Bitcoin is a form of electronic money, which was introduced in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto. It is considered as the first decentralized digital currency and has no central authority or banks.
In simple terms, it is an online form of money that can be transferred from one person to another without any middlemen involved. It is not issued by any government and is not backed by any physical assets.
The most important feature of Bitcoin is its ability to be transferred from one person to the other without the need for any third party or intermediary. The entire process is completely peer-to-peer, which means that there is no third party involved at all.
The system works by using a public ledger called the Blockchain. Every transaction made with the Bitcoin is recorded in this ledger. This ledger contains the complete history of all transactions and is updated every time a new transaction takes place.
The entire system is maintained by a network of computers spread across the globe. These computers constantly verify the authenticity of each transaction and ensure that the entire system remains safe and secure.
As the number of transactions increases, the size of the Blockchain also grows. Therefore, there is a limit to the number of transactions that can take place per second. The rate at which the Bitcoin can be transacted is determined by the number of computers that are part of the network.
There are two types of Bitcoin wallets available today. They are software and hardware wallets.
Software wallets
Software wallets are used to store the private keys that are required to access your Bitcoins. These keys can be stored on your computer or smartphone. A lot of software wallets are available online, which can be downloaded easily. Some of these wallets are free, while some require you to pay a small fee to use them.
Hardware wallets
A hardware wallet is a device that stores your private keys. It can be plugged into your computer or smartphone. You can use this device to make payments using your Bitcoins. There are different kinds of hardware wallets available, which include USB sticks, mobile phones and paper wallets.
Bitcoin exchanges
A Bitcoin exchange is a place where you can buy or sell Bitcoins. There are several Bitcoin exchanges available on the Internet. These exchanges allow you to buy or sell Bitcoins using a bank account or credit card. Most of these exchanges have high limits on the amount of money that you can deposit or withdraw from your account.
If you want to invest in Bitcoins, you should first open a Bitcoin wallet. After that, you can purchase Bitcoins from an exchange.