bitcoin
Americannoun
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bitcoins
plural
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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. ).
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:
Kalshi provided data drawn from trading activity on Crypto.com’s prediction market showing some orders for contracts betting on the prices of ether and bitcoin also fell into regularly-sized tranches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Interestingly, the crypto rally runs counter to expectations that the collapse of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act could weigh on bitcoin.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Investors’ move to take on more risk even extended to bitcoin, which continued a recent price run-up to reach roughly $86,000 for the first time since January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
As bitcoin strengthens, its relationship with the traditional stock market also has been changing.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
He disclosed holding bitcoin worth between $1 million and $5 million, a vacation home worth between $1 million and $5 million and his residence in Los Angeles worth between $5 million and $25 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Strategy’s holdings represent 4% of the total bitcoins that will ever exist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Roughly 450 bitcoins are newly minted a day, meaning that institutions are buying approximately 2,700 BTC a day, equating to $220 million-worth using today’s price of $81,543.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 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.
