On January 3, 2009, a person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto created the first block of the Bitcoin blockchain (the Genesis Block), establishing the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency. The Genesis Block contained a message referencing The Times newspaper headline about bank bailouts, suggesting Bitcoin was designed as an alternative to traditional banking systems. This was followed by the first person-to-person Bitcoin transaction on January 12, 2009, when Nakamoto sent 10 bitcoins to cryptographer Hal Finney.