Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Contemporary (2000–) ·2008
Bitcoin
bit coin
- Meaning
- A decentralised cryptocurrency based on proof-of-work blockchain consensus.
- Source words
- bit + coin
- Coined by
- Satoshi Nakamoto
- Year
- 2008
Background
The pseudonymous creator coined the word in the 31 October 2008 whitepaper *Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System*. *Bit* is a fitting portmanteau element here: bit = binary digit (1948), the smallest unit of digital information.
Contemporary (2000–)
Faster coinage, faster canonisation. Brexit and podcast both reached the OED within a decade of first use — historically rapid. Social media has made visibility, not invention, the rate-limiting step.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.