This is a question that often causes confusion. Here's a quick explanation! The basics for a new user As a new user, you can get started with Bitcoin without understanding the technical details. Once you have installed a Bitcoin wallet on your computer or mobile phone, it will generate your first Bitcoin address and you can create more whenever you need one. You can disclose your addresses to your friends so that they can pay you or vice versa. In fact, this is pretty similar to how email works, except that Bitcoin addresses should only be used once. Balances - block chain The block chain is a shared public ledger on which the entire Bitcoin network relies. All confirmed transactions are included in the block chain. This way, Bitcoin wallets can calculate their spendable balance and new transactions can be verified to be spending bitcoins that are actually owned by the spender. The integrity and the chronological order of the block chain are enforced with cryptography. Transacti
Bitcoin can be used to build amazing things or just answer common needs. The simplest of all payment systems Unless payment needs to be associated with automatic invoices, accepting money is as simple as sending a bitcoin: link or displaying a QR code. This simple setup is within reach of any user and can fulfill the needs of a good range of clients. When done publicly, it is especially suitable for transparent donations and tips. Many third party APIs There are many third party payment processing services that provide APIs; you don't need to store bitcoins on your server and handle the security that this implies. Additionally, most of these APIs allow you to process invoices and exchange your bitcoins into your local currency at competitive costs. You can be your own financial system If you don't use any third party APIs, you can integrate a Bitcoin node directly into your applications, allowing you to become your own bank and payment processor. With all the responsibiliti
Bitcoin is a very secure and inexpensive way to handle payments. Choose your own fees There is no fee to receive bitcoins, and many wallets let you control how large a fee to pay when spending. Most wallets have reasonable default fees, and higher fees can encourage faster confirmation of your transactions. Fees are unrelated to the amount transferred, so it's possible to send 100,000 bitcoins for the same fee it costs to send 1 bitcoin. Protection against fraud Any business that accepts credit cards or PayPal knows the problem of payments that are later reversed. Chargeback frauds result in limited market reach and increased prices, which in turn penalizes customers. Bitcoin payments are irreversible and secure, meaning that the cost of fraud is no longer pushed onto the shoulders of the merchants. Fast international payments Sending bitcoins across borders is as easy as sending them across the street. There are no banks to make you wait three business days, no extra fees for