Understanding Blockchain: Bitcoin’s Public Ledger
Blockchain is bitcoin’s public ledger: a shared, tamper‑resistant record of all transactions. It lets participants verify transfers without banks, using consensus across a distributed network.
Capitalizations Index – B ∞/21M
Blockchain is bitcoin’s public ledger: a shared, tamper‑resistant record of all transactions. It lets participants verify transfers without banks, using consensus across a distributed network.
A higher bitcoin hash rate means more computing power securing the network. This makes attacks like double-spending and 51% attacks significantly harder and more expensive.
While bitcoin’s core protocol is extremely robust, its ecosystem is not invincible. Real risks lie in exchanges, wallets, user mistakes, and weak security practices-not the blockchain’s design.
bitcoin transactions are considered secure after 6 confirmations because each new block added makes reversing the transaction exponentially harder, protecting against double-spend attacks.
bitcoin transactions are often considered final after 6 confirmations. This standard balances security and practicality, reducing double-spend risk as blocks build on top of the initial transaction.
bitcoin’s value rests on digital scarcity, strong cryptographic security, and growing real‑world use. A fixed supply, decentralized validation, and global adoption together sustain its market price.
As bitcoin nears its 21 million cap, mining will shift from earning new coins to relying mainly on transaction fees, reshaping incentives, security, and network economics.
bitcoin nodes download blocks, validate signatures, enforce consensus rules, and reject invalid data. This independent verification removes the need for trusted intermediaries.
Despite numerous exchange breaches and wallet thefts, bitcoin’s core protocol has never been hacked. Its security stems from decentralization, open review, and robust cryptography.