Bitcoin Is 17 years Old. What surprises you most?

[Abdulzuruku01]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

Maybe the price, institutional adoption, countries holding it, the size of the mining industry, or simply how long Bitcoin has survived.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

Bitcoin is the digital currency that I first witnessed right from it's earliest adoption. A lot surprised me about it, because it has been in existence for 17 years now and it's still fulfilling it's original purpose everyday. At first many doubted bitcoin and thought it was a scam, honestly I also had that mindset too because of the hate people were throwing at it. But today we can all see how fast bitcoin has spread around the world in a positive way. If you look at in terms of investment, bitcoin is one of the fastest growing assets to gain huge financial value. When it comes to privacy I don't see any investment assets that gives that like bitcoin.

[Frankolala]

One of the few things I would be surprised about is actually that not everyone has Bitcoin, I mean not everyone actually see it as a good innovation as me and you so it's normal. Humans tend to always take a negative approach towards good things, so I believe this will be the case with Bitcoin and many other good innovations.

Some people have tied Bitcoin to being a fraudulent coin that scammers use, which is totally the wrong narrative and this alone will take some part of the many people that still haven't chosen Bitcoin.

Anyone that still doubts bitcoin or call it a scam is still floating in the air because bitcoin have overcome all those critics when she was still a baby. Currently, bitcoin is getting matured and the people who hate it before or spreading the FUD are the ones singing her praises daily. Bitcoin is the best form of money man have ever created.

[jahead]

What surprises me the most is the fact that Bitcoin is still "alive". The media, selfproclaimed gurus (like the former German BTC-fanboy Julian Hosp- greetings to you!  ), and various countries have declared it dead or dying so so so many times. Because of this, you could almost say Bitcoin is immortal, even though its only 17 years old. I'm really curious to see what happens when Bitcoin turns 18 and becomes an "adult" under german law.  

[Tetu100]

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

I will be lying if I say I'm not surprised to see how Bitcoin has managed to reached this point after several years of criticism and backlashing from people's, multiple narrative of being a scam, and this is almost two decades and its still doing pretty well. Governmental bodies, financial institutions and many more has fought to ensure it didn't stand, but regardless in all of these storms, Bitcoin is still doing amazing and today is almost two decades. I think it's something worth celebrating, and I am very proud to be in the picture.

[osasshem]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

A 17 years old boy/girl should be in higher levels of education and getting ready to go into the business world and Bitcoin is already in the business world and we'll recognised.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

The part that it doesn't face devaluation. Instead of devaluing, it takes the opposite by appreciating in its price.

The part that it defiles what the government use to think/see as threat as now an asset for store of value.

The part that it gives you freedom to what level of finance you wish to reach if you can be consistent with it.

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

For me, that will be for the government/banking sector to have the idea of building their own blockchain in other for the banking system to be part of the evolving industry.

[Doll2233]

Just because governments have finally started to accept Bitcoin, it doesn't mean they don't hate it anymore or aren't against it, but it's just that they've realized that they can't push it away because its craze and popularity are unmatchable, people just kept getting involved over time and then also institutions started getting involved, and then governments realized that they can't stop it anymore, so they decided that instead of just trying to resist it and push it away, they decided they are going to allow it and then just regulate it and everything around it so that they can also benefit from its usage by taxing people who are involved and using cryptocurrencies.

It's true that a lot of people actually didn't expect this to happen this quickly, but I think it was expected sooner or later, because governments, at least all of them, could never ban or abandon Bitcoin completely because it was growing so fast that it became the fastest growing asset of the world in such a short period leaving assets that have been around for centuries behind in this race.

For me I think the most surprising thing is the level of institutional adoption, which occurred pretty early.

