--- title: "Crypto Site Glitch Makes Some Users Temporary Quadrillionaires" description: "Cryptocurrency prices went completely nuts on several crypto exchanges on Tuesday, spiking to crazy new heights. The price of Bitcoin hit $789 billion." date: "2021-12-16" modified: "2021-12-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/crypto-site-glitch-super-wealthy" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "coinbase" - "cryptocurrencies" - "the digest" --- # Crypto Site Glitch Makes Some Users Temporary Quadrillionaires ![Cryptocurrency prices went completely nuts on several crypto exchanges on Tuesday, spiking to crazy new heights. The price of Bitcoin hit $789 billion.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Going Haywire Cryptocurrency prices went completely haywire on several crypto exchanges on Tuesday, spiking to ludicrous new heights. The price of Bitcoin briefly hit $789 billion on the exchange, for example, a hilarious error that led to several investors attempting to get away with billions, [*Benzinga* reports](). Mainstream exchanges Coinbase and CoinMarketCap were affected by the mysterious glitch. "Coinbase you're drunk," [one Twitter user joked](). The mishap doesn't exactly come as a surprise. The crypto world is no stranger to technical issues plaguing exchanges. Especially when prices spike, we've seen several platforms [go down](), leaving investors in the dark — and missing out. ## Display Issues The hiccup later turned out to be a "display issue" rather than a hack. "We're aware some customers are seeing inflated values for non-tradable crypto assets on coinbase.com and Coinbase Wallet," the exchange wrote in [a statement](). "This is a display issue only and does not impact trading." "Apologies for any confusion — we're still investigating asset price and trade difficulties on Coinbase Wallet," a [follow-up tweet]() reads. Users took the hilarious glitch in strides. "I was expecting to be landed on the Moon not the farthest star in universe," [another user chimed in](), with a screenshot showing their portfolio being worth over $228 million. Dogecoin creator Billy Markus had an equally hilarious run-in. "Ahhh, being an unrealized quadrillionaire is nice, but I think it might raise my tax bracket a bit," [he quipped](). It's not the most confidence inducing incident to see crucial data go haywire. Disruptions like this could also end up leading to mass buy offs, making an already volatile asset even more unpredictable. **READ MORE:** ['Coinbase, You're Drunk:' How Users Reacted After Finding Out Their Crypto Portfolio Was Worth Billions Of Dollars Out Of Nowhere]() \[*Benzinga*\] **More on crypto:** *[Elon Musk Posts Meme Mocking Crypto Fans, Then Crypto Crashes]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()