This chapter covers
- Getting to know Bitcoin
- Following a Bitcoin payment
- Problems solved by Bitcoin
The goal of this book is to teach you enough about Bitcoin to make informed decisions about how you can use it to improve your private life or business. My hope is that you’ll learn enough to make up your own mind whether you trust Bitcoin or not (with any luck, the former). To get you off the ground, I’m going to assume you know roughly what the following terms mean:
- Computer program
- Database
- Computer network
- Web server
If you’re unsure of any of these terms, don’t worry. Either look them up or go ahead anyway—I think you’ll manage.
Bitcoin is a digital cash system. It allows for people to move bitcoins, the currency unit of Bitcoin, between each other without using a bank or any other trusted third party. It resembles traditional bank notes and coins, but it’s purely digital and used over the internet. The Bitcoin currency isn’t tied to any specific fiat currency like the US dollar or the Chinese renminbi; it has free-floating exchange rates against most fiat currencies. You can buy and sell bitcoins for fiat currencies online using one of several exchanges, such as kraken.com, bitstamp.net, or localbitcoins.com.