Bitcoin in one minute
No charts, no hype. Just what it is and why people care.
Money is a tool
Money stores the value of your work. You trade a week of effort for money, then trade that money for food, rent, or a trip later. Good money keeps that value safe while you wait.
Today’s money can be made at will
Dollars, euros, and pesos are issued by Central bankThe institution that manages a country’s money and sets key interest rates. In the U.S. it is the Federal Reserve, created in 1913.See the glossary. A central bank can create more of its money whenever it decides to. When it does, each unit you already hold is worth a little less.
Bitcoin is different
Bitcoin and bitcoinWith a capital B, Bitcoin is the network: the rules and the computers that follow them. With a small b, bitcoin is the money that moves on that network.See the glossary is money that runs on a public network of computers around the world. No company, bank, or government controls it.
There will only ever be 21 million bitcoin. Every computer on the network enforces that rule. No one can change it on their own.
What that means for you
- You can own it directly, with no bank in the middle.
- You can send it to anyone in the world, any day, at any hour.
- No one can freeze it or quietly print more of it.
You don’t need a whole one
“Bitcoin” with a capital B is the network. “bitcoin” with a small b is the money. One bitcoin divides into 100 million small units called SatThe smallest unit of bitcoin. One bitcoin is 100 million sats, so you can own a small amount without buying a whole coin. It is short for satoshi.See the glossary. You can start with a few dollars’ worth.