描述
How Do You Use Bitcoin?
Bitcoin was initially designed as a peer-to-peer payment method. As interest around it grew and its value increased, its use cases grew as well. Because of Bitcoin’s open-source approach, competition from other cryptocurrencies grew as well.
To use Bitcoin, a wallet is necessary. Bitcoin wallets work as digital “bank accounts” that can only be controlled by the entity behind them. When a wallet is created, two keys are generated: a public and a private key.
Public keys are addresses used to send and receive payments. They’re akin to a bank account number.
Private keys are akin to the password protecting a bank account, and anyone who controls the private key to a wallet controls the wallet. As there is no central authority on the Bitcoin network, if a private key is lost, the coins on that wallet are lost.
Bitcoin is used for a number of purposes. Some people use it for everyday transactions, while others prefer to use BTC as a store of value, making it an alternative to gold. Others simply invest, trade, and speculate using the cryptocurrency.