Degrees of Satoshi · Learn with evidence
Bitcoin encyclopedia
Understand the original cryptocurrency, its history, and the evidence recorded on its chain.
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8 entries
Getting started
The units, records and everyday words behind Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat is Bitcoin? Money that runs on a public network instead of a bankBitcoin is digital money that moves over a public network with no bank in the middle. What it is, where it came from and how it works, with sources.8 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat is a blockchain, and what does Bitcoin’s actually record?A blockchain is a record built in batches, each sealed to the last. How Bitcoin’s works, what it stores, and why the word means less than it sounds.9 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat is a satoshi? Bitcoin’s smallest unit, and why it has a nameOne bitcoin equals 100 million satoshis. Convert BTC to sats, distinguish the unit from its market price, and follow the original naming record.8 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat is a UTXO? How Bitcoin keeps track of coins without any accountsA UTXO is an unspent transaction output: a lump of bitcoin a transaction created and nobody has spent yet. How the model works and why change outputs exist.8 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin address types: why some start with 1, some with 3, and some with bc1Bitcoin addresses come in four common formats: legacy, P2SH, native SegWit and Taproot. What each prefix means, where it came from, and which BIP defines it.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin confirmations: what they mean, why six became the convention, and why none is finalA confirmation is a block built on top of the one holding your transaction. Why six became the convention, what a reorg is, and why nothing is ever final.8 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow to read a block explorer: transactions, fees, confirmations and addressesA block explorer lets anyone read the Bitcoin ledger: how to look up a transaction, read inputs, outputs, fees and confirmations, and not over-read an address.8 min · 9 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow many bitcoins are there? The 21 million cap, explainedBitcoin’s code caps supply just under 21 million. How many have been issued, how many are stuck or lost, when the last arrives, and what each number means.9 min · 7 sources
22 entries
Payments and fees
Send, receive and check a payment, or understand why it is waiting.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow to receive Bitcoin: addresses, amounts and arrival checksLearn what to share to receive bitcoin, verify the destination and distinguish a visible payment from an available balance.3 min · 9 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow to send Bitcoin: review the destination, amount and feeFollow a Bitcoin payment from a trusted request through amount and fee review, signing, broadcasting and confirmation.3 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin payment requests and QR codes: what a scan actually tells youUnderstand Bitcoin payment QR codes and URI fields, including decimal BTC amounts, labels, alternative routes and recipient checks.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationChecking a Bitcoin address: format, network and recipientCheck Bitcoin address syntax and network compatibility while keeping recipient authentication separate from checksum validity.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin transaction ID versus wallet addressDistinguish a Bitcoin transaction ID from a receiving address, an output index and a SegWit witness transaction ID.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin transaction fees and the mempool: how fees are set and why they spikeHow Bitcoin transaction fees work: why you pay per byte, what the mempool is, why fees spike when blocks fill up, and how replace-by-fee unsticks a payment.6 min · 11 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin fee rates: sat/vB versus the total feeCalculate a Bitcoin fee from virtual size and sat/vB, and distinguish a rate estimate from the amount actually paid or a promised confirmation time.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin virtual size: bytes, weight and vbytesConvert Bitcoin transaction weight to virtual size and understand why raw bytes and fee-paying vbytes are not interchangeable.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhy is my Bitcoin transaction still unconfirmed?Diagnose an unconfirmed Bitcoin payment by separating broadcast, mempool acceptance, fee competition, conflicts and confirmation.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationReplace-by-fee: replacing a pending Bitcoin paymentUnderstand how a pending Bitcoin transaction can be replaced, what changes, and why replacement is a node policy rather than a confirmation guarantee.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationChild pays for parent: how a second transaction can lift the firstSee how a child transaction can make a package more attractive to miners, including the fee calculation and the requirement to control a spendable output.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin change addresses: where the rest of a payment goesFollow a Bitcoin payment with a change output and learn why an unfamiliar output address may still belong to the sender’s wallet.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin coin selection: which UTXOs a wallet spendsUnderstand how selecting Bitcoin UTXOs changes transaction size, fees, change and the relationships revealed on the public ledger.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationCoin control: choosing which bitcoin to spendLearn what coin-control features let a Bitcoin wallet user choose, and distinguish input selection from a guarantee of transaction privacy.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin dust: a relay-policy threshold, not a smallest coinDistinguish Bitcoin dust relay policy from consensus validity and the satoshi unit, including why the threshold depends on the output type and fee setting.3 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSending all your bitcoin: why Send Max differs from the displayed balanceUnderstand Send Max by separating spendable inputs, transaction fees, watch-only balances and the recipient’s final amount.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin payment batching: many recipients in one transactionSee how Bitcoin batching combines recipients, changes fee overhead and reveals payment relationships, with an illustrative size comparison.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin withdrawal fees versus network feesReconcile a Bitcoin service withdrawal fee with the amount received and the miner fee, especially when withdrawals are batched.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin merchant invoices: paid, expired, short and overpaidRead Bitcoin invoice states without confusing a payment request, detected funds, settlement, partial payment and a merchant refund.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin refunds: why returning a payment requires a new transactionLearn why a Bitcoin refund is a new payment, how to choose its destination and why copying an original input address can lose the refund.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin received but missing from your wallet: what to checkDiagnose a Bitcoin receipt that appears on the chain but is absent from your wallet by checking network, account, synchronization and address discovery.3 min · 12 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBroadcasting a signed Bitcoin transaction: what acceptance provesDistinguish a signed Bitcoin transaction, a local mempool test, network broadcast and block inclusion, including privacy and retry implications.3 min · 7 sources
