In June 2010, American Bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen launched a website known as the Bitcoin Faucet.

This website would reward visitors with 5 BTC for simply completing a CAPTCHA — which is a basic test to prove you’re human. You didn’t need to pay, mine, or trade anything — just solve a tiny puzzle.�

At the time Bitcoin was nearly worthless — 5 BTC might’ve been worth only a few cents. But as Bitcoin’s value skyrocketed over the next decade, that same 5 BTC became worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.�

The faucet distributed roughly 19,700 BTC total as it continued giving out coins to users.�

It was intended to get more people familiar with Bitcoin in its early days, not as a scheme to make people rich.�

The site eventually shut down as the giveaway became unsustainable with Bitcoin’s growing popularity and higher value.
#BTC #viral