Ethereum Mist

Click here for cryptocurrency Links

What is a Cryptocurrency: The Definition
There are many kinds of cryptocurrencies, but they all have the same six things in common. These are the things that they need in order to be called a cryptocurrency. Get ready for some big words!

Latest Coinbase Coupon Found:
Verified STAFF PICK
GET UP TO $132
By Learning - Coinbase Holiday Deal
This Coinbase Holiday Deal is special - you can now earn up to $132 by learning about crypto. You can both gain knowledge %story% earn money with Coinbase!

Expiration date: 01/02/2021 3,928 People Used Only 31 Left
RATING
5.0


Cryptocurrencies are:

Digital: Cryptocurrency is digital money (or digital currency, it means the same thing). This means that it only exists in computers. Cryptocurrencies don’t have coins with a picture of a Queen’s head on them, or paper notes with ‘In God We Trust’ written on them, either.

Peer-to-Peer: Cryptocurrencies are passed from person to person online.

Global: There isn’t one cryptocurrency for Spain and another for China, for example. A cryptocurrency is the same in every country. They can be used freely between countries and across borders.

Encrypted: There are no rules about who can use cryptocurrency, and what they can use it for. Real names aren’t used for accounts. Each user is given codes instead. This is where we get the crypto part of the cryptocurrency definition. Crypto is Latin for "hidden". So, cryptocurrency translates as hidden money.

Decentralized: In the cryptocurrency world, there are no banks. Everyone is in charge of their own money, it isn’t kept in a bank. A bank is a center where lots of people keep their money. Cryptocurrencies are not managed by a central server, that’s why we say they are decentralized.

Not trust-demanding: The way cryptocurrencies are built means that you don’t have to trust anyone in the system in order for it to work.

It’s a very strange idea, isn’t it? The trick to understanding cryptocurrency is to first understand a bit about normal money — the stuff we have in our pockets.

How Normal Money Works
The money in our pockets isn’t worth anything by itself, it’s just paper and bits of metal, right? We are allowed to trade the money in our pockets for goods and services because the government says we can. This is called fiat money. US dollars, British pounds and Chinese yuan are all fiat currencies.

We know that when we go to the grocery store, we can trade the fiat money in our pockets for food. We know this because we trust what the government tells us.

When we have more fiat money than we can keep in our pockets, we open a bank account. To open a bank account, we must give the bank our personal information. When our money is in the bank, we can’t see it, but we know it’s there. So basically, we trust the bank.

What is a cryptocurrency: a man placing coins into a jar.

Banks are an example of what we would call a trusted third-party system. Banks and governments are third-party companies that we trust. To make it clearer, let’s see an example.

Peter is hungry, and Paul wants his fence painted. Paul goes to the bank and takes out $10. Paul then pays Peter $10 to paint his fence. Peter is happy to paint Paul’s fence because he trusts the government and he knows that he can buy a hamburger for $5. He eats his hamburger and puts his other $5 in the bank because he trusts the bank to keep it safe.

The transaction above is only between Peter and Paul, but it needs them both to trust a third party for it to work.

The Most Liked Findings
Looking for more in-depth information on related topics? We have gathered similar articles for you to spare your time. Take a look!

How to Buy ZCash: Where and How
CRYPTO

How to Buy ZCash: Where and How
Heard about ZCash but have no idea where to buy ZCash? Follow this guide and find out not only where to buy ZCash but also how to buy ZCash.

Where to Buy Ripple and What Is Ripple - A Full Ripple Review
CRYPTO

Where to Buy Ripple and What Is Ripple - A Full Ripple Review
Wondering where to buy Ripple? Maybe still need a bit clarification on what is Ripple? Read our guide on Where to Buy Ripple and find out!

Alternatives to Coinbase: What Else Is out There?
CRYPTO

Alternatives to Coinbase: What Else Is out There?
What is the best Coinbase alternative? What sites are like Coinbase? Read the complete alternatives to Coinbase guide to find out.

How Does cryptocurrency do Things Differently?
Cryptocurrencies don’t need banks and governments. Users can send each other money online, without needing to trust each other or any third parties with their money or information.

Cryptocurrencies do this by recording every transaction (like the one above between Peter and Paul) on a shared database called a blockchain. This blockchain is shared across thousands of powerful computer systems called nodes.

Each new transaction is verified by a node. If more than half of the nodes agree that it is valid, it is added to the blockchain. Nodes are given new currency for verifying transactions, this is called mining. Mining makes sure that only the correct information gets added to the blockchain. Once transactions are added to it, they can’t be changed or deleted.

What is a cryptocurrency: Dogecoin cryptocurrency logo.

You don’t have to give your name, address, or date of birth when you use cryptocurrency. Your account has a public key and a private key. Think of it as being like your email account. Your public key is like your username and your private key is like your password. You need both to access your account.

Users are hidden, but transactions aren’t. Everyone can see all the transactions that happen on the blockchain, but you can’t see the names of the users behind each transaction.

Cryptocurrency for Newbies

Now, if a newbie (and we all know one!) asks you, “what is a cryptocurrency?”, tell them that it’s digital money that you can send to anyone on the planet without using a bank. They don’t need to provide any personal information to make a transaction, and transactions take place on a network they can trust.

The newbie might also want to know how cryptocurrencies got started. Not a problem! Keep reading and you’ll be able to answer that question, too!