#NFPCryptoImpact Bitcoin makes money for investors through appreciation, the increase of an asset's market value. There's a lot going on behind the scenes in the Bitcoin network, so here's a detailed primer designed to help you further your understanding of this digital phenomenon.

Key Takeaways

A blockchain is a secured distributed ledger, a database disseminated between multiple users who can make changes.

Mining is the process of validating transactions, which requires miners, who are rewarded in bitcoin.

You access your bitcoin using a wallet and private keys.

Bitcoin users pay transaction fees in bitcoin to miners for processing the transactions.

Bitcoin's weaknesses are in key storage methods and user interfaces—its blockchain has reportedly never been compromised.