PierreRochard/gist:04fc1c1257e15884a330af95c3d8f147

## gistfile1.txt
Q: Bitcoin has two aspects to it that make it unique - software and economics.
Can you explain a bit about the software to us folks that can’t code?

A: A protocol is a set of rules that participants agree to. For example,
when playing a sport, the rules of the game would be the protocol.
Bitcoin is a protocol enforced by software that can be run by anyone.
You can run a node that connects to other nodes over the internet.
Nodes verify that transactions (sending and receiving bitcoins)
follow the protocol rules, and reject the ones that don’t.

To prevents participants from spending the same bitcoins twice,
the transactions are grouped together in a block and timestamped.
This job is done by the miners, who use specialised hardware to
compete against each other. The first to find a correct block
wins the reward and all the fees paid by the transactions
inside it; then all the miners start over.

It’s important to note that while miners do consume a
lot of energy, the node software can be run on normal
computers and consumes less electricity than your web
browser. This enables the Bitcoin network to be highly
decentralized: the protocol rules are jointly enforced
(and thus determined) by a large community of people
around the world.
	Q: Bitcoin has two aspects to it that make it unique - software and economics.
	Can you explain a bit about the software to us folks that can’t code?

	A: A protocol is a set of rules that participants agree to. For example,
	when playing a sport, the rules of the game would be the protocol.
	Bitcoin is a protocol enforced by software that can be run by anyone.
	You can run a node that connects to other nodes over the internet.
	Nodes verify that transactions (sending and receiving bitcoins)
	follow the protocol rules, and reject the ones that don’t.

	To prevents participants from spending the same bitcoins twice,
	the transactions are grouped together in a block and timestamped.
	This job is done by the miners, who use specialised hardware to
	compete against each other. The first to find a correct block
	wins the reward and all the fees paid by the transactions
	inside it; then all the miners start over.

	It’s important to note that while miners do consume a
	lot of energy, the node software can be run on normal
	computers and consumes less electricity than your web
	browser. This enables the Bitcoin network to be highly
	decentralized: the protocol rules are jointly enforced
	(and thus determined) by a large community of people
	around the world.