Well, it’s been a crazy 10 years for Bitcoin. Actually it’s over 10 years since Bitcoin was first created by Satoshi Nakamoto. Whoever, he, she or they were, they’ve had a profound effect on the world. They no doubt predicted that which is why they chose to disappear from the limelight.
So over a decade later Bitcoin is still alive and stronger than ever. Thousands of other crypto coins have come along since all trying to imitate the king of Crypto. All have failed and will continue to fail. Bitcoin is one a kind. Something that can’t be replicated. If you don’t know why then let me explain.
If you don’t know what Bitcoin is I’ll just give you a few brief key points:
- Bitcoin Is An Online Cryptocurrency
- It Has a Maximum Supply of 21 Million
- It Can’t Be Forged
- Not All Coins Are in Circulation Yet
- It Is Fully Decentralized Without Anybody Controlling It
- It Can’t Be Censored
- It is Peer to Peer Money
- Anyone Can Use It
- Bitcoin Has a Fixed Supply Which Decreases Every 4 Years
What Makes Bitcoin Different?
So what makes Bitcoin different to all the thousands of other coins which have been invented since?
When Bitcoin was first invented it began to spread slowly among a small group of people. It grew organically. When people started to see the benefits of Bitcoin and how the price would increase due to it’s fixed supply, it began to grow faster.
The Bitcoin blockchain is now spread across hundreds of thousands of computer all over the world. It has spread beyond the control of any government. It’s creator has vanished and now it runs autonomously.
Developers can upgrade and improve the Bitcoin network but this has to be done my consensus throughout the whole Bitcoin network. No one single person can control Bitcoin. This is what makes Bitcoin unique and impossible to replicate.
There are thousands of other cryptocurrencies available now but as an example of what makes Bitcoin different I’ll use Ethereum as example. It’s a one of the biggest Alt coins right now and has been since it was invented in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin.
Vitalik controls the Ethereum blockchain and basically has the final say on any development that happens on Ethereum.
Censorship And Government Interference
For this example let’s imagine that Iran is sending billions of dollars to North Korea to fund their new nuclear weapons program. This is not a good situation but it’s supposed to show you how your money is safer in Bitcoin!
Anyway.. first example. Iran is using the standard banking system and transferring this money to North Korea in USD. The US government say hang on a minute, we need to freeze these transactions and confiscate the money.. Easy. They do that straight away and the problem is over.
Second example. The same thing happens again but this time Iran use the Ethereum blockchain to send the money to North Korea. The US government are see what is happening. A phone call is made.
“Get Vitalik Buterin in Here NOW”
The US government “puts some pressure” on Vitalik and they make him roll back the blockchain and cancel Iran’s transactions. (The Ethereum blockchain has actually been rolled back before when a hacker stole a significant amount of funds).
Problem solved. Unfortunately Ethererum’s credibility would be ruined along with it’s price.
Ethereum is just an example, but it’s true for every other cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin Can’t Be Stopped
So the same thing happens again. This time Iran use Bitcoin as their payment method. The US Government see this and are powerless to stop it.
There is nobody to call. There is nobody to put pressure on. The Bitcoin is beyond censorship.
Every other cryptocurrency out there has been created by someone or some company and that will always be the point of failure. They are still centralized.
Another example would be if Vitalik’s family were taken hostage.. Bitcoin is beyond any of this and that is why it’s the safest investment on the planet.
Learn How to Use Bitcoin
Everyone should own some Bitcoin. It’s not without it’s dangerous though. If you’re new to Bitcoin then you should learn as much much as you can before you invest any money. Owning Bitcoin comes with a lot of responsabilty. Learn how to use Bitcoin safely.
