Bitcoin

BTC CMC #1 in the snapshot

A public ledger for scarce digital money, secured by proof-of-work rather than an issuer’s repayment promise.

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026Asset ranks captured 14 Nov 2026Snapshot & methodology ↗

01 / THE PURPOSE

What is Bitcoin for?

Bitcoin lets participants transfer BTC without asking a bank to update an account. Its base layer emphasizes independently verifiable ownership and a shared transaction history.

02 / THE ARCHITECTURE

Three questions about the machinery.

How does it agree?

Consensus & security

Miners compete using SHA-256 proof-of-work. Full nodes independently reject invalid blocks; accumulated work helps select between valid histories. More confirmations reduce reorganization risk rather than creating an absolute guarantee.

Where do instructions run?

Execution model

Transactions consume unspent outputs and create new ones. Spending conditions use Bitcoin Script; the base layer is not an Ethereum-style general-purpose application computer.

What is the token for?

BTC in the system

BTC is the asset transferred and the unit for transaction fees. Block subsidy and fees compensate miners; holding BTC alone does not produce protocol staking rewards.

03 / THE DESIGN CHOICES

What comes with the design?

Each architecture makes choices about security, performance, coordination, and who can participate.

Limited block space can make timely inclusion expensive during demand spikes.
Mining concentration, energy requirements and key loss remain relevant even when transactions are valid.

04 / IN PRACTICE

Follow one use.

Illustrative: spending a 1 BTC output can create 0.2 BTC for a recipient, change for the sender, and a miner fee. The wallet tracks outputs, not coins stored inside an app.

05 / CHECK THE EXPLANATION

Sources & snapshot.

Network descriptions use the references below. The CoinMarketCap snapshot determines which assets are in scope and their captured rank; it does not assess the quality of a network.

Bitcoin developer guide · Block chain Bitcoin developer guide
Bitcoin developer guide · Transactions Bitcoin developer guide
CoinMarketCap top 100 snapshot Captured 14 Nov 2026 · See the complete scope audit
Bitcoin (BTC) on CoinMarketCap Captured asset rank #1

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026. Network designs and ranked positions can change.