The Crypto Issue

A Year After the Crypto Bubble Burst, Will Bitcoin Ever Recover?

Everybody had crypto dreams. What did they think they were buying?

Photographer: Hannah Whitaker for Bloomberg Businessweek. Prop Stylist: Aja Coon

Bitcoin was worth $3,300 on Dec. 11. That’s amazing, considering that cryptocurrency was created out of nothing 10 years ago. But it’s also depressing to many, because a year ago, Bitcoin’s value hit almost $20,000 in what could prove one of the most dramatic economic bubbles in world history.

The fallout has been stark. “Mr. Satoshi, the CEO, [is] not showing up to provide any kind of explanation … #Shame #Refund,” lamented one frustrated crypto enthusiast online, apparently misinformed about the role of Bitcoin’s unknown, pseudonymous inventor.