$BTC Bitcoin (BTC) is known as the first open-source digital cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer network developed and launched by a group of unknown independent programmers called Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. Bitcoin has no centralized server used for its issuance, transactions, and storage, as it uses a public distributed database technology called blockchain, which requires an electronic signature and is backed by a proof-of-work protocol to provide the security and legitimacy of monetary transactions.