The Times – January 3, 2009Bitcoin Genesis Block Mined 03 January 2009Cypherpunks Write CodeCODE IS LAW THE SOONER HUMANKIND ACCEPTS IT, THE SOONER IT CAN BUILD AROUND ITYeah.. I wonder Why ๐Bitcoin made easyHow a Bitcoin transaction worksA humble MinerHow Bitcoin Mining WorksMining DifficultyBitcoin HalvingBitcoin Previous HalvingsPoolsBitcoin WalletsBitcoin StakeholdersBitcoin FactsPower to the PeopleTotalitarian Governments can kiss my 256-bit keyBitcoin – People’s MoneyBitcoin cannot be Shut DownThe power of the long tail…Central Bank’s 3 StrategiesF**k them, Enough !!!Upcoming Smart Contracts NetworksBitcoin Yearly CandlesBitcoin Price History – Log ScaleBitcoin Mining Ecosystem MapDefi Ecosystem in EthereumDeFi Stack: Product& Application ViewSyscoin EcosystemSyscoinBSC EcosystemPopular CryptocurrencyCrpto EcosystemPublic Companies that own BitcoinTop Banks investing in CryptoBitcoin Inflation vs. TimeWhen you’re Ready…Choose WiselyMake bitcoin thrive, let fiat become humus…Veritas non Auctoritas Facit Legem
Most people misunderstand what bitcoin miners actually do, and as a result they don’t fully grasp the level of security provided by bitcoin’s hashrate.
In this article, we’ll explain proof of work in a non-technical way so that youโll be able to counter the misinformation about supercomputers and quantum computers attacking the Bitcoin network in the future.
Simply put, mining is a lottery to create new blocks in the Bitcoin blockchain. There are two main purposes for mining:
To permanently add transactions to the blockchain without the permission of any entity.
To fairly distribute the 21 million bitcoin supply by rewarding new coins to miners who spend real world resources (i.e. electricity) to secure the network.
To understand what is actually happening in this lottery system, let’s look at a simple analogy where every Bitcoin hash is equivalent to a dice roll.
Luck, Gambling, and SHA-256
Imagine that miners in the Bitcoin Network are all individuals gambling at a casino. In this example, each of these gamblers have a 1000 sided dice. They roll their die as quickly as possible, trying to get a number less than 10. Statistically, this may take a very long time, but as more gamblers join the game, the time it takes to hit a number less than 10 gets reduced. In short, more gamblers equals quicker rounds.
Once somebody successfully rolls a number less than 10, all gamblers at the table can look down and verify the number. This lucky gambler takes the prize money and the next round begins.
Ultimately, the process of mining bitcoin is very similar. All miners on the network are using Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), which are specialized computers designed to compute hashes as quickly as possible.
To โcompute a hashโ simply means plugging any random input into a mathematical function and producing an output.
More hashes per second (i.e. higher hashrate) is equivalent to more dice rolls per second, and thus a greater probability of success.
Miners propose a potential Bitcoin block of transactions, and use this for an input. The block is plugged into the SHA256 hash function which yields a fixed-sized output, known as a hash. A single hash can be computed in less than a millisecond, as it involves no complex math.
If the hash value is lower than the Bitcoin Network difficulty, then the miner who proposed the block wins. If not, then the miner continues trying by computing more hashes.
The successful minerโs block is then added to the blockchain, the miner is rewarded with newly issued bitcoin for their work, and the โnext roundโ begins.
Sources :
https://wikipedia.com/
https://braiins.com/
https://blockdata.com/
https://coin98analytics.com/
https://scoopwhoop.com/
https://stakingrewards.com/
https://syscoin.org/
https://galaxydigitalresearch.com/
https://surveycrest.com/
The Times
The Economist
"Internet of Money" - Andreas Antonopoulus
Hal Finney Quotes
Timothy C. May Quote
Free Spirit Digital Art
!ยฐ! If I forgot someone, sorry ! Do tell and I'll add you as a source of inspiration on the list !!! Thanks for understanding !!!
Questions, opinions, critics and requests always welcomed and as time allows will be accomodated !!! ๐ค ๐ ๐
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In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
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Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→
R&D, wisdom, knowledge, curiosities, answers and many more questions ๐๐คฃ๐
You have a Choice !!!Power to the People !!! Wake the F… Up !!! No more excuses, you have a choice now !!!WHO as in WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATIONP F I Z E Rย InsiderPoem of the LegacyBeing Curious…Of course it doesn’t comply…The Problem with centralized Social-Media10 Principles of Strategic LeadershipGlobal Reserve CurrencyPsychology of a Market CycleSuccessSuccessTriangle of SuccessDon’t plan for travelling when old…๐๐ณ๐Be like a Tree…If anyone understands this please enlighten me too ๐๐คญ๐คhttp://www.revelationtimelinedecoded.comESGFor those that think WE are the Center of the Universe ๐คฃ๐ ๐Confident vs. Insecure PeopleDay by day…Managing Complex ChangeThe Cone of LearningThe Hero’s JourneyElectromagnetic Field of the HeartI-ChingLanguage creates RealitySex Organs of the Machine WorldPhilosopher’s StoneIsaac NewtonAbracadabraSingularityMulti-Mind Thought Control Process APPLE INC.RetrocausalityCERNEGOSYSCOIN ECOSYSTEMJagSteinSysCoinBitcoin might bury FIAT ๐ ๐คญ ๐DEFI Ecosystem on EthereumDeFi StackBitcoin Mining Ecosystem Map…the other 6 BillionbitcoinThis is about the other 6 Billion…Top NFT ProjectsBusiness CyclesCentral’s Bank’s 3 StrategiesGlobal DebtDefender of the FlowerFlower of LifeSacred GeometrySeed & Flower of LifeKnowledge – An Antidote to FearJOIN THE REVOLUTION ๐ ๐คฃ ๐Emotion – Judgement – Action…violent recolution inevitable.E S B IEvery generation…LOVE YOUR RAGE NOT YOUR CAGERevolutionThe Times – January 3, 2009REVOLUTIONBitcoin Genesis Block – 03 January 2009Introduction to BitcoinIntroduction to Decentralized FinanceIntroduction to Digital CurrenciesAll Metals We MinedMap to Multiplication Nikola TeslaTop VC’s Investing in BlockChain CompaniesAthmospheres of the Solar SystemGlobal GDP 2021Map of CyberSecurity Domains21 QuestionsSix Innovation ModelsWhat May Happen in the next 100 YearsAbstract – “…to pull the body out of dimension so that the person can walk through solid objects such as wooden doors.” Okay ๐คฏ ๐ณ ๐คฏ ?ยฟ?China’s Social Credit SystemBlockchain Platforms Comparison (BCP)ARISE
In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
My inspiration for this page was given to me by my new aquired friend, a fellow Truth Seeker – Joris and to whom I dedicate this page… Wish you… as well as to … Continue reading Discipline Quotes→
Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→
For the first time in human history there is at the disposal of the masses a tool that eliminates the middlemen and takes trust from the hands of humans and beautifully makes it a mathematics code that cannot be breaken, hacked or tricked…
In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
My inspiration for this page was given to me by my new aquired friend, a fellow Truth Seeker – Joris and to whom I dedicate this page… Wish you… as well as to … Continue reading Discipline Quotes→
Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→
“Bitcoin actually has the balance and incentives right, and that is why it is starting to take off. “
Julian Assange
Bitcoin has the balance and incentives right
” It isnโt obvious that the world had
to work this way.