You have few good points because now things are going on good level for bitcoin which was never been expected to have adoption like this specially many governments are bringing legislation for having this as reserve its biggest thing happen for me I never have any idea or feeling this will be happen ever because many was calling this scam or ponzi even many were sure its going to be died soon.
Recently things are revolutionary even price is not increasing as expected but its going to be have good depth in near future limitation is surely good for bitcoin but now as its having few good and soft things now I am pretty sure bitcoin will be have chance of claiming top rank which is currently hold by Gold even its needs time but its going to be happen because now no one is going to stop this from having enough use case and things which are not available in any other invetment.

[Nwada001]

Looking back to the journey and how Bitcoin has moved, my greatest surprise is not what I have achieved with it but how, for an idea that has lasted almost 18 years now, some people are still seeing it as fraud or a scam. Either they are being blinded by their ignorance, which prevents them from paying attention to the journey, code, and how open things have been, or they just know the truth and still choose to play a fool. That still surprises me to date. Even after the countless articles in the past to downplay Bitcoin and it being announced to be dead, it has naturally shorted down most of those haters' mouths.

[SeriouslyGiveaway]

What is that government?
May you share the nation of that government?

The US government. In 2021, Donald Trump called Bitcoin a scam during his interview with  Fox Business, he said that he hates Bitcoin because it is like a competition against the United States dollar. Fast forward to March 2025, same Donald Trump signed an executive order to declare Bitcoin as strategic reserve asset, that answers your question.

Donald Trump changed his stance on Bitcoin but possibly not because of his own change but very possible because of massive changes in the USA for Bitcoin adoption. We all know that in nations like the USA, the President is voted by citizens and he has to serve them, more or less, at different levels, he has to keep up of his President propaganda promises, only partially.

He is a politician and let's never trust politicians. They act for their political career and personal benefits and with Trump, evidence is clear enough from how Trump family got a lot of money from scam tokens launched recent months since his second Presidency.

[Hewlet]

One of the few things I would be surprised about is actually that not everyone has Bitcoin, I mean not everyone actually see it as a good innovation as me and you so it's normal. Humans tend to always take a negative approach towards good things, so I believe this will be the case with Bitcoin and many other good innovations.

Some people have tied Bitcoin to being a fraudulent coin that scammers use, which is totally the wrong narrative and this alone will take some part of the many people that still haven't chosen Bitcoin.

Anyone that still doubts bitcoin or call it a scam is still floating in the air because bitcoin have overcome all those critics when she was still a baby. Currently, bitcoin is getting matured and the people who hate it before or spreading the FUD are the ones singing her praises daily. Bitcoin is the best form of money man have ever created.

I think that we have gone above the era of still looking at bitcoin to be a scam project and anyone that still sees it in that guise is likely looking at it from outside without coming close to see what it truly is because bitcoin in it true form is far from anything that can be tagged as scam.

After all these years, the community of enthusiast it has built stands side by side it reputation and unlike in the early days that it lacked people that actually believed in it, things has changed now because a lot of investors have stayed invested for so a long a time to the point that they remain committed to defending bitcoin any day, anytime.

[Muskanrani]

In the past 10 years, it has not been easy: terrible hate talk about Bitcoin, constant threats from the government, many restrictions, a severe bear market, and attacks (collapse of exchanges). But overall, Bitcoin is doing very well.

The price of Bitcoin is not what even surprises me; my biggest surprise today is that the governments that tried to stop Bitcoin are buying huge amounts of Bitcoin, and as of today, the mining industry has become a global competition.

  Absolutly this is so wondering the irony is real the biggest critics people have now become the big buyers of Bitcoin this is so surprising the thing which surprised me most is that government realized the importance of Bitcoin that if you can't beat it you have to adopt it I believe that " Resilience " is the biggest strenght of Bitcoin and the shifting of Bitcoin from dangerous too now government is buying BTC and building mining hubs  is one of the greatest plot twists in financial history

[KingsDen]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

Consistency in giving profits. Even when you think you are late to the game, bitcoin still has a way to reward you. Bitcoin doesn't forget, it doesn't disappoint, it rewards the faithful.

