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What it is and why it matters.
What are Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrencies are digital tokens. They are a type of digital currency that allows people to make payments directly to each other through an online system. Cryptocurrencies have no legislated or intrinsic value; they are simply worth what people are willing to pay for them in the market. This is in contrast to national currencies, which get part of their value from being legislated as legal tender. There are a number of cryptocurrencies – the most well-known of these are Bitcoin and Ether.
Activity in cryptocurrency markets has increased significantly. The fascination with these currencies appears to have been more speculative (buying cryptocurrencies to make a profit) than related to their use as a new and unique system for making payments. Related to this, there has also been a high degree of volatility in the prices of many cryptocurrencies. For example, the price of Bitcoin increased from about US $30,000 in mid 2021 to almost US $70,000 toward the end of 2021 before falling to around US $35,000 in early 2022. Rival cryptocurrencies like Ether have experienced similar volatility. The extraordinary interest in cryptocurrencies has also seen a growing amount of computing power used to solve the complex codes that many of these systems use to help protect them from being corrupted. Despite the increased level of interest in cryptocurrencies, there is scepticism about whether they could ever replace more traditional payment methods or national currencies.
How Does a Cryptocurrency Transaction Work?
Cryptocurrency transactions occur through electronic messages that are sent to the entire network with instructions about the transaction. The instructions include information such as the electronic addresses of the parties involved, the quantity of currency to be traded, and a time stamp.
Suppose Alice wants to transfer one unit of cryptocurrency to Bob. Alice starts the transaction by sending an electronic message with her instructions to the network, where all users can see the message. Alice's transaction is one of a number of transactions that have recently been sent. Since the system is not instantaneous, the transaction sits with a group of other recent transactions waiting to be compiled into a block (which is just a group of the most recent transactions). The information from the block is turned into a cryptographic code and miners compete to solve the code to add the new block of transactions to the blockchain.
Once a miner successfully solves the code, other users of the network check the solution and reach an agreement that it is valid. The new block of transactions is added to the end of the blockchain, and Alice's transaction is confirmed. (This confirmation is not instant as it takes time for six blocks of transactions to be processed so that users can be certain that their transaction has been successful.)
Is Cryptocurrency Money?
A frequently asked question is whether cryptocurrency can be defined as ‘money’. The short answer is that cryptocurrency is not a form of money. To understand why, we can ask whether the characteristics of cryptocurrencies match the key characteristics of money:
Widely accepted means of payment – can cryptocurrencies be used to buy and sell things? Money generally comes in the form of a nation's currency, and is widely accepted as a means of payment. While cryptocurrencies can be used to buy and sell things, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment, and surveys suggest that only a small fraction of cryptocurrency holders use them regularly for payments.
Store of value – can the purchasing power of cryptocurrencies (their ability to purchase a similar basket of goods and services) be maintained over time? Large fluctuations in the price of many cryptocurrencies mean that their purchasing power is not maintained over time, reducing their effectiveness as a store of value.
Unit of account – are cryptocurrencies a common way of measuring the value of goods and services? In Australia, the prices of goods and services are measured in Australian dollars. While some businesses may accept cryptocurrencies as payment, they are not commonly used to measure and compare prices.
So, while cryptocurrencies can be used to make payments, currently their use as a means of payment is limited and they do not display the key characteristics of money.
However, there is one type of digital currency that could be considered money – digital currency issued by a central bank. What is Central Bank Digital Currency?
A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) can most easily be understood as a digital form of cash. It can be issued by the central bank, accessible to the general public, and used to settle transactions between firms and households. The unit of account would be the national currency, and it could be exchanged at parity (i.e. one for one) with other forms of money, such as physical currency or electronic deposits with well-regulated financial institutions.
What are the main differences between cryptocurrencies and CBDCs? In other words, what makes a CBDC money? A central bank has the ability to ensure that a digital currency it issues exhibits the three main features of money – that is, a CBDC could function as a widely accepted means of payment, store of value and unit of account.
Because it is issued by a central bank, a CBDC would have legal tender status, making it widely accepted as a means of payment. A CBDC would also be an equivalent store of value to other forms of money, since it could be exchanged for an equal value of physical cash or electronic deposits. Finally, the unit of account for CBDC issued by the Reserve Bank would be the Australian dollar. This means it could be used to measure the value of goods and service. These and other key features have been summarised in the table below.
