Bitcoin tagged posts

November 2, 2013 / Posted in  Bitcoin

I’ve seen pictures of coins that say Bitcoin and notes that say Bitcoin, but are Bitcoins real? It depends.

A Bitcoin promissory note or coin is digital cryptocurrency you can send on the Bitcoin network. It is only good if it has a valid wallet address and password for the amount it claims to be. More importantly, when you take custody of that Bitcoin wallet address, it’s important nobody has seen the wallet password before you, and you trust the source providing the note. It’s also important to know the current exchange rate for Bitcoin to $US.

Think of it this way, let’s say I owe you some money. To pay with Bitcoin, I can either send a certain amount of Bitcoin to a wallet ID you created, or I can give you access to a Bitcoin wallet with the money I owe you.

You can get $10 in free BTC...

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October 25, 2013 / Posted in  Bitcoin

I noticed a few page views of my other Bitcoin mining article, so I thought I’d do a follow up this week. I’ll talk about how to mine for Bitcoins on Windows and how to configure a mining rig with more than one device. Currently I have a 2 USB ASIC block erupter configuration mining for the BTC Guild (now closed). Below I’ll talk more about my performance and approximate BTC earn rate.

Previously I had a single USB ASIC block erupter mining off my work MacBook Pro laptop, but I couldn’t mine 24/7 and was wasting time constantly starting and stopping my mining rig. I decided to get a second USB ASIC block erupter and setup a permanent mining rig.

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October 16, 2013 / Posted in  Bitcoin

There is a lot of information on the Internet about where and how you can buy Bitcoins. The problem is, a lot of that information isn’t up to date. It also isn’t obvious that the current markets for exchanging Bitcoin are less convenient and subject to more fees than traditional domestic banking markets. There are tradeoffs in how you proceed, but the good news is market friction is constantly being reduced.

Update for 2014:

A lot has changed in six months, today the best place to get Bitcoins in the US is from Coinbase in my opinion. Converting currency is a flat 1% service fee. Continue reading to see the landscape from a few short months ago.

Cryptxchange no longer exists…

If you want Bitcoin fast, you can use Crypto X Change...

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October 14, 2013 / Posted in  Bitcoin

Bitcoin has a history shrouded in mystery which is appropriate considering the anonymity it provides. The original concept of Bitcoin came from a figure only known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Supposedly this figure provided much of the original software and technical guidance, then vanished and hasn’t been found since. Wikipedia suggests there is circumstantial evidence linking Satoshi Nakamoto patents with individuals who created the bitcoin.org domain. It is also suggested Satoshi Nakamoto is a famous Japanese mathematician.

Whatever the answer may be, the first Bitcoins were mined on January 3rd 2009 which released the first 50 Bit...

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October 9, 2013 / Posted in  Bitcoin

About a week ago, the FBI shut down the Silk Road site, which was a hub for nefarious and illegal activity. I had never visited the site which requires the anonymity enhancing TOR browser, but the news article mentioned something that sparked my interest, “millions in Bitcoins seized.” Was that a lot? What is Bitcoin and what are they worth anyway? Then I saw another article that showed a picture of Bitcoins in hard currency form – were Bitcoins minted somewhere? My curiosity was peaked and I’ve spent about a week learning more about this fascinating, experimental, cyber currency.

I took a few hacks at it, but the best definit...

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