The virtual currency Bitcoin is hot. In the past week, the price of a single Bitcoin has more than doubled and currently sits at about $240 on Mt. Gox, the largest Bitcoin exchange.

If you’re new to Bitcoin, you’ve probably got a lot of questions. How does it work? Who controls it? Where do I buy Bitcoins? Is it safe?

Luckily, the 3.5 minute video above is a great place to start. While the video doesn’t go into much detail on how to create Bitcoins through “mining” or how to store Bitcoins in a digital wallet, it at least offers a handy overview.

AI Weekly

The must-read newsletter for AI and Big Data industry written by Khari Johnson, Kyle Wiggers, and Seth Colaner.

Included with VentureBeat Insider and VentureBeat VIP memberships.

If you’re still hungry for more after watching the video, here are a few other resources to help you get in the know:

VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn More