What is a bitcoin transaction?

Transactions - private keys. A transaction is a transfer of value between Bitcoin wallets that gets included in the block chain. Bitcoin wallets keep a secret piece of data called a private key or seed, which is used to sign transactions, providing a mathematical proof that they have come from the owner of the wallet.

What is bitcoin mining?

Bitcoin mining is the process of adding new transactions to the Bitcoin blockchain. It’s a tough job. People who choose to mine Bitcoin use proof of work, deploying computers in a race to solve mathematical puzzles that verify transactions.

What are the basics of bitcoin?

1 The basics for a new user. As a new user, you can get started with Bitcoin without understanding the technical details. ... 2 Balances - block chain. The block chain is a shared public ledger on which the entire Bitcoin network relies. ... 3 Transactions - private keys. ... 4 Processing - mining. ... 5 Going down the rabbit hole. ...

What is bitcoin used for?

What is Bitcoin used for? At its most basic level, Bitcoin is useful for transacting value outside of the traditional financial system. People use Bitcoin to, for example, make international payments that are settled faster, more securely, and at lower transactional fees than through legacy settlement methods such as the SWIFT or ACH networks.