What is bitcoin – An individual going by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto invented Bitcoin in 2009. No banks are involved in the transaction process since there are no middlemen. Hotels on Expedia, furnishings on Overstock, and Xbox games can all be purchased using Bitcoin. However, there’s a lot of talk about how to make money trading it. In 2017, the cost of a single bitcoin soared into the tens of thousands.
What’s the point of bitcoin?
Buying anonymously is possible with Bitcoins. Because bitcoins are decentralized and unregulated, sending money across borders is simple and inexpensive. Because there are no credit card costs, small companies may choose them. Some people acquire bitcoins purely as a form of investment, with the expectation that their value would rise over time.
Purchase from a Stock Exchange
There are several “bitcoin exchanges” where users may purchase and sell bitcoin using a variety of other currencies. Along with Bitstamp and Bitfinex, Coinbase is a major exchange. However, security is a concern: in 2016, a breach of Bitfinex resulted in the theft of bitcoins worth tens of millions of dollars.
Transfers
Mobile apps and desktop PCs may also be used to transmit bitcoin. It’s a lot like transferring digital currency.
Mining
People compete to use computers to “mine” bitcoin by solving difficult arithmetic problems. This is how a bitcoin is generated in the world of cryptography. Every ten minutes, a winner is selected and given 12.5 bitcoins.
Cryptocurrency Wallet
Digital wallets, where Bitcoins are kept, can be located either in the cloud or on the computer of the user. In other words, it’s a virtual bank account that lets you send and receive bitcoin as well as use them to pay for things or stash them away. Bitcoin wallets, unlike bank accounts, are not covered by the FDIC.
Bitcoin’s secrecy
No names are published in the public logs of bitcoin transactions; only wallet IDs are. This is to protect the privacy of both buyers and sellers. While this ensures the privacy of bitcoin users’ transactions, it also allows them to buy and sell anything they want without fear of anybody being able to track their purchases back to them. Consequently, those who acquire narcotics or other illegal activities online choose to use it as their preferred form of payment.
The future of Bitcoin is in doubt
Nobody is sure what will happen to bitcoin. Majority of the world’s population lives in countries with little or no regulation. governments have taxation and currency control as top priorities, yet taxation is only one of their concerns.