{"id":6689,"date":"2020-11-05T16:50:24","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qa-front.dev.techhub.cloud\/blog\/?p=4296"},"modified":"2026-07-24T11:10:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:10:54","slug":"what-is-bitcoin","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-bitcoin\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitcoin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><i>If you\u2019re looking to understand what is Bitcoin, you\u2019re in the right place. In this short post, we answer most of your questions and help you better understand the concept of cryptocurrency.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout history, value has taken many forms and people have used different materials to represent it in the form of money. First, communities used to barter. Then, over time, evolution turned to precious metals, like gold.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thing about commonly used mediums of exchange, like precious metals, is that everyone needs to believe and trust that they represent value. So our eventual transition to paper money had to abide by this rule as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our current money is used to represent an amount of gold stored in the central bank. Paper bills were simply used as \u201creceipt certificates\u201d to redeem gold since the former was too impractical for daily transactions. In the last few years, however, this concept has changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iRzr1QU6K1o\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/fdr-takes-united-states-off-gold-standard#:~:text=The%20government%20held%20the%20%2435,completely%20abandoning%20the%20gold%20standard.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1971<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, our money is no longer linked to an amount of gold. Instead, governments are now liable for the value of paper money, and the public trusts in their value because they are being told to. This is how government-backed money (also known as FIAT) was created.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current monetary model has two main drawbacks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is controlled by a central authority, in this case, governments and financial institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These central authorities can issue unlimited amounts of money whenever they need to.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In turn, these issues lead to (1) our money being less valuable over time (due to inflation) and (2) central authorities gaining unlimited power and control. Do you see the problem? This is exactly why Bitcoin was created.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Bitcoin?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin was created during the latest financial crisis by an anonymous persona known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Through a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bitcoin.org\/bitcoin.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9-page whitepaper<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the founder revealed an alternative currency that gives power back to the people and does not lose its value over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Definition on Bitcoin<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, meaning that it is not controlled by a central authority. Instead, it is fueled by the use of supercomputers, which belong to the network\u2019s own users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these users has access to a digital ledger, known as the blockchain, that keeps track of all transactions, and allows people to exchange value directly with one another. Due to this, the network is transparent, and no one can duplicate or issue new coins by will.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If you wish to improve your knowledge, make sure you explore <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/what-is-blockchain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>what is Blockchain<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Instead, new coins come from Bitcoin mining. Powerful computers (called nodes) solve mathematical problems to confirm transactions on the blockchain, and the operators of those computers, known as <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/how-to-mine-bitcoin\/\">miners<\/a>, get rewarded with new coins. There is a hard limit of 21,000,000 bitcoins, and the network won&#8217;t mint the last one until around the year 2140.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">As of mid-2026, around 20 million bitcoins have already been mined, so roughly 95% of the total supply is already in circulation. Every four years, the reward miners get is cut in half in an event called the <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/glossary\/bitcoin-halving\/\">Bitcoin halving<\/a>. The last one happened in April 2024, and the next is expected in 2028.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Bitcoin started as a niche experiment among cryptographers. It&#8217;s now held by governments, public companies, and millions of individual investors around the world. Its price has grown a lot since 2009, but the path hasn&#8217;t been smooth. Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $126,000 in October 2025, then dropped by close to half over the following months. You can check the <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/price\/bitcoin\/\">current Bitcoin price<\/a> any time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Bitcoin goes through sharp up and down cycles, and that hasn&#8217;t changed as it&#8217;s matured. It&#8217;s still a volatile asset, even with billions of dollars of institutional money now behind it.<\/p>\n<p><picture class=\"attachment-pinterest\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4297 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale.png\" alt=\"what is bitcoin\" width=\"2805\" height=\"1074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale.png 2805w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-1024x392.png 1024w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-150x57.png 150w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-768x294.png 768w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-1536x588.png 1536w, https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logarithmic-scale-2048x784.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2805px) 100vw, 2805px\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opinions differ<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Public companies have been putting Bitcoin on their balance sheets for a few years now. Firms like Strategy hold billions of dollars worth of it as a reserve asset, and that trend has kept going even through 2026&#8217;s price drop. Big asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity now offer spot Bitcoin <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/bitcoin-etf\/\">ETFs<\/a>, which let regular investors get exposure to Bitcoin through a normal brokerage account.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Governments have started treating Bitcoin differently too. The U.S. now holds a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, a government-held stockpile of BTC, which was unthinkable a decade ago. Not every government sees it this way. Some central banks and regulators are still cautious or restrictive, and rules vary a lot from country to country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">There&#8217;s still a group of investors who don&#8217;t trust Bitcoin at all. They tend to see its price swings as proof that it&#8217;s a bubble rather than a real asset. Given that Bitcoin fell almost 50% from its peak in less than a year during 2026, it&#8217;s easy to see why that view hasn&#8217;t gone away. Whether you find that risky or just part of how a young asset class behaves is really a personal call.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also those who believe that Bitcoin is doomed to fail due to its intangible nature and extreme price fluctuations. These are usually investors who are heavily invested in more traditional investment options and do not have a good understanding of technology. Some of them do not even bother to understand the definition of Bitcoin.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin\u2019s role in the financial world<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Satoshi Nakamoto had originally hoped for Bitcoin to become the first global currency. Has this goal been achieved, or are we moving towards a model where Bitcoin is simply a store of value? Let\u2019s have a look at the current status of Bitcoin in the financial world.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin and global payments<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the moment, there is still a lack of availability when it comes to using Bitcoin as a global payment method. However, over the past two years, we have experienced massive growth, thanks to the introduction of cryptocurrency debit cards, Bitcoin payment gateways, as well as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/coinbase-card-google-pay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mobile payment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin and financial institutions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">This has changed a lot since Bitcoin&#8217;s early days. Most major banks now offer some way for clients to get exposure to Bitcoin, whether through custody services, ETFs, or trading desks. Some are still cautious, but &#8220;enemy of the banking system&#8221; isn&#8217;t really an accurate description anymore. Banks have largely moved from ignoring Bitcoin to figuring out how to offer it to their clients.