bitcoin
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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. ).
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
It promoted bitcoin and other crypto — that’s when the trouble started.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
From October 2024 through January 2025, as bitcoin lofted past $100,000, investors poured an astounding $20.7 billion into this group of ETFs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
On Monday, Strategy said it sold a total of 3,588 bitcoins over the past week at a weighted-average price of $60,197 per bitcoin to raise $216 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Strategy had previously been issuing preferred stock and selling common stock to raise money to buy and hold bitcoin.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
The bitcoin hoarder created a bespoke valuation metric that ignores market realities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Strategy sold more than 3,000 bitcoins to raise cash to pay dividends on its preferred stock — something Executive Chair Michael Saylor had previously said it didn’t need to do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Strategy’s holdings represent 4% of the total bitcoins that will ever exist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Strategy acquired 4,871 bitcoins for $330 million, despite a $14.46 billion first quarter unrealized loss.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
In fact, it was a remote desktop application that enabled Lam and his conspirators to transfer 4,000 bitcoins to themselves, Stratton said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
The company then used that money to buy 592 bitcoins during the week to Feb. 22, at an average price of $67,286 per token.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 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.
