Bitcoin was launched in 2009 and is, so far, the first and biggest cryptocurrency on Earth. It is the first wide-scale, real-world application of blockchain technology that became widely adopted. Blockchain is the technology that introduced a new way of transacting by removing the need for a third-party (such as banks); this new way is called decentralization. As such, Bitcoin (BTC) operates free of a governing body (e.g. financial institutions, central banks) and self-regulates itself requiring only consensus from its network.
Bitcoin The initial BTC value was extremely low, but it gained traction over the years reaching a market cap of hundreds of billions of USD. The Bitcoin value is subject to extreme volatility, having short-term price spikes and tumbles. Usually, when the Bitcoin price is on the rise, there is a strong movement from investors to support it, which is what is fueling its rapid price growth. Similarly, when the Bitcoin price is on the decline, it usually creates the fear effect with investors flocking away. All in all, Bitcoin is considered the king of all cryptocurrencies and it is still the most adopted and used crypto in the world.