But somehow the universe smiles
on encryption.โ
Julian Assange
The universe smiles on encryption
” The innovation is that BTC
is hard to shut down. […]
Designed from the ground up
to survive under the most
adversarial conditions. “
Hasu
Bitcoin is hard to shut down
” Bitcoin is the most successful
privacy coin to date. “
Pierre Rochard
Most successful privacy coin to date
” Bitcoin is a technological innovation that happens once a species. “
Trace Mayer
Technological innovation that happens once in a species
” Bitcoin doesnโt care about
who you are or what your feelings are.
Bitcoin represents equal opportunity
to participate in a systemnot encumbered by our
legacyfiat structures. “
White Rabbit
Participate in a system not encumbered by FIAT
” We’re here to unfuck the money
and there’s no stopping us.
Fix the money, Change the World. “
White Rabbit
Fix the money, change the world
” Hardly anybody actually
understands money. “
Nick Szabo
Nobody understands money
” When you have a disruptive technology, they call it a category killer.
Bitcoin is a serial killer – itโs going to go through 40 or 50 different industries. “
Dan Morehead
Bitcoin is a serial killer
” It’s 21 Million or Death.”
Robert Breedlove
21 million or death
” It might make sense just to get some
in case it catches on. “
Satoshi Nakamoto
In case it catches on
” Trusted third parties are
security holes. “
Nick Szabo
Trusted third parties
” There are only going to be
21 million coins, there are
billions of people in the world,
some reasonable percentage
of who might find it interesting
to own a piece of Bitcoin.”
Adam Back
21 million coins
” I think itโs essential for a program of this nature to be open source. “
Satoshi Nakamoto
Open Source
” SHA-256 is very strong.
Itโs not like the incremental step
from MD5 to SHA1.
It can last several decades
unless thereโs some massive breakthrough attack. “
Satoshi Nakamoto
Sha-256
” Code mixed with robust
game theory is superior
to hierarchical command and control. “
โญoinsure
Code superior to hierarchical command and control
” Given that money is one half
of every commercial transaction and that whole civilizations literally
rise and fall based on the quality of their money, we are talking about
an awesome power, one that
flies under the cover of night. “
Ron Paul
Money…an awesome power
” The world has to adapt to bitcoin,
not the other way round. “
Herzmeister
The world has to adapt to bitcoin
” When I first bought bitcoin it took me two years of speculation to understand what Bitcoin really was.
But once I fully had a grasp of it,
it was life altering. “
Russell Okung
Bitcoin is life altering
” Many countries stand to gain from Bitcoinโs adoption as it would remove their dependence on the US dollar and provide them with a feasible alternative. “
Misir Mahmudov
Bitcoin a feasible alternative to the US $
” Bitcoin is a optimist bet on the future, a bet on human ingenuity.
Gold is a pessimist bet on the past and, often a bet the end of civilization. “
Rodolfo Novak
Bitcoin a bet on human ingenuity
” Everyone has got to believe in something.
Why not believe in something verifiable and unforgeable. “
Hass McCook
Believe in something Verifiable and Unforgeable
” Open source software is a meritocracy of ideas, not of people.
So people are always talking about
“Who controls Bitcoin?”
Good ideas control Bitcoin.
Not people.”
Ben Prentice
Good ideeas control Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a seed of hope in a society which lost vision years ago and perspective just recently. “
Kim Neunert
Bitcoin a seed of hope
” Bitcoin has an inescapable, unavoidable, and omnipotent magnetism for the brightest and most revolutionary minds on the planet.
I’ve never witnessed anything like it. “
Brandon Bridge
Bitcoin’s magnetism
” This is why proof of work needs
to be expensive, if it is cheap you can roll back things easily.
You want it to be very difficult to change history.
The only way to make it difficult to change history is to make the
process of writing the current
history very expensive. “
Jimmy Song
Difficult to Change History
” Bitcoin is like gold but with this magical abilitythat
you can teleport it.”
Vijay Boyapati
Bitcoin magical ability to teleport it
” Can Bitcoin be stopped?
“Not really, this thing is a beast.
As Mises wrote:
Ideas can only be overcome by other ideas. “
Trace Mayer
Bitcoin Cannot Be Stopped
” I’m not here to fix Bitcoin. “
Michael Saylor
Fix bitcoin
” Buying bitcoin is the most powerful protest an individual can make against the current economic system. “
Luc Dossis
Buying bitcoin is the most powerful protest
” These numbers have nothing to do with the technology of the devices;
they are the maximums that thermodynamics will allow.
And they strongly imply that brute-force attacks against 256-bit keys will be infeasible until computers are built from something other than matter and occupy something other than space. “
Bruce Schneier
Maximums that thermodynamics will allow
” Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost
overturn governments. “
Charles Lee
Cryptocurrency can almost overturn governments
” Bitcoin will do to banks what
email did to the postal industry. “
Rick Falkvinge
Bitcoin is the email for the postal industry
” I do think Bitcoin is the first [encrypted money] that has the potential to do something like change the world. “
Peter Thiel
Bitcoin has the potential to change the world
” Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet. “
Roger Ver
Bitcoin the most important invention in the history since the Internet
” Gold is a great way to preserve wealth, but it is hard to move around.
You do need some kind of alternative and Bitcoin fits the bill. “
Jim Rickards
Bitcoin fits the bill as a way to preserve wealth
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It will be everywhere and the world will have to readjust.
World governments will have to readjust. “
John McAfee
Bitcoin will be everywhere and the world will have to readjust
” I think the fact that within the bitcoin universe an algorithm replaces the function of the governmentโฆ is actually pretty cool. “
Al Gore
An algorithm replaces the function of government
People have made fortunes off Bitcoin, some have lost money.
It is volatile, but people make money off of volatility too. “
Richard Branson
Some Lost, some Won with Bitcoin
” The ability to create something which is not duplicable in the digital world has enormous valueโฆ
Lotโs of people will build businesses on top of that. “
Eric Schmidt
Create something wich is not duplicable
PayPal had these goals of creating a new currency.
We failed at thatโฆ
I think Bitcoin has succeeded on the level of a new currency, but the payment system is lacking. “
Peter Thiel
Bitcoin Succeeded as a New Currency
” As people move into Bitcoin for payments and receipts they stop using US Dollars, Euros and Chinese Yuan which in the long-term devalues these currencies. “
John McAfee
Bitcoin devalues $ โฌ ยฅ
” Bitcoin is the currency of resistanceโฆ
If Satoshi had released Bitcoin
10 years earlier,
9/11 would never have happened. “
Max Keiser
Bitcoin the Currency of Resistance
“At its core, bitcoin is a smart currency, designed by very forward-thinking engineers. “
Peter Diamandis
Bitcoin is a smart currency
” The internet is going to be one of the major forces for reducing
the role of government.
