Bitcoin is attracting more and more investors. In 2018, Goldman Sachs revealed that it plans to open a bitcoin trading unit, and the New York Stock Exchange is reportedly considering a bitcoin trading platform as well. But adoption of the cryptocurrency has been hobbled by a series of scandals, high-tech heists, and disputes over the software's design, all of which illustrate why financial regulations were created in the first place. The bitcoin community has solved some mind-boggling technological problems. But making bitcoin a true replacement for, or even adjunct to, the global financial system requires more than just great tech. Taxes on Bitcoin mining You can use Bitcoin for all sorts of real transactions. To do so, you first buy bitcoins however you like, either through your credit card, a bank account or even anonymously with cash. Then your bitcoins are transferred directly into your Bitcoin wallet, and you can send and receive payments directly to a buyer or seller without the need for a typical go-between, such as a bank or credit card company.

Similar to how some other digital wallet providers like Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle enable electronic transfers with traditional currencies, bitcoin transfers can be made online or through a smartphone app on the Bitcoin network. Unlike those other digital wallet providers, Bitcoin is an open system, which can be accessed and used by anyone in the world. How does Bitcoin work? It is fair to say that Bitcoin has changed the paradigm -- there has been nothing quite like it before, and it has unleashed an entirely new technology, a new platform for investing, and a new way of thinking about money.