Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for intermediaries. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain.
Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous individual or group of individuals going by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The idea behind the creation of bitcoin was to create a new form of currency that was not controlled by any government or financial institution. This was in response to the 2008 financial crisis, which had revealed the fragility of the traditional financial system and the potential for corruption and manipulation.