We now understand how Bitcoin works technically, how it scales, and how to use it.
But software gets older; bugs need to be fixed and new features added.
With Windows, Microsoft does that $MSFT (+3,6 %) (more or less...), and for iOS, Apple does it $AAPL (-2,89 %) . But who does this for Bitcoin, when there’s no company and no boss? Who programs Bitcoin?
The short answer is: Anyone who wants to—and at the same time, no one alone. Bitcoin is based on the principle of open source (open-source software). This means that the entire source code is freely available for anyone in the world to view, copy, and modify.
But how do we prevent malicious programmers from destroying the system through code updates? The process is a masterpiece of digital democracy:
1. The Core Developers (The Proposers) 🛠️
There is a global group of highly specialized programmers known as the core developers. They often work on a volunteer basis or are sponsored by foundations and crypto companies. When someone has an idea on how to improve Bitcoin (e.g., to make it more secure or private), they write an official improvement proposal: a BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal).
2. The Hard Road to Consensus 🤝
This proposal is then thoroughly scrutinized, discussed, and tested by the global community for months or even years. If there are valid doubts or security concerns, the proposal is rejected. Only when there is an extremely broad, global consensus among developers will the new code be included in the official Bitcoin software update at all.
3. The True Rulers: The Nodes, Once Again! 📡
And this brings us full circle to Part 4 of our series. Even if all the developers in the world agree and release an update—they can’t force it on anyone!
The developers only write the code. Whether this code is actually activated on the network is decided solely by the tens of thousands of private nodes worldwide. Node operators must voluntarily install the update on their own computers.
If the developers were to try to incorporate a malicious feature (e.g., breaking the 21-million limit), the nodes would simply ignore the update and continue running the old software. The developers would be powerless.
💡Conclusion for Part 7:
Bitcoin has no rulers, only rules. The developers are like architects who propose new blueprints—but the community of node operators decides, in a fully grassroots democratic manner, whether this house will actually be built. This unbreakable structure ensures that Bitcoin has been running stably for over 17 years without any outages.
Now we’ve unraveled the entire technology and organization of Bitcoin. For the grand finale, let’s look ahead: What does this invention mean for our society and the global financial system?
Get ready for the grand finale in the next post. Part 8/8 is all about the future: The Bitcoin Standard and Mathematical Growth (Power Law). 📈
Would you have thought that Bitcoin’s developers actually have no final say? Share your thoughts in the comments and be sure to follow us! 👇
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