Holidays are, obviously, something to look forward to. And aside from the official ones, people around the world have created more, from the serious (National Poultry Day, Astronomy Day), to the middling (No Socks Day, Lost and Found Day), to the downright weird (Annoy Squidward Day, Plan Your Epitaph Day).
For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, there are holidays dedicated to Bitcoin. Today, May 22, is Bitcoin Pizza Day, which marks the day in 2010 when a man from Florida, Laszlo Hanyecz, agreed to pay 10,000 Bitcoin for the delivery of two Papa John’s pizzas.
At that time, those Bitcoins were worth about $41. And though Mr Hanyecz never regretted his decision – it was “incredibly cool” to trade them for pizzas, he said – that amount is now worth, as of Wednesday’s price, more than $1 billion. Ouch.
Bitcoin Pizza Day is one holiday out of dozens dedicated to the cryptocurrency in a year, with websites dedicated to them. Here, we picked out some of the most interesting ones from each month. We reckon these are more of milestones than holidays, since, apparently, it's work as usual.
Also today, Bitcoin surpassed $110,000 for the first time, heading towards another record high. The cryptocurrency climbed as much as 2.2 per cent in early Asian trading on Thursday to hit $110,707, before paring gains, according to Bloomberg.
January 19, 2019: Lightning Torch Day
January is quite eventful for Bitcoin: creator Satoshi Nakamoto – the name used by the unknown person or group behind the currency – started Bitcoin's ledger on January 3 and the crypto was released on January 9, but Lightning Torch Day was on January 19.
On that day, a Twitter user, hodlonaut, began a promotional test of the payment protocol Lightning Network by sending 100,000 satoshis (the smallest unit of the currency, worth about 0.001 Bitcoin) to a trusted recipient. As part of the test, each recipient was asked to add 10,000 satoshis – $0.34 at the time – to send to the next trusted recipient.
That “lightning torch” payment chain reached notable personalities including Lightning Labs boss Elizabeth Stark, Litecoin creator Charlie Lee, Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and then-Binance chief Changpeng Zhao.
February 19, 2021: Trillion-Dollar Day
This was the day that Bitcoin's market capitalisation hit the $1 trillion mark, a remarkable achievement for the highly volatile, pessimism-inducing asset. That has only grown exponentially since: as of Thursday, its market cap is sitting at more than $2.21 trillion.
There's also another pizza day in this month – eight years after his first pizza Bitcoin purchase, Mr Hanyecz was back at it with the first real-world Bitcoin purchase, this time over the Lightning Network.
March 3, 2017: Gold Parity Day
The date Bitcoin's price caught up to the price of gold, with both at about $1,200 is known as Gold Parity Day.
Bitcoin – and crypto in general – are being touted as the next safe-haven asset after gold, which is a famous hedge against inflation and economic volatility. Since this day, gold, at its recent peak, has tripled in value, while Bitcoin has rocketed nearly 8,500 per cent.
Also worth noting in this month is April 28, when Bitcoin's market cap crossed the billion-dollar mark.
April 23, 2011: Satoshi Nakamoto disappears (and his birthday)
Satoshi Nakamoto – the pseudonymous creator of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency Bitcoin – sent out a final private post to Bitcoin developer Mike Hearn that said the token was “in good hands”, and that he/she/they has/have moved on to other endeavours, four months after he/she/they were last seen online.
Satoshi Nakamoto's birthday was also in this month, on April 5, 1975, according his/her/their P2P Foundation profile.
May 2, 2013: Bitcoin ATM Day
The very first Bitcoin automated teller machine was installed at Waves, a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada. It had a built-in palm scanner, which was designed to prevent users from processing more than C$3,000 in a day.
Europe got its first Bitcoin ATM in December 2013, while the US waited until February 2014.
As of May, there are 38,299 Bitcoin ATMs around the world, according to Statista Research.
June 9, 2021: 'Bitcoin Legalised in El Salvador Day'
El Salvador's parliament voted to make Bitcoin legal tender in the Central American nation, marking a significant milestone. Its first real-world use would come 90 days later on September 7.
The only other country where the cryptocurrency is legal tender is the Central African Republic, where it was approved in 2022. Making crypto legal tender is difficult, given all the uncertainty and scepticism.
The country most likely legalise Bitcoin next is Paraguay, according to a poll on CoinMarketCap. The UAE, in that same study, is listed as the ninth most likely.
July 9, 2016: The second halve
On this day, the second Bitcoin halving happened. Halving involves a change in the token’s underlying blockchain technology that is designed to reduce the rate at which new Bitcoins are created. The block reward dropped from 25 Bitcoin to 12.5 Bitcoin per block.
Halving – which takes place every four years – has long been touted as a positive catalyst for cryptocurrency prices since it reduces supply of new tokens from the blockchain.
The third halving happened on March 14, 2024; the fourth is expected in 2028.
August 1, 2017: Bitcoin Independence Day
August 1, 2017, marked the end of the Blocksize Wars, which was a technical debate on the scaling of the Bitcoin blockchain.
It was a heated argument on several issues, including on who should control the Bitcoin protocol, how much value should be decentralised and the longer-term plan for the Bitcoin market.
The endgame came when Bitcoin users “demonstrated their independence from miner control” by deploying a software upgrade that bypassed miners who were not co-operating, essentially sending a message that users, not miners or companies, controlled Bitcoin rules.
September 2, 2014: Opendime makes its debut
This day marked the launch of Opendime, a Bitcoin bearer instrument.
According to Investopedia, a bearer instrument, or bearer bond, is a type of fixed-income security issued in physical form to the purchaser in which no ownership information is recorded.
Or, as capital markets firm CoinShares explains, whoever controls the private keys assigned to the coins is the effective owner of the Bitcoin.
October 31, 2008: Bitcoin Whitepaper Day
This is the day Satoshi Nakamoto revealed the Bitcoin whitepaper to the world through a cryptography mailing list.
In it, Satoshi Nakamoto touted Bitcoin's “several important properties”, pointing out that double-spending is prevented by peer-to-peer networks; that it has no mint or other trusted parties; that participants can be anonymous; and several other technical aspects that boiled down to the ultimate point: cryptocurrencies are safer than traditional forms of finance.
It was probably the ultimate successful pitch, considering how crypto proponents ran with it and the market exploded.
November 28, 2013: Haters in Disbelief Day
The day Bitcoin broke the $1,000 mark – confounding the critics as it was a feat that, at the time, wasn't thought possible.
Now, with Bitcoin having breezed past $100,000, we wonder where all the haters are (there are no statistics for Bitcoin converts).
December 13, 2010: La Fuga – Satoshi Nakamoto signs off
This was the day Satoshi Nakamoto marked his/her/their final online appearance, last being active at 4.45pm ET, a day after the Bitcoin creator sent a final public message.
This further fuelled speculation on Satoshi Nakamoto's true identity; there are also a number of others who are suspected to be the creator of Bitcoin. One thing is certain: when that identity is revealed, it will be on this list.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
SPECS
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Barbie
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE%20SQUAD
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Pakistanis%20at%20the%20ILT20%20
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
How%20I%20connect%20with%20my%20kids%20when%20working%20or%20travelling
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kandahar%20
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Results:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The view from The National
