People throw around terms like blockchain, miners, nodes – and most of us just nod along. Let’s fix that, without melting your brain.

The Foundation: Blockchain

At the heart of Bitcoin is the blockchain – a public, digital ledger that records every transaction ever made. Think of it like a giant shared notebook that anyone can read, but no one can erase or change once a page is written.

Transactions and Blocks

Every time someone sends Bitcoin, that transaction gets bundled into a block. Miners gather these transactions and race to validate them by solving a complex mathematical puzzle. The first to solve it gets to add the block to the blockchain.

Mining: Securing the Network

Mining is what keeps Bitcoin decentralized and secure. Miners use computing power to validate transactions and protect the network from fraud. Their reward? Newly minted bitcoins and transaction fees.

What About Wallets?

To use Bitcoin, you need a wallet – a tool that lets you send, receive, and store your Bitcoin. Wallets don’t actually hold your coins; they store your private keys, which give you access to your coins on the blockchain.

Why It Matters

There’s no company behind Bitcoin. No CEO. No help desk. Just code, consensus, and a lot of computers keeping things honest. And that’s exactly the point.