The genesis block is the first block of a blockchain, numbered block 0, and every later block links back to it. Bitcoin's genesis block is dated 3 January 2009 and quotes a headline from The Times. For buyers, it is where Bitcoin's shared transaction record begins: every confirmed payment sits in a block chained back to it.
How the genesis block works
Every block on a blockchain stores the hash (a digital fingerprint) of the block before it. The genesis block is the exception: it has no block before it to point to.
Bitcoin’s genesis block is built into the Bitcoin software, so every full node starts from it. Blocks are numbered from it, which is why it is also called block 0. Other networks have their own. Ethereum’s block 0 dates from 30 July 2015.
Example
Bitcoin’s genesis block is timestamped 3 January 2009 at 18:15:05 UTC. Its only transaction carries the text “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks”, a headline from The Times that day. Quoting it shows the block was not made earlier.
The block created a 50 BTC block reward that cannot be spent. Block 1 followed on 9 January 2009, pointing back to the genesis block’s hash. View Bitcoin’s genesis block on mempool.space, a public block explorer.
Why it matters when you buy crypto
Every confirmed Bitcoin transaction sits in a block that links, hash by hash, back to the genesis block. Crypto is delivered to the wallet address you provide, and that transfer is recorded in a new block on the same chain. Each block added on top is a confirmation. Changing an old block would mean redoing every block after it.
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Risks and red flags
- “Genesis coins” for sale are a scam. The genesis block’s 50 BTC cannot be spent, so nobody can sell them. Learn how to protect yourself from fraud.
- Sending coins to the genesis address is final. As of September 2026, tens of thousands of transfers have gone to the address tied to the genesis block, and none has been moved out. Blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, so coins sent there are lost to you.
- “Genesis” is also a marketing label. New tokens and NFT drops may borrow the word. It says nothing about their safety.
Go deeper: What Bitcoin is and how it works.
