Bitcoin (BTC) is a virtual currency designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. It was introduced to the public in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto and is the world’s most well-known and largest cryptocurrency. Bitcoin mining involves miners competing to hash block information, find a solution to a hashing problem, and add a block to the blockchain. The winning miner is rewarded with bitcoins.

Bitcoin can be used by speculators, investors for investment purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange. However, there are risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.

Bitcoin’s blockchain technology is a distributed ledger that is chained together via cryptographic techniques. Each block on the blockchain contains the hashed information of the previous block, creating a chain of encrypted blocks. The SHA-256 hashing algorithm is used to encrypt data stored in the blocks on the blockchain.

To buy Bitcoin, you can buy portions of one BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase by creating and funding an account using your bank account, credit card, or debit card. A variety of hardware and software options can be used to mine Bitcoin.

As the Bitcoin blockchain became more popular, more miners joined the network, reducing the chances of being the one to solve the hash individually. Home computers can still use their personal computer as a miner if it has newer hardware, but the chances of solving a hash individually using a home computer are minuscule.