Bitcoin is often lauded as an innovative breakthrough in the digital age, and for good reason. The cryptocurrency is decentralized, global, open-source, and borderless. But what exactly is Bitcoin, and why does it have any value?

Bitcoin is a digital asset and a payment system invented by Satoshi Nakamoto. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public dispersed ledger called a blockchain.

Bitcoin is unique in that there are a finite number of them: 21 million.

Bitcoins are created as a reward for a process known as mining. They can be exchanged for other currencies, products, and services.

As of February 2015, over 100,000 merchants and vendors accepted bitcoin as payment.

The value of a Bitcoin is determined by supply and demand. When demand for Bitcoins increases, the price increases.

When demand decreases, the price decreases. There are only 21 million Bitcoins in existence, so when demand increases, the price goes up accordingly.

What gives Bitcoin value is its built-in scarcity and usefulness as a digital asset and payment system. The fact that it is decentralized makes it all the more valuable, as it is not subject to government or financial institution control.

With increasing mainstream adoption, the value of Bitcoin is only likely to increase in the years to come.