$BTC Gavin Andresen stated that after Nakamoto's departure from the project, the first issue he focused on was decentralization. Andresen wanted Bitcoin's existence to continue independently, even if he were hit by a bus.

For many, Bitcoin's main advantage is its independence from governments, banks, and corporations. No authority can interfere with Bitcoin transactions, collect transaction fees, or seize funds. Moreover, Bitcoin movements are quite transparent – all transactions are stored in a massive distributed public ledger called the blockchain.

While Bitcoin is fundamentally uncontrollable as a network, it allows its users full control over their assets.