# BitCoin |  | **BitCoin** is the first decentralized cryptocurrency. Nodes in the peer-to-peer bitcoin network verify transactions through cryptography and record them in a public distributed ledger, called a blockchain, without central oversight. Consensus between nodes is achieved using a computationally intensive system based on proof-of-work called mining. Bitcoin mining requires increasing quantities of electricity and was responsible for 0.2% of world greenhouse gas emissions as of 2022. | |-|-| | | wikipedia:: [Bitcoin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin) |