19 entries
Wallets and recovery
Keys, backups, signing devices and ways to find your funds.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin wallets explained: hot, cold, hardware, custodial, and what they actually storeA Bitcoin wallet holds keys, not coins. What hot, cold, hardware and custodial wallets are, how they differ, and where the risk sits in each one.10 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationPrivate keys, public keys and seed phrases: what actually controls your bitcoinA private key is a secret number that can spend bitcoin; a seed phrase is 12 or 24 words that regenerate every key. How both work, and why losing them is final.7 min · 10 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHardware wallets: what the device protects and what it cannot checkUnderstand hardware-wallet signing, device-screen checks and recovery without assuming the hardware can authenticate every request.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHot wallets versus cold wallets: compare signing and recovery pathsCompare hot and cold Bitcoin wallets by key exposure, payment workflow and recovery rather than by where a balance is displayed.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationOffline Bitcoin signing: build, inspect, sign and broadcastFollow an offline Bitcoin signing workflow and understand the limits of unsigned files, transfer media and broadcast confirmation.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationImporting versus sweeping Bitcoin private keysCompare importing a private key with sweeping its funds into a new Bitcoin wallet, including fees and future backup requirements.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin paper wallets: what to understand before spending from oneUnderstand legacy Bitcoin paper wallets, private-key copies, change outputs and the difference between importing and sweeping funds.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBrainwallets versus seed phrases: why a memorable sentence is differentDistinguish a human-chosen brainwallet sentence from a randomly generated mnemonic and understand why word count does not measure unpredictability.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · Explanation12 versus 24 seed words: entropy, checksums and compatibilityCompare 12- and 24-word BIP-39 mnemonics using entropy and checksum arithmetic, while keeping wallet-format compatibility separate.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin wallet gap limits: why an address can be missed during recoveryLearn how Bitcoin address gap limits affect recovery, why later receipts can be missed and how to investigate without exposing the seed.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin wallet-file backups: what a seed may not preserveUnderstand Bitcoin wallet-file backups, imported keys and local metadata, and why restoring a seed may not recreate the entire application state.3 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationChecking Bitcoin wallet downloads and software signaturesCheck Bitcoin wallet software origin, release signatures and signer identity without mistaking a matching hash for proof of a safe program.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin multisig: what a two-of-three wallet actually requiresUnderstand threshold signing, a two-of-three example, backup requirements and why three keys do not necessarily mean three independent people.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationPSBT: passing a Bitcoin transaction between signersLearn what a PSBT contains, which roles update or sign it, and why possessing the file is not the same as possessing the coins.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationOutput descriptors: describing what a Bitcoin wallet can findUnderstand how Bitcoin descriptors describe scripts and key derivation, why their checksum is useful, and why some descriptors are sensitive.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationExtended public keys: useful backups with privacy consequencesLearn what an extended public key can derive, what it reveals about a wallet and why hardened derivation boundaries matter.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWatch-only wallets: seeing funds without the spending keysUnderstand the capabilities and limits of a wallet that monitors Bitcoin outputs without possessing the private keys needed to spend them.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWallet passphrases: seed extensions versus wallet-file encryptionDistinguish a BIP-39 seed passphrase from a wallet-file password and understand why a different passphrase can open a different wallet without an error.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin message signatures: proof of control with clear limitsUnderstand what Bitcoin signed messages can demonstrate, why format compatibility matters and why a signature does not prove identity or permanent control.3 min · 1 sources
14 entries
Lightning payments
Invoices, channels, wallet choices and payment problems.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe Lightning Network explained: payment channels, routing, and what it is good and bad atThe Lightning Network moves bitcoin through payment channels instead of the blockchain. How channels and routing work, why it is a second layer, and its limits.10 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationOn-chain Bitcoin versus Lightning: choose the correct payment routeCompare a Bitcoin on-chain payment with Lightning by payment destination, settlement, fees, availability and recovery needs.3 min · 11 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning invoices: amount, expiry and payment statusRead Lightning invoices: amount, network, expiry, payment hash and why a fresh invoice is usually needed for a fresh payment.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning addresses: an email-like name that requests an invoiceUnderstand Lightning Addresses, their email-like syntax and the service that turns them into invoices.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning payment pending, failed or succeeded: when to retryInterpret pending, failed and successful Lightning payments without treating a dispatch timeout as final failure.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationCustodial and self-custodial Lightning walletsCompare custodial and self-custodial Lightning wallets by signing control, service reliance, backups and withdrawal.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning channels: balances, commitments and closingUnderstand how a Lightning payment channel updates a shared balance off-chain and how funding, commitment transactions and closing connect it to Bitcoin.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning inbound liquidity: why receiving needs capacityLearn why a Lightning wallet can have funds available to send but insufficient capacity to receive, with a simple channel-balance example.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning routing fees: base fees and proportional feesCalculate a Lightning forwarding fee from a base charge and proportional rate, and distinguish routing fees from on-chain channel costs.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning channel backups: why a seed alone may not be enoughUnderstand what Lightning channel backups recover, why a seed alone may be insufficient and how LND static channel backups differ from live state.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning watchtowers: monitoring channels while a wallet is offlineUnderstand Lightning watchtowers, the revoked-state problem they monitor and why they do not replace backups or guarantee payment availability.3 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning force closes: why funds can take time to returnUnderstand a Lightning force close, its delayed outputs, sweep transactions and the difference from a cooperative close.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationLightning submarine swaps: moving between channels and on-chain fundsUnderstand how submarine swaps move between on-chain and Lightning balances, including fees, timeouts and refund work.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBOLT 12 offers: reusable Lightning requests and fresh invoicesUnderstand reusable BOLT 12 offers and how a wallet requests a fresh Lightning invoice before paying.3 min · 4 sources
