The Year of Surprises
Hold onto your hats, folks! 2019 turned out to be the wildest ride in the cryptocurrency amusement park. After the lengthy bear market of 2018 had many analysts feeling like they were stuck on a never-ending rollercoaster, the crypto world saw some monumental shifts. The year began with regulatory chills and ended in a heated embrace from tech giants.
The Winners
Bitcoin’s Comeback
Who knew Bitcoin could make a comeback like an overzealous boomerang? After trudging through the cold winter of discontent in 2018, Bitcoin kicked off 2019 with a swagger that would put a peacock to shame. What started with an 11% increase at the end of the first quarter blossomed into a 165% gain, bringing it from $4,103 to a stratospheric $10,888! Talk about a glow-up. With market dominance climbing from 54.6% to 65%, Bitcoin proved to be the comeback kid of the century.
Gods Unchained – The Unexpected Hit
Imagine being a Knight of the Round Table, except with fewer medieval battles and more card games. Enter Gods Unchained, a blockchain-based card game that flew off the shelves—like it was Black Friday but for digital weirdos. Driven by Blizzard’s controversial move against player Chung Ng Wai for supporting the Hong Kong protests, this Ethereum-built game bagged a cool $6.2 million. Talk about rallying a community to build a new castle!
Coinbase’s Expansion Spree
In the world of exchanges, Coinbase kept plugging along like an over-caffeinated squirrel, doubling the number of cryptocurrencies listed and expanding into over 100 countries. While other exchanges faced security woes, Coinbase managed to keep its reputation solid. Despite some folks being skeptical about their purchase of Neutrino, Coinbase’s growth was stronger than a double espresso.
Binance Takes on the World
Binance stepped into 2019 like a kid entering a candy store—wide-eyed and ready to devour everything. The exchange saw the rise of Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), reeling in over $1.5 billion in the first half of the year. Binance Coin even outperformed Bitcoin with a staggering 150% growth. Who needs a cape when you’re flying so high?
The Losers
Facebook’s Wobbly Libra Launch
Facebook’s Libra project kicked off with so much promise, you could smell the ambrosia from Olympus. However, lawmakers came crashing down like Zeus with a lightning bolt. With major partners pulling out faster than a bad first date, the odds for Libra in 2020 are looking grimmer than a rainy day in Seattle.
A Rocky Road for Circle
Circle, the crypto darling backed by Goldman Sachs, faced some hiccups on its journey to market stardom. While their USD Coin had a warm reception, behind-the-scenes drama saw layoffs and a shuttered mobile app. It’s like their crypto dreams came with a plot twist no one saw coming.
Craig Wright’s Legal Shenanigans
If there’s ever been a soap opera in the crypto world, it’s undoubtedly Craig Wright’s saga. His persistent claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto didn’t just stir the pot; they boiled it over into a full-blown courtroom drama. With his credibility hanging by a thread and a lawsuit regarding a potential Bitcoin heist, this year was more about the gavel than the breakthrough.
A Look Ahead: 2020 and Beyond
As we bid adieu to 2019, the cryptocurrency landscape appears more vibrant than ever, promising new heights and perhaps a few more dips along the way. For Bitcoin enthusiasts and general crypto spectators alike, all eyes will be on Facebook’s Libra project—will it rise from the ashes or will it be a cautionary tale? Time will tell!
