Bitcoin was introduced in 2008 through a white paper titled 'Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' by Satoshi Nakamoto. It was launched in 2009 as the first decentralized cryptocurrency, aiming to provide a peer-to-peer electronic cash system without a central authority.

Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, who authored its white paper and developed its original reference implementation. The true identity of Nakamoto remains unknown, and no other founders or team members are publicly identified.

Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network using blockchain technology, which is a distributed ledger that records all transactions across a network of computers. This ensures transparency, security, and immutability of transaction records without the need for a central authority.