Finney sadly passed away in 2014 from ALS. His vision and contributions are forever remembered by the crypto community.
The Event: A Historic Handshake on Block 170
One week after the Genesis Block, the historic moment arrived. On Block 170 of the Bitcoin blockchain, a transaction was recorded:
Satoshi Nakamoto sent 10 bitcoins to Hal Finney.
The hash of this transaction
is:f4184fc596403b9d638783cf57adfe4c75c605f6356fbc91338530e985184185
This was more than just a transfer. It was the first time in history a digital asset with potential economic value was successfully transferred from one person to another without a bank, government, or any central intermediary. It was the definitive proof that the "Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" described in Satoshi's whitepaper was real.
Hal Finney himself documented this moment on the Bitcointalk forum:
"When Satoshi announced the first release of the software, I grabbed it right away. I think I was the first person besides Satoshi to run bitcoin... I mined block 70-something, and I was the recipient of the first bitcoin transaction, when Satoshi sent ten coins to me as a test."
Why It Matters
- Proof of Concept: It proved the network could process transactions, not just mint new coins.
- Building Trust: It demonstrated that the system worked as designed, building confidence for early adopters.
- Symbolic Transfer: It symbolized the passing of the torch from the creator to the first believer, marking Bitcoin's transition from a solo experiment to a community project.