Bitcoin (BTC), launched in 2009, is a cryptocurrency powered by the Bitcoin network—a peer-to-peer network for verifying transactions. That means BTC is borderless, decentralized, and transparent. BTC are “mined” or created through proof-of-work, a way for computers on the Bitcoin network to validate a new block of transactions. But BTC can’t be mined forever. In fact, its anonymous creator(s), a person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto, designed BTC to be scarce and deflationary. There can never be more than 21 million BTC. As of 2024, more than 19 million coins have already been mined.
