什么是比特币？
比特币（英语：Bitcoin，简写：BTC，货币符号：?），是一种用开源的 P2P 技术的软件而产生的电子货币。虚拟货币“比特币”的概念最初由中本聪（Satoshi Nakamoto，可能化名）在 2009 年提出。现在比特币也指根据中本聪的思路设计发布的开源软件以及建构其上的整个 P2P 网络。截止到 2013 年 5 月 31 日，全部发行比特币按市价换算为美元后，总值突破为 15亿美元。
与大多数现行货币不同的是，比特币货币系统是独立存在的，其运行不依赖于中央银行、政府、大型企业的支持或者信用担保。比特币使用遍布整个 P2P 网络节点的分布式数据库来管理货币的发行、交易和账户余额信息。中本聪采用密码学的原理，确保各个比特币节点按照既定的协议达成共识，从而确保货币流通各个环节的安全性。例如，比特币只能被它的真实拥有者使用，而且仅仅能使用一次，支付完成之后原主人即失去对该份额比特币的所有权。比特币货币总量按照设计预定的速率逐步增加，增加速度逐步放缓，并最终在 2140 年达到2100 万个的极限。P2P 的分布式特性与去中心化的设计结构，确保了理论上任何机构都不可能操控比特币的货币总量，或者制造通货膨胀。在全球范围内，比特币可以通过多个线上的交易所和服务商进行兑换交易，也可以在线下找到兑换点，兑换为现钞或金币。
The concept of the virtual currency “bitcoin” was originally proposed in 2009. Bitcoin is now also the source software that is designed along the same lines as the entire P2P network on which it is based. By May 2013, 31, when the entire distribution of the currency was converted to United States dollars at market prices, the value went beyond $1.5 billion. Unlike most of the current currency, the Bitcoin monetary system is independent and operates without the support of the central bank, the government, large businesses, or credit guarantees. Bitcoin is also designed to create the entire P2P network on the basis of the middle-class thinking.
比特币是怎么发行的？
简单的说，大概每十分钟发行一次。
新比特币在每个网络节点在解决了一定的数学计算（比如，创建新的 block）后生成。这个生成过程被认为是难以重现和 proof of work 的。解决问题后得到的回报是 automatically adjusted，因此在比特币网络的头 4 年，将会产生总额为 10,500,000 BTC 的比特币。这个数量每隔 4 年就自动减半，也就是说在第 4 至第 8 年会产生 5,250,000 BTC，第 8 至 12 年则只有 2,625,000 BTC，如此类推。到最后，总共产生的比特币数量为接近21,000,000 BTC。
另外，伴随着网络一同建立的还有一个系统。平均每隔 10 分钟，该系统就尝试去收集网络上产生的 block 里面的新比特币。创建新比特币的难度系数是随着参与尝试产生新比特币的人数而变化的。整个网络一致认可基于产生最前面的 2016 个 block 所花的时间实现这些行为。因此，难度系数与产生这些最早的 block 所花的时间内投入到产生这些新的比特币的平均计算资源有关。某个人“发现”一个 block 的可能性是他所用的计算资源和所有同时在网络上生成 block 的计算资源的比值。
How did
比特币的分割性？
技术上，1 个比特币基于目前的数据结构被分割到 8 个小数位。也就是说目前最小的比特币单位是 0.00000001 BTC。如果在未来出现对比特币分割为更小单位的需求，届时社区需要就如何实现更小的分割量进行讨论。
Technically, one bitcoin is divided into eight decimal places based on the current data structure. This means that the smallest bitcoin unit is currently 0.000001 BTC. If there is a need to split bitcoin into smaller units in the future, the community will have to discuss how to achieve smaller splits.
