stefanie ruhle: bitcoin is like your debit card. it's a way to pay for goods and services electronically, online and off. now, imagine if your debit card only stored its own kind of digital currency using a sophisticated encryption system. that's what bitcoin does. to get bitcoin, you can buy it or receive it in exchange for goods and services, just like traditional money. but unlike cash, you cannot hold it, and you can't hand it to a cashier at the store. it doesn't work like that. you can keep bitcoin in a digital wallet, which you can access on your computer or a smartphone. and you spend it just like you would spend any money, as long as the party you're paying accepts it. one difference, though. when you use dollars to make a purchase, if you aren't using cash, your transaction ultimately routes through a bank or a credit card company. bitcoin cuts out the middleman and transfers funds directly from one person to the other without requiring personal information. that means the transaction is virtually anonymous. instead of a b