TOP TEN 2014 BITCOIN MILESTONES
OK – so everyone’s doing it – posting up their top ten lists for 2014. Not wanting to be left out in the fiat wilderness, I’m offering up my own personal take on what the big milestones were for Bitcoin in 2014.
1. MICROSOFT ACCEPTS BITCOIN AS PAYMENT
Whether in response to Apple Pay or through understanding the likely future of money, Microsoft Corp leant new legitimacy to and helped normalize Bitcoin as a currency of the future.
2. GREENPEACE ACCEPTS DONATIONS IN BITCOIN
Greenpeace is the most widely recognized environmental group in the world so the Bitcoin community was thrilled that Greenpeace is, not only accepting Bitcoin donations but is also advocating for the widespread use of digital currencies.
3. BITCOIN ATMS SPRING UP AROUND THE WORLD
There were only a handful of Bitcoin ATMs at the beginning of 2014 and there are now 341 worldwide. Coinradar.com tracks Bitcoin ATMs and has lots of charts to show that most of the world’s Bitcoin ATMs were installed in 2014.Canada leads the world in Bitcoin ATMS per capita with 68 (there are 95 in the US).
4. RED CROSS AND UNITED WAY ACCEPT BITCOIN
Two of the world’s leading charities, the U.S. Red Cross and the United Wayhelped legitimize Bitcoin by accepting donations in digital currency.
5. CHINA’S EXCHANGES GROW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT STEPS BACK
BTC, Huobi and OKCoin had a good year in part, because the Chinese government said it believes digital currencies can coexist with fiat currencies. This positive development was not in the cards at the beginning of 2014.
6. ETHEREUM AND ITS CREATOR VITALIK BUTERIN BEAT OUT MARK ZUCKERBERG FOR THE WTN IT SOFTWARE AWARD
One of the most prestigious international organizations – the World Technology Network – picked Ethereum and its creator Vitalik Buterin over Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg for its IT Software award. The crypto 2.0 Ethereum platform raised over $18 m. in crowdsourced funding in 2014 and is on target for their release in Spring 2015.
7. CANADA BECOMES WELL PLACED TO BE A WORLD BITCOIN LEADER AS THE GOVERNMENT GIVES THE BITCOIN COMMUNITY ROOM TO BREATHE
Whether it was Andreas Antonopoulos presentation to the Canadian Senate Banking Committee or other expert witnesses or whether the Canadian government understood the importance of allowing this new innovation to flourish, the government has given sober second thought to regulating Bitcoin.
8. THE TALE OF THE NEW YORK BITLICENSE CONTINUES
This story isn’t over yet but it has dominated the discussion about regulating Bitcoin. The BitLicence is a milestone because it forced a conversation about regulation that we had to have – above board with lots of public participation.
9. TIME MAGAZINE ACCEPTS BITCOIN
This story went largely unnoticed but is a huge step forward toward the legitimization of Bitcoin.
10. THE BITCOIN BOWL BREAKS THE ESPN BARRIER TO BRING BITCOIN TO THE SPORTS CROWD
BitPay sponsored this year’s end of season college football game in St. Petersburg, Florida on Dec. 26 and Bitcoin played a big part in the event whlie the nearby municipality of Madeira Beach declared Bitcoin its official currency.
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