Print PDF
Bitcoin

Bitcoin

BTC to USD
Performance
Market capitalisation
Total transaction volume
1D
7D
1M
6M
1Y
All Time
Price
1H Arrow Icon
Market cap
Arrow Icon
24h Volume
Arrow Icon
All time high price
Total issued tokens
YTD Performance
YTD High
YTD Low
Maximum supply
21,000,000
Become a client Login to trade

Project history

The culmination of prior efforts and research dating back to 1982 by cryptographers, the National Security Agency, and renowned computer scientists, Bitcoin was the first decentralised cryptocurrency and blockchain.

The paper describing the technology and the real world problems it solves was published on 31 October 2008 and the genesis block was created on 3 January 2009. The ideological roots of such decentralised money are traced back to the Austrian school of economics.

After proof of concept use mostly by developers, black markets became major users until the Bitcoin Foundation was created in 2012 to promote mainstream use and further development.

Although a great number of blockchain protocols have been launched since, and many of these are technologically superior, Bitcoin has remained the preeminent cryptocurrency as the crypto market matures and is embraced by institutional investors and regulators.

Technology

The ledger is maintained, and the network is secured through a “proof of work” algorithm where the validators (“miners”) commit computational power to the network.

Various upgrades have been targeting Bitcoin’s scalability limitations, such as SegWit (2017), the Taproot upgrade (2021), or the Lightning Network (a second layer routing network in use since 2019) to reduce the burden on the protocol. Bitcoin’s scalability nevertheless remains an issue.

Another challenge is the energy inefficiency of the Bitcoin network, which has come into focus with the increased adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Key people

The identity of the person or team behind the original whitepaper has never been revealed. The pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto (which means “central origin” or “central intelligence” in Japanese) was used. “Satoshi” disappeared in 2010, and handed the stewardship over the code to Gavin Andresen who delegated the role to Wladimir van der Laan in 2014. The latter stepped back in January, wishing to see the project’s development more decentralised.

A long running saga of Craig Wright’s claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto remains unresolved.

Some supporters of Bitcoin hold the view that Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency that will survive in the long run. Jimmy Song and Stephan Livera are two notable “Bitcoin maximalists”.

Ecosystem

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Bitcoin was embraced by many as a fundamentally superior alternative to central banking and fiat currencies. Its store of value properties have been favourably compared to gold, and Bitcoin has been steadily gaining market share as a safe haven asset and as a medium of exchange used in transactions. Bitcoin has also been favoured as one of the main currencies to subscribe to ICOs/IEOs, and to lock in DeFi contracts.

Bitcoin has been the primary beneficiary of the increasing mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies. Corporate treasuries started embracing Bitcoin as a macro hedge and a superior store of value currency. Payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal started offering payments in Bitcoin. Bitcoin was made legal tender in El Salvador, with indications that other countries might follow suit.

Although the 2021 upgrade improved the Bitcoin network’s ability to handle smart contracts, its offering remains far from the smart contract capabilities that many other protocols offer, and Bitcoin is used only in a very limited way as a foundational layer for applications.

Supply model/Tokenomics

The maximum supply is hardcoded into the code. At most, there will be 21 million Bitcoins in issue. This maximum supply is forecast to be reached around year 2040.

New supply of Bitcoin is released to the validators (miners) as an additional reward for their efforts on top of the transaction fees paid by users of the network. This reward is halved roughly every four years (every 210,000 blocks).

It is estimated that around 4 million Bitcoin are permanently lost as they appear to be stranded in disused digital wallets, including over a million Bitcoin originally mined by “Satoshi” that have not been moved since 2010.

Key value drivers

  • Currently Bitcoin’s value is primarily driven by the market share it takes from other safe haven assets such as gold and from fiat currencies.
  • The resolution of Bitcoin’s scalability issues is still a work in progress – and the fast growth in adoption makes it imperative that satisfactory solutions are found.
  • Bitcoin’s energy inefficiency is an important concern, especially as there is no indication of the Bitcoin network considering an upgrade that would address this issue.
  • It is possible that another cryptocurrency might ultimately be viewed as superior and take Bitcoin’s place as the preeminent crypto asset.

Disclaimer: The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorisation or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

Local restrictions – Provision of cross-border services

It looks like you are using a computer with an IP address located outside of Switzerland.
If you are located in Switzerland, please click “Continue” to access the Sygnum Bank AG (Sygnum) website.

If you are not located in Switzerland, please read below.

This website and the information contained herein are addressed solely to persons residing or domiciled in Switzerland.

Sygnum is a regulated bank supervised by the Swiss Market Financial Authority (FINMA). The products and services on this website are authorised in Switzerland. Sygnum cannot promote its products and services in other countries where it is not authorised by the supervisory authority of that country to do so.

If you click on “Continue” to visit this website, you confirm that you have read and understood the above and you are visiting this website on your own initiative without any active promotion or solicitation from Sygnum.

RETURN CONTINUE

Investor qualification

The following content is available to qualified investors. Please confirm your details below to visit this page, or please see our other digital asset updates here.

Qualified investor - As defined in Art. 10 (3) ff. of the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act. In particular, natural persons who have the knowledge required to comprehend the risks of the investments based on their individual education and professional experience or based on comparable experience in the financial sector and hold liquid assets of at least CHF 500,000.

A US Person is defined as (a) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for federal income tax purposes; (b) a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organised under the laws of or existing in the United States; (c) an estate or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxes regardless of whether such income is effectively connected with a United States trade or business.

Disclaimer:

The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorization or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

Mandatory fields

Security alert

Stay alert to fraudulent communications. Sygnum will never post messages on social media or private messaging applications regarding Sygnum banking access or logins. If you have concerns, contact us.

Close