Features of Money: Cryptocurrency versus CBDCs
| CHARACTERISTIC | CRYPTOCURRENCIES | CBDCs |
| Means of payment | Accepted by a small number of retailers | Universally accepted, legal tender |
| Store of value | Tend to be volatile, depends on market price | Stable, consistent with central bank price stability mandate |
| Unit of account | Own unit of account | Fiat currency (e.g. Australian dollars) |
| Governance | Typically decentralised, relies on consensus between large number of entities. | Centralised |
| Transaction verification | Typically a large number of competing entities | Small number of trusted entities |
Surveys conducted by the Bank for International Settlements indicate that CBDCs are an active area of research for nearly all central banks. Despite this, only a few central banks have actually issued digital currencies – to date no high income country has issued a CBDC. The Reserve Bank remains cautious about whether issuing a CBDC would be in the public interest. Primarily, this is because many of the benefits of CBDCs have largely already been realised by existing technologies. In a 2021 speech, the Head of Payment’s said:
Reserve Bank staff have not been convinced to date that a strong policy case has emerged in Australia for a CBDC. The primary reason has been that Australia’s existing electronic payments system already provides households and businesses with a wide range of safe, convenient and low cost payment services.
What Are Some of the Public Policy Implications?
Some of the technology behind cryptocurrencies raises a number of considerations for public policymakers. Given the anonymity provided by cryptocurrency systems, and their worldwide reach, there are questions about how to limit the use of digital currencies for criminal activities. In addition, the current fascination with cryptocurrencies has potentially added to the speculative nature of these markets, and has raised concerns around consumer protection. If cryptocurrencies were to be more widely adopted, they could also present some challenges for the role of the banking sector and raise additional financial stability concerns in a crisis. Furthermore, the vast amounts of electricity used in the mining of cryptocurrency raise concerns about the allocation of resources and environmental consequences of these payment systems.
In contrast, a CBDC could potentially support a number of public policy objectives, including safeguarding public trust in money and promoting efficiency, safety, resilience and innovation in the payment system. The Reserve Bank is continuing to closely examine the case for a CBDC and working with other central banks on this issue. The Reserve Bank is considering the relevant technical issues, as well as the broader policy implications.
While the Reserve Bank has not yet made a decision on whether to issue a CBDC, the Governor noted in his 2021 speech ‘Payments:
The Future?’ that:
… the RBA is open to this possibility. To date, though, we have not seen a strong public policy case to move in this direction, especially given Australia's efficient, fast and convenient electronic payments system. It is possible, however, that the public policy case could emerge quite quickly as technology evolves and consumer preferences change. It is also possible that these tokens could offer a lower-cost solution for some types of payments than provided by the existing technologies.
Features of the Bitcoin System
The most well known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. Bitcoin was launched in 2009, a year after a report that described the Bitcoin system was released under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. The system was designed to electronically mimic features of a cash transaction. It was designed to allow peer-to-peer (or person-to-person) transactions, without the need to know or trust the other person in the transaction, and to occur without the need for a central party (such as a bank). Unlike conventional national currencies such as Australian dollars, which get part of their value from being legislated as legal tender, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do not have any legislated or intrinsic value. Instead, the value of Bitcoin is determined by what people are willing to pay for it in the market (and, in theory, its value could fall to zero at any time).
One feature of the Bitcoin system is that the supply of Bitcoins increases at a pre-determined rate and is capped at around 21 million (with each bitcoin able to be subdivided into 100 million satoshis or 0.00000001 bitcoins). Because of this, the supply of Bitcoins has been commonly compared to the supply of a scarce commodity, such as gold.
The Bitcoin system allows transactions to occur directly from person to person without requiring a central party (such as a bank) to verify or record the transactions. This is unlike most conventional payment methods, such as electronic bank transfers, which rely on a central party to keep and update records of transactions. For example, commercial banks maintain a record of their customers' account balances, deposits and withdrawals.
Instead, the Bitcoin system uses ‘blockchain’ technology to record transactions and the ownership of bitcoins. This is essentially technology that connects groups of transactions (‘blocks’) together over time (in a ‘chain’). Each time a transaction occurs, it forms part of a new block that is added to the chain. As a result, the blockchain provides a record (or database) of every bitcoin transaction that has ever occurred, and it is available for anyone to access and update on a public network (this is often referred to as a ‘distributed ledger’). The integrity of the Bitcoin system is protected by ‘cryptography’, which is a method of verifying and securing data using complex mathematical algorithms (or codes). This makes the system very difficult to corrupt.
