# Bitcoin

By [Dahij](https://paragraph.com/@dahij) · 2024-01-17

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**Bitcoin** ([abbreviation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217#Cryptocurrencies): **BTC** or **XBT**, **₿**) is the first [decentralized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_application) [cryptocurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency). [Nodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node_\(networking\)) in the [peer-to-peer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer) [bitcoin network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin_network) verify transactions through [cryptography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptography) and record them in a public [distributed ledger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_ledger), called a [blockchain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain), without central oversight.

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*Originally published on [Dahij](https://paragraph.com/@dahij/bitcoin)*