Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that enables instant transactions to anyone, anywhere in the world, without a central authority like a bank or government. Created in 2008 by an anonymous person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin operates on a technology called blockchain.

​

The blockchain is a public ledger of all Bitcoin transactions that have ever been executed. It is maintained by a network of nodes (computers) around the world, each holding a copy of the entire blockchain. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in blocks that are linked together in a chain, hence the name "blockchain".

​

Bitcoin has gained popularity as a store of value and medium of exchange, with proponents viewing it as a hedge against inflation and a new digital gold.