Bitcoin transactions are verified by other users of the network, and the process of compiling, verifying and confirming transactions is often referred to as ‘mining’. In particular, complex codes need to be solved to confirm transactions and make sure the system is not corrupted. The Bitcoin system increases the complexity of these codes as more computing power is used to solve them. A new block of transactions is compiled approximately every ten minutes. ‘Miners’ want to solve the codes and process transactions because they are rewarded with new bitcoins (currently 6.25 new Bitcoins per block).
The increase in competition between miners for new Bitcoins has seen large increases in the amount of computing power and electricity required (which is often used for air conditioning to cool computer systems). While it is difficult to calculate with precision, some estimates suggest that the annual energy consumption of the Bitcoin system is roughly equal to the country of Thailand.
This explainer is provided to facilitate the conceptual understanding of cryptocurrencies. It does not constitute advice, or a recommendation, to buy, trade or invest in Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. If you decide to trade or use cryptocurrencies you may be taking on risk for which there is no recourse.
What Is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.
Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2008 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It has since become the most well-known and largest cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies.
Read on to learn more about the cryptocurrency that started it all—the history behind it, how to buy it, mine it, and what it can be used for.
Key Takeaways
Bitcoin is the end product of the work of many people, but it is generally accepted that Satoshi Nakamoto created it and introduced it in 2008.
Bitcoin is the public blockchain used to create and manage the cryptocurrency of the same name.
Bitcoin mining is the race between miners to hash block information, find the 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 investing purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange. There are many risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.
Bitcoin (BTC): A cryptocurrency, a virtual currency designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity, and thus removing the need for third-party involvement in financial transactions.
In August 2008, the domain name Bitcoin.org was registered. It was created by Satoshi Nakamoto and Martti Malmi, who worked with the anonymous Nakamoto to develop Bitcoin.
How Bitcoin Started
In October 2008, Nakamoto announced to the cryptography mailing list at metzdowd.com: "I've been working on a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party." The now-famous white paper published on Bitcoin.org, entitled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," would become the Magna Carta for how Bitcoin operates today. First Block On Jan. 3, 2009, the first Bitcoin block was mined. Called Block 0, it is also known as the genesis block and contains the text: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks," perhaps proof that the block was mined on or after that date.
Rewards
Bitcoin rewards are halved every 210,000 blocks. For example, the block reward was 50 new bitcoins in 2009. On May 11, 2020, the third halving occurred, bringing the reward for each block down to 6.25 bitcoins. The fourth halving occurred in April 2024 and lowered the reward to 3.125 bitcoins. The next halving should happen in mid-2028 and reduce the reward to 1.5625 BTC.
Denominations
One bitcoin is divisible to eight decimal places (100 millionths of one bitcoin), and this smallest unit is referred to as a satoshi.
On Jan. 8, 2009, the first version of the Bitcoin software was announced to the Cryptography Mailing List, and on Jan. 9, 2009, Block 1 was mined, and Bitcoin mining began.
Bitcoin's Blockchain Technology
Bitcoin as a form of digital currency isn't hard to understand. For example, if you own a bitcoin, you can use your cryptocurrency wallet to send smaller portions of that bitcoin as payment for goods or services. By contrast, the way Bitcoin actually works is very complex.
Blockchain
A blockchain is a distributed ledger, a shared database of information that is chained together via cryptographic techniques. "Distributed" means that it is stored on many computers rather than a centralized server location, as is typical of most data storage.
A network of automated programs installed on these computers maintains the blockchain and performs the functions necessary for it to operate.
A block on a blockchain is a file that contains a block header, transaction counter, and the transactions recorded in the block. The transaction counter lists the transactions in the block, while the block header is made up of several elements:
Software version: Which version the blockchain is running (sometimes called the magic number)
Previous block hash: The encrypted information from the previous block
Merkle root: A single hash (encrypted information) that contains all the hashed information from previous transactions
Timestamp: The date and time the block was opened
Difficulty target: The current network difficulty problem miners are attempting to solve for Nonce: Short for "number used once," which is used to solve the mining problem and open the block.
