What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that works as a medium of exchange for goods and services. It was created in 2009 by a pseudonymous programmer named Satoshi Nakamoto (believed to be a Japanese man) as an alternative to other existing forms of currency, which are controlled by national governments and monetary authorities. Similar to cash, Bitcoin only exists digitally, but unlike cash it can be used to buy things electronically, like online goods or services. Bitcoin is made possible by a technology known as blockchain, which acts as the underlying infrastructure that makes facilitating transactions possible without the need of a third party (for example, banks).