Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a virtual currency designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity, and thus removing the need for third-party involvement in financial transactions. It is rewarded to blockchain miners for the work done to verify transactions and can be purchased on several exchanges.
Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2009 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto.
It has since become the most well-known cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies. These competitors either attempt to replace it as a payment system or are used as utility or security tokens in other blockchains and emerging financial technologies.
In August 2008, the domain name Bitcoin.org was registered.1 Today, at least, this domain is WhoisGuard Protected, meaning the identity of the person who registered it is not public information.
In October 2008, a person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto announced the Cryptography Mailing List at metzdowd.com: "I've been working on a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party." This now-famous white paper published on Bitcoin.org, entitled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," would become the Magna Carta for how Bitcoin operates today.