15 entries
Nodes and the network
Run a node, read a block and understand how payments are checked.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin nodes explained: what a full node does, and why people run oneA Bitcoin full node checks every block and transaction against the rules itself. What that involves, what pruning keeps, why people bother, and how many exist.6 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Core explained: node software, wallet and RPC interfaceUnderstand the roles of Bitcoin Core’s node, optional wallets and RPC interface without confusing running software with earning bitcoin.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin initial synchronization: downloading is only part of the jobUnderstand Bitcoin initial block download, header and block progress, validation work and why a sync percentage is not a reliable countdown.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationYour Bitcoin node versus a wallet server: who supplies the answers?Compare a wallet’s use of public servers with a personal Bitcoin node and understand which privacy and verification assumptions change.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin wallet rescan versus node reindexDistinguish a Bitcoin wallet rescan from rebuilding node indexes and chainstate, including what neither operation can recover.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin mainnet, testnet, signet and regtestCompare Bitcoin mainnet, testnet, signet and regtest so testing does not get confused with real payments or identical network behavior.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin node connection problems: peers, headers and local accessDiagnose a Bitcoin node by separating peer connectivity, block processing and access from a local wallet application.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin RPC security: why a node API needs restricted accessUnderstand Bitcoin Core RPC authority, local authentication and remote-access risks without confusing the API with ordinary peer networking.3 min · 2 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationPruned Bitcoin nodes: full validation with less historical storageUnderstand how Bitcoin pruning reduces retained block storage while preserving validation, and which historical queries it makes unavailable locally.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSPV wallets: what a lightweight Bitcoin check can establishLearn what Bitcoin SPV checks using headers and Merkle branches, and how its assurances differ from full transaction validation.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Merkle proofs: proving inclusion without the full blockUnderstand how a transaction inclusion proof connects a Bitcoin transaction to a block header and which questions that proof does not answer.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin reorganizations: when a confirmed transaction changes branchFollow what happens when a Bitcoin node switches to a valid branch with more accumulated work and why a transaction’s confirmation count can change.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationAnatomy of a Bitcoin block: the header, the coinbase and the weight limit, using block 0Inside a Bitcoin block: the six header fields, the coinbase transaction that mints new coins, and how size and weight are counted, with block 0 as the example.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationDouble spending: the problem Bitcoin was built to solve, and how it solves itA Bitcoin double spend is a conflict over the same transaction output. Follow a simple example and separate confirmation depth from absolute finality.10 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat a 51% attack can and cannot do to BitcoinA 51% attack is what a miner with most of the hash power could do: reverse recent payments and block others. It cannot steal or mint coins. Here is the record.9 min · 8 sources
15 entries
Mining and supply
Mining work, rewards, equipment and the number of coins.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow Bitcoin mining works: the job, the reward and the raceBitcoin mining is how new blocks get added and new coins get made. What miners actually do, how they are paid, and why it takes so much hardware.9 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationProof of work, explained without the math: why Bitcoin runs on a lotteryBitcoin proof of work is a hash-target test, not a useful puzzle with a hidden solution. Separate mining effort, block validity and chain selection.10 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe difficulty adjustment: Bitcoin’s two-week thermostat, explainedEvery 2,016 blocks Bitcoin re-tunes how hard mining is so blocks keep coming every ten minutes. How the retarget works, the 4x clamp, and the record 2021 drop.7 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin hash rate: what it measures, why it is only an estimate, and why it mattersHash rate is the number of mining guesses per second across the Bitcoin network. Nobody measures it directly; it is inferred from difficulty and block times.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow Bitcoin mining pools work: shares, payouts and the pool that started it in 2010Mining pools combine hash power and split block rewards for a steadier income. How shares and payouts work, the first pool in 2010, and Stratum.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin mining hardware: hash rate, power and ASIC efficiencyRead Bitcoin mining hardware specifications: hash rate, wall power, energy efficiency and the practical limits of a rated performance figure.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationMining pool payouts: PPS, FPPS and PPLNSCompare PPS, PPLNS, FPPS and PPS+ mining pool payouts and understand where block-finding variance and transaction fees enter the calculation.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSolo Bitcoin mining odds: expected time is not a deadlineEstimate solo Bitcoin mining odds without turning an expected waiting time into a promised reward date.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationRejected and stale mining shares: reading a pool dashboardUnderstand accepted, stale and rejected mining shares and why local and pool hash-rate displays can differ.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationStratum mining: how pool jobs reach mining hardwareUnderstand Stratum mining communication, the role of a pool or proxy and what Stratum V2’s optional job declaration changes.3 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationCoinbase maturity: why newly mined bitcoin must waitLearn why newly created Bitcoin coinbase outputs have a 100-block maturity condition and distinguish it from ordinary payment confirmation policies.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhy Bitcoin blocks sometimes take an hourUnderstand why Bitcoin blocks can arrive seconds or much longer apart even though the target interval is about ten minutes.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe Bitcoin halving explained: what it is, when it happens, and what it does not doEvery 210,000 blocks Bitcoin halves the reward for mining a block. Why the rule exists, the halvings of 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, and what it does not change.8 min · 11 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow much energy does Bitcoin use? How it is measured, and what actually drives itBitcoin’s electricity use is estimated from hash rate and hardware efficiency, not counted. What the Cambridge index, the White House and the EIA found.10 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHow many bitcoins are lost forever? What the estimates can and cannot tell youMillions of bitcoin may be unrecoverable, but nobody can count them: the estimates, the famous lost fortunes, coins that can never move, and Satoshi’s stash.4 min · 4 sources
