How secure is the blockchain? It’s protected by the 256-bit SHA hash functions, the same level of security that banks, the military, and virtual private networks (VPNs) use to encrypt their systems. These blocks together form the blockchain. When each transaction is signed and verified as unique, it’s sent to join a “block” of other transitions and becomes impossible to modify. What is the blockchain, exactly?īlockchain is a distributed ledger that uses hash functions to provide a unique fingerprint of every transaction, recording and authenticating them. Its lack of permissions keep Bitcoin open and fair for everyone.īitcoin’s security is supported by decentralized, cryptographic technology. With no regulatory body, Bitcoin is open to everyone. Reason #4: Bitcoin doesn’t require permissionsīeing public and decentralized means very little if you have to be allowed in by some authority. There’s nothing there you could steal that the other nodes and servers couldn’t prevent, unless you happen to control 51% of the nodes - not impossible, but extremely unlikely. It also means that trying to hack into one of the servers is pointless. This large number of nodes ensures that if something happens to one of the servers or nodes, others can pick up the slack. Reason #3: Bitcoin is decentralizedīitcoin’s distributed network has over ten thousand nodes all over the world that keep track of all transactions happening on the system. That’s very different from when hackers break into traditional financial systems - just ask the folks over at Equifax. When you buy or sell bitcoin, you don’t add any personal information to the blockchain like your passwords, credit card numbers, or your physical address, so there’s nothing to leak. With all the data publically available, there’s nothing for bad actors to “hack in” and see - all transactions are public to everyone.Ĭompare that to the common data breaches of traditional companies, and Bitcoin starts to sound a lot safer. That makes it very difficult to cheat or scam the system. While being public may not sound safer, Bitcoin’s ledger transparency means that all the transactions are available to the public even if the people involved are anonymous. This system makes it so transactions are generally irreversible, and the data security of Bitcoin is strong. Compared to other financial solutions, the blockchain is an improved technology that relies on secure core concepts and cryptography.īlockchain uses volunteers - lots of them - to sign hashes that validate transactions on the Bitcoin network using cryptography. How is Bitcoin secure? Bitcoin is backed by a special system called the blockchain. Here are the four main reasons why Bitcoin tech is (mostly) safe: Reason #1: Bitcoin uses secure cryptography As an investment though, Bitcoin may not be safe due to market volatility. Bitcoin is also cryptographic, public, decentralized, and permissionless. Why is Bitcoin safe?īitcoin technology is mostly safe because it’s built on secure technology: the blockchain. While that might not sound very secure, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is surprisingly robust. Anyone with the technical know-how can create their own cryptocurrency. At bitcoin’s highest recorded price - almost $65,000 USD per coin - the price of those pizzas would’ve been around $650 million USD.īitcoin has inspired a variety of other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Cardano, Dogecoin, and thousands of others. Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world purchase of physical goods with bitcoin in May 2010 when he bought two pizzas for about 10,000 bitcoins (BTC). When it first launched, one bitcoin was essentially worthless.