比特幣支付的演變：從披薩日到主流採用

雖然許多人將比特幣披薩​​日稱為有史以來第一次使用比特幣的商業交易，但值得注意的是，從技術上講，這並不是第一次使用加密貨幣進行的「支付」。

On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz, a programmer from Florida, made history by purchasing two large pizzas with 10,000 BTC, marking the first known commercial transaction using Bitcoin. This event, now celebrated as 'Bitcoin Pizza Day,' played a pivotal role in the cryptocurrency's journey toward mainstream adoption.While this transaction is widely regarded as the first commercial use of Bitcoin, it's essential to note that the initial entry of Bitcoin into the system occurred with the mining of the Genesis Block by Satoshi Nakamoto on January 3, 2009. This block, mined solo by Nakamoto, contained a reward of 50 BTC, setting the stage for the cryptocurrency's entry into the world.As Bitcoin gained traction, several key milestones and developments shaped the landscape of crypto processing. In 2011, BitPay emerged as one of the pioneering companies dedicated to facilitating Bitcoin transactions for merchants. Their core innovation was a system that allowed merchants to accept Bitcoin while simultaneously converting it into fiat currency at a fixed exchange rate.This solution proved invaluable for businesses, shielding them from the price volatility characteristic of Bitcoin at the time. BitPay also integrated with various e-commerce and point-of-sale platforms, enabling both online and brick-and-mortar stores to accept Bitcoin as easily as traditional credit card payments.One of BitPay's early successes was its partnership with WordPress in 2012, enabling the popular blogging platform to accept Bitcoin for its premium services. This marked a significant step toward mainstream acceptance and highlighted Bitcoin's viability for digital content purchases.In 2014, the adoption of cryptocurrency payment processing accelerated significantly. This year saw the launch of CryptoProcessing, operated by CoinsPaid, which supported not only Bitcoin but over twenty digital assets and more than forty fiat currencies.Simultaneously, PayPal made a groundbreaking move by integrating Bitcoin through its subsidiary Braintree. This integration allowed merchants using Braintree to accept Bitcoin payments, signaling a major step toward mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrency. The backing of such a major payment processor demonstrated the growing legitimacy and potential of Bitcoin in everyday transactions.Microsoft also entered the fray in 2014 by starting to accept Bitcoin for digital content. This move by a tech giant further pushed Bitcoin into the mainstream, highlighting its viability as a payment method for digital goods and services.Another significant development was the launch of Coinbase Merchant Services, which provided an easy-to-use interface for businesses to integrate Bitcoin payment options into their existing systems with minimal hassle.One of Coinbase's notable achievements that year was its partnership with Overstock.com. This collaboration allowed Overstock, a major online retailer, to start accepting Bitcoin, setting a precedent for other large companies to follow and paving the way for broader acceptance of cryptocurrency in mainstream commerce.As the years progressed, the interest in cryptocurrencies grew, fueled by technological advancements and increasing public awareness. By 2017, the initial coin offering boom captured global attention. Businesses and startups raised billions of dollars through ICOs, demonstrating the financial potential of blockchain technology.During this period, more companies began to experiment with accepting cryptocurrencies as new, more efficient chains made cryptocurrency transactions a cheaper, quicker alternative to fiat payments. For instance, in 2016, Steam, the popular gaming platform, started accepting Bitcoin for game purchases.The year 2020 marked a turning point. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation across industries, including finance. Cryptocurrencies saw a surge in adoption as both an investment vehicle and a means of transaction.Major companies like PayPal announced support for cryptocurrencies, allowing users to buy, hold, and sell digital currencies through their platform. This was a significant milestone, as it integrated cryptocurrencies into a mainstream financial service used by millions.In parallel, the concept of decentralized finance (DeFi) gained prominence. DeFi platforms enabled financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading without traditional intermediaries, thanks to smart contracts on the blockchain.This movement not only broadened the use cases for cryptocurrencies but also showcased their potential to disrupt traditional financial systems.Despite these advancements, the crypto processing landscape faced several challenges. Regulatory uncertainty remained a significant hurdle. Governments and regulatory bodies around the world grappled with how to classify and oversee cryptocurrencies, leading to a patchwork of regulations.For businesses, navigating this landscape was complex and risky. Additionally, the inherent volatility of cryptocurrencies posed another challenge, as price fluctuations could impact the stability and predictability needed for routine business transactions.Solutions like stablecoins emerged to mitigate this issue, but the broader volatility of the crypto market continued to affect merchant confidence. Another critical concern was security. In 2020, the KuCoin exchange was hacked, resulting in the theft of over $275 million in various cryptocurrencies. Similarly, in 2022, the Wormhole bridge, which facilitates transfers between different blockchain networks, was exploited for approximately $320 million.As a result, businesses had to invest significantly in cybersecurity