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

That the government is no longer at war with bitcoin. That the government is not sitting to discuss how to pass bitcoin into the country's laws and acts. In the early days, it was somehow looking impossible because it was the news of ban that was reigning.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

Bitcoin was gifted back then. People earned a lot of bitcoin through faucets. But today, it is becoming harder to earn bitcoin.

[Nothingtodo]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

Maybe the price, institutional adoption, countries holding it, the size of the mining industry, or simply how long Bitcoin has survived.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

Bitcoin is 17 years old but I have known about Bitcoin for about 8 years and in this 8-year history I have heard a lot about digital currency but initially I did not believe them.
The biggest reason behind my belief is that I was very surprised that an invisible currency called digital currency would be so popular. But that is what I was in disbelief about. It was actually my first surprise and disbelief that an invisible currency floating in the air would be so sky-high in the future. Many experienced people told me that it would become digital gold in the future but I still dismissed their words as unimportant but that has become a reality.

[Bitcoin_people]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

Maybe the price, institutional adoption, countries holding it, the size of the mining industry, or simply how long Bitcoin has survived.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

In the past, Bitcoin was not widely known; very few people placed their trust in it or invested in it. Back in 2010, had anyone claimed that Bitcoin would have enduring longevity, that its value would skyrocket, or that millions of people worldwide would invest in it or even that major global corporations would hold Bitcoin in their reserves it would have been difficult to convince anyone. Yet, we have now reached a stage where Bitcoin has achieved exactly that; those who believed in and invested in it years ago have gained significant financial freedom and reaped substantial rewards. While it was once hard to get people to believe in Bitcoin, today they grasp the concept easily and view its future with optimism. We know that the Bitcoin network is built to last, poised to endure for decades; its popularity will continue to grow, and it will become a widely adopted currency with even greater demand than it sees today.

[Pablo-wood]

Bitcoin is 17 years old but I have known about Bitcoin for about 8 years and in this 8-year history I have heard a lot about digital currency but initially I did not believe them.
The biggest reason behind my belief is that I was very surprised that an invisible currency called digital currency would be so popular. But that is what I was in disbelief about. It was actually my first surprise and disbelief that an invisible currency floating in the air would be so sky-high in the future. Many experienced people told me that it would become digital gold in the future but I still dismissed their words as unimportant but that has become a reality.

8 years is a long time for one to have a strong belief in bitcoin. In a space of 8 years 2 halving has already happened and new ATHs attained. It takes immense discipline to hold through those massive cycles without panic selling. Seeing your disbelief turn into strong conviction is enough motivation for many just starting out their Bitcoin journey. As for those who dismissed it as invisible air back then are either watching or have joined in the trained while it keeps cementing its status as the true digital gold.

[dzungmobile]

In the past, Bitcoin was not widely known; very few people placed their trust in it or invested in it. Back in 2010, had anyone claimed that Bitcoin would have enduring longevity, that its value would skyrocket, or that millions of people worldwide would invest in it or even that major global corporations would hold Bitcoin in their reserves it would have been difficult to convince anyone.

Reading about Bitcoin history, challenges, milestones it has reached so far will be very interesting. Many things are simple now and we consider them as default availability for Bitcoin community in 2026 were actually big dreams in earliest years.

Bitcoin history book (it's a preview version shared by Tyke) is a very generous shared document from the book author.

Now Bitcoin has not only been a favorite choice for long term holding by individual investors but by institutional investors and many nations are considering to do it too.

[iBaba]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

Maybe the price, institutional adoption, countries holding it, the size of the mining industry, or simply how long Bitcoin has survived.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

This question just reminds me of something that happened in 2012 when one of my uncle was trying to explain bitcoin to my father and he was just looking at him like, so you are telling me that I should my money and put on the internet or something that they don’t have any physical location. He kept asking how the money could be real if there was no any physical cash or bank, still my uncle tried explaining it but I do not think my father understood much of it that day.

