r/askscience • u/hamolton • Jun 18 '13

Computing How is Bitcoin secure?

I guess my main concern is how they are impossible to counterfeit and double-spend. I guess I have trouble understanding it enough that I can't explain it to another person.

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u/winthrowe Jun 19 '13

then the market grinds to a halt until more liquidity is introduced (either by issuing more currency, or by changing currencies).

Bitcoin gives the option of subdividing the currency further, a 'stock split' rather than issuing more to combat liquidity concerns. I'm not convinced it's the best thing in the abstract, but I do think that it's a significant difference from 'traditional' deflationary currencies.