As noted, each block contains the hashed information of the previous block. This creates a chain of encrypted blocks (files) that contain information from all previous blocks, going back to the first block of the blockchain.
Encryption Bitcoin uses the SHA-256 hashing algorithm to encrypt (hash) the data stored in the blocks on the blockchain. Simply put, transaction data stored in a block is encrypted into a 256-bit (64-digit) hexadecimal number. That number contains all the transaction data and information linked to the blocks before that block.
While the data in a block is encrypted and used in the next block, the block is not inaccessible or non-readable. The hash is used in the next block, then its hash is used in the next, and so on, but all blocks can be read. This ensures that blocks cannot be changed without changing all other blocks and ensures anyone can audit the blockchain.
How To Buy Bitcoin
If you don't want to mine Bitcoin, you can buy it using a cryptocurrency exchange. Most people will be unable to purchase an entire BTC because of its price, but you can buy portions of one BTC on these exchanges in fiat currency, such as U.S. dollars.
For example, you can buy a bitcoin on Coinbase by creating and funding an account using your bank account, credit card, or debit card.
How To Mine Bitcoin
A variety of hardware and software can be used to mine Bitcoin. When the Bitcoin blockchain was first released, it was possible to mine it competitively on a personal computer. However, as it became more popular, more miners joined the network, which lowered the chances of being the one to solve the hash.
You can still use your personal computer as a miner if it has newer hardware, but the chances of solving a hash individually using a home computer are minuscule.
This is because you're competing with a network of miners that generate around 745 quintillion hashes (as of Dec. 5, 2024) per second. Machines—called Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) built specifically for mining—can generate more than 400 trillion hashes per second. In contrast, a computer with the latest hardware hashes around 100 megahashes per second (100 million).
Options for Successful Mining
There are two hardware options available for Bitcoin mining and several software options.
1. You can use your existing computer and mining software compatible with Bitcoin software and join a mining pool. Mining pools are groups of miners that combine their computational power to compete with large ASIC mining farms.
There are many mining programs to choose from and pools you can join. Two of the most well-known programs are CGMiner and BFGMiner. Some of the most popular pools are Foundry Digital, Antpool, F2Pool, ViaBTC, and Binance.com.
2. If you have the financial means, you could purchase an ASIC miner. You can generally find a new one for around $10,000, but used ones are also sold by miners as they upgrade their systems. There are some significant costs, such as electricity and cooling, to consider if you purchase one or more ASICs. Keep in mind using one or two ASICs is still no guarantee of rewards as you're competing with businesses with large mining farms of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of ASICs. For example, Bitcoin mining firm CleanSpark claims to have 195,059 miners deployed.
You can increase your chances of being rewarded bitcoins by joining a pool, but rewards are significantly decreased because they are shared. When choosing a pool, it's important to make sure to find out how it pays out rewards, what any fees might be, and to read some mining pool reviews.
How To Use Bitcoin
Bitcoin was initially designed and released as a peer-to-peer payment method. However, its use cases are growing due to its increasing value, competition from other blockchains and cryptocurrencies, and developments on blockchains that process information for the Bitcoin blockchain.
Payment
Bitcoin is accepted as a means of payment for goods and services at many merchants, retailers, and stores.
Brick-and-mortar stores that accept cryptocurrencies will generally display a sign that says "Bitcoin Accepted Here." The transactions can be handled with the requisite hardware terminal or wallet address through QR codes and touchscreen apps. An online business can easily accept bitcoin by adding this payment option to its other online payment options: credit cards, PayPal, etc.
To use your bitcoin, you need to have a cryptocurrency wallet. Wallets are your blockchain interface and can hold the private keys to the bitcoins that you own. These keys must be entered when you're conducting a transaction.
Investing and Speculating
Investors and speculators became interested in Bitcoin as it grew in popularity. Between 2009 and 2017, cryptocurrency exchanges emerged that facilitated Bitcoin sales and purchases. Prices began to rise, and demand slowly grew until 2017, when its price broke $1,000.
Many people believed Bitcoin prices would keep climbing and began buying it as long-term investments. Traders began using cryptocurrency exchanges to make short-term trades, and the market took off.
After reaching about $69,000 in November 2021, Bitcoin's price crashed in 2022. In March 2022, it was as high as $47,454, but by November, it was $15,731. It then recovered in 2023, seeing a price as high as $31,474 before dropping back below $30,000.
