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Many people think about Bitcoin whenever somebody mentions cryptocurrencies. And this digital currency is slowly becoming a household name. That’s because its adoption and popularity are growing the world over. People the world over are starting to use this cryptocurrency to pay for services and products. Some are even buying and holding onto this virtual currency as their value storage.
But why are people opting for Bitcoin and not Litcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, or other cryptocurrencies? What makes Bitcoin different from other cryptocurrencies? Well, many digital currencies have emerged since Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin back in 2008. However, Bitcoin has dominated all the other digital currencies. And here’s why.
Uses
Some people have developed other cryptocurrencies since 2009, hoping they could help with the management of digital economies. Some have even focused on creating digital services and contracts that people can pay for with digital coins. However, none of these virtual currencies has managed to beat Bitcoin.
So far, Bitcoin has remained the cross-platform digital currency. This digital currency doesn’t have limited uses to the Bitcoin-only platforms. People use it to purchase commodities anywhere across the globe, as long as merchants are accepting it.
The increasing adoption and usage of Bitcoin have made some people consider Bitcoin the future digital money. Perhaps, you can use https://bitcoinup.trade about Bitcoin as the future currency. In 2021, PayPal announced that it would recognize Bitcoin as a payment option on the platform. And this gave the cryptocurrency a boost.
Mining
Individuals that volunteer to keep the ledger verified and active power this cryptocurrency. Initially, these individuals could work from anywhere, including their homes. Ideally, blockchain rewards people with coins for verifying Bitcoin transactions. However, things have changed as more people start mining Bitcoin.
As miners create more coins through the halving process, competition has increased. Today, you need powerful computers and heavy investment in electricity to mine Bitcoin. And this has made Bitcoin a less profitable investment. Therefore, most people opt to purchase Bitcoin at crypto exchanges instead of investing in the mining process.
Verification
One of the things that give people trust in Bitcoin is the verification process. The Bitcoin network has miners that verify all transactions. This network comprises active nodes that verify one transaction and then share the ledger with the other users at a time. As such, Bitcoin has a transparent system, and nobody can compromise it.
Although the verification process is not unique to this cryptocurrency only, other digital currencies like Ripple XRP have relaxed rules. That’s because they want to minimize the processing time.
Among the significant downsides of this cryptocurrency is the long duration of transaction verification. And this takes around 10 minutes. Ethereum’s network, on the other hand, can take approximately 13 seconds. Ripple XRP transaction verification can take about 4 seconds.
Availability
Bitcoin has a limit for the coins’ availability. This digital currency’s mining has a cap of 21 million coins. And once miners reach this limit, there will be no more new Bitcoins. This limit means Bitcoin value will continue to increase as miners near the final digits.
Ethereum, on the other hand, doesn’t have a limit for the number of coins that miners can generate. Ripple XRP was one billion coins from inception, and the network destroys small coin amounts with each transaction.
Final Thoughts
Bitcoin has many uses as a digital currency. Its popularity is continuously growing, and some people and institutions are investing in it as a digital asset. And this, combined with the limit of this cryptocurrency to 21 million coins, makes it difficult to beat. What’s more, Bitcoin was the first successful cryptocurrency.
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