One thing thatโs missing but that
will soon be developed,
is a reliable e-cash. “
Milton Friedman
E-Cash
” Bitcoin is a technological
tour de force. “
Bill Gates
Tour de force
” If you donโt believe it or donโt get it,
I donโt have the time
to try to convince you, sorry. “
Satoshi Nakamoto
Don’t have the time
” WikiLeaks
has kickedthe hornetโs nest,
and the swarm is headed towards us. “
Satoshi Nakamoto
WikiLeaks
” Lost coins only make everyone elseโs coins worth slightly more.
Think of it as a donation to everyone.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Lost Coins
” In a few decades when the reward
gets too small, the transaction fee
will become the main
compensation for [mining] nodes.
Iโm sure that in 20 years
there will either be very large transaction volume or no volume.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Transaction fee
” As computers get faster and the total computing power applied to creating bitcoins increases, the difficulty increases proportionally to keep the total new production constant.
Thus, it is known in advance how many new bitcoins will be created every year in the future.
Coins have to get initially distributed somehow, and a constant rate seems like the best formula.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Coins distribution at a Constant Rate is the best Formula
” Bitcoin is the beginning
of something great:
a currency without a government, something necessary and imperative. “
Nassim Taleb
Bitcoin a Currency Without a Government
” Those who believe in Bitcoin also believe in cleverness. “
Arif Naseem
Believe in bitcoin believe in cleverness
” Bitcoin is the most stellar
and most useful system
of mutual trust ever devised. “
Arif Naseem
Bitcoin a System of Mutual Trust
“Cryptocurrency is freedom,
Banking is slavery. “
Arif Naseem
Cryptocurrency is Freedom
” Our basic thesis for bitcoin
is that it is better than gold. “
Tyler Winklevoss
Bitcoin better than gold
” I think the whole narrative
of blockchain without bitcoin will amount to very little. “
Fred Ehrsam
Blockchain without bitcoin
” Every informed person needs
to know about Bitcoin because
it might be one of the worldโs most important developments. “
Leon Louw
Bitcoin world’s most important developments
” Bitcoin is a very exciting development, it might lead to a world currency.
I think over the next decade
it willgrow to becomeone of the most importantways to pay for things and transfer assets. “
Kim Dotcom (CEO of MegaUpload)
Bitcoin might lead to a world currency
” Bitcoin may be the TCP/IP of money. “
Paul Buchheit (Creator of Gmail)
Bitcoin the TCP/IP of money
” We have elected to put our money
and faith in a mathematical
framework that is free of politics
and human error. “
Tyler Winklevoss (Co-inventor of Facebook)
Mathematical framework free of politics and human error
” I really like Bitcoin.
I own Bitcoins.
Itโs a store of value,
a distributed ledger.
Itโs a great place to put assets, especially in places like Argentina
with 40 percent inflation,
where $1 today is worth 60 cents in a year, and a governmentโs currency
does not hold value.
Itโs also a good investment vehicle if you have an appetite for risk.
But it wonโt be a currency until volatility slows down. “
David Marcus (CEO of Paypal)
Bitcoin a store of value
” [Virtual Currencies] may hold long-term promise,particularly if the innovations promote a faster,
more secure and more efficient payment system. “
Ben Bernanke (Chairman of the Federal Reserve)
Bitcoin may hold long-term promise
There are 3 Eras of currency:
Commodity based,
Politically based,
and now, Math based. “
Chris Dixon (Co-founder of Hunch now owned by Ebay, Co-founder of SiteAdvisor now owned by McAfee)
Math based currency
” Bitcoin is here to stay.
There would be a hacker uproar to anyone who attempted to take credit for the patent of cryptocurrency.
And I wouldnโt want to be on the receiving end of hacker fury. “
Adam Draper
Bitcoin is here to stay
” Itโs money 2.0,
a huge hugehuge deal. “
Chamath Palihapitiya (Previous head of AOL instant messenger)
Money 2.0
” If there is one positive takeaway
from the collapse of Mt.Gox,
it is the willingness of a new generation of Bitcoin companies to work together to ensure the future of Bitcoin and the security of customer funds. “
Brian Armstrong (CEO of Coinbase)
Future of bitcoin
” Bitcoin seems to be a very
promising idea.
I like the idea of basing security on the assumption that the CPU power of honest participants outweighs that of the attacker.
It is a very modern notion that exploits the power of the long tail. “
Hal Finney
Bitcoin a promising idea
” Bitcoin enables certain uses
that are very unique.
I think it offers possibilities that
no other currency allows.
For example the ability to spend a coin that only occurs when two separate parties agree to spend the coin; with a third party that couldnโt run away with the coin itself. “
Pieter Wuille
Bitcoin enables uses that are very unique
” At its core, bitcoin is a smart currency, designed by very forward-thinking engineers.
It eliminates the need for banks,
gets rid of credit cardfees,
currency exchange fees,
money transfer fees,
and reduces the needfor lawyers
in transitionsโฆ all good things. “
Peter Diamandis
Good things
” There is so much potential โฆ
I am just waiting for it to be
a billion dollar industry.โ
โ Wow, Silk Road actually works โ
Charlie Shrem
Silk Road actually works
Andreas AntonopoulusPlant the Seed… Don’t buy to get Rich… Educate Yourself !!! Then Educate Others !!!The sooner you accept the Truth, The better you will build upon it !!!You have a choice now !!!
Did you find this article helpful?
If so, please consider a donation to help the evolution and development of more helpful articles in the future, and show your support for alternative articles.
Your generosity is ๐ ly appreciated
You can donate in any crypto your ๐ desires ๐
In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
My inspiration for this page was given to me by my new aquired friend, a fellow Truth Seeker – Joris and to whom I dedicate this page… Wish you… as well as to … Continue reading Discipline Quotes→
Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→
Bitcoin block rewards are new bitcoins awarded to cryptocurrency miners for being the first to solve a complex math problem and creating a new block of verified bitcoin transactions.
The miners use networks of computers to do this, and every time a new block is created it is verified by all the other competing miners. Then a new math problem is introduced and the miners start over.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A block reward refers to the number of bitcoins you get if you successfully mine a block of the currency.
The amount of the reward halves after the creation of every 210,000 blocks, or roughly every four years.
The amount is expected to hit zero around 2140.
Understanding Block Rewards
Block Reward Halving
The block reward provides an incentive for bitcoin miners to process transactions made with the cryptocurrency. Creating an immutable record of these transactions is vital for bitcoin to work as intended.
The blockchain is like a decentralized bank ledgerโone that can’t be altered after being created. The miners are needed to verify the transactions and keep this ledger up to date. Block rewards, and to a lesser extent, transaction fees, are their payment for doing so.
Bitcoin was designed so that new bitcoins are created at a consistent pace. So the difficulty of the math problem is adjusted every two weeks to ensure a steady output of new bitcoinsโroughly one block of transactions every 10 minutes.
Bitcoin’s Block Rewards Vs. Ethereum’s
Ethereum, bitcoin’s main competitor as a cryptocurrency, also relies on block rewards to provide incentives to miners. With Ethereum, the reward is a digital token called “ether,” which is rewarded each time a miner succeeds in providing the mathematical proof of a new block. As with bitcoin, miners are also awarded a transaction fee, known as a “gas” fee.
Unlike with bitcoin, there is no limit on the number of Ethereum ether tokens that can be created, and they are created at a much faster paceโin seconds, versus about 10 minutes. So the total number of blocks in the Ethereum chain is larger than in the bitcoin chain.
