The year 2023 has been a roller coaster ride for the crypto world, with highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, and plenty of drama and humor. As always, Crypto Twitter was the place to be for the latest news, insights, memes, and debates.
Here are some of the best Crypto Twitter moments of 2023 that you might have missed or want to relive.
The Bitcoin ETF finally launches.
After years of anticipation, rejection, and speculation, the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) was finally approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February 2023.
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The ETF, which tracks the performance of a basket of Bitcoin futures contracts, was launched by VanEck and SolidX, two firms that had been persistently applying for a Bitcoin ETF since 2016.
The launch was met with jubilation and relief by the crypto community, who saw it as a major milestone for Bitcoin adoption and legitimacy. The ETF quickly attracted billions of dollars in inflows, boosting the price of Bitcoin to new highs.
Elon Musk reveals he owns Dogecoin.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been known for his cryptic and sometimes controversial tweets about cryptocurrencies.
In April 2023, he finally revealed that he owns some Dogecoin, the meme-inspired cryptocurrency that he had previously endorsed as his favorite coin. He made the announcement during an interview with comedian Conan O’Brien, who asked him if he was joking about his love for Dogecoin.
Musk replied that he was not joking and that he actually owns some Dogecoin, which he said he bought for his son as a birthday gift. He also added that he thinks Dogecoin has the potential to become the currency of Mars in the future.
Vitalik Buterin burns 90% of his Shiba Inu tokens.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is a decentralized meme token that was created as a “dogecoin killer” and a tribute to the Shiba Inu dog breed. The token gained popularity and value in May 2023, when it was revealed that Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, had received 50% of the total supply of SHIB as a donation from the developers.
However, instead of holding or selling the tokens, Buterin decided to burn 90% of his SHIB stash, worth about $6 billion at the time, by sending them to a dead address. He also donated 10% of his SHIB to a charity that supports Covid-19 relief in India.
Buterin explained that he did not want to hold such a large amount of power over the fate of a project that he had nothing to do with, and that he wanted to support a good cause instead.
Coinbase goes public and becomes the most valuable crypto company.
Coinbase, the largest and most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the US, made history in June 2023 when it became the first crypto company to go public on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
The company opted for a direct listing instead of a traditional initial public offering (IPO), meaning that it did not issue new shares or raise any capital from investors. Instead, it allowed its existing shareholders to sell their shares directly to the public.
The listing was a huge success, as Coinbase’s shares opened at $381 and soared to $429 on the first day of trading, giving the company a market capitalization of over $100 billion.
Coinbase’s public debut was seen as a watershed moment for the crypto industry, as it demonstrated the growing mainstream acceptance and demand for cryptocurrencies.
NFTs explode in popularity and value.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets that represent ownership of various forms of art, collectibles, gaming items, and more. NFTs use blockchain technology to verify their authenticity and scarcity, making them highly valuable and sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts.
NFTs had a breakout year in 2023, as they became more accessible and diverse, attracting celebrities, artists, athletes, musicians, and brands to create and sell their own NFTs.
Some of the most notable NFT sales of 2023 include: – A digital collage by artist Beeple titled “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”, which sold for $69 million at Christie’s auction house in March.
A tweet by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey that reads “just setting up my twttr”, which sold for $2.9 million in March. A video clip of NBA star LeBron James dunking on an opponent, which sold for $208,000 on NBA Top Shot in February.
A virtual plot of land in Decentraland, a blockchain-based virtual world, which sold for $913,000 in March. A digital painting by artist Pak titled “The Fungible”, which sold for $1.4 million on Sotheby’s auction house in April.