Value overflow incident
In plain words
15 Aug 2010: A bug let a transaction in block 74,638 create 184,467,440,737 BTC.
What happened
A bug let a transaction in block 74,638 create 184,467,440,737 BTC. A fixed client was released within hours, and the chain without that block overtook it. The only serious inflation bug in Bitcoin's history.
See also
- Bitcoin CoreBitcoin Core is the main software that runs the Bitcoin network, the direct descendant of Satoshi's original program. It is free and open source, maintained by volunteers and grant-funded developers.
- 21 million supply capThere will never be more than 21 million bitcoins. Over 95% are already issued; the rest trickles out with each block until about 2140.
- Satoshi NakamotoSatoshi Nakamoto: Creator of Bitcoin (pseudonym), active 2008–2011. Wrote the Bitcoin whitepaper (31 Oct 2008), mined the genesis block and released Bitcoin v0.1 (8 Jan 2009). Handed the project to other developers in December 2010 and stopped writing in April 2011. First known message: email to Adam Back, 20 Aug 2008.
References
- en.bitcoin.it en.bitcoin.it