The Future of Bitcoin Block Rewards
To limit inflation, bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto designed bitcoin to ultimately have only 21 million bitcoins.
This is why the size of bitcoin block rewards is halved after the creation of every 210,000 blocks, which takes around four years.
At bitcoin’s inception in 2009, each block reward was worth 50 BTC.
In May 2020, the block reward was halved a third time to 6.25 BTC.
And as of May 2021, there were already 18.7 million bitcoins in existence, or nearly 90% of the total planned supply.
Ultimately, the block reward is scheduled to reach zero around May 2140, but mining will likely no longer be profitable long before that date is reached.
As of April 2039, about 99.6% of bitcoins will already have been issued, and the block reward will be just 0.19531250 bitcoin.
Along the way, transaction fees are expected to become the primary incentive for bitcoin miners
In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
My inspiration for this page was given to me by my new aquired friend, a fellow Truth Seeker – Joris and to whom I dedicate this page… Wish you… as well as to … Continue reading Discipline Quotes→
Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→
If you love working from home, then you should consider starting an internet based business.
One of the businesses that you can easily start at home with a computer and mining rigs is bitcoin mining.
Simply put, bitcoin is a digital currency that operates independently of any countryโs central bank. In order to get an updated value of the worth of a bitcoin, you can make use of Googleโs currency converter; it is a reliable platform to know the value of bitcoin each time.
If you are interested in mining bitcoin, then you have two options to follow.
You can choose to mine a block of bitcoins from the computer or you can choose to pool.
If you want quick returns on your investment, then joining a pool is your best option because mining a block of bitcoins from your computer may take you a month or more before you get any return on your investment.
Please note that if you join a pool, you will only get smaller payments, but you can be rest assured that you will get them at a regular basis.
Starting a bitcoin mining business can be rewarding but you would have to compete with other well established bitcoin miners on the World Wide Web. The fact that you will be competing with people from all over the globe is enough reason for you to be result oriented and at the same be creative with your bitcoin mining business.
So, if you have done the required online or offline bitcoin mining related courses, then you might want to venture into this business.
Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business โ A Complete Guide
Industry Overview
Bitcoin mining in its simplest term is the practice of adding transaction records to Bitcoinโs public ledger of previous transactions or block chain.
This ledger of previous transactions is called the block chain as it is a chain of blocks. The block chain serves to confirm transactions to the rest of the network as having taken place.
As a matter of fact, Bitcoin miners help keep the Bitcoin network secure by approving transactions.
Mining is indeed an important and integral part of Bitcoin that ensures fairness while keeping the Bitcoin network stable, safe and highly secured.
Bitcoin mining as the name implies is similar to the mining of other commodities: it requires deliberate and calculated effort and it slowly makes new currency available at a rate that looks like the rate at which commodities like gold and copper et al are mined from the ground. Mining is also a mechanism used to introduce Bitcoins into the system.
Bitcoin is a type of digital currency that is created and held electronically; it is a cryptocurrency and a digital payment system that is invented by an unknown programmer, or perhaps a group of programmers. No one controls it.
Unlike Dollars, Euros, Pounds and other currencies, bitcoins are not printed, they are produced by people and businesses running computers all around the world, using software that solves mathematical problems.
If you want to start mining bitcoin, you would need an online wallet where your bitcoins will be stored.
There are several wallet options available online for bitcoin mining. The rule of thumb to follow before choosing an online wallet for your bitcoin mining is to choose a wallet that will allow you save bitcoins, buy bitcoins, use bitcoins and also accept bitcoins as a means of payment.
The Bitcoin (cryptocurrency and a digital payment system) industry is indeed a large internet based industry and pretty much active in countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Nigeria, Sweden, Australia, Japan, China, Germany, and Canada et al.
Despite the fact that the bitcoin mining business is still much of a green business, the business will continue to blossom because more and more users will embrace the use of bitcoins in the nearest future.
So, if you have an entrepreneurial mentality and you wish to join a massive technological revolution, you can start your own bitcoin mining business.
The truth is that you can build a bitcoin mining business even if you are not too ICT savvy and have limited capital to invest in software development and infrastructure, as long as you have internet access and you know how to use the internet.
Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own bitcoin mining business could be that the business is easy to set up and the startup capital is indeed affordable; you can actually start your own bitcoin mining business from the comfort of your house.
All you need to do is to create an office somewhere in your house. You donโt necessarily need to see the people you are doing business with since you can transact bitcoin mining business with clients from any part of the world.
Lastly, starting a bitcoin mining business requires professionalism, advanced mathematics skills and a good grasp of how cryptocurrency and the digital payment system works on a global platform.
Besides, you would need to get the required certifications and license and also meet the required standard for such business before you can be allowed to start a bitcoin mining business in the United States.
Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business โ Market Research and Feasibility Studies
Demographics and Psychographics
The demographic and psychographic composition of those who require the services of bitcoin miners are not restricted to bitcoin exchange and trading companies and bitcoin traders, people and organizations that make online transactions in your immediate community or state, but it cuts across people on the cyber space who make use of bitcoins from all over the world.
This is so because bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and a digital payment system used basically on the internet hence the leverage to work for people and organization all across the globe.
So, if you are looking towards defining the demographics of your bitcoin mining business, you should make it all encompassing. It should include bitcoin exchange and trading companies and bitcoin traders, programmers, investors, and internet โ business oriented people and organizations within and outside the United States.
List of Niche ideas Within the Bitcoin Mining Business That You Can Specialize in
Most bitcoin mining companies tend to operate the general bitcoin mining business that a standard bitcoin mining poll/company is expected to offer, that is why it seems like there are no niche areas in the industry.
But on the other hand, some bitcoin mining company may decide to major in some key areas such as:
Bitcoin cloud mining
Bitcoin cloud hashing
Providing other related bitcoin, cryptocurrency and digital payment system consulting and advisory services
The Level of Competition in the Bitcoin Mining Services Industry
The level of competition in the cryptocurrency and a digital payment system industry does not in any way depend on the location of the business since most people that mine bitcoin can operate from any part of the world and still effectively compete in the bitcoin mining line of business cum cryptocurrency and a digital payment system industry.
When it comes to bitcoin mining, distance is never a barrier when competing for clients especially international clients.
What most clients want is result, hence they are ready to make use of bitcoin miners or bitcoin mining platforms no matter the part of the world they operate from as long as they have good track record and can deliver excellent results when it comes to mining and selling bitcoins to them.
There are several bitcoin miners and bitcoin mining pools scattered all around the United States and in the cyber space.
So, if you choose to start your own bitcoin mining company in the United States, you will definitely meet stiffer competitions not only amongst bitcoin mining companies in the United States, but also all over the globe especially if you choose to specialize in cryptocurrency and digital payment system.
List of Well โ Known Brands in the Bitcoin Mining Business
In every industry, there are always brands that perform better or are better regarded by customers and the general public than others. Some of these brands are those that have been in the industry for a long time, while others are best known for the results they deliver.
These are some of the leading bitcoin mining companies (bitcoin mining pools) in the United States of America and also in the globe:
Economic Analysis
As an ICT aspiring entrepreneur who is looking for a business that requires programming and mathematics skills and perhaps minimal startup capital to start, then you can consider starting a bitcoin mining pool.
