Wikipedia's a great place to start when you want to learn about anything. Trouble is bitcoin is so novel, that most people get even more confused when they read the Wikipedia page. With terms like
double spending,
decentralized computing and
cryptocurrency, it often feels like one might need a
PhD just to read wikipedia. Our humble goal is to help you get through the first paragraph and get a full grasp of these terms. So, sit back, relax, in due time you'll be understanding this amazing new currency like a bitcoin insider.
This episode (number three) focuses on
PROOF OF WORK.
This video is part two of the three part series
For reference, here's
Wikpedia's first paragraph on Bitcoin
"Bitcoin is an open source peer-to-peer
payment network and digital currency introduced in 2009 by pseudonymous developer "
Satoshi Nakamoto". Bitcoin has been called a cryptocurrency because it uses cryptography to secure funds. Transactions transfer bitcoins, the unit of currency, between Bitcoin addresses derived from cryptographic public keys. To spend the funds associated with an address, a user must broadcast a payment message digitally signed with the associated private key. Transactions are verified by a decentralized network of computers all over the world. Specialized computers use a proof-of-work system to prevent people from copying and spending the same bitcoin multiple times, a problem for digital
currencies known as double-spending. The operators of these computers, known as "miners", are rewarded with transaction fees and newly minted bitcoins."
Welcom to WBN's Bitcoin 101 Blackboard Series -- a full beginner to expert course in bitcoin. We hope you enjoy. And remember the official WBN launch is coming up : January 1st, 2014.