Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the pioneer of blockchains and cryptocurrencies, introduced in a white paper released in 2008 by an apparently pseudonymous person or group of people known as Satoshi Nakamoto. The document described a peer-to-peer method of transferring money without the use of financial institutions. The cryptocurrency known as bitcoin or BTC debuted in 2009. Transactions are recorded on a public ledger (a blockchain) by entities known as miners who engage in process called proof-of-work. Miners are rewarded for doing that by getting newly minted bitcoin. Some proponents view BTC as an alternative to fiat currencies and a hedge against inflation. Bitcoin has inspired the creation of numerous other cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects.

DISCLOSURE: This text was written with the assistance of AI, then reviewed by a person

Policy

Liechtenstein Plans to Accept Bitcoin for Payments to State, Prime Minister Says: Report

Under the plans, any crypto received will immediately be exchanged for Swiss francs, Prime Minister Daniel Risch told German news publication Handelsblatt.

By Sandali HandagamaMay 8, 2023

Liechtenstein Prime Minister Daniel Risch. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Markets

Meme Coin Trading Volume Surges to Two-Year High, Signals Caution for Bitcoin Bulls

Speculative mania in meme coins has historically presaged bearish reversals in bitcoin.

By Omkar GodboleMay 8, 2023

Volumen semanal de memecoins. (James Tolan/Dune Analytics)

Finance

Binance Resumes Bitcoin Withdrawals After Second Pause, Says It's Adjusting Fees and Integrating Lightning Network

The second pause came less than eight hours after the first.

By Sam ReynoldsMay 8, 2023

Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as "CZ", founder and CEO of Binance, at Davos in 2023. (Casper Labs)

Markets

First Mover Asia: Bitcoin at $28.6K Remains Unstirred by Binance Temporary Withdrawal Pause

PLUS: Bitcoin maximalists find Ordinals annoying. But they are a good thing for the network in the long run.

By Sam ReynoldsMay 8, 2023

Markets

Bitcoin Network Congestion Causes Binance to Pause Withdrawals

The world’s biggest crypto exchange has now resumed withdrawals, but problems continue to linger for the Bitcoin protocol.

By Sam ReynoldsMay 7, 2023

Videos

Bitcoin’s Activity Pushes Average Transaction Fee to Nearly 2-Year High

A spike in transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain involving Ethereum-style tokens and non-fungible token (NFT)-like "inscriptions" has driven up congestion on the network, pushing the average fee rate to the highest in nearly two years while showering miners of the cryptocurrency with extra revenue. "The Hash" panel discusses the milestone and its implications for the Bitcoin ecosystem.

May 5, 2023