The cost of running a standard bitcoin mining pool when compared to the turnover you get can be poles apart (this is applicable when you have been able to establish your feet in the industry).
One thing is certain when it comes to the bitcoin mining business and most internet based businesses, you are sure of making profits when you successfully produce results that are measurable.
As a matter of fact, the cost of running the business from start to finish could be restricted to the cost of making phone calls, transportation and internet subscriptions, PR and of course bitcoin mining and hashing hardware and software et al.
Starting Your Bitcoin Mining Company from Scratch vs Buying a Franchise
When it comes to starting a business of this nature, it will pay you to start from the scratch as against buying a franchise.
First and foremost, it is your ability to mine or hash bitcoin that matters not a brand name.
Except you want to join a well-established bitcoin mining pool that fits into your business ideology.
Unfortunately, you can hardly find a franchise of a bitcoin mining pool โ company to purchase meaning that if you want to own a bitcoin mining (pool) business, then you must be ready to start from the scratch.
This is so because the business is easy to start if you have the required expertise and it is still pretty much thriving and there are loads of opportunities available to aspiring entrepreneurs that are interested in the industry.
The truth is that it will pay you to start your bitcoin mining company from the scratch. Starting from the scratch will afford you the opportunity to conduct thorough market survey and feasibility studies before choosing a location to launch the business.
Please note that most of the big and successful bitcoin mining companies around started from the scratch and they were able to build a solid business brand.
Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face When Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business
If you decide to start your own bitcoin mining business today, one of the major challenges you are likely going to face is the presence of well โ established bitcoin mining companies who are offering same services that you intend offering. The only way to avoid this challenge is to create your own market.
Some other threats that you are likely going to face as a bitcoin mining company operating in the United States are hosting issues, installation or upkeep troubles, heat, unfavorable government policies, and global economic downturn which usually affects purchasing/spending power. There is hardly anything you can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for your good.
Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business โ Legal Matters
Best legal entity to use for this type of business
Generally, you have the options of either choosing a general partnership, limited liability company which is commonly called an LLC, or a sole proprietorship for a business such as a bitcoin mining company.
Ordinarily, general partnership should have been the ideal business structure for a small โ scale bitcoin mining business especially if you are just starting out with moderate startup capital.
But people prefer limited liability Company for obvious reasons. As a matter of fact, if your intention is to grow the business and have clients both corporate and individual from all across the United States of America and other countries of the world, then choosing general partnership is not an option for you. Limited Liability Company, LLC will be highly suitable for you.
Setting up an LLC protects you from personal liability. If anything goes wrong in the business, it is only the money that you invested into the limited liability company that will be at risk. It is not so for sole proprietorships and general partnerships. Limited liability companies are simpler and more flexible to operate and you donโt need a board of directors, shareholders meetings and other managerial formalities.
These are some of the factors you should consider before choosing a legal entity for your bitcoin mining (pool) business; limitation of personal liability, ease of transferability, admission of new owners, investorsโ expectation and of course taxes.
If you take your time to critically study the various legal entities to use for your bitcoin mining business, you will agree that limited liability company; an LLC is most suitable. You can start this type of business as limited liability company (LLC) and in future convert it to a โCโ corporation or an โSโ corporation especially when you have the plans of going public.
Catchy Business Name ideas Suitable for a Bitcoin Mining Company
Generally, when it comes to choosing a name for a business, it is expected that you should be creative because whatever name you choose for your business will go a long way to create a perception of what the business represents. Usually it is the norm for people to follow the trend in the industry they intend operating from when naming their business.
Insurance Policies
In the United States and in most countries of the world, you canโt operate a business without having some of the basic insurance policy covers that are required by the industry you want to operate from. So, it is imperative to create a budget for insurance policy covers and perhaps consult an insurance broker to guide you in choosing the best and most appropriate insurance policies for your bitcoin mining business.
Here are some of the basic insurance policy covers that you should consider purchasing if you want to start your own bitcoin mining business in the United States of America:
General insurance
Health insurance
Liability insurance
Workers compensation
Overhead expense disability insurance
Business ownerโs policy group insurance
Payment protection insurance
Intellectual Property Protection/Trademark
If you are considering starting your own bitcoin mining business, usually you may not have any need to file for intellectual property protection/trademark. This is so because the nature of the business makes it possible for you to successfully run the business without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your companyโs intellectual properties.
Is Professional Certification Needed to Run a Bitcoin Mining Business?
Apart from the results you produce, professional certification is one of the main reasons why most bitcoin mining companies stand out.
If you want to make an impact in the Bitcoin industry, you should work towards acquiring all the needed certifications in your area of specialization.
Certification validates your competency and shows that you are highly skilled, committed to your career, and up-to-date in this competitive market.
These are some of the certifications you can work towards achieving if you want to run your own bitcoin mining company:
Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP) | Crypto Currency Certification
Blockcerts Certification
Cryptocurrency certification
Ethereum certification
Blockchain professional certification
List of Legal Documents You Need to Run a Bitcoin Mining Company
These are some of the basic legal documents that you are expected to have in place if you want to legally run your own bitcoin mining business in the United States of America:
Certificate of Incorporation
Business License and Certification
Business Plan
Non โ disclosure Agreement
Employment Agreement (offer letters)
Operating Agreement for LLCs
Insurance Policy
Contract documents
Online Privacy Policy Document (basically for online payment portal)
Company Bylaws
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Apostille (for those who intend operating beyond the United States of America)
Financing Your Bitcoin Mining Company
Aside from the amount required to purchase bitcoin mining software and hardware, bitcoins and of course cryptocurrency and other forms of digital payment required to trade with, starting a bitcoin mining business can be cost effective especially if you choose to run the business from your home, share office space with a friend or make use of a virtual office.
Securing a standard office is part of what will consume a large chunk of your startup capital, but if you choose to start the business on a small scale, you may not have the need to go source for fund to finance the business.
When it comes to financing a business, one of the major factors that you should consider is to write a good business plan.
If you have a good and workable business plan document in place, you may not have to labor yourself before convincing your bank, investors and your friends to invest in your business.
Here are some of the options you can explore when sourcing for start โ up capital for your bitcoin mining/trading business:
Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
Sell of shares to interested investors
Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from donor organizations and angel investors
Source for soft loans from your family members and your friends
Choosing a Suitable Location for your Bitcoin Mining Business
Bitcoin mining business and most internet service based type of businesses do not require that you see physically with your clients, hence the location you chose does not necessarily need to be top-notch.
But the fact that you can operate your bitcoin mining business from your home does not mean that location has little influence on the success of a bitcoin mining company.
If you have taken your time to study the bitcoin mining and other internet based businesses, you will realize that they are willing to pay expensive rents in order to stay in an ICT hub; a place with pretty strong internet network and of course a place where ICT activities are at its peak.
It is important to note that a business facility in a good location does not come cheap hence you should be able to allocate enough fund for leasing/renting in your budget.
If you are new to the dynamics of choosing a location for a business such as bitcoin mining business, then you should feel free to talk to a business consultant or a realtor who has a full grasp of the city and perhaps country you intend starting your company.
