1.4 Bitcoin vs. Other Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin is often grouped with thousands of other "cryptocurrencies," but this is misleading. Bitcoin was created as a decentralized monetary network with no central issuer, no pre-mine, and no company behind it.

Most other cryptocurrencies are fundamentally different: they were launched by known founders or companies, often with pre-mined tokens, venture capital backing, and ongoing development controlled by a small group.

Bitcoin has no CEO, no marketing team, no foundation controlling its direction. Changes to the protocol require overwhelming consensus across the entire network of node operators, miners, and developers.

The fixed supply of 21 million bitcoins and the predictable issuance schedule (halving every 4 years) were set in stone from day one. No founder, developer, or government can change this.

Other cryptocurrencies can and do change their monetary policy, supply caps, and consensus rules at the whim of their founders or token holders. Bitcoin's immutability is its greatest strength.