比特币的价值从何而来？又是谁在支撑比特币？
比特币之所以有价值，是因为许多人接受比特币为一种支付手段。我们常说的“货币以黄金作为支撑”这句话的实际意义是存在着可以把货币兑换为黄金的承诺。某种意义上，你可以说比特币是以商人的价格标签来支持的，因为价格标签也是一种承诺：承诺可以用特定数量的货币来交换货物。一种常见的误解是，比特币的价值来源于产生它所消耗的电力。但是，成本不等于价值。雇1千个人在地上挖个大坑需要很高的成本，但这件事毫无价值。另一方面，虽然对于有用的货币来说“短缺”是一种关键的需求，但“短缺”本身并不能使任何事物更有价值。比如你的指纹是绝无仅有的，但这并不意味着你的指纹就有任何交易价值。
In a sense, you can say that bitcoin is supported by a price label for merchants, because price labels are also a commitment to exchange goods in a certain amount of money. A common misconception is that bitcoins are valued by generating the electricity they consume. But the cost is not equal to the value. Hiring 1,000 people to dig a pit on the ground requires a high cost, but it is worthless. On the other hand, while “deficit” is a key demand for useful money, “deficit” does not in itself add value to anything. For example, your fingerprints are unique, but that does not mean that there is any trade in your fingerprints.
如果有人把全部存在的比特币都买下了呢？
如果有人把世界上所有的黄金都买下来又会怎样呢？可想而知，在尝试全盘收购的过程中，买家/卖家只会把价格托到天高，最终买家会耗尽全部的钱。而且，不是所有的比特币都是可以出售的，没有人能买下本来就不能出售的比特币，就像黄金储备那样。其实还有最关键的一点：货币的用途是流通，如果真有可能全部的比特币都被买下，那么比特币的流通用途就消失了，也就是说，比特币就会分文不值。没有那个收购者会去做这种白白送钱给人花的事情。
What happens if someone buys all the world's gold? As you can imagine, buyers/sellers keep the price up to the sky, and eventually the buyer consumes all the money. And not all bitcoins are available for sale, and no one buys bitcoins, just like gold reserves. And the most crucial thing is that money is in circulation, and if all bitcoins are bought, then the use of bitcoins disappears, meaning that bitcoins are worthless.
如果不再有新的比特币被创建出来，当比特币丢失后将会怎样呢，不会有问题么？
根本不会。基于供求原理，如果比特币的总量减少，则剩下的比特币的需求将会上升，因而这些比特币就会具有较高的价值。于是，当比特币丢失后，剩下的比特币的价值就会增加来补偿。随着比特币的价值上升，用于购买一件事物的比特币的数量便会相应地减少。这也就是我们常说的通货紧缩现象，简单说，就是钱更值钱了。到最后，如果事情发展到网络上最大的交易量都小于 1 个 BTC，则只需要简单地把小数位向右移动一下，系统就可以继续运行下去。
If there are no new bitcoins created, what will happen when bitcoins are lost?
won't at all. Based on the principle of supply and demand, if bitcoins are reduced, the remaining bitcoins will increase in demand, so they will have higher value. So, when bitcoins are lost, the remaining bitcoins will increase in value. As bitcoins rise in value, the number of bitcoins used to buy things will decline.
为何我必须要等上 10 分钟才能花我收到的比特币？
要等上 10 分钟的理由是，10 分钟是系统找到一个有效的交易链块所需要的平均时间。值得注意的是基于运气这个时间实际上会稍长或稍短，10 分钟只是一个简单的平均情况。在软件的界面中显示为“证实的”或“确认的”（confirmations，取决于软件的汉化）的交易链块记录的内容是比特币如何被网络一致认可由谁拥有。一旦发现所有人都同意你对一个block 里面的记录的比特币具有所有权，你就可以把这些比特币花掉。如果某个人尝试通过撤销一项交易来欺骗整个系统，在最终被认定无效之前也有可能网络上的某些节点会对此进行认可。所以，一项交易获得的确认越多，则该交易被证伪、被撤销的风险就会越低。只需要 6 个 blocks 或者 1 小时，就可以使得撤销交易所需要的运算量达到完全不切实际的程度。这与信用卡可以在交易后的三个月内拒付的特点相比明显要好得多。
如果你要追问“10 分钟”的更详细的由来，答案是：这是 Satoshi 对新 block 在大型网络中传递所需的时间和由于交易链分拆而被浪费的工作量之间的折衷选择。
The reason why I have to wait 10 minutes to wait for the bitcoin?
is that 10 minutes is the average time the system takes to find an effective chain of transactions. It is worth noting that this time is actually a little longer or a little shorter, 10 minutes is a simple average. Some of the points on the web that appear in the interface of the software are recognized as “verified” or “confirmed” depending on the Haning of the software. The greater the recognition of a transaction, the lower the risk that the transaction will be endorsed by the network.
