Article

Bitcoin

August 22, 2026 · Aditya Gupta

Crypto & Blockchain

Bitcoin (BTC) is the first and largest cryptocurrency, created by pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 as peer-to-peer electronic cash. Operates on a decentralized blockchain secured by proof-of-work mining. Maximum supply: 21 million coins, with current supply around 19.7M. New bitcoins issued through mining rewards that halve every four years ('halving'); current block reward is 3.125 BTC. Bitcoin is increasingly treated as 'digital gold' — a store of value alternative to fiat currency — rather than transactional money. Volatile: drawdowns of 50-80% are historically routine. Held by institutions (BlackRock IBIT ETF launched 2024), corporations (MicroStrategy), and increasingly individuals via spot Bitcoin ETFs.

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