I first learned of Bitcoin while attending University back in 2011. It appeared in a tech blog that boldly stated Bitcoin was going to be the future of money, but that it faced some significant hurdles to get there. One of the main challenges to mainstream adoption I remember reading was that Bitcoin held a certain stigma because it was mostly used to buy drugs and illegal weapons online. But despite this and many other obstacles, the author attempted to convince his readers that Bitcoin was a good investment.

The story broke right as Bitcoin reached an iconic point in its history — one Bitcoin became worth $1. It was sweet validation to all enthusiasts that Bitcoin had a chance to go mainstream. Four months later the price skyrocketed to $31.

Then this week one Bitcoin became worth $19,000.

If I had invested a measly $52 in Bitcoin after reading that article in 2011, it would be worth $1,000,000 today.

This is why you’ve been hearing so much about Bitcoin.