A lone bitcoin is now worth about $22,000.

It just took 12 years for the robust cryptocurrency to reach the landmark. Bitcoin crossed the $21,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday. It’s a big achievement for unpredictable cryptocurrencies and one that may be a tipping point in its path into mainstream significance. Is this going to be a high point or just a step stone?The cryptocurrency entered the scene in 2009 and was developed by a person or a group of individuals called Satoshi Nakamoto. Despite numerous inquiries and misleading statements, the real identity of Bitcoin’s inventor remains a mystery.Bitcoin has been relative obscurity for several years but had begun to emerge on the radar of enthusiasts in the early to mid-2010s. As Bitcoin’s worth hit the $1,000 threshold at the beginning of 2017, all bets were off. The cryptocurrency grew in value over the next few months and looked bound to smash the $21,000 mark.

At the end of the day the worth hit just north of $19,000 in mid-December 2017, and that’s when the sale began. Within the next year, Bitcoin’s valuation dropped to almost $3,000, and it felt that it was nothing more than a short-lived fad. Bitcoin’s revival began at the beginning of 2019, and after a few false starts, the value began to rise again. As of this article, a single bitcoin is exchanging $21,989.70. Some suggest that 2021 will be a bitcoin breakout year, and that it could theoretically be as big as $100,000.Travis Wolfe, SPF, Picture Credit