Q 01/05

Under what pseudonym was the Bitcoin white paper published in 2008?

A) Hal Finney

B) Nick Szabo

C) Satoshi Nakamoto

D) Dread Pirate Roberts

Answer · why

C) Satoshi Nakamoto

The paper, 'Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System', was posted to a cryptography mailing list on 31 October 2008 and was initially ignored by...

Q 02/05

On what date was the Bitcoin genesis block mined?

A) 18 August 2008

B) 3 January 2009

C) 22 May 2010

D) 31 October 2008

Answer · why

B) 3 January 2009

The block carried a reward of 50 bitcoins and a hidden message quoting that day's Times headline.

Q 03/05

Which newspaper's headline is embedded in the Bitcoin genesis block?

A) The Times

B) The Financial Times

C) The Guardian

D) The Wall Street Journal

Answer · why

A) The Times

The text reads 'Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks', dating the block and hinting at Nakamoto's motives.

Q 04/05

Who received the first bitcoin transaction, ten coins from Nakamoto in January 2009?

A) Laszlo Hanyecz

B) Hal Finney

C) Wei Dai

D) Gavin Andresen

Answer · why

B) Hal Finney

Finney had built the first reusable-proof-of-work currency in 2004 and was the first person besides Nakamoto to run the software.

Q 05/05

In the first known commercial bitcoin purchase (May 2010), what did Laszlo Hanyecz buy for 10,000 BTC?

A) A used Honda Civic

B) An Alpaca-wool sock

C) A year of web hosting

D) Two Papa John's pizzas

Answer · why

D) Two Papa John's pizzas

The date is now celebrated every year as Bitcoin Pizza Day.