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.
On prediction markets, you can bet whether the price of bitcoin will go up or down in the next five to 15 minutes—24 hours a day.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
The storied exchange is betting that it can use the distributed ledger technology behind bitcoin to reinvent the very system it spent centuries building.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
A stark reminder is Bakkt, which was launched in 2018 by ICE with the goal of offering physically settled bitcoin futures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
If bitcoin futures fail to break above that level, though, it would be a sign that too many investors still see more downside risk than short-term upside.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Below is a bitcoin daily cloud chart with the crypto’s 50- and 200-day moving averages.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 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.