2010 年 5 月 22 日，來自佛羅裡達州的程式設計師 Laszlo Hanyecz 用 10,000 BTC 購買了兩個大披薩，創造了歷史，這是已知的第一筆使用比特幣的商業交易。這項活動現在被稱為“比特幣披薩​​日”，在加密貨幣走向主流採用的過程中發揮了關鍵作用。幣最初進入該系統是在2009 年1 月3 日中本聰(Satoshi Nakamoto) 開採創世區塊(Genesis Block) 時發生的。的獎勵，為加密貨幣進入世界奠定了基礎。 2011 年，BitPay 成為致力於為商家提供比特幣交易便利的先驅公司之一。他們的核心創新是一個系統，允許商家接受比特幣，同時以固定匯率將其轉換為法定貨幣。的影響。 BitPay 還與各種電子商務和銷售點平台集成，使線上和實體商店能夠像傳統信用卡支付一樣輕鬆地接受比特幣。接受比特幣作為其優質服務。這標誌著向主流接受邁出了重要一步，並凸顯了比特幣在數位內容購買方面的可行性。今年，CoinsPaid 推出了CryptoProcessing，它不僅支援比特幣，還支援二十多種數位資產和四十多種法定貨幣。舉動。這種整合允許使用 Braintree 的商家接受比特幣支付，這標誌著加密貨幣向主流接受邁出了重要一步。這樣一個主要支付處理商的支持證明了比特幣在日常交易中日益增長的合法性和潛力。科技巨頭的這項舉措進一步將比特幣推向主流，凸顯了其作為數位商品和服務支付方式的可行性。比特幣支付選項輕鬆地融入他們現有的系統中。此次合作使大型線上零售商Overstock 開始接受比特幣，為其他大公司效仿樹立了先例，並為主流商業更廣泛地接受加密貨幣鋪平了道路。與日俱增，技術進步和公眾意識的提高。到了2017年，首次代幣發行熱潮吸引了全球的關注。企業和新創公司透過ICO 籌集了數十億美元，展示了區塊鏈技術的財務潛力。比法定支付更便宜、更快捷的替代方案。例如，2016年，流行的遊戲平台Steam開始接受比特幣購買遊戲。 COVID-19 大流行加速了包括金融在內的各行業的數位轉型。加密貨幣作為投資工具和交易手段的採用率激增。這是一個重要的里程碑，因為它將加密貨幣整合到了數百萬人使用的主流金融服務中。借助區塊鏈上的智能合約，DeFi 平台無需傳統中介機構即可實現借貸和交易等金融服務。這些進步，但加密處理領域面臨一些挑戰。監管不確定性仍然是一個重大障礙。世界各地的政府和監管機構都在努力解決如何對加密貨幣進行分類和監管的問題，從而導致了監管的混亂。此外，加密貨幣固有的波動性帶來了另一個挑戰，因為價格波動可能會影響日常商業交易所需的穩定性和可預測性。市場更廣泛的波動性繼續影響商人的信心。另一個關鍵問題是安全性。 2020 年，KuCoin 交易所遭到駭客攻擊，導致超過 2.75 億美元的各種加密貨幣被盜。同樣，2022 年，促進不同區塊鏈網路之間傳輸的蟲洞橋被利用了約 3.2 億美元。