Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system. It is the first decentralized digital currency, as the system works without a central bank or single administrator. The network is peer-to-peer and transactions take place between users directly, without an intermediary.
These transactions are verified by network nodes through the use of cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin was invented by an unknown person or group of people under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009.
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. Research produced by the University of Cambridge estimates that in 2017, there were 2.
9 to 5.8 million unique users using a cryptocurrency wallet, most of them using bitcoin.
Bitcoin is traded on a variety of exchanges and can also be used to purchase goods and services. The price of a bitcoin fluctuates constantly and is determined by supply and demand on the exchanges where it trades. When demand for bitcoins increases, the price increases, and when demand falls, the price falls.
There is a limited number of bitcoins in circulation and new bitcoins are created at a predictable and decreasing rate, which means that demand must follow this level of inflation to keep prices steady. Because bitcoin is still a relatively small market compared to what it could be, it doesn’t take significant amounts of money to move the market price up or down, and thus the price of a bitcoin is still very volatile.
NOTE: WARNING: Trading GBTC at a premium to Bitcoin is highly speculative and carries a significant degree of risk. Any gains or losses from this type of investment will likely be amplified due to the premium, so it is important to fully understand the dynamics of this market before investing. Additionally, since GBTC is not traded on a regulated exchange, there may be additional risks associated with trading this asset.
Bitcoin GBTC Trust’s shares are publicly traded at stock exchanges, and their value is based on the price of Bitcoin. GBTC’s objective is to track the Bitcoin market price closely before fees and expenses.
* Although GBTC’s shares may trade at prices above or below the value of the underlying Bitcoin asset, they are intended to trade close to that value** because each share represents approximately one-tenth of one Bitcoin asset*** held by GBTC’s sponsor.(1) As such, one could expect GBTC’s shares would trade at similar premiums or discounts relative to other Bitcoin-based investments.(2) .
However, GBTC has consistently traded at significant premiums relative to other Bitcoin-based investments since its inception.(3) The premium has varied from approximately 2% to 35% over time.
(4) While some investors may view this premium as an opportunity cost associated with investing in GBTC rather than buying Bitcoin directly from exchanges (where one can currently buy Bitcoin for around $7,700),(5) others may view it as an indicator that GBTC’s sponsor does not believe that current prices for Bitcoin reflect its long-term value.(6) .
* https://grayscale.co/bitcoin-investment-trust/ ** https://grayscale.co/bitcoin-investment-trust/ *** https://grayscale.co/bitcoin-investment-trust/ (1) https://www2.gbtc.com/wp-content/themes/gbtc2_theme/pdfs/2017_10K_Final._FINAL_REVISED_FOR_EDGAR_FILING_2-9-2018_.pdf (2) https://www2.
gbtc.pdf (3) https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GBTC?p=GBTC&guccounter=1 (4) https://finance.
5 Related Question Answers Found
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.
Bitcoin is the world’s first and most well-known cryptocurrency, with millions of people around the world using it to buy and sell goods and services. GBTC is a fund that allows investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without having to buy or store the underlying asset. GBTC is traded on the stock market, and its price is based on the price of Bitcoin.
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for intermediaries. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin is unique in that there are a finite number of them: 21 million.
GBTC is a trust that owns Bitcoin and sells shares of that trust to investors. GBTC is thus a vehicle for holding Bitcoin that is tradeable on traditional markets. You can redeem GBTC for Bitcoin, but there may be a premium attached to the redemption depending on market conditions. .
GBTC is a trust that owns Bitcoin and sells shares of that trust to investors. GBTC is not Bitcoin itself. So, you can’t convert GBTC to Bitcoin, but you can sell your GBTC shares back to the trust in exchange for Bitcoin. .