What Does a Bitcoin Look Like? A Detailed Insight into the Technology and Currency

Wonder if Bitcoin exists in some physical form? If so, then what does Bitcoin look like? Let’s debug the myths and reveal the truth about BTC’s appearance! A deep dive in Crypto.

Bitcoin has turned into a buzzword since the interest in cryptocurrencies exploded in 2017. We have heard of it so often, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Wait, you can’t remember how Bitcoin looks? Wonder if it has any physical form at all? Let’s find out what exactly Bitcoin is, and whether it has any relation to fiat paper money.

So, what does Bitcoin look like? Unlike fiat currency, which is emitted in the form of paper money and metal coins, Bitcoin is a completely digital asset, which means it looks like numerous lines of codes. The codes contain multiple conditional statements. It also means that:

A Bitcoin wallet is an alphanumeric string.

A BTC transaction is an encrypted function of different parameters.

Sound too complicated? View Bitcoin as a computer file that can be stored in a ‘digital wallet’ app on your PC or smartphone. People can send Bitcoins (or parts of it) to your digital wallet, and you can send this digital money, too. Every transaction is recorded in the public registry, called ‘blockchain’.

When you have a $100 paper note in your hand, you realize its value; when you transfer it to your MasterCard, you understand that you possess the same money but converted into the digital state. It’s just a number of codes on your plastic card and a banking account. The same goes for Bitcoin, but you cannot cash it out directly (it can only be transferred in fiat). Just for fun, one Internet user has modeled a paper Bitcoin.

The popular golden Bitcoin souvenir coin by 123rf

“Told you! Physical Bitcoins exist!” — you might exclaim and be wrong.

Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s just another trick of souvenir sellers to make money on hype. Such an object is just a Bitcoin symbol that you can buy online for some $1–2. These coins are made of plastic or metal and are not connected to the Bitcoin company in any way. Bitcoin coin has no other value except for purely aesthetic. It has also nothing to do with Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, and other forks.

I hope I was able to answer your questions,

Disclaimer: I do not promote trading with bitcoins as such even though they are much safer and secure ways to transact because of lack of knowledge.

Awokecitizen Out!