Ngo-Okthoba 31, 2008, a iphepha elimhlophe echaza "isistimu yemali ye-elekthronikhi yontanga-kuya-ntanga" ithunyelwe kuhlu lwe-imeyili lwabathuthukisi be-software. Leli phepha lithembise ukuxazulula inkinga yokuchitha kabili imali ebikhungethe abahleli bohlelo amashumi eminyaka. Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, kwakubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukwakha uhlobo lwenani ledijithali elingase lisetshenziswe kanye kuphela futhi lingaphindaphindeki.

Kwathi ngo-January 3, 2009, i-genesis block ye-Bitcoin blockchain yambiwa. Eminyakeni engu-15 kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, i-Bitcoin nezinye izimali zedijithali seziphenduke isigaba sempahla yezigidigidi zamadola, nesabelo esikhulayo semisebenzi yezezimali eyenziwa ngale ndlela yokuhwebelana. 

Kodwa yini ngempela i-Bitcoin, futhi isebenza kanjani? Lo mhlahlandlela uhlose ukukhanyisa izisekelo ze-Bitcoin, izisekelo zayo zobuchwepheshe, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwayo njengesitolo senani kanye neyunithi yokuhwebelana.

I-Bitcoin yachaza: Iyini i-Bitcoin?

Ngendlela elula ngayo, i-Bitcoin (BTC) iwuhlobo lwemali yedijithali, oluzimele kunoma yimuphi uhulumeni noma isikhungo. Yethulwa ngo-2009 ngumuntu noma iqembu lisebenzisa igama elingelona iqiniso elithi Satoshi Nakamoto. Ngokungafani nezimali zendabuko, i-Bitcoin isebenza kunethiwekhi yamakhompiyutha ehlukaniswe amazwe futhi incike kubuchwepheshe be-blockchain ukuze igcine ubuqotho nokuphepha kwayo.

Izimali zikazwelonke njengedola laseMelika, i-euro yaseYurophu, noma i-yen yaseJapane zaziwa njengezimali ze-fiat. I-Merriam-Webster ichaza igama elithi fiat njengelisho “ngokuhleleka okungahleliwe noma umyalo.” Ngamanye amazwi, i-fiat currencies ikhishwa ohulumeni futhi ayinalo inani eliphathekayo lemali elizisekelayo. Ngaphambi kuka-1971, idola laseMelika lalisekelwa igolide, kodwa akusenjalo.

I-Bitcoin ayisekelwa yimpahla ebonakalayo, kodwa esikhundleni salokho inani elikhulu lamandla ekhompyutha angena ekuvikeleni inethiwekhi. Ngokungafani nemali ye-fiat, ebiza cishe lutho ukuyidala futhi inganyatheliswa ngokuthanda kwabo ohulumeni, kuyoke kube khona i-BTC eyizigidi ezingu-21 kuphela. Inqubo ehlelwe ngaphambilini eyaziwa ngokuthi “nokuhafula phakathi” yehlisa izinga okwenziwa ngalo izinhlamvu zemali ezintsha njalo eminyakeni emine, okuqinisekisa ukushoda kweBitcoin. Ukwehliswa kancane kwehlisa ukudalwa kwama-Bitcoins amasha, kugcina ukunikezwa kuphansi futhi kuvimbela ukwehla kwamandla emali. Sizophinde sithinte isici sezimayini se-Bitcoin kulo mhlahlandlela.

Isebenza kanjani iBitcoin?

I-Bitcoin isekelwe ku-blockchain, incwadi yomphakathi erekhoda konke okwenziwayo kuyo yonke inethiwekhi yamakhompyutha. I-Blockchain iwuhlobo lwe ubuchwepheshe beleja obuhanjisiwe (i-DLT). Ngenkathi wonke ama-blockchains amaleja asabalalisiwe, akuwona wonke amaleja asabalalisiwe angama-blockchain. 

I-Bitcoin blockchain iyileja egcina irekhodi lakho konke ukuthengiselana kwe-Bitcoin okwake kwathunyelwa. Ukwenziwa ngakunye kuqinisekiswa ababambiqhaza benethiwekhi, ababizwa ngabavukuzi, abasebenzisa amakhompyutha anamandla ukuxazulula izindida zezibalo eziyinkimbinkimbi. Abavukuzi abaphumelele baklonyeliswa ngezinhlamvu zemali ezisanda kwenziwa.

Ubunikazi beBitcoin busungulwa ngokusebenzisa okhiye bedijithali, amakheli we-bitcoin, namasignesha edijithali. Lezi zakhi ziqinisekisa ukuthi umnikazi wezinhlamvu zemali kuphela ongazisebenzisa. Enye yempumelelo ebaluleke kakhulu ye-Bitcoin ukuthi ixazulule “inkinga yokusebenzisa imali kabili,” yakha uhlobo lwempahla yedijithali engathunyelwa kanye kuphela futhi ingaphindaphindeki, njengamanye amafayela edijithali.

