The Bitcoin Field Guide
Bitcoin can feel complicated. The Bitcoin Field Guide is a growing collection of straightforward answers to the questions people actually have about Bitcoin, from the basics of how it works to self custody, mining, privacy, and using bitcoin in everyday life.
New entry every Monday.
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Bitcoin has no CEO, and even its creator stepped away from the project. So who decides the rules? Learn how developers, miners, nodes, and everyday users help shape a network without a central authority.
Who Decides the Rules of Bitcoin?
Who Decides the Rules of Bitcoin?
Bitcoin has no CEO, and even its creator stepped away from the project. So who decides the rules? Learn how developers, miners, nodes, and everyday users help shape a network without a central authority.
What is the Mempool?
What happens to a Bitcoin transaction while it’s still pending? Learn what the mempool is, why each node has its own, and what happens while transactions wait to be confirmed.
What Does a Bitcoin Node Actually Do?
What does a Bitcoin node actually do, and why do so many Bitcoiners run one? Learn how nodes verify the network, enforce Bitcoin’s rules, and let you check for yourself instead of relying on someone else.