$BTC Bitcoin ($BTC) ๐Ÿ’ฐ** is the first & largest **decentralized** ๐ŸŒ cryptocurrency, created by Satoshi Nakamoto (pseudonym) in 2009 ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ. It runs on a public **blockchain** โ›“๏ธ ledger, secured by **proof-of-work** โ›๏ธ ("mining"). Key features:

1. **Decentralization:** No bank/government control ๐Ÿดโ˜ ๏ธ.

2. **Fixed Supply:** Capped at 21M coins ๐Ÿงฎ (19.5M+ mined โš’๏ธ), creating scarcity.

3. **Digital Gold:** Often a store of value ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ or inflation hedge ๐Ÿ“ˆ.

4. **Peer-to-Peer:** Direct transactions โ†”๏ธ, no intermediaries ๐Ÿšซ.

5. **Volatility:** Price has significant swings ๐Ÿ“‰๐Ÿ“ˆ.

BTC pioneered blockchain tech ๐Ÿ’ก & remains the dominant crypto by market cap ๐Ÿฅ‡, driving the digital asset ecosystem. Seen primarily as an investment ๐Ÿ’น or value transfer network ๐ŸŒ. #btc $BTC