12 entries
Privacy and upgrades
What transactions reveal and how Bitcoin’s rules change.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationIs Bitcoin anonymous? No, it is pseudonymous, and the difference mattersEvery Bitcoin transaction is public forever. Addresses are pseudonyms, not names, and pseudonyms can be linked. How tracing works and what people do about it.8 min · 11 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin address reuse: what it revealsSee what repeated use of a Bitcoin address reveals and why fresh addresses improve separation without making the transaction graph anonymous.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Payjoin: a payment built with inputs from both sidesUnderstand Payjoin, where the receiver adds inputs to a Bitcoin payment and why that weakens the common-input ownership assumption.3 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin CoinJoin: collaborative transactions and privacy limitsUnderstand CoinJoin as collaborative Bitcoin transaction construction, including signing control and the limits of equal-output privacy.3 min · 3 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationCan Bitcoin be frozen? Keys, custodians and miner censorshipDistinguish freezing a Bitcoin exchange account from changing Bitcoin spending rules, censoring a transaction or using a wallet’s local coin lock.3 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin timelocks: absolute dates and relative waiting periodsCompare absolute and relative Bitcoin timelocks, block-height and time-based conditions, and the difference between becoming spendable and being paid automatically.3 min · 5 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSoft forks and hard forks: how Bitcoin changes its rules without a bossCompare soft forks and hard forks by which blocks old and new rules accept. Learn why a protocol change does not always produce a lasting chain split.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Improvement Proposals: how ideas become Bitcoin, and why a BIP is not a lawA BIP number identifies a proposal, not approval. Learn how to read a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal’s status, motivation and deployment requirements.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationUpdating Bitcoin software: releases, backups and compatibilityPlan a Bitcoin software update around authentic releases, usable backups and wallet or API compatibility rather than assuming installation changes the network rules.3 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSegWit explained: what Segregated Witness changed in Bitcoin, and how it activated in 2017SegWit changed transaction identifiers and introduced block weight. Learn what it fixes, how virtual size works and why savings depend on the transaction.9 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationTaproot explained: Schnorr signatures, hidden scripts and Bitcoin’s 2021 upgradeTaproot combines Schnorr signatures with key-path and script-path spending. Compare what each path reveals and the limits of its privacy benefits.9 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationOrdinals and inscriptions: how images and text ended up inside Bitcoin blocksOrdinal theory numbers individual satoshis; inscriptions attach files to them using Taproot witness data. How it works, the 2023 launch and the spam debate.9 min · 8 sources
11 entries
Satoshi and the origins
Early people, documents and the beginnings of Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWho is Satoshi Nakamoto? What the record actually shows, and what it does notWhat Bitcoin’s paper, software and correspondence establish about Satoshi Nakamoto—and where evidence ends and identity speculation begins.6 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSatoshi Nakamoto’s disappearance: the last posts, the last emails and the handoverSatoshi Nakamoto’s last forum post was on 12 December 2010. Private emails in April 2011 said he had moved on. Here is the record of how Bitcoin’s creator left.7 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationHal Finney: early Bitcoin, RPOW and the first test paymentHal Finney’s role in early Bitcoin, his own account of the first test payment, and what block 170 can establish independently of the biography.7 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationCraig Wright and the COPA ruling: what the High Court found, in its own wordsIn 2024 the High Court in London found that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto and did not write the white paper. What the judge found, and what came after.10 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationGavin Andresen and the Bitcoin faucet: free coins, and the developer Satoshi handed Bitcoin toIn June 2010 Gavin Andresen built a website that gave five bitcoin to anyone who asked. Satoshi liked it. Six months later, Satoshi handed him the project.8 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe cypherpunks: the mailing list and the ideas that came before BitcoinCompare the privacy and digital-cash ideas behind Bitcoin: blind signatures, Hashcash, b-money and bit gold, with links to the original proposals.11 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe Bitcoin white paper, explained: a plain-English walk through all nine pagesRead Bitcoin’s white paper by problem: double spending, proof of work, incentives and privacy. Separate the 2008 design from later protocol rules.11 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe genesis block explained: the Times headline, the frozen 50 BTC and block 0Bitcoin’s genesis block, its embedded headline and the original unspendable 50 BTC output. Learn why later payments to the address are different.6 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Pizza Day: the 10,000 BTC pizza order that proved Bitcoin could buy thingsWhy Bitcoin Pizza Day is 22 May: the original offer, the reported 10,000 BTC trade and the different evidence supplied by the forum and blockchain.8 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWhat HODL means: the 2013 typo that became Bitcoin’s favorite wordHODL began as a misspelling in a December 2013 Bitcoin forum post. Read its origin and meaning without treating the slogan as an investment rule.8 min · 6 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe Patoshi pattern: the fingerprint of Bitcoin’s dominant early minerThe Patoshi pattern groups early Bitcoin blocks using mining-pattern analysis. Understand Lerner’s estimates, their dates and the limits of attribution.8 min · 6 sources
9 entries
History and events
Forks, notable movements, exchange failures and price history.