Ukuze uthole ukuqonda kangcono ukuthi i-Bitcoin isebenza kanjani, kuyasiza ukubheka ukuthi iyini i-Bitcoin yezimayini nokuthi abantu bangayisebenzisa kanjani i-Bitcoin. 
 

Izimayini zeBitcoin

Izimayini ze-Bitcoin ziwumgogodla wenethiwekhi ye-Bitcoin. Abavukuzi bahlinzeka ngokuphepha futhi baqinisekise amabhlogo amasha wokuthengiselana kwe-Bitcoin. Ngaphandle kwabavukuzi, inethiwekhi ingaba sengozini futhi kulula ukuyihlasela. 

Izimayini ze-Bitcoin zibandakanya ukusebenzisa i-hardware yekhompiyutha ukwenza izibalo eziyinkimbinkimbi zezibalo, ezaziwa ngokuthi ubufakazi bokuthi kusetshenzwe (PoW). Le nqubo ivikela inethiwekhi ngokuqinisekisa ukufaneleka kokwenziwa kwe-Bitcoin. Ukuthengiselana ngakunye kwengezwe kubhulokhi, futhi uma ibhulokhi seligcwele, abavukuzi bayaqhudelana ukuze baqinisekise ukuthengiselana futhi bengeze ibhulokhi ku-blockchain. Uma umvukuzi exazulula ibhulokhi elandelayo, uklonyeliswa ngezinhlamvu zemali ezisanda kwakhiwa, ezaziwa njengemivuzo yebhulokhi.

Izimayini ze-Bitcoin nazo zinezinselelo ezimbalwa. Ubunzima bezimayini bulungiswa cishe njalo emavikini amabili ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi amabhulokhi engezwa ku-blockchain ngendlela efanayo, cishe njalo ngemizuzu eyi-10. Njengoba abavukuzi abaningi bejoyina inethiwekhi, ubunzima bezimayini nabo bukhuphuka, obudinga amandla amaningi okubala.

Izimayini ziyisihloko esijulile, esiyinkimbinkimbi esinobunzima obuningi. Imibono elula echazwe lapha iye yakha phezulu kuphela. 

Ukuthola nokugcina i-Bitcoin

Kunezindlela ezimbili eziyinhloko zokuthola i-Bitcoin: ukuthenga izinhlamvu zemali ngokushintshanisa noma ukuzimayini ngokwakho.

Kubantu abaningi, ukuthenga izinhlamvu zemali kuzoba yindlela ekhethwayo. Izimayini zidinga ulwazi olwengeziwe lobuchwepheshe ngaphezu kokuthenga imishini emikhulu yezimayini esebenzisa amandla amaningi kuyilapho ikhiqiza ukushisa nomsindo.

Ukuthenga i-BTC sekulula njengokwenza okunye ukuthenga ku-inthanethi. Ukuhwebelana kwe-Crypto kusebenza njengendlela yokuthi abasebenzisi bathenge, badayise futhi bahwebe nge-Bitcoin namanye ama-cryptocurrencies. 

Okunye ukuhwebelana okwaziwayo, okuhloniphekile okufinyeleleka kubasebenzisi base-US kufaka phakathi i-Coinbase ne-Kraken. Ukudala i-akhawunti kuyinqubo eqondile futhi kuhilela ukunikeza ulwazi lokuhlonza nokuxhuma indlela yokukhokha njengekhadi lesikweletu, i-akhawunti yasebhange, noma i-akhawunti ye-PayPal.

Ngemva kokuthola i-Bitcoin ethile, abasebenzisi bangakhetha ukuyigcina ngezindlela eziningi. Indlela elula ihlanganisa ukuyishiya ekuhwebeni. Lokhu kungase kube lula kodwa futhi kusho ukuthi izimpahla zakho zigcinwe yinkampani yangaphandle, ngokufanayo nendlela ibhange eliphatha ngayo ukheshi egameni lamakhasimende alo. 

Enye yezimfanelo eziyingqayizivele zeBitcoin ukuthi ingabanjwa futhi igcinwe ivikelekile. Kunokuba ushiye izimpahla zakho zigcinwe ekuhwebeni, isikhwama se-Bitcoin esiphethwe ngokuzimele sisetshenziselwa ukugcina i-BTC yakho nokwenza imisebenzi. Uma kwenziwa kahle, lokhu kuqinisekisa ukuthi akekho ongathatha izinhlamvu zemali zakho noma akuvimbele ukuthi uzisebenzise ngendlela okhetha ngayo. Nakuba lokhu kuhilela izinga lokuzibophezela komuntu siqu, abasebenzisi abaningi bakhetha le ndlela yokugcina ngokuphepha kwayo okukhuphukile kanye nokuzimela kwezezimali. Funda kabanzi mayelana nokuphatha i-BTC yakho ngokuzigcina wena ngokwakho.

