Bitcoin Forum

Anyone care to contribute to a list of major events, milestones and challenges that bitcoin faces as the public and governments become more aware, as more users start to use bitcoins, as the value continues to increase, and so on?

Such as the day bitcoin reaches a value of $10, $25, 50, $100 USD, and possibly $1000 USD.
The day the first government officially reacts and takes some kind of action.
The day a major media outlet officially shows recognition.

I was thinking of just keeping up with any milestone events here that I think of, and trying to come up with names for them :)

If anyone cares about this at all, I'll add them to the original post.

First mention of Bitcoin in the print edition of a daily newspaper.
First mention of Bitcoin in a public statement from a government official.
Date that half of all the Bitcoins (i.e. 10.5 million) have been generated.
First mention of Bitcoin in PayPal's terms and conditions, or on PayPal's policy or help pages.
Google Trends shows more searches for "bitcoin" than for "dollar".
First wallet-stealing virus in the wild.
First Bitcoin exchange or online wallet service goes bust.
Amazon accepts Bitcoins.
Bitcoins become the de-facto currency in some country that's affected by hyperinflation.
Bitcoin exchange rates are reported by a currency conversion site like xe.com
First retail currency exchange outlet exchanges Bitcoins.
First vending machine accepts Bitcoins.
First working "wifi-for-bitcoins" scheme.
Some country introduces legislation pertaining to block chains.
One million .bit domain names registered.
First corporation introduces a rival "currency" confusingly similar to Bitcoin.
First social network site adopts Bitcoin for in-site use.
First zero-configuration Bitcoin heater is commercially sold.
First country modifies its tax code in response to the growth of Bitcoin.
Bank makes housing loans denominated in Bitcoins.
The bitcoin base unit (one satoshi) reaches parity with one US cent or one Euro cent.
A paper currency circulates that is backed by bitcoins.
A song that mentions Bitcoin makes it to a popular top 100 list.
Bitcoins can be transferred by tweeting.
An electricity supplier offers a tariff designed for Bitcoin generation.
Someone's Bitcoin wallet is seized by government action.
The census form asks a question about Bitcoin.
The Unicode consortium designates a Bitcoin symbol.
ISO designates a Bitcoin currency code.
The usability of Bitcoin is interrupted by a security flaw in the standard client.
A simplified client is distributed that doesn't store the whole block chain.
Satoshi Nakamoto is awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics.
Satoshi Nakamoto's identity is outed.
The IMF steps in to "manage" Bitcoin.
A major browser ships with integrated support for Bitcoin.
First Bitcoin app accepted into the iPhone's app store.
Oil is primarily priced in Bitcoins.
The biggest Bitcoin holder is more wealthy than the biggest dollar holder.

I don't know if you'd consider this a milestone, but a reporter from The Daily (the ipad news app owned by News Corp) just interviewed me yesterday for a story they're doing on Bitcoin.  Maybe Ruport Murdoch will read it and try to buy every bitcoin.  :)

Thanks to Gavin for helping me with some Bitcoin "talking points".

Bitcoin makes it to the front page of The Economist.
There are more people with a Bitcoin address than a Facebook account.
There are more people in Africa with a Bitcoin address than a bank account.
There are more people in the world with a Bitcoin address than a bank account.
Paypal supports accounts denominated in BTC (just kidding, this will never happen!)
A major bank supports accounts denominated in BTC.
Iceland holds BTC reserves.
Bitcoin replaces WoW gold.
A major university offers a Bitcoin-specific graduate degree.
Bitcoin is used to pay for a kidnap ransom.
A Bitcoin bounty is awarded to an anonymous player who correctly predicts the time and place of death of the kidnapper.
The first block is generated in space.
My hairdresser recommends that I should invest in Bitcoin.

If there was an easy way to do long bets using BTC, I'd wager that PayPal will support BTC before 2020.

...
Hair dresser takes Bitcoin.
Hair dresser only takes Bitcoin.

U can try here :
http://longbets.org

That. More than a few people on this forum might be faced with some major purchasing power if that happens. In fact, this might be the one final achievement marking Bitcoin as a success. I think just a single article might suffice for some major event in the history of Bitcoin.

Unless, of course, the mention is heavily correlated with words like "drugs" "police" and "prison". I don't know where things would go with that. ;)

first major bitcoin fraudulent scandal that hits the press outside of being a joke

Nielsio retracts himself and say that bitcoin is better than carrots.

Bitcoin drops in value to the point where laszlo was better off with the pizzas after all.

Bitcoin reaches parity with Alpacas.
Hair dresser puts out for Bitcoin.
Fast Food chain opens up: The BTC grill, where the food is cooked with heat produced by mining GPUs.
China starts manufacturing metric tons of crappy GPUs that catch on fire or explode in contact of thermal paste.
The national hashing lottery, where people can bet on a nonce.
Apple tries to run its own block chain, iCurrency. The gay and hipster community join it en masse
Rapper exhibits his huge necklace with a golden plated usb key holding his wallet.dat at the end in a music video.
Rappers usage of the letter G now refers to Geek.
Lady gaga gets herself a dress made out of usb keys.
Government subsequently bans usb keys.

Number of bitcoins in existence reaches parity with number of bitcoin fantasies in existence.

LOL.

"Haha, do you remember Bitcoin? I heard a guy got two free pizzas."

I think this is in the print edition:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/bitcoin-ven-and-the-end-of-currency/2011/05/20/AFFoWd7G_story.html