Bitcoin Basics
Bitcoin Basics: How the Network Works
The background that makes wallets and seed phrases make sense: how transactions wait in the mempool, how miners and the longest-chain rule settle them, what UTXOs and dust are, and how Bitcoin grew from a white paper and a pizza purchase into a global network.
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Bitcoin Basics
How Bitcoin Mining Works: Proof of Work and Hardware
More in Bitcoin Basics
- Bitcoin Pizza Day: The 10,000 BTC Pizza Story (May 22, 2010)
Bitcoin Pizza Day: on 22 May 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz paid Jeremy Sturdivant 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, the first real-world Bitcoin purchase.
- What Is Bitcoin Batching? Benefits and Drawbacks
Bitcoin batching pays many recipients in one transaction, cutting block space and fees per payment by over 60%. How it works, who uses it and its trade-offs.
- The History of Bitcoin: A Timeline of Key Events Since 2008
Bitcoin's history from the 2008 white paper and 2009 genesis block through Mt. Gox, four halvings, SegWit, Taproot and the 2024 spot ETF approval.
- Is Bitcoin Mining Still Profitable? Costs and Break-Even Math
Bitcoin mining pays where power is cheap: in October 2026 an efficient machine broke even near 10¢ per kWh, below US home rates. The formula and an example.
- What Is Hash Rate? Bitcoin Mining Power, Units and Difficulty
Hash rate is the number of hashes miners try per second. How Bitcoin's is estimated from difficulty, what EH/s means and why hash rate matters for security.
- What Is a Dust Transaction in Crypto? Bitcoin UTXO Basics
A dust transaction involves a Bitcoin UTXO too small to spend profitably, typically under 546 satoshis, and can signal wallet clutter or a dusting attack.
- Bitcoin Ordinals Explained: Inscriptions, Rare Sats and Runes
Bitcoin Ordinals number every satoshi and let inscriptions store files on-chain: how sat numbering, rarity, inscriptions, fees and safe wallets work.
- What Is the Bitcoin Mempool and How Does It Work?
The Bitcoin mempool is each node's queue of unconfirmed transactions. Miners take the highest fee rates first; stuck payments can be sped up with RBF or CPFP.
- Longest Chain in Blockchain: Security, Consensus and Forks
The longest chain in blockchain is the version with the most proof of work, the rule Bitcoin nodes use to resolve forks and settle transaction history.
- Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto? The Mystery of Bitcoin's Creator
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym of Bitcoin's unknown creator, silent since 2011. When Satoshi disappeared, how many bitcoins they hold and who has been named.
PDF documents on this topic
All 18 printable explainers on this topic, including the PDF archive, newest first.
- Blockchain Applications in Supply Chain Management · August 25, 2026
Blockchain enables tamper-resistant traceability and automated compliance in supply chains, with real deployments in food safety, shipping, and diamond certification.
- Quantum-Resistant Cryptography for Blockchains · August 4, 2026
NIST's 2024 post-quantum standards pressure blockchains to replace ECDSA with lattice or hash-based schemes before quantum hardware matures.
- Accepting Crypto Payments as a Merchant: A Modern Business Move · May 30, 2026
Accepting crypto payments allows merchants to access new markets with faster, more secure transactions while requiring careful consideration of security and regulatory compliance.
- Monero and Privacy-Focused Cryptocurrencies: Safeguarding Financial Anonymity · May 25, 2026
Monero and privacy-focused cryptocurrencies protect user anonymity in digital transactions through advanced cryptographic techniques, highlighting the growing demand for financial privacy.
- Tokenomics: Understanding Crypto Economics · May 14, 2026
Tokenomics encompasses the economic principles governing cryptocurrency creation, distribution, and utility, balancing supply dynamics, incentive structures…
- The History of ICOs and Their Evolution · May 12, 2026
ICOs revolutionized blockchain fundraising starting in 2013, peaked during the 2017-2018 boom, then evolved into more regulated models like IEOs and STOs…
- How Cryptocurrency Is Changing Philanthropy · April 28, 2026
Cryptocurrency is transforming philanthropy by increasing transparency, reducing cross-border transaction costs, attracting new donors, and enabling smarter…
- CBDCs vs Cryptocurrencies: A Comprehensive Comparison · April 25, 2026
CBDCs and cryptocurrencies both represent digital forms of money but differ fundamentally in centralization, privacy, stability, and regulatory oversight.
- How Blockchain Technology Works: A Comprehensive Guide · April 15, 2026
Blockchain technology is a decentralized digital ledger system that uses cryptographic hashing and consensus mechanisms to create secure, transparent, and immutable records without requiring a central authority.
- Debunking Myths About Bitcoin's Energy Consumption · April 1, 2026
This article clarifies common misconceptions about Bitcoin's energy use, highlighting its reliance on renewable energy and efficiency improvements.
- How Many Bitcoins Are There · February 27, 2026
A cryptocurrency’s circulating supply denotes the amount of coins that are publicly available to buy and sell.
- Crypto Debit Cards · February 21, 2026
Have you ever tried to pay for your groceries with subway tickets?
- Bitcoin vs Solana: Proof of Work vs Proof of History · February 5, 2026
Bitcoin is the first and most established cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
- Bitcoin Payments · January 11, 2026
For much of its existence, Bitcoin was viewed primarily as digital gold —a store of value meant to be held for the long term.
- What Are BRC-20 Tokens · December 29, 2025
Bitcoin is the first and most popular Blockchain in existence.
- Solana Blockchain Explained · December 15, 2025
Solana is an open-source blockchain that offers high throughput and low transaction fees for both developers and users, especially when compared to older…
- What Is a Bitcoin Reserve · November 13, 2025
A Bitcoin Reserve, also known as a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), describes a national government stockpiling BTC as a long-term asset.
- Bitcoin UTXOs Explained · January 15, 2025
Buying BTC regularly and practicing self-custody is the right approach.