Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group of people under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It is a decentralized currency, meaning that it is not subject to government or financial institution control. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin is unique in that there are a finite number of them: 21 million.

Bitcoin can be used to buy goods and services online or in person. It can also be held as an investment.