Bitcoin Basics
The Bitcoin Whitepaper Explained, Section by Section
A plain-English walk through the nine-page 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper: what each section says, what it leaves out and how its design maps to Bitcoin today.
Editorial & research
News & Research
Technology
What Is a Blockchain? Bitcoin's Ledger Explained
A blockchain is a shared record of blocks, each linked to the one before it by a hash. See how Bitcoin's works, what it does well and where it falls short.
Security
How to Send and Receive Bitcoin Safely
Receiving takes only an address. Sending takes care: check the address, choose a fee, send a small test first. Bitcoin payments cannot be undone.
Investing
How to Sell Bitcoin: Your Options, the Costs and What to Watch For
How to sell bitcoin for dollars: the main routes, market vs limit orders, what it costs, the tax records to keep and the scams aimed at sellers.
Bitcoin Basics
How Many Satoshis Are in a Bitcoin? Sats and Units Explained
One bitcoin equals 100,000,000 satoshis. See what a sat is, how bitcoin, millibitcoins and bits relate, and how to convert between them without a calculator.
Technology
Bitcoin Forks Explained: Soft Forks, Hard Forks and Chain Splits
A fork is a change to Bitcoin's rules or a split of its chain. Learn how soft and hard forks differ, what happened in 2017, and how Bitcoin changes in practice.
Technology
What Is a UTXO? How Bitcoin Tracks Ownership
Bitcoin has no account balances. Learn what a UTXO is, how change and fees work in a simple example, and why unspent outputs matter for privacy.
Technology
What Is Taproot? Bitcoin's 2021 Upgrade Explained
Taproot is a Bitcoin upgrade that took effect in November 2021. Learn what Schnorr signatures and hidden spending conditions add, and what bc1p means for you.
Money & Economics
What Is a Stablecoin? How It Works and How It Differs From Bitcoin
A stablecoin is a token built to hold a steady value, usually one US dollar. See how the peg works, the main types, the risks and how it differs from bitcoin.
Technology
Bitcoin's Energy Use: What the Debate Is Really About
Bitcoin mining uses electricity by design. Learn why the total is hard to measure, what critics and supporters argue, and how to read energy claims.
Technology
What Is a Bitcoin Node? What Running One Means
A Bitcoin node downloads and checks every block and transaction itself. Learn how nodes differ from miners and wallets, and what running a full node takes.
Security
Bitcoin Multisig Explained: Why Some Wallets Need More Than One Key
Multisig needs several keys to approve one bitcoin payment, such as two of three. See how it works, what it protects against and the extra backups it demands.