What is BTC
Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency and decentralized global payment system - the true OG. Bitcoin was envisioned as an alternative to traditional electronic payment methods, removing the requirement for a central bank or administrator. Transactions on the Bitcoin network are sent between users directly with no intermediary. All transactions are recorded in a public distributed ledger referred to as a blockchain. Blockchain is an immutable append-only data structure. Each block uses the previous block's hash to create its own hash. Blockchain is a stateless protocol, with each block representing a state change and containing a summary of all the transactions in the block over a given time frame (block time). Bitcoin is powered by a distributed network of validators providing computational power to “mine” blocks on the blockchain. Bitcoin uses a Proof-of-Work consensus model to validate transactions based on the SHA-256 hashing function. Every nodes on the bitcoin network must reach consensus to verify and agree upon each transaction for the next block to be mined. Mined BTC can be exchanged for other currencies, products, and services. Bitcoin was originally invented by an unknown person or group under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009. Beyond its inception as a digital currency, Bitcoin has attracted many investors to explore its functionality as a store of value instrument, reaching an all-time high $1.1 trillion market cap in March 2021.
