Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the first digital money that works without a bank and whose supply is capped at 21 million units.
Explained simply
Bitcoin was described in 2008 under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto and launched in January 2009. The idea: money you can send directly from person to person anywhere in the world, with no bank in between.
The bookkeeping is done by the Bitcoin blockchain. There will never be more than 21 million bitcoin, which is hard-coded into the software. This scarcity is why many compare Bitcoin to gold.
For context: Bitcoin is at once a network (the technology), a currency unit (BTC) and an asset. Depending on the conversation, a different layer is meant.
From the familiar world
Nobody can create gold at will, which is why it has served as a store of value for millennia. Bitcoin carries that scarcity into the digital world: the supply is known, verifiable and cannot be raised by decree.
An example
Since January 2024, exchange-traded spot Bitcoin funds (ETFs) have been approved in the US. Large asset managers offer them, and investors hold Bitcoin in a regular brokerage account without managing a wallet themselves.
Why it matters
Bitcoin is the entry point of almost every client conversation about digital assets. Anyone who cleanly separates the three layers (network, unit, asset) immediately sounds competent. Bitcoin is subject to strong price swings, and that belongs in every explanation.
To pass on
„Bitcoin is digital money with a hard cap: 21 million, not one more. That is why many call it digital gold.“
The content of this wiki is for general information and educational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, an investment recommendation or tax or legal advice. Digital assets are subject to strong price fluctuations and can lead to losses up to a total loss. Content as of 2026, no guarantee of completeness or timeliness.
21 Oaks Capital GmbH acts as a tied agent exclusively for the account and under the liability of AHP Capital Management GmbH, Weißfrauenstraße 12-16, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This wiki is a general information service provided by 21 Oaks Capital GmbH. Its content does not constitute individual investment advice and is not a recommendation by AHP Capital Management GmbH. 21 Oaks Capital GmbH, its affiliated companies, the funds it advises or its employees may hold positions in assets explained in this wiki. The explanations are independent of this; the disclosure is made for reasons of transparency.