35 Fascinating Facts About Crypto You Probably Didn't Know
Cryptocurrencies are more than just digital coins. They are a whole world with unexpected stories, paradoxes, and breakthrough technologies that have already changed the global financial landscape.
Inspired by the wealth of amazing stories and facts about the development of the crypto world, we have collected for you 20 of the most amazing, little-known, and simply curious facts about the crypto industry. Some of them will make you laugh, others will amaze you, and others may make you look at digital assets differently.
Fascinating facts about cryptocurrencies
Here are 35 interesting facts about crypto and the crypto industry:
1. The First Product Bought with Bitcoin was a Pizza
On May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoins. At the time, it cost only $41, but today, that amount of BTC is worth over $800 million. Now, on this date, the crypto community annually celebrates "Bitcoin Pizza Day", the day of the most expensive pizza in world history.
2. The Number of Bitcoins is limited
The maximum number of Bitcoins that can be created (mined) is exactly 21 million BTC. Not a single one will be issued. Ever.
3. Satoshi Nakamoto is Still Unknown
The mysterious creator of Bitcoin disappeared shortly after the launch of the network. Satoshi's identity remains a mystery and is possibly a legend. Many have suggested that a group of people are operating under this pseudonym. By the way, April 11, 2025, is the birthday and the round anniversary of Satoshi Nakamoto - he is 50 years old!
4. The First Cryptocurrency Exchange was Called Mt. Gox
The name of the first cryptocurrency exchange stood for "Magic: The Gathering Online eXchange" and it was originally developed for a card game.
5. Lost Keys are Lost Funds
If you forget or lose the private key to your crypto wallet, no one - not even Satoshi Nakamoto himself - can return your tokens to you.
6. There are More than 24,000 Cryptocurrencies
As of early 2025, there are more than 24,000 cryptocurrencies listed on CoinMarketCap. While most of them have little practical use, liquidity, or value in the markets, this number clearly illustrates the complexity and innovative thinking of the crypto world. Some tokens don’t last long, but others try to apply the functionality and benefits of blockchain to solve real-world problems.
7. Ethereum was Launched via a Crowdsale
In 2014, the Ethereum project raised over $18 million through an ICO — and at the time, it was a record for such collections among cryptocurrencies.
8. The First Smart Contract Appeared Before the Blockchain
The concept of smart contracts as such was proposed by Nick Szabo back in the 1990s, long before Bitcoin was created.
9. China is the Leader in the Number of Blocked Crypto Platforms
Since 2017, China has repeatedly imposed bans on trading digital assets and mining cryptocurrencies, but crypto activity in the country is still high.
10. The Largest Crypto Wallet is at Binance
The Binance cryptocurrency exchange controls the largest cold wallet, which stores cryptocurrencies worth billions of US dollars.
11. Dogecoin was Created as a Joke
The "memecoin" Dogecoin was conceived as a parody of Bitcoin, but became a real major digital asset thanks to the strong popularization of Elon Musk and the crypto community.
12. Tokenization has Even Reached Real Estate
Today, you can invest in single square meters of residential and commercial real estate through digital tokens representing a share of the property.
13. Some Coins are Deflationary by Nature
While fiat currency can be printed indefinitely, cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) have a limited supply. Others, like Binance Coin (BNB) and others, have a "burn" mechanic that reduces the supply over time, applying deflationary pressure that helps drive up the price of cryptocurrencies.
14. Mining can be Eco-friendly
There are mining farms that run entirely on solar or geothermal energy.
15. There is a Kind of Phobia in the Cryptocurrency Space
This is FUD — fear, uncertainty, doubt. The term is often used to describe a state of panic in an unstable market.
16. The Most Expensive NFT Sold for $69 Million
Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” Sets Historical Records for Digital Art
17. Bitcoin Is Legal Tender in Two Countries
El Salvador became the first government in 2021 to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. The Central African Republic followed in 2022. The move has sparked a global conversation about financial sovereignty, monetary policy, and the role of cryptocurrency in the country’s economy.
18. Crypto ATMs Are Spreading Around the World
There are now more than 35,000 crypto ATMs worldwide, allowing users to use cash to buy or sell digital currencies. Most are in the United States, but other parts of the world — countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia — are seeing increased adoption. In fact, there are even Bitcoin ATMs.
19. Over 20% of All Bitcoins Have Already Been Lost
About 20% of all Bitcoins ever mined (or about 3.7 million BTC) have already been lost forever, as private keys have been accidentally deleted, lost, or forgotten. Since there were only ever a limited number of 21 million Bitcoins created (and there will never be more), these lost coins contribute to its scarcity, reduce the likelihood of devaluation, and could increase its future value.
