βTo the extent it is used I fear itβs often for illicit finance. Itβs an extremely inefficient way of conducting transactions, and the amount of energy thatβs consumed in processing those transactions is staggering,β the former Fed chairwoman said. Yellenβs comments have been cited as a reason for bitcoinβs recent losses. However, Yellenβs assessment of bitcoin as a inefficient medium of exchange is an important point and one that has already been raised in the past by bitcoin bulls. Using a volatile asset in exchange for goods and services makes little sense if the asset can tumble 10% in a day, or surge 80% over the course of a two months as bitcoin has done in 2021, critics argue. To put a finer point on it, over the past 12 months bitcoin has registered 8 corrections, defined as a decline from a recent peak of at least 10% but not more than 20%, and two bear markets, which are defined as falls of 20% or more, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
How Does Bitcoin Work?
Bitcoin is built on a distributed digital record called a blockchain. As the name implies, blockchain is a linked body of data, made up of units called blocks that contain information about each and every transaction, including date and time, total value, buyer and seller, and a unique identifying code for each exchange. Entries are strung together in chronological order, creating a digital chain of blocks. βOnce a block is added to the blockchain, it becomes accessible to anyone who wishes to view it, acting as a public ledger of cryptocurrency transactions,β says Stacey Harris, consultant for Pelicoin, a network of cryptocurrency ATMs. Blockchain is decentralized, which means itβs not controlled by any one organization. βItβs like a Google Doc that anyone can work on,β says Buchi Okoro, CEO and co-founder of African cryptocurrency exchange Quidax. βNobody owns it, but anyone who has a link can contribute to it. And as different people update it, your copy also gets updated.β