In early 2024, Bitcoin's price jumped into the mid $40,000s as expectations grew for Bitcoin Spot ETFs' approval. By mid-February 2024, after the ETFs were approved, Bitcoin's price climbed to more than $50,000.
Following an increase in optimism and price after Donald Trump was re-elected in November 2024, Bitcoin breached $100,000 for the first time on Dec. 5, 2024, after years of arguments for and against its ability to do so by investors and analysts.
Bitcoin prices tend to follow stock market trends because Bitcoin is treated the same way that investors treat other investments. However, Bitcoin price movements are greatly exaggerated and sometimes are prone to movements of thousands of dollars. Many Bitcoin investors tend to "trade the news," as demonstrated by the fluctuations that occur whenever there is a significant news event.
Risks of Investing in Bitcoin
Bitcoin had a price of $7,167.52 on Dec. 31, 2019, and a year later, it had appreciated more than 300% to $28,984.98. It continued to surge in the first half of 2021, trading at a record high of $69,000 in November 2021. It then fell over the next few months to hover around $40,000 and rose with increasing speed in 2024 to more than $100,000.
As a result of such price movements, many people purchase Bitcoin for its investment value rather than its ability to act as a medium of exchange. However, the lack of guaranteed value and its digital nature means its purchase and use carry several inherent risks.
In fact, many investor alerts issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) concern Bitcoin investing.
Here are some of the risks that you're exposed to when trading or investing in Bitcoin:
Regulatory risk: The continuous battle between cryptocurrency-related projects and regulators makes longevity and liquidity an unknown. As of December 2024, Bitcoin is not considered a security by the authorities, but that stance could change in the future.
Security risk: Most individuals who own and use Bitcoin have not acquired their tokens through mining operations. Rather, they buy and sell Bitcoin and other digital currencies on popular cryptocurrency exchanges. These exchanges are entirely digital and are at risk from hackers, malware, and operational glitches.
Insurance risk: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). However, some exchanges provide insurance through third parties. For instance, Gemini and Coinbase offer cryptocurrency insurance, but only for failures in their systems or cybersecurity breaches. Any cash deposits you've made at either exchange might be eligible for "pass-through" FDIC coverage.
Fraud risk: Even with the security measures inherent within a blockchain, there are still opportunities for fraudulent activity.
Market risk: As with any investment, Bitcoin values can fluctuate. Indeed, the currency's value has seen wild price swings over its short existence. Subject to high volume buying and selling on exchanges, it is highly sensitive to any news events related to it.
Regulating Bitcoin
As with any new technology, it has been difficult to regulate Bitcoin. The U.S. administration seeks to impose regulations on cryptocurrency but, at the same time, walks a tightrope in trying not to throttle a growing and economically beneficial industry.
Enforcement agencies in the U.S. continue to rely on existing securities, commodities, and tax laws, but as of December 2024, no attempts from legislators have gained much attention from the country's law-making bodies.
The European Commission's long-anticipated Markets in Crypto Assets legislation came into force in 2023, setting the stage for cryptocurrency regulations in the European Union.
India banned several exchanges in December 2023 and continues to push back reviews of any legislation regarding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
What Exactly Is Bitcoin and How Does It Work?
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency. It uses blockchain, which is a distributed ledger secured by cryptographic techniques.
What Happens If You Invest $100 in Bitcoin Today?
Investing in Bitcoin is very risky, but there is also the possibility of high returns. Prices can move by thousands of dollars per day, and long-term outlooks for the cryptocurrency vary.
Can You Convert Bitcoin Into Cash?
Yes. Bitcoin is a convertible currency that can be exchanged for most fiat currencies.
How Much Is $1 Bitcoin in US Dollars?
An amount of Bitcoin worth $1 is worth $1 in U.S. dollars. The value of 1 BTC in U.S. dollars varies by the minute, but on Dec. 5, 2024, it was more than $100,000.
The Bottom Line
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency introduced to the public and was intended to be used as a form of payment outside of legal tender. Since its introduction in 2009, Bitcoin's popularity has surged, and its blockchain uses have expanded.
Though the process of generating Bitcoin is complex, investing in it is more straightforward. Investors and speculators can buy and sell Bitcoin on crypto exchanges. As with any investment, particularly one as new and volatile as Bitcoin, investors should carefully consider if Bitcoin is the right investment for them.