So, if you are looking for a location for your bitcoin mining company, ensure that it is a place that is located in an ICT hub; a place with pretty strong internet network and of course a place where ICT activities are at its peak.
Of course, you would not want to locate this type of business in the outskirts of town or a place without strong internet network. Your clients should be able to drive down and locate your office with little or no difficulty.
Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business โ Technical and Manpower Details
In order to successfully launch a bitcoin mining business, you will definitely need bitcoin mining software apps and hardware such as Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) machines and other cryptocurrency and digital payment system related software apps and wallet.
So also, you will need computers, internet facility, telephone, fax machine and office furniture (chairs, tables, and shelves).
When it comes to choosing between renting and leasing an office space, the size of the bitcoin mining company you want to build, and your entire budget for the business should influence your choice.
If you have enough capital to run a standard bitcoin mining company, then you should consider the option of leasing a facility for your office.
As regards the number of employees that you are expected to kick start the business with, you would need to consider your finance before making the decision.
Averagely, you would need a Chief Executive Officer or President (you can occupy this role), an Admin and Human Resource Manager, Bitcoin Miners and Hashers, Programmers and Software Developers, Business Development Executive/marketing Executive, Customer Service Officer or Front Desk Officer, and Accountant.
Over and above, you would need a minimum of 8 key staff to effectively run a medium scale but standard bitcoin mining company.
Please note that there will be times when you are expected to go out of your way to hire experts to help you handle some high โ profile internet based currency consultancy contracts especially from big corporations.
If you are just starting out, you may not have the financial capacity or required business structure to retain all the professionals that are expected to work with you which is why you should make plans to partner with other programmers and software app developers and computer engineers that operates as freelancers.
The Service Delivery Process of a Bitcoin Mining Company
It is the tradition in the cryptocurrency industry for bitcoin miners to help keep the Bitcoin network secure by approving transactions.
The truth is that mining is an important and integral part of Bitcoin that ensures fairness while keeping the Bitcoin network stable, safe and secure.
In the cryptocurrency and other forms of digital payment system industry, bitcoin miners use special software to solve math problems and are issued a certain number of bitcoins in exchange. This provides a smart process of issuing the currency and also creates an incentive for more people to mine.
For instance, when a block is discovered, the miners are rewarded a certain number of bitcoins, which is agreed-upon by everyone in the network.
Currently the reward is 6.25 bitcoins and this value will halve every 210,000 blocks.
Additionally, the bitcoin miner is awarded the fees paid by users sending transactions. The fee is an incentive for the bitcoin miner to include the transaction in their block.
It is important to state that a bitcoin mining (pool) company may decide to improvise or adopt any business process and structure that will guarantee them efficiency and flexibility; the above stated business cum services process is not cast on stone.
Starting a Bitcoin Mining Business – The Marketing Plan
Marketing ideas and strategies
As a bitcoin mining company, you would have to prove your worth over and over again before you can be awarded any bitcoin mining and hashing contracts from corporate clients.
So, if you have plans to start your own bitcoin mining company, it will pay you to first build a successful career in the digital payment system industry.
People and organizations will hire your services to help them handle all their bitcoin mining and hashing needs if they know that they are going to get good returns on their investment.
So, when you are drafting your marketing plans and strategies for your bitcoin mining company, make sure that you create a compelling personal and company profile.
Aside from your qualifications and experience, it is important to clearly state in practical terms what you have been able to achieve in time past as it relates to the cryptocurrency industry and the organizations you have worked for in time past.
This will help boost your chances in the market place when sourcing for bitcoin mining and hashing contracts.
Businesses these days are aware of the power of the internet and which is why they will do all they can to maximize the internet to market their services.
In other words, a larger percentage of your marketing efforts should be directed to internet users.
Here are some of the platforms you can utilize to market your bitcoin mining company:
Introduce your business by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to all the bitcoin exchange and trading companies and bitcoin traders, programmers, investors, and internet โ business oriented people and organizations within and outside the United States
Promptness in bidding for bitcoin mining and hashing contracts from bitcoin exchange and trading companies cum bitcoin traders, programmers, investors, and internet โ business oriented people and organizations within and outside the United States
Advertise your business in relevant programming magazines, radio and TV stations (make yourself available for bitcoin mining and cryptocurrency related talk shows and interactive sessions on TV and Radio)
List your business on local directories
Attend international bitcoin mining and cryptocurrency related seminars and business fairs
Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets
Join related associations around you with the main aim of networking and marketing your services; you are likely going to get referrals from such networks
Engage the services of online marketing executives and business developers to carry out direct marketing
Factors That Will Help You Get the Right Product Pricing
Some of the key factors that will help you mine or hash bitcoin in a profitable pricing system is to ensure that you work with highly talented programmers and mathematicians in your bitcoin mining pool.
You should also ensure that you get your bitcoin mining software and hardware at good deal not forgetting to run your maintenance as at when due.
Another strategy that will help you offer your bitcoin mining and hashing services at the right price is to ensure that you cut operational and maintenance cost to the barest minimum, and channel your efforts towards marketing and promoting your brand name.
Aside from the fact that this strategy will help you save cost, it will also help you get the right pricing for your products.
Strategies to Boost Your Bitcoin Mining Brand Awareness and Create Your Corporate Identity
If your intention of starting a bitcoin mining company is to grow the business beyond the city where you are going to be operating from to become a national and international brand, then you must be ready to spend money on promotion and advertisement of your brand.
In promoting your brand and corporate identity, you should leverage on both print and electronic media and also social media (the internet).
As a matter of fact, it is cost effective to use the internet and social media platforms to promote your brands, besides it is pretty much effective and wide reaching.
Another strategy is to sponsor relevant programmer/ICT based programs, TV and radio programs, advertise your business in relevant magazines and newspapers. Below are the platforms you can leverage on to boost your brand and to promote and advertise your business.
Place adverts on ICT magazines and related newspapers, radio and TV stations
Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from your loyal customers
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms to promote your business
Ensure that you position your banners and billboards in strategic positions all around your city
Distribute your fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
Contact bitcoin exchange and trading companies cum bitcoin traders, programmers, investors, and internet โ business oriented people and organization within and outside the United States by calling them up and informing them of your organization and the bitcoin mining and hashing services you offer
Advertise your business in your official website and employ strategies that will help you pull traffic to the site
Brand all your official cars and ensure that all your staff members wear your branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.
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Finance, like most human inventions, is constantly evolving.
In the beginning it was basic: food was traded for livestock, and livestock for resources like wood, or maize. It progressed to precious metal, such as silver and gold. And now, the next step in financial evolution has come to light.
This new form of currency has been constantly evolving over the past decade, developed by an unknown person and maintained by a collective group of the brightest minds in technology.
Itโs a new form of money that is created and held digitally, and the most important part, of course, is that no government owns it, or decides its value – the peer-to-peer network community does.
We call this new money, โBitcoinโ.
Historically, U.S. currency has been based on gold – you could give a dollar to the bank and receive a set amount back in gold. In contrast, Bitcoin isnโt based on silver or gold – itโs based on mathematical proofs validated by a public ledger called blockchain technology.
Bitcoin is generated through a complex sequence of mathematical formulas that run on computers; the network shares a public ledger using blockchain technologies that record, and validate, every transaction processed.
A single institution, such as the government, does not control the Bitcoin network.