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Cash: why Bitcoin split on 1 August 2017, and what happened to both sides afterBitcoin Cash’s 2017 split: shared earlier history, incompatible block rules and replay protection. Distinguish the historical fork from current network settings.10 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationWikiLeaks and Bitcoin: the 2010 blockade, Satoshi’s plea, and the donations that followedHow the 2010 payment blockade pushed WikiLeaks toward bitcoin, why Satoshi asked it to wait, and what happened when donations began in 2011.8 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationSilk Road and Ross Ulbricht: the marketplace, the life sentence, and the 2025 pardonSilk Road ran from 2011 to 2013 and took only bitcoin. What the courts found about Ross Ulbricht, why he got life, and what the January 2025 pardon changed.8 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe 2016 Bitfinex hack: 120,000 stolen bitcoin, a haircut for customers, and a record seizureIn August 2016 a hacker took about 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex. How customers were repaid, why the coins sat still, and how the US recovered most of them.9 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationThe collapse of FTX: the run, the bankruptcy, and the 25-year sentenceFTX, a crypto exchange, collapsed in November 2022 when customer money turned out to be missing. What happened, what courts found, and why Bitcoin kept running.9 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationChina’s 2021 Bitcoin mining ban: what happened, and where the miners wentIn 2021 China ordered bitcoin mining shut down and declared crypto business illegal. What the notices said, how far hash rate fell, and where the miners moved.8 min · 8 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin Ponzi schemes and scams: a short history, and how to spot the next oneFrom Bitcoin Savings and Trust in 2011 to PlusToken, BitConnect and OneCoin: what the court and regulator records say, and the shapes these frauds keep taking.4 min · 4 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationDormant bitcoin whales: what it means when old coins wake up after a decadeOld coins that suddenly move make headlines. What “dormant” means on the ledger, the July 2025 case of eight 2011 wallets, and why a move is not a sale.8 min · 7 sources
- Bitcoin · ExplanationBitcoin price history, year by year: 2010 to 2025 from one sourced datasetYear-end bitcoin prices from 2010 to 2025 from one sourced dataset, the eras behind them (Mt. Gox, 2013, 2017, 2021, ETFs), and why the past predicts nothing.7 min · 6 sources
Browse titles and other names A–Z
Browse A–Z
Titles and aliases lead to the same encyclopedia entries.
# · 10 terms
A · 2 terms
B · 198 terms
- b-money
- backup bitcoin wallet file
- backup bitcoin wallet file explained
- backwards compatible soft fork
- bc1 address
- bc1p address
- bech32
- BFX token
- BIP 101
- BIP 39
- BIP bitcoin
- BIP process
- BIP39
- bit gold
- Bitcoin address reuse: what it reveals
- bitcoin address types
- Bitcoin address types: why some start with 1, some with 3, and some with bc1
- bitcoin all time price chart
- bitcoin batch payments
- bitcoin batch payments explained
- bitcoin block
- bitcoin block 0
- bitcoin block explorer explained
- bitcoin block subsidy
- bitcoin block taking an hour
- bitcoin block taking an hour explained
- bitcoin blockchain
- bitcoin burn address
- Bitcoin Cash 2017
- Bitcoin Cash fork
- Bitcoin Cash hard fork
- Bitcoin Cash: why Bitcoin split on 1 August 2017, and what happened to both sides after
- Bitcoin change addresses: where the rest of a payment goes
- bitcoin circulating supply
- Bitcoin coin selection: which UTXOs a wallet spends
- bitcoin coinjoin explained
- bitcoin coinjoin explained explained
- Bitcoin CoinJoin: collaborative transactions and privacy limits
- bitcoin confirmations
- bitcoin confirmations double spend
- bitcoin confirmations explained
- Bitcoin confirmations: what they mean, why six became the convention, and why none is final
- Bitcoin Core explained: node software, wallet and RPC interface
- bitcoin core RPC security
- bitcoin core RPC security explained
- Bitcoin creator
- bitcoin days destroyed
- bitcoin difficulty
- bitcoin difficulty adjustment
- Bitcoin dust: a relay-policy threshold, not a smallest coin
- bitcoin energy consumption
- bitcoin energy per transaction
- bitcoin explained
- Bitcoin faucet
- Bitcoin fee rates: sat/vB versus the total fee
- bitcoin finality
- bitcoin for beginners
- bitcoin fork
- Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist
- bitcoin full node
- bitcoin genesis block address
- Bitcoin Gold 51% attack
- bitcoin governance
- Bitcoin halving 2024
- Bitcoin halving dates
- Bitcoin halving explained
- bitcoin hash rate
- bitcoin hash rate China
- Bitcoin hash rate: what it measures, why it is only an estimate, and why it matters
- bitcoin hot wallet vs cold wallet
- bitcoin hot wallet vs cold wallet explained
