Yesterday (22nd), the Bitcoin block height officially reached 888888, symbolizing the approximately 16-year journey since the Genesis Block in 2009, and drawing high community attention due to the number "8" representing "wealth and good fortune" in Chinese culture.
This block not only featured the avatars of Binance founder CZ and He Yi but also unlocked the "secret" mining of the 8th Rune, injecting a spark of vitality into the long-dormant Bitcoin ecosystem.
CZ and He Yi's Avatars Engraved, Forming a 'Photo on Bitcoin'
The 888888 block inscribed CZ's old avatar through the Ordinals protocol, which the community sees as a tribute to his OG status of "selling house to buy Bitcoin". Additionally, He Yi's avatar was also inscribed in the block, creating a "photo on Bitcoin" that sparked discussion.
Upon the news, meme coins related to CZ and He Yi, such as $CZKING and $HYQUEEN, experienced short-term price fluctuations, with many users claiming to "buy the dips", seeing potential in their spread and scarcity.
8 Rune Activates Secret Mining, How to Participate?
This block also triggered a significant event related to the Runes protocol. Runecoin (the Rune token with inscription RSIC) holders with 88,888 or more tokens who perform a "self-rotation" (transferring from address A back to address A) can mine 8 new tokens of "$Secret" per block starting from this block. Those below the threshold can participate by rounding up to multiples, with each additional 88,888 tokens increasing output. Unactivated holders cannot mine.
Previously, the RSIC Non-Fungible Token mining machine had been mining the new $Secret coin. Block 888888 is seen as the second major milestone, unlocking the Rune's secret mining, which will continue until the "F block". The project team has not yet revealed the specific block height of F but stated they will announce it at least 8888 blocks in advance.
Additionally, a "Chaos" was mentioned, which will begin after the F block is announced and continue until the F block, with specific rules still unclear, requiring further attention to subsequent announcements.
Paying Over Thousands of Dollars in Fees to Grab Domain Name
The number "888888" naturally carries an auspicious meaning in Eastern culture, with some users even spending up to $1,051 in mining fees to secure the "888888.bitmap" domain name, marking this historical moment.
