<blockquote>
  <p>What exactly are Bitcoins?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>bitcoins are the right and possiblility to write some data (transaction) to some database (blockchain) passing this right to another person.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What can bitcoins be used for? </p>
</blockquote>

<p>What can gold be used for? Trading/exchanging for all other things</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Where does one acquire bitcoins?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Where does one acquire gold? Either buy it, or mine it, or steal it, or find it</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>When were they first created?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When gold was first created? Dumb question. Just think that it exists today</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T07:59:28.873Z
So, bitcoins are gold? Virtual gold?
GLaDOS
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T08:02:01.587Z
You can replace "gold" in my answer with "silver", "water" or even "bullshit". This does not matter.
amaclin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T10:48:40.337Z
Downvoted. You can choose not to answer, possibly asking to close the question for being poorly researched; but I don't find it legitimate to answer rudely. In particular, "When were they first created?" is not a dumb question. The answer depends on your notion of "created", but I'd say January 3 2009.
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T15:30:38.200Z
@MeniRosenfeld I'd argue that they were created over the course of two years prior to the announcement of Bitcoin.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T07:57:05.667Z
2015-01-26T07:57:05.667Z
amaclin
<p>I've heard the term several times. I know that it's an online currency, but I'd like to know more, without having to search too hard.</p>

<p>My main questions:</p>

<p>What can bitcoins be used for?
Where does one acquire bitcoins?
When were they first created?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T10:57:06.500Z
I'd downvote that question so hard.
Christian Bock
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T14:26:30.923Z
It's advised that you make only one question per entry, so that people can focus on answering only that question.
Arturo Torres Sánchez
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-26T15:40:24.677Z
duplicate of: [What exactly are Bitcoins?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3262/what-is-bitcoin), 
[What can Bitcoins be used for?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/91/how-do-you-obtain-bitcoins)
[When were they first created?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/182/where-do-bitcoins-come-from-and-what-gives-them-their-value)
I don't think the second question has been asked. You might want to [re-ask it](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/ask).
Nick ODell
<buy-bitcoins><sell-bitcoins>
What exactly are Bitcoins?
GLaDOS
# What exactly are Bitcoins?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-26)

I've heard the term several times. I know that it's an online currency, but I'd like to know more, without having to search too hard.

My main questions:

What can bitcoins be used for?
Where does one acquire bitcoins?
When were they first created?

**Tags:** buy-bitcoins, sell-bitcoins

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'd downvote that question so hard.  
> **username_2**: It's advised that you make only one question per entry, so that people can focus on answering only that question.  
> **username_3**: duplicate of: [What exactly are Bitcoins?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3262/what-is-bitcoin),  [What can Bitcoins be used for?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/91/how-do-you-obtain-bitcoins) [When were they first created?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/182/where-do-bitcoins-come-from-and-what-gives-them-their-value) I don't think the second question has been asked. You might want to [re-ask it](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/ask).  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-01-26. Score: -2

> What exactly are Bitcoins?

bitcoins are the right and possiblility to write some data (transaction) to some database (blockchain) passing this right to another person.

> What can bitcoins be used for?

What can gold be used for? Trading/exchanging for all other things

> Where does one acquire bitcoins?

Where does one acquire gold? Either buy it, or mine it, or steal it, or find it

> When were they first created?

When gold was first created? Dumb question. Just think that it exists today

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, bitcoins are gold? Virtual gold?  
> **username_4**: You can replace "gold" in my answer with "silver", "water" or even "bullshit". This does not matter.  
> **username_5**: Downvoted. You can choose not to answer, possibly asking to close the question for being poorly researched; but I don't find it legitimate to answer rudely. In particular, "When were they first created?" is not a dumb question. The answer depends on your notion of "created", but I'd say January 3 2009.  
> **username_3**: @username_5 I'd argue that they were created over the course of two years prior to the announcement of Bitcoin.  

---

