Bitcoin is decentralized digital money that was first introduced in January of 2009. It is based on ideas presented in a white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto, a mysterious and pseudonymous figure. 12 The identity of the individual or people behind the technology is still unknown. Bitcoin promises reduced transaction fees as well as you can earn free bitcoin from many sites than existing online payment methods, and it is run by a decentralized authority, unlike government-issued currencies.
Bitcoin is classified as a cryptocurrency since it is protected by encryption. There are no actual bitcoins; instead, balances are recorded on a public ledger that anyone can see (although each record is encrypted). A large amount of computational power is used to verify all Bitcoin transactions, a process known as “mining.” Bitcoin is not issued or backed by any banks or governments, and a single bitcoin has no monetary value. Even though Bitcoin is not legal cash in most parts of the world, it is trendy and has sparked the creation of hundreds of rival cryptocurrencies known as altcoins. When Bitcoin is exchanged, it is typically abbreviated as BTC.
Bitcoin’s Price and Value
Even though Bitcoin’s price is notoriously unpredictable, it has become the best-performing asset of any type (including equities, commodities, and bonds) during the last decade, rising by a staggering 9,000,000 percent between 2010 and 2020.
When Satoshi Nakamoto mined the bitcoin genesis block (the first-ever block on the Bitcoin blockchain) at the start of 2009, 50 BTC entered circulation for $0.00.
Until the initial halving event in November 2012, fifty bitcoin per block (produced once every 10 minutes) continued to enter circulation (see below). Halvings allude to Satoshi Nakamoto’s issuance scheme, programmed into Bitcoin’s code. Every 210,000 blocks, the number of fresh BTC entering circulation is automatically cut in half.
For the first time in February 2011, the price of BTC was equal to that of the US dollar. The achievement enticed additional investors into the market, and bitcoin’s price rose steadily over the next four months, peaking at nearly $30.
By early 2013, the dominant cryptocurrency had recovered from a protracted period of bearishness and had temporarily risen beyond $1,000.
