Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the first and largest cryptocurrency, created by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto and launched on January 3, 2009 with the mining of the genesis block. It introduced the concept of a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency that operates without a central authority.

Store of Value

With a hard-coded supply cap of 21 million coins and a transparent, predictable monetary policy enforced through halvings approximately every four years, Bitcoin has earned the moniker "digital gold." Institutional adoption accelerated significantly in 2024 with the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, bringing billions in new capital from traditional finance.

Network Security

Bitcoin's Proof of Work consensus mechanism secures the network with the highest hash rate of any blockchain. Miners expend real-world energy to validate transactions and produce blocks, making the network extremely costly to attack. This security model has operated continuously for over 15 years without a single successful 51% attack.

How to Buy Bitcoin

Bitcoin is available on every major cryptocurrency exchange. The most popular platforms for buying BTC include Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance. You can purchase any amount — even $10 worth — since Bitcoin is divisible to 8 decimal places (the smallest unit is called a "satoshi"). For the best security, transfer your BTC to a self-custody hardware wallet after purchasing.

For a direct comparison of Bitcoin against Ethereum, see our BTC vs ETH live comparison page.