The idea behind the technology has always been – and remains – one of decentralization – that is, remaining completely independent of a central authority, like a bank, a government, or a country.
Anyone can access the open-source software that makes Bitcoin work, and its those individuals interested that maintain it.
But, who invented Bitcoin? Is it a valid and legitimate currency like USD? And why did nobody think of this before?
But before we begin, letโs talk about the creator of Bitcoin – or rather, the anonymous pseudonym that first published a concept.
How Did Bitcoin Start?
There are many questions about Bitcoin, but the most common one to be asked is, โWho created it?โ
That answer is not straightforward, because the identity of the creator remains a mystery. All we have is a pseudonym – Satoshi Nakamoto.
The accounts are no longer active; the coins in his wallet have never been spent.
Satoshi Nakamoto has disappeared from the world, or so it would seem.
Fast Company recently published an article suggesting that Satoshi Nakamoto could be a group of people, including Neal King, Vladimir Oksman, and Charles Bry. Apparently, these three people filed for a patent related to secure communication just two months prior to the purchase of the Bitcoin.org domain. Perhaps itโs a coincidence; perhaps itโs not.
What we do have, however, are facts:
On October 31st, 2008, โBitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash Systemโ was posted to a cryptography mailing list, published under the name โSatoshi Nakamotoโ. The whitepaper outlined the foundation of how Bitcoin would operate.
On August 18, 2008, an unknown person or entity registered the Bitcoin.org domain.
On January 8th, 2009, the first version of Bitcoin is announced, and shortly thereafter, Bitcoin mining begins.
The mystery that surrounds Satoshi Nakamoto is fitting; privacy was a key value for both Bitcoin, and its users.
Others have tried to claim his mantle – most recently an Australian man named Craig Wright, who has since withdrawn his claim.
While we may never know who first created Bitcoin, we do know that the technology he started has left ripples in the financial industry.
Bitcoin has risen to fame thanks to individuals such as the Winklevoss twins controlling and growing the market, and major events that have defined this new technologyโs existence such as the Mt. Gox Ponzi scheme disaster.
The people involved and the events that occur are a constant reminder that this market is unregulated and seem to fall in line with Satoshi Nakamotoโs goal of creating a decentralized network.
What is Bitcoin Used For?
Currency must have value to ensure stability.
The most common way for a person to judge a currencyโs value is what they can use it on; Bitcoin is no different, and a host of vendors and merchants now accept it alongside, or in place of, fiat money.
One early adopter of Bitcoin was the computer retailer Dell. In fact, when Dell started accepting Bitcoin, it became one of the largest companies to do so internationally.
While the digital currency may total for just a fraction of the retailerโs total transaction volume, there are other key reasons why the growth of Bitcoin could be aboon for the retailer.
Dell reported earnings of $59 billion during 2015. Traditional transaction fees range from 2 to 3 percent of the purchase price – with Bitcoin, itโs much, much lower, nearing non-existent – saving the retailer a lot of money in the future.
Other companies, such as Expedia and Cheapair, have also started accepting Bitcoin, along with technology conglomerate Microsoft : users can add funds to their accounts with Bitcoin to purchase apps, games, and other types of digital content.
The acceptance of Bitcoin is a strategic decision on the part of these companies, most of which are reaching out to solidify their position with tech-savvy audiences.
Thereโs a lot of benefit to Bitcoin, and a variety of reasons for its use, including :
Faster Payment: Accepting wire transfers and checks is time consuming, and it can take several days for payment to clear. Bitcoin is faster and can take a matter of minutes, rather than days to process payment.
Lower Transaction Fees: The cost to accept Bitcoins is lower compared to other payment methods, such as credit cards or Paypal.
Independent of Governments: Since Bitcoin is decentralized, you own it – no authority has the right to take away your Bitcoin. People with concerns about mainstream banking systems unravelling find this a major benefit.
Elimination of Chargebacks: Once Bitcoin is sent, thatโs it – you canโt chargeback, like you would with a credit card payment, which eliminates โchargeback fraudโ often used by criminals and scammers.
Protection Against Inflation: With a fiat currency, the government can print as much money as it desires – this drastically decreases the value of currency, and may result in inflation. In contrast, Bitcoin has a fixed number – after they have all been โminedโ, no more Bitcoins will be created. Scarcity is an important aspect of currency which protects it from inflation.
Ownership of Currency: With Bitcoin, you own your coins. With other forms of digital fiat – such as Paypal – your assets may be held, and your account eventually suspending, locking you out of your earnings. Bitcoin puts you in control.
Is Bitcoin a Commodity, or a Currency?
Bitcoin is both. While it can be used to purchase items from major retailers, itโs also treated as property by government jurisdictions, such as the IRS.
The IRS issued a guide on Bitcoin for tax purposes, stating it will treat virtual currencies as property for federal purposes. They go on to state that:
In some environments, virtual currency operates like โrealโ currency โ i.e., the coin and paper money of the United States or of any other country that is designated as legal tender, circulates, and is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance โ but it does not have legal tender status in any jurisdiction.
The notice provides that virtual currency is treated as property for U.S. federal tax purposes.
Typically, property is almost always something tangible that can be held in the physical realm.
The IRS goes on to state that:
General tax principles that apply to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency. Among other things, this means that:
Wages paid to employees using virtual currency are taxable to the employee, must be reported by an employer on a Form W-2, and are subject to federal income tax withholding and payroll taxes.
Payments using virtual currency made to independent contractors and other service providers are taxable and self-employment tax rules generally apply. Normally, payers must issue Form 1099.
The character of gain or loss from the sale or exchange of virtual currency depends on whether the virtual currency is a capital asset in the hands of the taxpayer.
A payment made using virtual currency is subject to information reporting to the same extent as any other payment made in property.
Bitcoin has garnered a lot of attention over the past decade, despite constant declarations of its death – 99 Bitcoins keeps a running tab of โBitcoin obituariesโ.
Despite all of this, Bitcoinโs future has remained bright. Greater adoption rates, and an increasing number of brands accepting the currency (you can get a full list qui) means the long-term view on Bitcoin is that it will see market maturity as time progresses.
Mainstream investing vehicles, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Futures trading, including Bitcoin will be a major help to reaching that market maturity. Bitcoin Futures are already trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and legislation to create a crypto ETF is in the works.
These securities will help stabilize cryptocurrency prices and mitigate volatility, which will help the publicโs confidence grow in favor of Bitcoin.
Itโs important to understand that, much like the early days of 1992, Bitcoin is a new technology – and new technologies can take decades to reach critical mass.
But, much like the Internet, no one wants to miss out on the โnext big thingโ – and Bitcoin is the biggest thing yet. Constant updates are occurring to Bitcoin thanks to what is called a “hard fork”.
These constant updates ensure that digital currencies continue to experience growth through technological development.
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Timothy May on the cover of the second issue of Wired magazine with 2 fellow cypherpunks
Sadly, this past week we lost an icon that helped to spur the cypherpunk movement. Timothy May, who wrote The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto in 1988, lauched a movement that is still very prominent today.
For the uninitiated, a Crypto-Anarchist focuses on subverting the current laws and using new technologies to the benefit of the common man.
