Cryptocurrency Overview - Bitcoin is the world's first cryptocurrency and decentralized digital currency, launched in early 2009, and has become a mainstream financial asset despite its volatility [1] - Ether, launched in July 2015, operates on the Ethereum blockchain and holds the second largest market share among cryptocurrencies [3] - XRP, owned by Ripple, was launched in 2012 and was one of the larger cryptocurrencies until newer coins entered the market [4] Bitcoin Market Performance - Bitcoin's closing price recently dropped below $90,000, marking its lowest level in over two weeks, and is down approximately 7% year-to-date, sitting around 30% below its record close from October 2025 [2] Ether Market Performance - Ether's closing price fell below $3,000 for the first time in two weeks, with a year-to-date decline of approximately 12% and is about 39% below its record close from August 2025 [3]

RT Brian Cohen (@inthepixels)Nick Szabo’s @NickSzabo4 blog post on Bit Gold (https://t.co/qMplAcMQCf) is widely recognized as a foundational precursor to Bitcoin, introducing key concepts like decentralized digital currency, proof-of-work, and timestamped ledgers. Its influence is well-documented in crypto circles, with Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, likely drawing inspiration from Bit Gold’s architecture, as evidenced by similarities in their mechanisms for achieving trustless, scarce di ...