- bitcoin import vs sweep
- bitcoin import vs sweep explained
- Bitcoin Improvement Proposal
- Bitcoin Improvement Proposals: how ideas become Bitcoin, and why a BIP is not a law
- Bitcoin initial synchronization: downloading is only part of the job
- bitcoin invoice expired paid
- bitcoin invoice expired paid explained
- Bitcoin layer 2
- Bitcoin mainnet, testnet, signet and regtest
- bitcoin max supply
- bitcoin mempool
- Bitcoin merchant invoices: paid, expired, short and overpaid
- Bitcoin Merkle proofs: proving inclusion without the full block
- Bitcoin message signatures: proof of control with clear limits
- bitcoin miners
- bitcoin mining hardware ASIC
- bitcoin mining hardware ASIC explained
- Bitcoin mining hardware: hash rate, power and ASIC efficiency
- bitcoin mining pool
- bitcoin mining renewable energy
- Bitcoin multisig: what a two-of-three wallet actually requires
- bitcoin network hashrate estimate
- bitcoin node
- Bitcoin node connection problems: peers, headers and local access
- bitcoin node electrum server
- bitcoin node electrum server explained
- bitcoin node no connections
- bitcoin node no connections explained
- bitcoin node requirements
- bitcoin node sync slow
- bitcoin node sync slow explained
- Bitcoin nodes explained: what a full node does, and why people run one
- bitcoin onchain vs lightning
- bitcoin onchain vs lightning explained
- Bitcoin Ordinals
- Bitcoin paper wallets: what to understand before spending from one
- bitcoin payjoin explained
- bitcoin payjoin explained explained
- Bitcoin Payjoin: a payment built with inputs from both sides
- Bitcoin payment batching: many recipients in one transaction
- Bitcoin payment channels
- Bitcoin payment requests and QR codes: what a scan actually tells you
- Bitcoin Pizza Day
- Bitcoin Pizza Day: the 10,000 BTC pizza order that proved Bitcoin could buy things
- bitcoin Ponzi scheme
- Bitcoin Ponzi schemes and scams: a short history, and how to spot the next one
- bitcoin price 2010
- bitcoin price 2013
- bitcoin price 2017
- bitcoin price 2021
- bitcoin price by year
- bitcoin price history
- Bitcoin price history, year by year: 2010 to 2025 from one sourced dataset
- bitcoin privacy
- bitcoin proof of work
- bitcoin pseudonymous
- bitcoin QR code payment
- bitcoin QR code payment explained
- Bitcoin received but missing from your wallet: what to check
- bitcoin received not showing
- bitcoin received not showing explained
- bitcoin refund
- bitcoin refund explained
- Bitcoin refunds: why returning a payment requires a new transaction
- bitcoin rejected stale shares
- bitcoin rejected stale shares explained
- Bitcoin reorganizations: when a confirmed transaction changes branch
- bitcoin rescan vs reindex
- bitcoin rescan vs reindex explained
- Bitcoin RPC security: why a node API needs restricted access
- Bitcoin Savings and Trust
- bitcoin scams history
- bitcoin send max
- bitcoin send max explained
- bitcoin sign message proof ownership
- bitcoin sign message proof ownership explained
- Bitcoin SV split
- bitcoin testnet signet regtest
- bitcoin testnet signet regtest explained
- Bitcoin timelocks: absolute dates and relative waiting periods
- bitcoin transaction fees
- Bitcoin transaction fees and the mempool: how fees are set and why they spike
- Bitcoin transaction ID versus wallet address
- bitcoin transaction id vs address
- bitcoin transaction id vs address explained
- bitcoin transaction inputs and outputs
- bitcoin units
- bitcoin utxo explained
- Bitcoin virtual size: bytes, weight and vbytes
- Bitcoin vs Bitcoin Cash
- bitcoin wallet
- bitcoin wallet backup
- bitcoin wallet gap limit
- bitcoin wallet gap limit explained
- Bitcoin wallet gap limits: why an address can be missed during recovery
- Bitcoin wallet rescan versus node reindex
- Bitcoin wallet-file backups: what a seed may not preserve
- Bitcoin wallets explained: hot, cold, hardware, custodial, and what they actually store
- bitcoin white paper explained
- bitcoin whitepaper summary
- bitcoin withdrawal fee network fee
- bitcoin withdrawal fee network fee explained
- Bitcoin withdrawal fees versus network fees
- bitcoin.pdf
- BitConnect
- Bitfinex 120000 bitcoin
- Bitfinex hack 2016
- Bitfinex hack seizure 2022
- Bitfinex stolen bitcoin recovered
- block 170
- block header
- block reward
- block weight
- blockchain analysis clustering
- blockchain explained
- blockchain reorg
- blockchain vs bitcoin
- BOLT 12 offers: reusable Lightning requests and fresh invoices
- bolt12 offers lightning
- bolt12 offers lightning explained
- brainwallet vs seed phrase
- brainwallet vs seed phrase explained
- Brainwallets versus seed phrases: why a memorable sentence is different
- BRC-20 tokens fees
- broadcast bitcoin transaction
- broadcast bitcoin transaction explained
- Broadcasting a signed Bitcoin transaction: what acceptance proves
C · 39 terms
- Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index
- Cambridge bitcoin mining map
- can bitcoin be frozen
- can bitcoin be frozen explained
- Can Bitcoin be frozen? Keys, custodians and miner censorship
