The results are in: Bitcoin is now a member of the Guinness Book of World Records (GWR). Bitcoin is listed in the entry for a number of reasons–being the “first decentralized cryptocurrency” sits at the top.
But wait a second. Guinness got a few things wrong.
How Guinness Made Mistakes
“Bitcoin was developed as a solution to the challenge of regulating a digital currency without any centralized organization,” per the entry. “Each node (i.e., computer) represents a validator, also called, in the case of PoW, a miner.”
The first part of this quote suggests the researcher may still be learning how BTC operates. Yes, Bitcoin is decentralized through proof-of-work. The second part is just not close.
These aren’t the only errors in the Guinness entry. Additionally, GWR record keepers added Bitcoin to the “first” category–meaning “first decentralized currency.” They note the date for this to be January 3, 2009.
False.
Satoshi Nakamoto received the original Bitcoin white paper on October 31, 2008. Happy Halloween.
GWR then goes on to say Nakamoto’s wallet of 600,000 BTC “has been inactive for more than a decade.” The truth is that Nakamoto’s stash of BTC isn’t contained within a single wallet. Additionally, it is estimated that the inventor of Bitcoin currently has over $1 million BTC.
The good news is that Guinness didn’t mess the whole thing up.
For instance, El Salvador was credited with being the first nation-state to accept Bitcoin; the first non-fungible token (NFT) was created on Bitcoin; the first commercial Bitcoin transaction was 10,000 BTC for a $25 pizza.
Bitcoin was also recognized as the oldest and most valuable cryptocurrency.
No Worries, Though
Though not the most accurate Guinness World Records book entry of all time, it’s still quite a feat for Bitcoin. GWR has been recording and publishing random achievements for 67 years. They’re a big deal.
But Bitcoin is no stranger to this type of publicity.
Since Satoshi Nakamoto founded BTC in 2008, it has been recognized by various mainstream media outlets and other platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
Bitcoin was also added to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary in 2016. Now, it’s in Scrabble.
