Bitcoin
The first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009.
Bitcoin (BTC) is a decentralized digital currency created in 2009 by an anonymous author under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. It operates without a central bank or administrator — transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called the blockchain.
Bitcoin's maximum supply is limited to 21 million coins, making it a deflationary asset. New Bitcoin is created through a process called mining, and every four years the mining reward is halved — this event is called the halving.
Bitcoin is used today as a store of value (digital gold), a means of payment, and a speculative investment.