- can bitcoin be hacked
- can bitcoin be traced
- Casey Rodarmor ord
- Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks
- change output bitcoin
- check bitcoin address valid
- check bitcoin address valid explained
- Checking a Bitcoin address: format, network and recipient
- Checking Bitcoin wallet downloads and software signatures
- Child pays for parent: how a second transaction can lift the first
- China bitcoin mining ban
- China crypto ban 2021
- China’s 2021 Bitcoin mining ban: what happened, and where the miners went
- Coin control: choosing which bitcoin to spend
- Coinbase maturity: why newly mined bitcoin must wait
- coinbase transaction
- CoinJoin
- COPA v Wright
- CPFP
- Craig Wright and the COPA ruling: what the High Court found, in its own words
- Craig Wright contempt
- Craig Wright not Satoshi
- Craig Wright ruling
- Craig Wright Satoshi
- crypto anarchist manifesto
- crypto giveaway scam
- Crypto Open Patent Alliance
- Custodial and self-custodial Lightning wallets
- custodial lightning wallet
- custodial lightning wallet explained
- custodial wallet
- cypherpunk manifesto
- cypherpunks
- cypherpunks mailing list
D · 12 terms
- David Chaum blind signatures
- difficulty retarget
- distributed ledger
- Dorian Nakamoto
- dormant bitcoin addresses
- dormant bitcoin whale
- Dormant bitcoin whales: what it means when old coins wake up after a decade
- double spend bitcoin
- double spend problem
- double spending
- Double spending: the problem Bitcoin was built to solve, and how it solves it
- Dread Pirate Roberts
E · 7 terms
F · 9 terms
G · 9 terms
H · 45 terms
- Hal Finney
- Hal Finney Alcor
- Hal Finney ALS
- Hal Finney Satoshi
- Hal Finney: early Bitcoin, RPOW and the first test payment
- hard fork
- hardware wallet
- Hardware wallets: what the device protects and what it cannot check
- hash rate and security
- hashcash
- hashrate
- hodl meaning
- hodl origin
- hodl vs hold
- hold on for dear life
- hot wallet vs cold wallet
- Hot wallets versus cold wallets: compare signing and recovery paths
- how are bitcoins created
- How Bitcoin mining pools work: shares, payouts and the pool that started it in 2010
- how bitcoin mining works
- How Bitcoin mining works: the job, the reward and the race
- how bitcoin transactions work
- how does bitcoin difficulty work
- how does bitcoin work
- how does blockchain work
- how does proof of work work
- how hardware wallets work
- how hardware wallets work explained
- how many bitcoin nodes are there
- how many bitcoins are lost
- How many bitcoins are lost forever? What the estimates can and cannot tell you
- how many bitcoins are there
- How many bitcoins are there? The 21 million cap, explained
- how many bitcoins does Satoshi have
- how many confirmations bitcoin
- how many satoshis in a bitcoin
- how mining pools work
- how much electricity does bitcoin use
- How much energy does Bitcoin use? How it is measured, and what actually drives it
- how to read a block explorer
- How to read a block explorer: transactions, fees, confirmations and addresses
- How to receive Bitcoin: addresses, amounts and arrival checks
- How to send Bitcoin: review the destination, amount and fee
- how to spot a crypto scam
- HTLC
I · 6 terms
K · 1 terms
L · 30 terms
- last bitcoin mined 2140
- Laszlo Hanyecz
- legacy address
- lightning address vs bitcoin address
- lightning address vs bitcoin address explained
- Lightning addresses: an email-like name that requests an invoice
- lightning channel backup recovery
- lightning channel backup recovery explained
- Lightning channel backups: why a seed alone may not be enough
- Lightning channels: balances, commitments and closing
- lightning force close waiting
- lightning force close waiting explained
- Lightning force closes: why funds can take time to return
- Lightning inbound liquidity: why receiving needs capacity
- lightning invoice explained
- lightning invoice explained explained
- Lightning invoices: amount, expiry and payment status
- Lightning Network explained
- Lightning Network how it works
- lightning payment pending failed
- lightning payment pending failed explained
- Lightning payment pending, failed or succeeded: when to retry
- Lightning routing fees: base fees and proportional fees
- lightning submarine swap loop
- lightning submarine swap loop explained
- Lightning submarine swaps: moving between channels and on-chain funds
- lightning watchtower
- lightning watchtower explained
- Lightning watchtowers: monitoring channels while a wallet is offline
- lost bitcoins
M · 12 terms
N · 5 terms
O · 8 terms
- Offline Bitcoin signing: build, inspect, sign and broadcast
- old bitcoin wallet moves
- On-chain Bitcoin versus Lightning: choose the correct payment route
- OneCoin
- Ordinals and inscriptions: how images and text ended up inside Bitcoin blocks
- Ordinals inscriptions explained
- Ordinals spam debate
- Output descriptors: describing what a Bitcoin wallet can find
P · 21 terms
- P2SH address starts with 3
- partially signed transaction
