Bitcoin: Revolution, Risk, and the Road Ahead
Introduction In just over a decade, Bitcoin has gone from a fringe cryptographic experiment to a trillion-dollar asset class. It’s sparked revolutions in finance, technology, and global thinking about money. But what exactly is Bitcoin, and why does it matter? What Is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency created in 2009 by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. Unlike traditional currencies controlled by governments or banks, Bitcoin runs on a peer-to-peer network using blockchain technology—a public ledger that records all transactions transparently and securely. Why Bitcoin Matters Decentralization: No single entity controls Bitcoin. This makes it resistant to censorship, inflation, and manipulation. Scarcity: With only 21 million coins ever to be mined, Bitcoin is often called “digital gold” because of its built-in scarcity. Transparency & Security: Every transaction is verified by thousands of nodes globally, making fraud and double-spen...