Bitcoin: The World’s Leading Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin (BTC) is the world’s first and most well-known cryptocurrency, launched by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. The Bitcoin project is a decentralized payment system aiming to enable fast and reliable money transfers without intermediaries or banks. Thanks to this, BTC has become a symbol of financial freedom and is a major player among digital assets like Ethereum, Litecoin, and Monero.

All transactions on the Bitcoin network are public and can be viewed using blockchain explorers such as blockchain.com or blockchair.com. Bitcoin uses its own public blockchain built on the Proof-of-Work (SHA-256) algorithm, ensuring transparency and network security.

Bitcoin can be stored in various types of wallets:

• Hot wallets: Mobile and desktop apps (Electrum, Exodus)
• Cold wallets: Hardware devices (Ledger, Trezor) or paper wallets for maximum security

BTC is supported on almost all major exchanges like Binance, Bybit, KuCoin, and OKX. For long-term storage, cold wallets are highly recommended.

Bitcoin is highly volatile compared to stablecoins like DAI or Tether. Its price has ranged from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars per coin over the years. As of 2024, BTC's market capitalization exceeds $1 trillion, making it the most valuable digital asset.

Bitcoin operates on its own blockchain but is also available as wrapped tokens on other networks (e.g., WBTC on Ethereum). Its ecosystem includes related coins like Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, as well as synthetic assets on Solana, Tron, and more.

To send Bitcoin, you need the recipient’s address and must pay a miner’s fee (transaction fee). The average fee ranges from $1 to $10 depending on network congestion—higher than on Tron or Solana, but often lower than Ethereum during peak times.

Bitcoin’s main strengths are its decentralization, limited supply of 21 million coins, and high network reliability. Unlike Monero, Bitcoin is not private but is more popular and liquid. Compared to Ethereum, BTC is focused on store of value and payments rather than smart contracts.

With the largest number of miners and the highest computing power globally, the Bitcoin network is considered the most secure of all blockchains. This makes BTC not only the most popular but also the most resilient digital currency.