- Patoshi pattern
- pay per share
- PBOC crypto notice September 2021
- peer-to-peer electronic cash
- peer-to-peer electronic cash system
- PlusToken scam
- Poon Dryja paper
- PoW
- PPS FPPS PPLNS bitcoin
- PPS FPPS PPLNS bitcoin explained
- private key
- Private keys, public keys and seed phrases: what actually controls your bitcoin
- proof of work explained
- Proof of work, explained without the math: why Bitcoin runs on a lottery
- Pruned Bitcoin nodes: full validation with less historical storage
- pruned node
- PSBT
- PSBT: passing a Bitcoin transaction between signers
- public key
R · 14 terms
S · 58 terms
- Sam Bankman-Fried
- sat per vbyte
- sat/vB
- Satoshi alert key
- Satoshi bitcoins lost
- satoshi era wallet
- Satoshi hornet’s nest
- Satoshi last email
- Satoshi last message
- Satoshi Nakamoto bitcoins
- Satoshi Nakamoto disappearance
- Satoshi Nakamoto identity
- Satoshi Nakamoto paper
- Satoshi Nakamoto white paper
- Satoshi Nakamoto WikiLeaks
- Satoshi Nakamoto’s disappearance: the last posts, the last emails and the handover
- Satoshi successor
- satoshi to bitcoin
- sats
- SBF sentence
- Schnorr signatures
- seed phrase
- Segregated Witness
- SegWit activation 2017
- segwit address
- SegWit explained
- SegWit explained: what Segregated Witness changed in Bitcoin, and how it activated in 2017
- send bitcoin
- send bitcoin explained
- Sending all your bitcoin: why Send Max differs from the displayed balance
- Sergio Demian Lerner
- sign bitcoin offline
- sign bitcoin offline explained
- Silk Road and Ross Ulbricht: the marketplace, the life sentence, and the 2025 pardon
- Silk Road bitcoin
- Silk Road bitcoin traced
- Silk Road FBI seizure 2013
- Silk Road life sentence
- six confirmations
- Slush pool
- smallest unit of bitcoin
- soft fork
- soft fork vs hard fork
- Soft forks and hard forks: how Bitcoin changes its rules without a boss
- solo bitcoin mining odds
- solo bitcoin mining odds explained
- Solo Bitcoin mining odds: expected time is not a deadline
- Speedy Trial
- spend bitcoin paper wallet
- spend bitcoin paper wallet explained
- SPV
- SPV wallets: what a lightweight Bitcoin check can establish
- Stefan Thomas IronKey
- Stratum mining: how pool jobs reach mining hardware
- Stratum protocol
- stratum v1 vs v2 bitcoin
- stratum v1 vs v2 bitcoin explained
- stuck bitcoin transaction
T · 15 terms
- Taproot activation
- taproot address bc1p
- Taproot explained
- Taproot explained: Schnorr signatures, hidden scripts and Bitcoin’s 2021 upgrade
- The 2016 Bitfinex hack: 120,000 stolen bitcoin, a haircut for customers, and a record seizure
- The Bitcoin halving explained: what it is, when it happens, and what it does not do
- The Bitcoin white paper, explained: a plain-English walk through all nine pages
- The collapse of FTX: the run, the bankruptcy, and the 25-year sentence
- The cypherpunks: the mailing list and the ideas that came before Bitcoin
- The difficulty adjustment: Bitcoin’s two-week thermostat, explained
- The genesis block explained: the Times headline, the frozen 50 BTC and block 0
- The Lightning Network explained: payment channels, routing, and what it is good and bad at
- The Patoshi pattern: the fingerprint of Bitcoin’s dominant early miner
- transaction malleability
- transaction weight
U · 8 terms
W · 45 terms
- wallet descriptor
- Wallet passphrases: seed extensions versus wallet-file encryption
- Watch-only wallets: seeing funds without the spending keys
- What a 51% attack can and cannot do to Bitcoin
- what does a bitcoin wallet store
- what does bc1q mean
- what does hodl mean
- what does the bitcoin whitepaper say
- what does unconfirmed mean bitcoin
- what happened to FTX
- What HODL means: the 2013 typo that became Bitcoin’s favorite word
- what is a BIP
- what is a blockchain
- What is a blockchain, and what does Bitcoin’s actually record?
- what is a hard fork
- what is a private key bitcoin
- what is a satoshi
- What is a satoshi? Bitcoin’s smallest unit, and why it has a name
- What is a UTXO? How Bitcoin keeps track of coins without any accounts
- what is an inscription bitcoin
- what is bitcoin
- what is bitcoin core
- what is bitcoin core explained
- what is bitcoin mining
- What is Bitcoin? Money that runs on a public network instead of a bank
- what is hash rate
- what is in a bitcoin block
- what is proof of work
- what is SegWit
- what is Taproot
- what is the Bitcoin halving
- what is the Lightning Network
- where did bitcoin miners go
- who decides bitcoin changes
- who is Satoshi Nakamoto
- Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? What the record actually shows, and what it does not
- why are bitcoin fees so high
- Why Bitcoin blocks sometimes take an hour
- why did Bitcoin split
- why did Satoshi leave
- Why is my Bitcoin transaction still unconfirmed?
- WikiLeaks and Bitcoin: the 2010 blockade, Satoshi’s plea, and the donations that followed
- WikiLeaks bitcoin
- WikiLeaks bitcoin donations 2011
- WikiLeaks payment blockade
X · 1 terms
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