The genesis block

In plain words

The genesis block is Bitcoin's first block — block zero, built into every copy of the software. Satoshi mined it on January 3, 2009, and left a newspaper headline inside: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." Part timestamp, part mission statement. Its 50-coin reward can never be spent — a quirk of how it was written — so Bitcoin's first coins sit frozen forever.

Why it matters

• The anchor: every node checks its copy of history back to this block.
• The headline ties Bitcoin's birth to the 2008 bank bailouts.
• It sets Bitcoin's birthday: January 3, 2009.

Go deeper

• The whitepaper
• Satoshi Nakamoto
• Block