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin and trading<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to its popularity as an investment and because of the recent bear market, Bitcoin has experienced a massive increase in trading volumes. Cryptocurrency exchanges are continuously releasing new products and services that allow users to use Bitcoin similarly to other, more traditional investment options. Among the different options, users can stake their coins, place them into high-yield savings accounts, trade using derivatives products, and explore more options on spot markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good and the bad of Bitcoin in global finance<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the moment, we are cruising through a pivotal time. For most institutions, governments, and authorities, the question no longer is \u201cwhat is Bitcoin\u201d but more so \u201chow can we prepare accordingly\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the cryptocurrency keeps on becoming more popular and important, laws and legislations surrounding it are constantly changing. It is therefore important to create an overview of the pros and cons of Bitcoin when it comes to its applications in global finance:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pros of Bitcoin<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/advantages-of-bitcoin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">advantages of Bitcoin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that make it worth considering as both a currency and a store of value.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Resistance to inflation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; As aforementioned, due to the limited number of coins Bitcoin is resistant to inflation. This is further strengthened by the Bitcoin halvings, which occur once every 4 years. In short, when a halving occurs, the newly minted coins (miners&#8217; rewards) automatically decrease by 50%, slowing down the release of new coins.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Global availability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; In contrast to traditional money, Bitcoin can be sent to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Users can transfer value overseas in just a few seconds. This makes it a great alternative for global commerce and online transactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Efficient store of value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Bitcoin has many advantages over more traditional investment options. It is digital, intangible, easy to store and send, and fully in your control. This makes it better than, for example, gold, which is bulky, hard to transport, and usually stored in third-party facilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A better form of transactional currency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Bitcoin has little to no fees and is transferred instantly between digital wallets. This makes it better than traditional currencies that are slowed down by government-imposed limitations. For example, a normal bank transfer can take up to 5 working days due to processing times.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>More democratic<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Bitcoin is made by the people, for the people. It can be exchanged in a peer-to-peer fashion without the need for a middleman. It is also a great solution for nearly \u2153 of the world\u2019s citizens, who currently remain unbanked due to their location or background.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Trendy with younger generations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; The millennial generation is more <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/the-investopedia-affluent-millennials-study-4769751#:~:text=1%EF%BB%BF%20Our%20survey%20revealed,more%20likely%20(73%25%20vs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accustomed to investing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared to the generations before them. Due to the convenience, youthful design, and easy overview of the crypto markets, Bitcoin has become one of the most accessible investment options for younger demographics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cons (and risks) of Bitcoin<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Money laundering<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; While many point out that the US dollar is responsible for more money laundering than Bitcoin ever will, the latest makes the process a lot easier, since some exchanges <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/bitmex-accelerates-identity-verification-kyc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do not request KYC verification<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Even if this issue is resolved, users will still be able to use decentralized exchanges to make transactions without creating an account.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Consumer protection risk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Once Bitcoin is sent, the transaction is final. No one can request a refund or open a dispute since the cryptocurrency is not controlled by any financial authority. If you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/sell-bitcoin\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sell Bitcoin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or give it to someone else, it\u2019s gone forever.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Protocol risk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; With the growth of supercomputers, protocol compromise risk grows too. If a design flaw is discovered in Bitcoin\u2019s protocol, or some new form of hacking that can breach its underpinning cryptography, the trust in Bitcoin may be affected negatively.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Tainted coins<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Over the years, legal authorities have found ways to \u201cmark\u201d bitcoins that are linked with criminal activity in order to track them. If BTC is to become a legal tender in the future, governments could taint coins at will, making them worthless in the open market. This, in turn, would once again put the control back in the hands of third parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does the future hold for Bitcoin as a financial tool?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Some people still hope Bitcoin becomes a true global currency, the way Satoshi Nakamoto originally described it. That outcome still looks unlikely in the near term. Bitcoin&#8217;s price swings too much day to day to work well as everyday money for most people, and the US dollar isn&#8217;t losing its dominant role anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">A more realistic path is the one already playing out. Bitcoin is increasingly treated as a store of value and a reserve asset, sitting on the balance sheets of companies and now a government reserve, rather than something people use to buy groceries. Where the price goes from here is genuinely uncertain. Our <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/bitcoin-price-prediction\/\">Bitcoin price prediction<\/a> breaks down what&#8217;s driving the market right now and what different analysts expect for the rest of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wrapping up<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Hopefully you now have a clear picture of what Bitcoin is and how it works. It&#8217;s worth doing your own reading beyond this guide too, since the space moves fast and a lot of the noise online is outdated or just wrong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Bitcoin has been through more than one boom and bust cycle since it launched in 2009, and each time it&#8217;s found new buyers on the other side of the drop. You can read the full <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/blog\/the-history-of-bitcoin\/\">history of Bitcoin<\/a> if you want the whole story. Whether it makes sense for you depends on your own risk tolerance and goals. If you decide it does, you can <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\">buy Bitcoin<\/a> directly through Paybis and track live pricing on our <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/paybis.com\/price\/bitcoin\/\">Bitcoin price page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, meaning that it is not controlled by a central authority. Instead, it is fueled by the use of supercomputers, which belong to the network\u2019s own users.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","glossary_letter":[287],"glossary_term":[276,284],"class_list":["post-6689","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Bitcoin? 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