Bitcoin

The Bitcoin network, as written with a capital B, is the most robust and secure computer network in existence today. It is powered collectively by tens of thousands of servers around the world, often referred to as nodes. The currency bitcoin, as written with a lowercase b, is the unit of account, or the means of tracking ownership and value on the network. The Bitcoin network is a public ledger, known as the blockchain, recording each and every transaction made on the network since Bitcoin’s inception in 2009. It verifies that each transaction is authentic. 

Bitcoin’s decentralized nature means that no single person, corporation, or entity controls it. Because Bitcoin operates upon an agreed set of rules, anyone and everyone can take part in Bitcoin. 

Bitcoin itself is both a network and a unit of value, a public ledger and a currency. It allows us to share and transfer value without the need of a third party such as a bank or government. And it allows any individual around the world to participate in an open and fair financial system.