为了能用比特币买或者卖东西是否必须要等上 10 分钟？
不。如果交易的价值不高，不去等待认可也是合乎情理的。问这类问题的人们通常想的都是诸如超级市场或者自动售卖机一类的场景，零确认的交易同样会在软件界面中显示，但你无法把比特币花出去。当然，你能在未来花掉这些钱。通常上，在 0 确认的情况下销售相当便宜的商品（如零食、数字下载等等）时不算是什么大问题，只要你在运行一个和比特币网络连接得很好的节点就行。
has to wait 10 minutes to be able to buy or sell in bitcoin?
No. It is reasonable not to wait for approval if the value of the transaction is low. People who ask such questions often think of such things as supermarkets or vending machines. Zero confirmed transactions are also shown in software interfaces, but you cannot spend bitcoins. Of course, you can spend that money in the future. Usually, selling reasonably cheap goods (e.g. snacks, digital downloads, etc.) with zero confirmation is not a big problem, as long as you run a point that is well connected to the Bitcoin network.
Bitcoin是一种虚拟货币……
如果这话的意思是在说，“虚拟”的（Bitcoin）不如“真实”的（纸币），那可就大错特错了。因为很多人可能没有意识到，任何纸币本身，事实上也是虚拟的。
Bitcoin is a virtual currency 既然纸币与bitcoin都是虚拟的，那么，真正应该问的问题不是“哪个更真实？”，而是“哪个更靠谱？” Since banknotes and bitcoin are both virtual, the real question to be asked is not “Who is more real?” but “Who is more reliable?” 那Bitcoin就是游戏币喽？ That Bitcoin is the game currency? Bitcoin没有黄金支持，所以…… Bitcoin does not have gold support, so Bitcoin没有黄金支持，那由什么来支持？ Bitcoin没有价值！ There is no value in Bitcoin! Bitcoin不安全，容易被盗…… Bitcoin is not safe and vulnerable to theft... Bitcoin早晚会被足够的计算能力所攻破…… 还有，很多人忘记了另外一件事情，如果Bitcoin的p2p网络能被更破，那么更为脆弱的是现有的金融系统——它们所拥有的计算能力早就被超越了。所以，相对来看，Bitcoin更安全一些才对。 Also, many people forget another thing: if Bitcoin’s p2p network can be broken even more, then it is the existing financial system that is more vulnerable – the computing power that they have long gone beyond. So, relatively, Bitcoin is safer. Bitcoin不公平，早期使用者太占便宜了！ It's natural. This kind of injustice is not only present in the bitcoin financial world. Once again, equity is difficult to achieve, but equity, like security, has never been the responsibility of money. Bitcoin会用在很多不法用途上，所以应该被禁止！ 不过，人们总是倾向于妖魔化他们不可理解的新生事物。 However, people tend to demonize new things that they cannot understand. 其实，用Bitcoin买毒品，并没有想象得那么容易。想想吧，在互联网上用BTC支付购买毒品（或者其他的违禁物品），你支付确实可以匿名，但你不实名的话，你是很难收到货品的…… Actually, it's not as easy to imagine buying drugs with Bitcoin. Think, buying drugs (or other prohibited items) on the Internet, you can pay anonymously, but if you don't name it, it's hard for you to get the goods. 洗钱？洗多少钱？1美元，没必要洗吧？通常，只有额度大到一定程度，才不得不“洗”。可目前Bitcoin的汇率变动太大（今天涨10%，明天可能跌20%），乃至于洗钱成本不可预期……你要是有那么多钱要洗，你敢吗？ Money laundering? How much money do you launder? There's no need to wash it. Usually, it's only to a certain extent that Bitcoin has to be “washed”. But the current exchange rate changes are too much (10 per cent today and 20 per cent tomorrow) and the cost of money laundering is unpredictable. Bitcoin就是个庞氏骗局！ "Strong" Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme! “庞氏骗局”的最重要特征在于，先来者要靠后来者的加入才能赚到钱，与此同时，后来者由于再也没有后来者而必然赔钱。Bitcoin不是这样的。先来者确实可能赚到更多钱（只是可能而已；因为很多先来者更可能早就在很低的价位售出了BTC）；但他们其实并非一定要依赖后来者才能赚到钱；并且，后来者不一定赔钱，因为Bitcoin是保值货币（换种说法，是通缩货币，而非通胀货币）。 The most important feature of the “Ponzi scheme” is that first-comers have to rely on the participation of latercomers in order to earn money, while, at the same time, the latter have to pay for no later. Bitcoin does not. First-comes are likely to earn more (it is only possible; many first-comes are more likely to sell BTC at very low prices); they do not really have to rely on the latter to earn money; and later, they do not have to pay for it, because Bitcoin is a protected currency (in other words, a deflationary currency rather than an inflation currency). Bitcoin的挖矿行为，就是在浪费社会资源…… The mining of Bitcoin is a waste of social resources... 哦，对了，地球上所有银行的大厦都是最奢华的——往往比最著名的教堂都奢华。浪费的是谁的钱和资源？ Oh, by the way, all the bank buildings on Earth are the most luxurious -- often more luxurious than the most famous church. Whose money and resources are wasted? Bitcoin的使用者更多都是在囤积，或者兑换其他货币，而不是用来买卖商品，所以，它并非有意义的货币……如果你不能理解“任何货币本身都是商品，并且是最本质的商品”，那么这个问题没办法解释了。 Bitcoin is more often used to hoard or exchange other currencies than to buy and sell goods, so it is not a meaningful currency... The problem cannot be explained if you cannot understand that “any currency is a commodity in itself and is the most essential commodity”. Bitcoin会替代所有货币！ 我不明白怎么会有人对这种东西着迷？ I don't know why anyone's fascinated with this kind of thing? Any brilliant idea is fascinating. Bitcoin is such a thing. It's too smart and too simple to crack, as a hacker says. "It's too simple." 这是人类史上，第一次从技术上彻底、纯粹地保障了“私有财产神圣不可侵犯”。不仅不可侵犯，还不可冻结、不可追踪。一切崇尚自由的人，都只能为之着迷。 This is the first time in human history that “the sanctity of private property” has been technically completely and purely guaranteed. Not only is it inviolable, it cannot be frozen, it cannot be traced.
现有的所有游戏币，其实都是“中央银行”（只不过是虚拟的中央银行）发行的，它们跟传统货币类似才对。Bitcoin是全网络p2p发行的，没有中央银行。货币发行数量，是最早的协议设定的。不受p2p网络任何一个参与者的控制。
all the playing currency that is available is actually issued by the “Central Bank” (a virtual central bank), which is similar to the traditional currency. Bitcoin is issued by the whole network p2p, without the central bank. The number of money distributions was set by the first agreement. It is not controlled by any of the participants in the p2p network.
Bitcoin确实不靠黄金支持。可是，一切的纸币，都只是声称由黄金支撑。中央银行在发行货币的时候，确实声称他们的货币发行数量与他们的黄金拥有数量持平……可事实上呢？从来没有过不增发的时候。特权的特征就是它一定会滥用自己。也恰恰因为如此，历史上，所有的由中央银行发行的货币，没有不贬值的，没有不通货膨胀的。
bitcoin does not have gold support. But all banknotes claim to be supported by gold. At the time the central bank issued the currency, it did claim that the amount of their money issued was equal to the amount of their gold.
