How are Bitcoins created? They’re not born, they’re not issued, they’re not stamped—they’re mined. But Bitcoin mining is about more than just creating new Bitcoins. It’s also about verifying Bitcoin transactions and keeping the whole Bitcoin ball rolling.
It works kind of like this. Bitcoin miners use special computer hardware and software to solve complex mathematical problems that verify each and every Bitcoin transaction. In return for this work—and it is work, requiring huge amounts of computing power—the miners are paid with brand new shiny (okay, not really shiny) Bitcoins. The payment provides an incentive for miners to provide their time and resources, and keeps the Bitcoin currency going.
So how exactly does Bitcoin ...
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