Mining is the process of consuming computing resources to process transactions, ensure network security, and keep everyone in the network synchronized. It can be thought of as the data center of Bitcoin, except that it is a completely decentralized design, with miners operating in countries around the world and no one person having control over the network. The process is called "mining" because it is similar to gold mining, as it is also a temporary mechanism for issuing new bitcoins. However, unlike gold mining, Bitcoin mining rewards those who provide services to ensure the operation of a secure payment network. Mining will still be required after the last bitcoin is issued.
