Bitcoin is a decentralized, peer-to-peer network that allows for the proof and transfer of ownership without the need for a trusted third party. The unit of the network is bitcoin (with a little “b”), or BTC, which many consider a currency or internet cash. The Bitcoin network was conceived in 2008 and launched in 2009 by a programmer(s) who used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto and whose identity remains uncertain. The network is based on a mathematical proof; people around the world called “miners” use software programs that follow a mathematical formula to produce bitcoins. The formula and software are freely available for