If you surf the Internet cruising the low tides of boredom, you might reach the shores of Bitcoin & bitcoin. Was that a typo? Nope! Just another day of confusion? Again, no! So What’s what?
So, you’re reading this because you’ve seen “Bitcoin” mentioned as well as “bitcoin”. Either that, or you have way too much time on your hands, in which case, feel free to invest in bitcoin via a Rakiku account!
Throughout this ingenious article, we’re going to show you the real, true, hard facts (sounds so scary, right?) behind Bitcoin vs. bitcoin. So, get comfortable, grab your big bowl of popcorn and start reading the super interesting facts on why you sometimes see Bitcoin spelt with a capital B, and bitcoin spelt with a lowercase b.
We thought it would be interesting to do what everyone else does – start off the article by not answering your question. So instead, you’re going to be taken on a trip down memory lane with regards to what Bitcoin is. Oh, that’s Bitcoin with a Capital B!
So, Bitcoin refers to a whole complex digital blockchain system; a concept created in January 2009 by a person or group of people (we’ll never know) under the pseudonym of Satoshi Nakamoto.
This network is decentralised (no governing body, financial institution or company controls it) and its code is free. Computers connected around the world make up this network controlled by the users themselves, where each data is registered, cryptographically protected and marked with a unique fingerprint, making it unrepeatable.
Therefore, Bitcoin (with a capital B) refers to the entire system in general: the protocol and the payment network itself. And as a brand, it is written with a capital B.
See, we did partially answer the question. Now onto why you see bitcoin spelt with a lowercase b.
Yes, that’s bitcoin with the lowercase b. Well, bitcoin is the actual virtual (two words ended with the letters “tual”. I’ll go for the record in the next article you read) currency unit created by Bitcoin. Remember what Bitcoin is? You should; you just read it 38 seconds ago. If you can’t, there’s a decent doctor who we can recommend. Just ask our Support Team.
So, bitcoin is the cryptocurrency itself. And yes, bitcoin is by far the most successful and notorious cryptocurrency out there.
If you’re looking to trade bitcoin, you’re going to see that it’s abbreviated to BTC. Therefore, BTC/USD is seen as you (or someone else, but let’s face it, it should be you) buying up bitcoin in exchange for the greenback, or US dollars.
In summary, Bitcoin is the network and bitcoin the cryptocurrency. Imagine if you simply skipped all the wonderful content in this beautifully written article and came directly to this bit. You would’ve found the answer to your question quickly, but think about your popcorn. What a waste!
