Supply, settlement, and self-custody. The fundamentals behind the world’s first cryptocurrency.
h.Hyperpro Editorial3 min read · Explainer
Original AI-assisted editorial illustration · Hyperpro
Bitcoin transactions are recorded in a public ledger maintained by a network of participants. Mining helps order transactions and makes rewriting accepted history costly. The protocol’s issuance schedule is distinct from the market price, which emerges from trading.
Holding bitcoin also involves a custody choice. With self-custody, access depends on the private keys and their backups. With a custodian, access depends on that service. Understanding the difference is more useful than treating every app displaying a BTC balance as the same product.
