Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin (BTC) is a decentralized digital currency that moves value directly between users on a global peer-to-peer network, with no bank or central issuer standing in between.

Launched in January 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin introduced the first working solution to the "double-spend" problem, letting strangers transact online without trusting a middleman. Every transfer is recorded on a public blockchain, secured by thousands of independent miners who compete to add new blocks using proof-of-work and are rewarded with newly minted BTC plus transaction fees.

Bitcoin's supply is hard-capped at 21 million coins, and new issuance is cut in half roughly every four years in an event called the halving, most recently in April 2024, when the block reward fell to 3.125 BTC. This programmed scarcity, combined with growing institutional adoption such as the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs approved in January 2024, has cemented Bitcoin's reputation as "digital gold," a long-term store of value more than a day-to-day payment tool for most holders.

As the first and largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Bitcoin's price swings heavily influence the rest of the market. It remains volatile, energy-intensive to mine, and slower to settle than many newer chains, but no other network can match its track record for uptime, security, and decentralization. Live price and market data sit on the Bitcoin coin page.