In the original manifesto, May says crypto-anarchy focuses on โencryption, digital money, anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero-knowledge, reputations, information markets, black markets, collapse of governmentsโ.
The manifesto was written just before the first crypto wars began during the early 1990โs.
The governments of the world fiercely opposed the general public using cryptographic encryption protocols.
The idea that a normal citizen could completely hide what they say in an electronic message was their biggest concern.
The governments cited national security as a concern (Weโve heard this excuse used many times before).
RSA Security, a leading computer securty company founded by world-renowned cryptologists, created this poster against a hardware chip that used a US-government supplied encryption standard
The legislation of the anti-encryption laws would also affect payment processing technology. There was a large push back from tech companies that would have to deal with these issues first-hand.
The crypto wars of the 1990โs ended with the concession from the government that encryption was readily available around the world.
The public had won their first bout against the government surveillance state. Alongside the public, you had the cypherpunks and large tech companies that were all fighting a common threat.
There was not much of an issue in terms of encryption for quite a few more years.
Every few years afterward, the idea of backdoors into encryption schemes were brought up but nothing ever came about these new ideations.
The Crypto Wars Redux
The expansion of computational power and development of more efficient processing equipment closed the gap as to who can gain access to encryption software.
The widespread availabilty of software/hardware that can perform these cryptographic calculations involved in encryption and the ease of use has made it possible for the layman to encrypt their own personal messages, video calls,emails, and notes.
Encrypting an email with someone who has never imported a key to their keyring, or generated their own PGP public/private key pair is a thing of the past.
Many of the services that exist today offer these solutions out of the box. The process has become much easier for all parties involved.
Anyone that is now using this technology benefits from this on a privacy and security level.
With all parties benefitting, the leviathan rears its head once more. Australia has passed an anti-encryption bill that will force large tech companies to allow the Australian government to obtain hardware access(citing national security as a major reason).
Outrage has spilled out of the larger tech companies. The end-to-end zero knowledge messaging/calling app, Signal, has taken a stand against this bill.
This sounds very similar to the issues Tim May was battling with during the early days of the First Crypto War.
The cypherpunks came out on top and Iโm sure this legislation will face a similar fate.
Mayโs Impact on the World
The imprint that Timothy May left on the world is profound. The mass adoption of encryption as well as cryptocurrencies shows just how far ahead of the times he was.
May urged the importance of privacy.
He insisted on the use of encryption to keep your communications private.
Currently on a majority of mobile phones there are applications that provide encrypted communications. Whatsapp uses the Signal protocol which was developed by cypherpunk Moxie Marlinspike.
The rise of cryptocurrencies is an ideal that May was very hopeful for.
May did come out against the anti-privacy issues of bitcoin.
There are projects that offer solutions for this privacy debate.
Much of the developer-base of these certain cryptocurrencies have their foundation based in the cypherpunk tradition.
The Cryptocurrencies that aim for a privacy by default mechanism are monero and the soon to launch GRIN which uses the Mimblewimble Protocol (To see an extremely entertaining introduction to the GRIN project via talk-to-text chat for privacy preservation, listen to the creator of Grin).
Zcash is moving in the direction of private by default and the superior cryptography of the ZK range proofs will help to create a very private cryptocurrency.
Cody WIlson and Amir Taaki who worked on projects focused on the crypto-anarchic tradition including Dark Wallet and Defense Distributed
The impact Tim May made on the world by helping to create a social movement shows the importance and strength of his ideals.
He has impacted a generation of people that are growing up in the digital age.
He influenced builders in the 21st century.
You have people creating new currencies, exposing government surveillance on a national scale, circumventing the broken bueracratic system by creating their own markets, anonymous internet protocols, as well as making encryption applicable to the common man (You can find a list of prominent cypherpunks here and also here).
There isnโt enough that can be said about the applications in which he believed could positively affect us.
May was cognizant of the encroaching all-seeing eye of the state but I believe we are in much better shape now than weโve ever been.
There may be negative news about what we currently face as individuals, from the unprecedented surveillance of the Snowden leaks to the aforementioned Australian anti-encryption bill, but looking at the grand scheme of our daily lives, these tools and their functions have helped to create a much better day than May could have imagined in 1988.
He was a proponent for the industriousness of human nature to outpace the slow moving regulation that would try to bog down any progress.
You can listen here to what he thought people/creators should do when they develop ground breaking technology.
Arise, you have nothing to lose but your barbed wire fences!
Happy New Year!May the coming year be full of grand adventures , peace, prosperity and opportunities.Dream big and make the most of … Continue reading Happy New Year !!!!→
Open Source JavaScript Client-Side Bitcoin Wallet Generator
A Bitcoin wallet is as simple as a single pairing of a Bitcoin address with its corresponding Bitcoin private key. Such a wallet has been generated for you in your web browser and is displayed above.
To safeguard this wallet you must print or otherwise record the Bitcoin address and private key. It is important to make a backup copy of the private key and store it in a safe location. This site does not have knowledge of your private key. If you are familiar with PGP you can download this all-in-one HTML page and check that you have an authentic version from the author of this site by matching the SHA256 hash of this HTML with the SHA256 hash available in the signed version history document linked on the footer of this site. If you leave/refresh the site or press the “Generate New Address” button then a new private key will be generated and the previously displayed private key will not be retrievable. Your Bitcoin private key should be kept a secret. Whomever you share the private key with has access to spend all the bitcoins associated with that address. If you print your wallet then store it in a zip lock bag to keep it safe from water. Treat a paper wallet like cash.
Add funds to this wallet by instructing others to send bitcoins to your Bitcoin address.
Check your balance by going to blockchain.info or blockexplorer.com and entering your Bitcoin address.
Spend your bitcoinsย by going to blockchain.info and sweep the full balance of your private key into your account at their website. You can also spend your funds by downloading one of the popular bitcoin p2p clients and importing your private key to the p2p client wallet. Keep in mind when you import your single key to a bitcoin p2p client and spend funds your key will be bundled with other private keys in the p2p client wallet. When you perform a transaction your change will be sent to another bitcoin address within the p2p client wallet. You must then backup the p2p client wallet and keep it safe as your remaining bitcoins will be stored there. Satoshi advised that one should never delete a wallet.
BTC total daily payout is 6.25 BTC * 6 times per hour * 24hours…on average = 900 BTC mined every day.ย
That has to be spread out, on average, evenly across then ENTIRE network.ย Granted, luck is involved, so it isn’t exactly even, but on average, it should be.
If network is running at 17,608,758 TH/s, and every TH gets an even share of the reward, then that would be 1800BTC / 17,608,758 TH/s = .00010222 BTC/(TH/s).
You then take that figure and multiply by number of TH for miner, and then you get daily BTC revenue ; )
In a first, Bitcoin developers have done something amazing amid the criticism over the lightning network and issues associated with it. A team of developers has made an international payment using the radio … Continue reading International payment using the radio waves→
My inspiration for this page was given to me by my new aquired friend, a fellow Truth Seeker – Joris and to whom I dedicate this page… Wish you… as well as to … Continue reading Discipline Quotes→
Bitcoin white paper turns 15 and the Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto lives on. โIโve been working on a new electronic cash system thatโs fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party,โ Satoshi Oct. 31, … Continue reading Bitcoin White Paper turn 15→