Just imagine if he had understood then and invested, he would have been sitting on a serious fortune today. I really wonder what he would have told my uncle if he had told him that the internet money would still be around more than a decade later and become a serious asset

[RazerMouseMobile]

I'm still surprised that not everyone had known Bitcoin upon the number of years it had stayed, many in the world doesn't know what Bitcoin is and had never heard of it, I am still surprised.
---

Stock Market has been existed for decades. Not everyone even knows it.
Gold and Silver has been existed for decades. Not everyone even knows it. Heck, not everyone might heard it.

The fact that not everyone has known Bitcoin for me at least isn't surprising at all because there are some that for various reasons don't even know that something like it exists. There are many reasons as to why especially for those who live in remote areas and don't even have an access to internet. We as investors don't need to do our part anymore to spread the word about it. Let the internet do it's thing, and let's accept the fact that there will be people who will never hear it just like when they didn't hear the terms "Stock Market" and "Gold and Silver".

I'm thinking of what surprised me the most, and TBH there isn't anything aside from the fact that maybe it survived after being declared "DEAD" for hundreds or maybe even thousands of times.

[Olatundespo]

Bitcoin has been around for 17 years now.

Looking back, what part of Bitcoin’s journey has surprised you the most?

The most surprising thing about Bitcoin from its inception to the present time was its price rise. The time was the beginning of Bitcoin's journey on January 3, 2009. Bitcoin's journey began with Nakamoto mining the first block. Although Bitcoin had no value in the initial state, its price increased due to its limited supply. The skyrocketing trend of price increase surprised me the most.

And what do you think someone from 2010 would find hardest to believe about Bitcoin today?

Many folk questioned its credibility in 2010, but smart people bought Bitcoin. Perhaps I could not have believed it at that time because Bitcoin was not very well known at that time.

Maybe the price, institutional adoption, countries holding it, the size of the mining industry, or simply how long Bitcoin has survived.

What would you have found hardest to believe back then?

I do not believe in most of the shitcoins that are currently on the market. If I had known about Bitcoin in 2010, I might not have given it much importance. At that time, those who initially knew about Bitcoin and decided to buy it after analyzing it were holding Bitcoin.

[Dizciple]

What surprises me the most is the fact that Bitcoin is still "alive". The media, selfproclaimed gurus (like the former German BTC-fanboy Julian Hosp- greetings to you!  ), and various countries have declared it dead or dying so so so many times. Because of this, you could almost say Bitcoin is immortal, even though its only 17 years old. I'm really curious to see what happens when Bitcoin turns 18 and becomes an "adult" under german law.  

17yrs already and still counting now I wish I heard about it much earlier and bought too. I don't have much experience but what I think is surprising to me is that it has been this long that Bitcoin has been existing because if I'm being asked, I'll be thinking that it just starred not too long ago. This 17yrs must be something interesting if all Bitcoin has been receiving were death threats from people in government position. Was Bitcoin that much of a threat to them that they'll have to keep saying Bitcoin is dead but looks like they could not really kill it. I can't imagine the look on their faces after wishing Bitcoin death but they kept on seeing Bitcoin on the news for reaching another ATH and them celebrating when the price of Bitcoin was reaching lowest prices that would be causing panic in the market. There's lots of history in the market of Bitcoin, many of those should have wipes some other currency off the map but Bitcoin is still strong and that's what surprises me about Bitcoin.

[famososMuertos]

We have just marked the fifth anniversary of "September 7th"—the day Bitcoin became legal tender in El Salvador—and the mere idea of ​​it would have seemed astonishing back in 2010: the fact that a country (even though circumstances have changed since then) actually dared to attempt it, with a president spearheading the initiative. It is truly impressive; there are many admirable aspects, but the 100,000 milestone would undoubtedly surprise anyone—and indeed, it still does. Just imagine traveling back in time and telling someone that Bitcoin would reach 100,000.