Bitcoin (BTC) is a decentralized digital currency that was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It was introduced as open-source software in 2009. Bitcoin allows people to send and receive money over the internet without the need for a central authority like a bank. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public ledger called the blockchain. Due to its limited supply of 21 million coins and increasing global adoption, Bitcoin is often referred to as "digital gold."
