Log in/ Sign up
en
Ventures
Ecosystem
Investors
Web3 People

Bitcoin

BTC

  • Digital Currency
  • PoW
Established Year
2008
Operating Status
Active
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator. It 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. The cryptocurrency was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Its implementation was released as open-source software in 2009 and began to be used then.

Recent News

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Bitcoin (BTC)?

[Bitcoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/an-intro-to-bitcoin) is a decentralized [cryptocurrency](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-are-cryptocurrencies) originally described in a 2008 [whitepaper](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/whitepaper) by a person, or group of people, using the alias [Satoshi Nakamoto](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/who-is-satoshi-nakamoto). It was launched soon after, in January 2009. [Bitcoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-bitcoin) is a peer-to-peer online currency, meaning that all [transactions](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/how-long-does-a-bitcoin-transaction-take) happen directly between equal, independent network participants, without the need for any intermediary to permit or facilitate them. Bitcoin was created, according to Nakamoto’s own words, to allow “online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution.” Some concepts for a similar type of a decentralized electronic currency precede BTC, but Bitcoin holds the distinction of being the [first-ever cryptocurrency](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/a-beginner-s-guide-to-investing-in-cryptocurrencies) to come into actual use.