http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/082914/basics-buying-and-investing-bitcoin.aspBitcoin (BTC) is a decentralized cryptocurrency payment system designed by Satoshi Nakamoto. The software-based currency was released to the public in 2009. Since then, updates and improvements have been made by a network of developers, partially funded by the Bitcoin Foundation.
It was not until 2013 that Bitcoin became a hot topic of interest. The virtual currency gained over 300% from 2011 to 2012 and since August of last year, Bitcoin has increased in value around 400%. While its recent performance has been lackluster, (down around 34% since January 1st), venture capital firms and investors around the world continue to bet on the cryptocurrency.
