Bitcoin is a virtual currency that is, based to blockchain technology, generated and managed decentralised from an open peer-to-peer network on the Internet. Bitcoin transactions are accountorized by using secure cryptographic techniques and verified by a large number of network participants. Among other things, Bitcoin can be used as an investment object as well as for payments on the Internet. A special feature of Bitcoin is that as a virtual currency, in contrast to conventional currencies, it is not controlled by a central bank, but as an open-source software project by publicly traceable code.