An example of a public Bitcoin address represented in QR code form, and below it, in plain text.
Bitcoin uses public/private key cryptography to control ownership.
Public addresses are visible to anyone to see how much bitcoin exists at an address. It’s like the physical address of a house. In order to send Bitcoin, or a letter, you need a public address.
But only the private key can unlock the bitcoin at that address in order to move it to another public address (spend it).
That’s why it so important to hold and protect your Bitcoin private keys. If you don’t hold your private keys, you don’t really own and control the bitcoin.
Hardware devices, called “wallets”, help you to safely store and manage your Bitcoin private keys for you. This is known as “self-custody” where there is no need to trust anyone.
Contact us for a free consultation on how to take control of your Bitcoin and secure it for future generations.