When was the first cryptocurrency created?

The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was created in 2008 with the publication of a whitepaper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" by an individual or group of individuals using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The whitepaper outlined the concept of a decentralized digital currency and proposed a system for peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries like banks or financial institutions. In January 2009, the Bitcoin network was officially launched with the release of the first Bitcoin software client, and the first block, known as the "genesis block," was mined by Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is widely regarded as the first successful implementation of blockchain technology and remains the most well-known and widely adopted cryptocurrency to date.