20. You Can Record Music on the Blockchain
Some online projects are already offering musicians the opportunity to upload tracks to the blockchain with copyright protection.
21. Ethereum Once Considered Switching to the Bitcoin Codebase
In the early days of Ethereum, its creator Vitalik Buterin actually considered making Ethereum a layer on top of the Bitcoin blockchain. But instead, he decided to build an entirely new system with a much more flexible scripting language, and did so, giving rise to the current digital revolution of smart contracts.
22. Cryptocurrency Mining Can Be Useful for Generating Heat
Some cryptocurrency mining enthusiasts have found creative ways to further repurpose mining rigs, such as using them as space heaters to heat their homes. Since mining hardware generates a lot of heat, especially GPUs and ASICs, people living in cold climates use this “waste” heat as an alternative source of space heating.
23. The First NFT Was Issued in 2014
While NFTs only experienced a boom in growth and mainstream attention in 2021, the original non-fungible token was created 7 years earlier, back in 2014. Anil Dash and Kevin McCoy created “Quantum,” a computer-animated piece of art on the Namecoin blockchain that is now widely recognized in the digital industry as the world’s first NFT.
24. A Cryptocurrency Exchange Once Lost a Record Amount in a Hack
The hack of the Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange (mentioned above) in 2014 was the largest cryptocurrency heist in history. Around 850,000 BTC were stolen, which was valued at $450 million at the time. Today, those Bitcoins are worth over $71 billion (based on April 2025 prices)! This was a turning point for a more serious approach to crypto security and regulation.
25. Blockchain-based Voting has Already Happened
Estonia and other countries have tested blockchain-based voting systems. These systems are expected to add transparency and reduce fraud in elections by using immutable, verifiable records. It is a glimpse of how decentralized technologies can remake political and governmental processes.
26. Vitalik Buterin Was Only 19 Years Old When He Founded Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin published the Ethereum White Paper in 2013, when he was only 19 years old. The initial version of the Ethereum blockchain was released in 2015, and now powers most DeFi and NFT platforms. His vision changed what blockchain can do beyond transactions.
27. Some Cryptocurrencies are Backed by Gold
Gold-backed stablecoins like PAXG or XAUT (Tether Gold) are electronic tokens that represent physical gold stored in separate vaults. They attempt to combine the best features of cryptocurrency — speed, transferability, and divisibility — with the stability and reliability of gold as an asset.
28. Space Data Transactions Are Heading Toward Blockchains
Blockchain technology is also heading to space. Space agencies and NASA are exploring how blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts can be applied to data transfers between missions or between satellites, especially where regular communications are slow and unreliable.
29. Many Coins Reward You for Storing Them
Proof-of-Stake (PoS) coins like ADA (Cardano), Ethereum (post-Merge), Solana (SOL), and others reward staking token holders simply for staking their funds on the network. It’s like earning interest on a savings account — just decentralized and consensus-based.
30. Thanks to NFTs, Some Artists Are Selling More Than Galleries
Digital artists like Beeple have made tens of millions of dollars from NFTs, more than they would likely make in traditional galleries. The NFT boom has offered artists a new direct-to-collector model, cutting out middlemen and allowing them to earn instant royalties for their digitized works.
31. Entire Cities are Now Embracing the Crypto Economy
Cities like Miami and Lugano are trying to integrate crypto into city services. Miami has introduced its own currency, MiamiCoin, while Lugano allows cryptocurrency to be used for taxes and municipal services, making it a pioneer in the use of blockchain at the city level.
32. Crypto Trading is 24/7
Unlike traditional markets, which typically close on weekends and holidays, crypto markets operate continuously and 24 hours a day. These 24/7 activities come with higher volatility, instances of instant failures, and high global availability, making them exciting but also riskier for investors and traders.
33. Blockchain Can Track the Origin of Luxury Goods and Prevent Counterfeiting
Luxury fashion houses like Prada and LVMH are using blockchain to verify the source and authenticity of products. This use case combats counterfeiting and assures buyers that their high-end products are genuine, demonstrating the usefulness of blockchain technology beyond banking.
34. There Are Crypto Games That Let You Earn While You Play
Play-to-Earn (P2E) gaming platforms like Axie Infinity allow gamers to earn cryptocurrency through the process of gaming. This has spawned entire virtual economies where players, mostly from emerging economies, make a living by playing games on blockchain platforms.
35. Most of the World's Cryptocurrency is Stored in Just 1,000 Wallets
More than half of all cryptocurrency mined to date is stored in the virtual wallets of just 1,000 people on the planet. Public addresses are completely anonymous, and it is impossible to identify their owners without their consent. Many experts believe that these are mainly large investors and miners holding on to coins in anticipation of a major rise in crypto market quotes.