Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets. It was first invented by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto and was released as open-source software in 2009. The value of bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, is determined by supply and demand on various exchanges, and it has become a popular form of investment and a way to transfer money without the need for a central authority.
