| By Loc Le |

The Crypto Phenomenon: The Meteoric Rise of Bitcoin and Early Transactions

For over a decade, the cryptocurrency market has been a hub full of speculation and technological innovation. Starting with the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, numerous cryptocurrencies with various unique advantages and uses have since emerged as the perceived value of these digital mediums of exchange increased. However, this perception wasn’t always the case as Bitcoin, for example, was essentially worthless upon its inception and wasn’t used in an official commercial transaction until May 22, 2010. This transaction, which is very well known today, involved a purchase by Laszlo Hanyecz who paid 10,000 bitcoins to get two pizzas delivered from Papa John’s. At the time of Hanyecz’s purchase, the 10,000 bitcoins he paid with were only valued at around $30 but today, those bitcoins would be worth nearly $630,000,000 which technically makes the pies purchased by Hanyecz the most expensive pizzas ever sold. In all seriousness though, this initial transaction marked the beginning of the crypto uprising as Bitcoin went from being used as payment for pizzas to becoming legal tender in 2021 when El Salvador became the first country to officially adopt it.

Market Insights: Trends and Top Players

In terms of the cryptocurrency market, it has experienced astounding growth since 2013 when it only had a total market cap of around $1.58 billion between seven different cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, which was valued nearly 20 times more than any other cryptocurrency. As of March 2024, the total market cap has drastically increased to approximately $1.32 trillion and is also estimated to be comprised of about 22,000 different cryptocurrencies according to CoinMarketCap. Of those 22,000 different cryptocurrencies, however, only 13,000 of them are active or hold value while 9,000 are considered “dead.” Furthermore, while Bitcoin still currently has the highest market cap and recently reached a record high value of $73,750, the lead isn’t as significant anymore as Ethereum has also been rising in popularity. In addition to Bitcoin ($1.41 trillion) and Ethereum ($481 billion), the top cryptocurrencies based on market cap include Tether ($102.4 billion), BNB ($79 billion), Solana ($66.9 billion), XRP ($38.3 billion), USDC ($30.35 billion), Cardano ($26.5 billion), Dogecoin ($24.5 billion), and SHIBA INU ($19.2 billion). 

Leading Cryptocurrencies: Market Cap Leaders or Speculative Assets?

Despite the clear substantial growth in popularity over the recent years, the cryptocurrency market is still met with skepticism from economists, regulators, and financial experts. One of the primary concerns regarding the market is its high volatility as the prices of cryptocurrencies have been known to dramatically fluctuate in short periods. For instance, Dogecoin, which is considered as the most popular meme coin, originally launched on the market in 2013 as a joke and had little to no value (~ $0.00008547) until 2021 when it experienced a crazed trend on the internet after gaining exposure from influencers such as Elon Musk. As a result, Dogecoin’s price skyrocketed by nearly 27,000% (November 2020 – May 2021), reaching an all-time high of approximately $0.73. This trend, however, quickly diminished as many people began growing skeptical of its long-term practicality, causing Dogecoin’s price to drop down to $0.30 just one month after its peak and ultimately decreasing even further to $0.059 in October 2022. 

Decentralization Dilemma: Freedom or Regulatory Concerns?

In addition to high volatility, cryptocurrency is also decentralized in nature which means that there is often little regulation or oversight. While this aspect is seen as a benefit for some people, especially criminals and terrorists, the lack of regulation is generally a major concern for many economists as it helps facilitate malicious deeds such as multi-level marketing scams and illegal activities including money laundering, bribery, tax evasion, and embezzlement. For example, in 2021, it was discovered by Coinbase, a U.S. cryptocurrency exchange platform, that Hamas was involved in cryptocurrency fundraising alongside several other terrorist groups. Additionally, it was reported by the United Nations that in 2022, North Korea “used increasingly sophisticated cyber techniques” to allegedly steal upwards of $1 billion in cryptocurrency. Thus, in efforts to stop such illicit activities, governments and regulatory agencies have been taking various approaches to regulate cryptocurrency such as “requiring decentralized finance services to meet the same anti-money laundering and economic sanctions compliance obligations as other financial companies.”

Crypto’s Path Forward: Confidence or Caution in Cryptocurrency?

With more than 420 million crypto users and about 18,000 businesses worldwide now accepting it as payment, the cryptocurrency market is expected to continue evolving despite its future remaining relatively uncertain. According to a survey conducted on over 3600 consumers by Deutsche Bank, just over half of the respondents believed that cryptocurrencies will be an “important class and method of payment transactions” in the future and about a third of the respondents forecasted that Bitcoin’s price would fall below $20,000 by the end of 2024. While these statistics may initially suggest that people are doubtful of crypto’s practicality, it is actually the opposite as comparisons to previous surveys indicate that the overall trend in consumer skepticism is decreasing. However, even with the potential for cryptocurrencies to disrupt traditional financial systems, the market still faces significant challenges and criticisms. Therefore, it is crucial for crypto investors to exercise caution and for policymakers to enforce proper regulations that address issues such as volatility and illicit activities. Such responsibility and clear policies will be vital in determining the future trajectory of the cryptocurrency market.