Whether you consider yourself a financial expert or you're just someone who keeps up with the news, you've undoubtedly heard of Bitcoin before. This cryptocurrency is by far the most well-known of all the various "coins" out there, and you may have even noticed some financial websites incorporating a Bitcoin price feed API on their homepages. A Bitcoin price feed API provides up-to-the-minute changes in Bitcoin price as they occur, and these APIs can be used by Bitcoin enthusiasts to keep up with investments in cryptocurrencies.
How Does Bitcoin Work?
Even though you've probably heard of Bitcoin, you still may have some questions as to what exactly Bitcoin is and how it works. As a cryptocurrency, Bitcoin serves as digital money. It was created in 2009 by an entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto. No one is sure whether this represents a person's name or whether this was a pseudonym used by a group.
The way that Bitcoin operates is through blockchain technology. In a nutshell, whenever a Bitcoin transaction is completed, the transaction is recorded on a digital ledger known as the blockchain. Each new node on the chain creates a copy of the previous node. This keeps a running tally of transactions that can't be altered, allowing users of Bitcoin to verify the stability of the currency.
Mining and Spending Bitcoin
The blockchain also means that Bitcoin can't be printed out of thin air like fiat currency. This advantage gives Bitcoin stability since it can't inflate or be artificially manipulated by financial markets in the same ways that fiat currency can.
To obtain Bitcoin, mining is used. Powerful computers mine for Bitcoin by solving increasingly complex math problems. Over time, it becomes more difficult to mine Bitcoin, and mining operations require more and more power to produce results.
Spending Bitcoin creates a node on the blockchain. This doesn't record the personal details of a transaction, just that the transaction occurred. Some retailers have played with the idea of accepting Bitcoin as payment, but for now, the only real way to use Bitcoin for physical goods and services is to sell it through an exchange for fiat currency.
Author Resource:-
Emily Clarke writes about global equities markets, commodities prices, forex rates and more. You can find her thoughts at data strategy blog.