Cryptocurrencies have remained among the most discussed issues ever since they arrived in the global financial arena. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency at present, and blockchain, the technology on which bitcoin functions, have now become two of the most talked-about things in economies worldwide. Finance experts remain divided in their opinions regarding the potential and usefulness of bitcoin. However, this digital currency, which has become a profitable and lucrative investment sector and can revolutionize the global economy, is not a matter of concern only for experts. It is of utmost importance for ordinary people to learn these concepts to realize the potential of bitcoin and blockchain.
Unfortunately, all discussions, debates, and other information about bitcoin and blockchain seem to have experts as the target audience. The information available on the web also includes professional jargon and hard-to-understand terms, making it even harder for ordinary people to understand bitcoin and involve themselves in it. If you have been looking for simple and easy-to-understand information about bitcoin and blockchain, you are at the right place. We have listed all the information that you must know about bitcoin and blockchain in simple terms and have broken down the concepts for your ease.
What is bitcoin all about?
Bitcoin is a form of online currency. In other words, it is a type of digital money and does not have a physical form. It is a decentralized currency that no centralized authority or country owns or regulates. Instead, bitcoin works on a user-to-user or peer-to-peer basis. Users using bitcoin can directly transfer bitcoins to each other and conduct transactions without the sanction of any bank or country. It is a cryptocurrency that uses cryptographic codes to keep itself secure and immune from fraud and theft.
A mysterious and pseudonymous person called Satoshi Nakamoto had launched the ideas that form this cryptocurrency’s basis. It then got introduced in the global market in 2009. The creation of bitcoin takes place through a process called mining, which is responsible for the verification of all bitcoin transactions. Like all other cryptocurrencies, users can store bitcoin in digital wallets, both online and offline. These wallets store the personal key of each user, which is essential for all transactions.
Crypto exchanges take place through various platforms which help users by providing all relevant details and creating a safe and secure space for users to conduct transactions. Since no centralized authority regulates it, bitcoin has very high price volatility. The price of bitcoin is therefore largely dependent on the market situation and frequently rises and falls.
What is blockchain?
To put it simply, you can think of blockchain as an integrated collection of digital blocks that store all transaction details. Each block in a blockchain has a series of transactions that no user can alter. Once you store information in a block, all changes made to it get recorded. That is because all computers that run the blockchain have the same set of blocks, and therefore, the same list of transactions. All these machines have transparent access to the new blocks when new information gets recorded in them.
Blockchain technology is not just limited to storing bitcoin transactions. Recently, many industries have adopted this technology. Sectors like health and hospitality have already begun conducting research and experimentation regarding the uses of blockchain technology in their domain. Experts claim that blockchain can revolutionize the global economy to make it much more efficient, smooth, and transparent.
Conclusion
Given bitcoin’s immense popularity and the increasing acceptance of blockchain as the future of technology, we can safely conclude that this digital currency is here to stay. It can benefit people from all sectors of society, especially those who belong to the underprivileged sections. It can provide financial facilities like raising capital where the traditional banking system fails to reach. It can also help small businesses to expand into foreign markets.
