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Bitcoin in Five Minutes

Bitcoin is a scarce, digital money secured by a distributed network rather than a central authority.

TLDR

  • Fixed supply capped at 21 million.
  • Transactions are recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain.
  • Blocks are secured through proof-of-work.
  • Users can self-custody without intermediaries.

Why it exists

Bitcoin was created to offer a digital form of money that does not depend on a central bank or trusted intermediary.

How it stays scarce

New coins are issued on a predictable schedule that halves every four years, making supply growth transparent.

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