I-Bitcoin njengendlela yokukhokha

U-Satoshi Nakamoto, umsunguli we-Bitcoin, ucabange i-cryptocurrency njengendlela yontanga yohlobo lwemali yedijithali. I-Bitcoin igqamile uma iqhathaniswa nezinye izimali zomlando, igolide ne-fiat, ezindaweni ezimbalwa ezibalulekile:

• Ukunikezwa okuphelile: Ngokungafani nezimali ze-fiat, lapho amabhange amaphakathi angaphrinta ngamanani angenamkhawulo, i-Bitcoin inokunikezwa okulinganiselwe kwezinhlamvu zemali eziyizigidi ezingu-21. Lokhu kushoda kubonisa inani legolide kodwa kwenzeka kumongo wedijithali, okuvikela ekukhuphukeni kwamandla emali.
• Imvelo yedijithali: Ifomu ledijithali le-Bitcoin livumela ukuthengiselana emhlabeni wonke ngokushesha, okuhluke kakhulu ekukhawulweni okuphathekayo kwegolide kanye nezithiyo ezimaphakathi zokudluliswa kwemali ye-fiat.
• Ukuhlukaniswa: I-Bitcoin ingahlukaniswa ibe amayunithi amancane kakhulu kunohlobo lwemali ye-fiat noma igolide, isiza ama-micro-transaction futhi iyenze ivumelane nenhlobonhlobo yemisebenzi yezezimali. 
• Ukuba khona: I-BTC ngayinye ilingana nenye, iqinisekisa inani elingaguquki kuyo yonke inethiwekhi, ngokungafani nempahla ebonakalayo engahluka ngobumsulwa.
• Ukuhamba: Ukuphatha igolide noma i-fiat ngenani elikhulu kungase kungenzeki noma kungaphephile. I-Bitcoin ingahanjiswa kalula emingceleni, igcinwe ku-wallet yedijithali, futhi ifinyelelwe ngokhiye oyimfihlo.
• Ukuqinisekiswa: Ubuchwepheshe be-blockchain obusekela i-Bitcoin buhlinzeka ngencwadi ebonisa ngale, engaguquleki, eyenza ukuthengiselana kuqinisekiswe kalula futhi kunciphise ubungozi bokukhwabanisa.

Eminyakeni eyishumi ngemva kokuba uNakamoto ekhiphe iphepha elimhlophe, izinkulungwane zamabhizinisi zamukela izinkokhelo ze-BTC zalo lonke uhla lwezimpahla namasevisi. Ungathenga cishe noma yini usebenzisa i-Bitcoin – kusukela ezimpahleni zikanokusho nezimoto, kuya kumathikithi endiza nezingubo, nakho konke okuphakathi.

Ukusebenzisa i-Bitcoin njengendlela yokukhokha kuvikelekile, kuyashesha, futhi kubiza kancane - futhi kusebenza konke ngaphandle kwanoma yiliphi ibhange noma isikhungo sezezimali. Njengokuthenga nokugcina i-BTC, kunezindlela ezimbalwa ongayenza sebenzisa i-Bitcoin:

I-Bitcoin njengempahla yokutshala imali

I-Bitcoin isizuze ukuthandwa njengempahla yokutshala imali, abaningi bakhangwa amandla ayo okuthola inzuzo ephezulu kanye nokungahlobani nezinye izigaba zempahla. Ukwethulwa kwe I-Bitcoin ETFs ese-US ngo-2024 iwusheshise lo mkhuba. Kodwa kunokuningi endabeni kunesici esilula “sokukhuphuka kwenombolo”. 

I-Bitcoin ihlukile phakathi kwezinye izimpahla ngezizathu eziningana. Okumbalwa kwalokhu kuhlanganisa:

• Isamba esinqunyiwe sokuhlinzeka ngezigidi ezingama-21
• Izinga le-hashi eliphakeme kakhulu lanoma iyiphi i-blockchain yobufakazi bomsebenzi, okusho ukuthi iyinethiwekhi evikeleke kakhulu
• Inani eliphakeme lama-node isatshalaliswa emhlabeni wonke
• I-Bitcoin ingathengwa futhi ithengiswe yinoma ubani onoxhumano lwe-inthanethi
• Impahla ingathengwa, ithengiswe, futhi idayiswe ngaphandle komuntu wesithathu
• Izimakethe ze-Bitcoin zisebenza 24/7

I-Bitcoin ingaba yinkimbinkimbi kakhulu ngezinye izikhathi. Kodwa lapho uhlehlisa futhi ubheka inkambiso iyonke yentengo ye-Bitcoin njengoba ilinganiswa ngamadola aseMelika, izinto bezilokhu zikhuphuka futhi kwesokudla isikhathi eside.

