Bitcoin
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A bitcoin, and its associated transactions, can be represented in various ways, even including actual physical metal coins if you can believe the picture in the Wikipedia article. A binary format is defined in the Bitcoin technical specs, but archived Bitcoin blocks in the "Block Explorer" site are displayed in a [[JSON]]-based format (served as ''text/plain''). | A bitcoin, and its associated transactions, can be represented in various ways, even including actual physical metal coins if you can believe the picture in the Wikipedia article. A binary format is defined in the Bitcoin technical specs, but archived Bitcoin blocks in the "Block Explorer" site are displayed in a [[JSON]]-based format (served as ''text/plain''). | ||
| − | The smallest possible unit in a Bitcoin transaction is .00000001 bitcoins, also known as a satoshi. | + | The smallest possible unit in a Bitcoin transaction is .00000001 bitcoins, also known as a satoshi. Other subdivisions of the bitcoin are unsettled at the moment, but a unit of 1/1000 of a bitcoin (known as an mbit, or embit, or mBTC) seems to be emerging as rising prices make the bitcoin itself unwieldily large. |
== Data format info == | == Data format info == | ||
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* [http://blog.davidad.net/post/68033155834/the-bitcoin-network-is-0-flops The Bitcoin Network is 0 FLOPS] | * [http://blog.davidad.net/post/68033155834/the-bitcoin-network-is-0-flops The Bitcoin Network is 0 FLOPS] | ||
* [http://www.michaelnielsen.org/ddi/how-the-bitcoin-protocol-actually-works/ How the Bitcoin protocol actually works] | * [http://www.michaelnielsen.org/ddi/how-the-bitcoin-protocol-actually-works/ How the Bitcoin protocol actually works] | ||
| + | * [http://invezz.com/contributed/forex/7440-Bits-of-Bitcoin-What-To-Call-Them Bits of Bitcoin – What To Call Them?] | ||
== Other links and references == | == Other links and references == | ||
Revision as of 13:11, 17 December 2013
Bitcoin is an "alternative currency" that is generated electronically with no central authority, with a loosely-connected set of network nodes engaged in "minting" coins by solving difficult mathematical computations, validating such newly-created "coins", and storing transactions involving them. This is all accomplished algorithmically.
A bitcoin, and its associated transactions, can be represented in various ways, even including actual physical metal coins if you can believe the picture in the Wikipedia article. A binary format is defined in the Bitcoin technical specs, but archived Bitcoin blocks in the "Block Explorer" site are displayed in a JSON-based format (served as text/plain).
The smallest possible unit in a Bitcoin transaction is .00000001 bitcoins, also known as a satoshi. Other subdivisions of the bitcoin are unsettled at the moment, but a unit of 1/1000 of a bitcoin (known as an mbit, or embit, or mBTC) seems to be emerging as rising prices make the bitcoin itself unwieldily large.
Contents |
Data format info
Other specs and definitions
Software
Sample files
- Block Explorer: a Bitcoin archive
- The "Genesis Block"; first Bitcoin block ever generated
- Genesis block in some other formats including raw binary
Current and historical prices
News coverage
- Government Ban On Bitcoin Would Fail Miserably
- Bitcoin ATM
- Bitcoin value reaches new high against US dollar (that was $32; as of late 2013 it's now over $600)
- Hackers steal over $12,000 in bitcoins
- Bitcoins Seized by DEA
- Bitcoin's vast ovvervaluation seems to be caused by usually-illegal price fixing
- Person gets windfall from Bitcoins he forgot he owned; bought for $24 and sold for around $1 million
- A Bitcoin Exchange Holding $4.1 Million For 1,000 Customers Has Simply Vanished
- Sir Richard Branson's Out of This World Plan for Bitcoin
- James Howells searches for hard drive with £4m-worth of bitcoins stored
- Chinese government says Bitcoin cannot be used as currency
Academic papers
- Paper criticizing Bitcoin (and the concept of decentralized currencies)
- Paper showing that selfish mining behavior could end up dominating Bitcoin
Commentary
- My adventure in donating bitcoins to the Internet Archive
- Open source governance in Bitcoin
- Anecdote about the wrong way to promote Bitcoins
- The Bitcoin Network is 0 FLOPS
- How the Bitcoin protocol actually works
- Bits of Bitcoin – What To Call Them?