信任。历史上所有的货币，都是靠信任支撑的——比如，你和大多数人一样，倾向于相信中央银行拥有同等价值（而不是更少）的黄金。Bitcoin是它的用户用自己的电脑运行客户端，成为p2p网络的一分子支持的（相当于真金白银投票——因为硬件是有成本的，电不是免费的）——这也是一种信任。关键在于，自发的信任比被迫的信任更有价值。（voluntary trust vs. compulsory trust）
这次你彻底正确了！货币本身就不应该有什么价值，它只是交换的媒介。交易公平的前提不是货币是否有价值，而是这种交换的媒介（Bitcoin）是否被双方认可，而后可以据此产生双方认同的“等价交换”。
this time you're absolutely right! The money itself should not be worth anything, it's just a medium of exchange. A fair deal presupposes not whether the money is worth, but whether the medium of such an exchange (Bitcoin) is accepted by both sides and can then result in a mutually agreed “equivalent exchange”.
只要是货币，都不安全。活上一段时间，任何人都会有丢钱的经历，要么被盗，要么丢在路上。安全总是问题，可解决安全问题，根本不是货币的责任。
is not safe as long as it's a currency. Anyone who lives for a while has a history of losing money, either stealing it or leaving it on the road. Security is always a problem, it solves security problems and it is not the responsibility of money at all.
这就是p2p网络的威力之一。因为无论多强大的计算能力加入p2p网络，它都会成为p2p网络的一部分，它自身的计算能力无法超过整个p2p网络。目前Bitcoin的p2p网络计算能力早就超过了地球上所有最快的超级计算机计算能力的总和。
is one of the power of the p2p network. Because no matter how powerful it is to join the p2p network, it will become part of the p2p network and its own computing capacity cannot exceed that of the entire p2p network.
也许是吧。那一家公司上市，创业者和原始股持有者都赚得最多，尤其是相对那些后来在二级市场上购买股票的人来说。这是很自然的事情。这种所谓的不公平并非只存在于bitcoin金融世界。再一次，公平总是难以实现，不过，公平，跟安全一样，从来都不是货币的责任。
有足够的理由相信，如果这个理由成立的话，所有的货币都应该被禁止——因为每时每刻，都有大量的货币（非Bitcoin）在各式各样的非法渠道中流通，完成各式各样不可告人的目的。
has good reason to believe that, if that is the case, all currencies should be prohibited — because every moment there is a large amount of money (non-Bitcoin) circulating through all kinds of illegal channels to accomplish all kinds of hidden purposes.
请先仔细搞清楚“庞氏骗局”的定义。没有人有办法清楚地向一个概念不清的人解释任何问题。
Please clarify the definition of "Ponzi scheme" first. No one has a clear way of explaining anything to a person whose concept is not clear.
能比“从地下淘出黄金，而后冶炼、加工，做成金块之后再埋到地下，而后不断砍树制造特殊纸张超额印制纸币”更浪费社会资源？
不可能。“统一”从来都是个理想化但不可实现的东西。在任何领域都一样。有人设想过用“世界语”统一所有语言，以失败告终。欧洲的“统一货币”出路也不是很理想。甚至，目前类似Bitcoin的p2p货币也有很多种——因为Bitcoin是开源的，所以，任何人都可以发行新的p2p货币——当然，至于是否会有足够的人使用信任支持其它的p2p货币，就是另当别论的事情了。
is not possible. “unification” has always been ideal but unattainable. The same is true in any field. Some have envisaged the unification of all languages in the “Worm language” to end up failing. Europe’s “unified currency” solution is not ideal either. Even now, there are many kinds of p2p currencies similar to Bitcoin – because Bitcoin is open-sourced, so anyone can issue new p2p currencies — and, of course, it is something else to say that there will be enough people using trust to support other p2p currencies.
任何精妙的思想都是令人着迷的。Bitcoin就是这样一个东西。它太精妙了，也太简单了，正如一位黑客所评价的那样，”It’s too simple to crack”（它太简单了，乃至于无法攻破）。
作为一个崇尚理性的人，没办法多狂热。但，Bitcoin确实令我开心。因为它是我有生以来赚到的最干净的钱。不止干净，还利落。没办法不开心。
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