> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/higher-learning/bsv-academy/bitcoin-whitepaper-series/bitcoin-whitepaper-abstract/solving-the-double-spending-problem.md).
# Solving the Double-Spending Problem
*We propose a solution to the double-spending problem using a peer-to-peer network.*
\- Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin Whitepaper
The **double-spending problem** refers to the risk that a digital coin can be spent more than once. This issue arises when a coin is signed to create a transaction and submitted to the network before being used again to create a different transaction that pays a different recipient. Bitcoin addresses this problem through the establishment of a **peer-to-peer network** of nodes responsible for gathering, validating, and timestamping all transactions.
In this network, **only the first-seen version of a transaction is accepted**, effectively preventing double spending. The Bitcoin network operates as a global infrastructure built by enterprises competing for the right to extend the ledger by adding new transactions. Each transaction can only be processed once, and the inputs used in a transaction are consumed, ensuring that **once a transaction is submitted to the network, it is broadcast to all nodes within seconds**, making it nearly impossible to perform double spends without the assistance of a fraudulent node.
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