bitcoin
Americannoun
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Often Bitcoin the first widely established cryptocurrency, which uses state-of-the-art cryptography, can be issued in any fractional denomination, and has a decentralized distribution system.
Increasing numbers of stores and online businesses accept Bitcoin.
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a single unit of bitcoin, the first widely established cryptocurrency.
The value of a bitcoin has sometimes surpassed the value of an ounce of gold.
Usage
What's the difference between bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and digital currency? See digital currency ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of bitcoin
First recorded in 2005–10; bit 3 ( def. ) + coin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That made them even less valuable than cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, which at least can be bought and sold.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
In September, he predicted bitcoin would double within a year and trade above $230,000.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Crypto has moved from the fringes of the financial world closer to the mainstream, and it isn’t unusual for people to own part of their wealth in bitcoin or other digital assets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Gold was 0.9% lower at $4,703.02 a troy ounce, while bitcoin was down 0.7%, falling below the $78,000 level.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
These institutional inflows into bitcoin are important, because shrinking institutional demand is what accelerated the selloff late last year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
