Bitcoin is a type of digital token that can be sent electronically through a decentralized digital payment network. Bitcoins can be sent from person to person, anywhere in the world; indeed, Bitcoin was initially intended to be used as a secure electronic cash and payment system. What is the bitcoin The value of Bitcoins relative to physical currencies fluctuated wildly in the years following its introduction. In August 2010 one Bitcoin was worth $0.05 (U.S.). Beginning in May 2011, the Bitcoin increased sharply in value, reaching a peak of about $30 that June, but by the end of the year the value of a Bitcoin had collapsed to less than $3. However, Bitcoin began to attract the attention of mainstream investors, and its value climbed to a high of over $1,100 in December 2013. Some companies even began building computers optimized for Bitcoin mining.
However, bitcoin’s utility for payments has been stymied somewhat by its price volatility. Volatility is a word used to describe how much an asset’s price changes over a period of time. In the case of bitcoin, its price can change dramatically day to day – and even minute to minute – making it a less than ideal payment option. For example, you wouldn’t want to pay $3.50 for a cup of coffee and 5 minutes later it’s worth $4.30. Conversely, it doesn’t work out great for merchants either if bitcoin’s price falls dramatically after the coffee’s handed over. \nBitcoin Is Resilient Most mainstream exchanges and other Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) are subject to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidance, which aims to mitigate the risks of using virtual assets for money laundering and terrorist financing. FATF implements a risk-based approach to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) that includes Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations that require exchanges and other VASPs to verify their customers’ identities. These regulations have prompted criminals to find advanced techniques to throw off financial investigators and launder their illicit funds.