not to mention that bitcoin wasn't the first either! it is the upgraded replacement to other smaller and less secure projects that existed before bitcoin came along.
I didn't not even know this lol. Tho, even if bitcoin was not the first ever digital currency project. I can still consider it as the first out of the crypto industry which has the unique approach in terms of currency.
Tho, for the sake of the discussion here are the list of previous projects that attempts to create a digital money
https://www.investopedia.com/tech/were-there-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin/ Hashcash was the most successful before bitcoin