Kusukela ngoMashi 2024, inani le-Bitcoin lihlala eduze nerekhodi eliphakeme ngamatemu wedola laseMelika, okusho ukuthi noma ngubani othenge i-Bitcoin ngaphambi kwalesi sikhathi futhi wayibamba manje usenenzuzo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, labo abazama ukuhwebelana ngokushintshashintsha njalo balahlekelwa. Njengokutshalwa kwezimali kwendabuko, kusetshenziswa a isu le-dollar-cost averaging (DCA). ivumela abatshalizimali ukuthi batshale imali encane, evamile futhi behlise isisekelo sezindleko zabo.

Njengenjwayelo, zenzele olwakho ucwaningo ngaphambi kokwenza izinqumo zokutshala izimali, futhi tshala lokho ongakwazi ukukulahlekela. 

Ikusasa le-Bitcoin

Kuningi okwenzekayo okungalolonga intuthuko yesikhathi esizayo ye-Bitcoin, okuhlanganisa ukuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe, izindawo zokulawula, kanye nokutholwa okujwayelekile jikelele.

Ingxenye eyodwa yezobuchwepheshe evelele ubuchwepheshe be-layer-2, njenge I-Lightning Network. Umbani uvumela ukuthi ama-microtransactions asheshayo futhi athengekayo athunyelwe ngaphandle kweketanga, ukugwema izikhathi zokulinda ezinde kanye nezindleko eziphezulu zokuthumela ukuthengiselana okujwayelekile kwe-Bitcoin. 

Isimo sokulawula sihlala sishintsha, kodwa sibonakala sikhula ngokuthanda i-Bitcoin. Ngokugunyazwa kwendawo yokuqala ye-Bitcoin ETFs e-US ngoJanuwari 10, 2024, i-Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) imemezele ukuthi i-Bitcoin iyimpahla kunokuba ibe yisivikelo.

Naphezu kokubala kwe-Bitcoin ngengxenye encane yokuthengiselana ngemali yomhlaba wonke, ukusetshenziswa kwayo kanye nenani lemisebenzi kunethiwekhi yayo, kanye namanye ama-blockchains, kubone ukukhula okungaguquki phakathi neminyaka. NgoJanuwari 2014, i-Bitcoin blockchain yacubungula ukuthengiselana okungaphansi kwezigidi ezimbili inyanga yonke. Ngokushesha phambili kuJanuwari 2024, futhi le volumu yokuthengiselana manje yenzeka ezinsukwini ezimbalwa nje, isamba sanyanga zonke sisondela ekuthengiseni okucishe kube yizigidi eziyi-15.

Phinda ubuyekeze futhi ugoqe ku-Bitcoin

I-Bitcoin imele indlela yokukhokha engavimbeki ekuvinjweni, uhlobo lwemali lwedijithali olunesivalo esigxilile, kanye nenethiwekhi yekhompyutha ephephe kakhulu emhlabeni. Lokhu kuqanjwa okusha okumangalisayo kudale inkathi entsha kwezezimali nobuchwepheshe, imiphumela yayo esanda kuqala ukufezeka futhi iqondwe. 

Ingxenye yokubaluleka kwe-Bitcoin ilele ekhonweni layo lokubekela inselele izinhlelo zezezimali zendabuko futhi inikeze enye indlela yemali enzima esobala, evikelekile, ehlukanisekayo, ephathekayo, futhi efinyelelekayo. Njengoba umnotho wedijithali uqhubeka nokuthuthuka, i-Bitcoin isivele iqalile ukudlala indima ebalulekile ekulolongeni ikusasa lezezimali.

Qaphela: Lonke ulwazi kulesi sihloko ngokwezinjongo zokufundisa kuphela, futhi akufanele kuhunyushwe njengeseluleko sokutshalwa kwezimali. I-BitPay ayinasibopho sanoma yimaphi amaphutha, okushiywe noma okunganembile. Imibono eveziweyo ingeyombhali kuphela, futhi ayibonisi imibono ye-BitPay noma abaphathi bayo. Ngokutshala izimali noma isiqondiso sezezimali, kufanele kukhulunywe nochwepheshe.

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• Source: https://bitpay.com/blog/how-does-bitcoin-work/