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 IRS classifies bitcoin as property for tax purposes.
Bitcoin is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the world. It’s also one of the most volatile, so it’s important to understand the factors that influence its price before you start trading. In this article, we’ll cover the following:
What is Bitcoin?
How do people use Bitcoin?
How does Bitcoin work?
What influences 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 was invented by an unknown person or group of people under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009.1 Bitcoins are created as a reward for a process known as mining. As of February 2021, the total value of all bitcoins in circulation exceeded $1 trillion.
234 However, because bitcoins are not regulated by governments or financial institutions, their value can fluctuate widely.5678910 For example, in December 2017, the price of one bitcoin was about $19,000; by December 2020, it had fallen to around $6,000.111213 While some investors view bitcoin as an alternative to gold or other precious metals as a hedge against inflation or economic uncertainty, others see it more as a speculative investment similar to gambling—with the added risk that it could lose all of its value overnight.1415Bitcoin is often associated with crime because it can be used to facilitate illegal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering.1617 However, these activities only represent a small fraction of bitcoin transactions.18 The vast majority of bitcoin users are law-abiding citizens who use it for legitimate purposes such as buying goods and services or sending money to family and friends overseas.19202122232425262728293031 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 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