Cryptocurrency, also called crypto or crypto-currency, is any digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography to keep deals safe. Cryptocurrencies don’t have a central body that issues or controls them. Instead, transactions are recorded and new units are made using a decentralized system.
What is cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a way to pay for things online that doesn’t use banks to check transactions. It is a peer-to-peer method that lets anyone, anywhere, send and get money. Instead of being real money that can be carried around and traded, cryptocurrency payments only appear as digital entries in an online database that describe specific transactions. When you send money using cryptocurrency, the move is written down in a public ledger. Digital wallets are used to store cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency got its name because transactions are checked using encryption. This means that advanced code is needed to store and send cryptocurrency data from wallets to public ledgers and back again. The goal of encryption is to make sure that things are safe and secure.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009 and is still the most well-known one today. Most people who are interested in cryptocurrencies want to trade them to make money, and sometimes traders drive prices through the roof.
How does cryptocurrency work?
Cryptocurrencies are based on a public ledger called blockchain, which keeps track of all activities and is held by people who own the currency.
Coins are made through a process called “mining,” which includes using computer power to solve hard math problems that lead to the creation of coins. Users can also buy the currencies from traders and use cryptographic wallets to store and spend them.
If you own bitcoin, you don’t own anything real. What you own is a key that lets you move a record or unit of measure from one person to another without a trusted third party.
Even though Bitcoin has been around since 2009, there are still new ways to use cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in the business world, and more uses are likely to come in the future. Bonds, stocks, and other financial assets could be bought and sold using the technology in the future.
Examples of cryptocurrency
There are a lot of different digital currencies. Some of the most well-known are:
Bitcoin
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009, and it is still the most traded. Satoshi Nakamoto created the currency. Most people think that Satoshi Nakamoto is a fake name for a person or group of people whose real names are still unknown.
Ethereum
Ethereum is a blockchain platform that was made in 2015. It has its own coin called Ether (ETH) or Ethereum. After Bitcoin, it is the most famous digital currency.
Litecoin
This currency is most like bitcoin, but it has moved faster to add new features, such as faster payments and ways to make more trades possible.
How to buy Cryptocurrency
You might be curious about how to buy cryptocurrency in a safe way. Most of the time, there are three steps. These things:
- Choose a Platform
Step one is to choose which platform to use. In general, you can choose between a standard broker or a cryptocurrency exchange:
- Fund Account
After picking a site, the next step is to put money into your account so you can start trading. Most crypto platforms let users buy crypto with fiat (government-issued) currencies like the US Dollar, the British Pound, or the Euro using their debit or credit cards, though this varies by platform.
Buying crypto with a credit card is dangerous, and some exchanges don’t let you do it. Some credit card companies also don’t let you pay with cryptocurrency. This is because cryptocurrencies are very volatile, and it’s not a good idea to risk getting into debt or paying high credit card transaction fees for certain assets.
Some sites will also take ACH transfers and wire transfers. The ways you can pay and how long it takes to deposit or withdraw money vary by site. Also, the time it takes for a deposit to clear depends on how it was paid for.
Fees are an important thing to think about. There may be fees for making deposits and withdrawals, and there may also be fees for dealing. Fees will be different depending on how you pay and where you pay. This is something you should look into right away.
- Place Order
You can place an order through the web or mobile tool of your broker or exchange. If you want to buy cryptocurrencies, you can do so by clicking “buy,” picking the order type, entering the number of cryptocurrencies you want to buy, and confirming the order. For “sell” requests, the same steps are taken.
You can also trade in crypto in other ways. These include payment services like PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo, which let users buy, sell, or keep cryptocurrencies.
How Store Cryptocurrency
Once you have bought cryptocurrency, you need to keep it in a safe place to keep it from being stolen or hacked. Cryptocurrencies are usually kept in crypto wallets, which are either physical devices or online programs that safely store your private keys. Some exchanges offer wallet services, which make it easy to store your money on the site itself. But not every exchange or broker will immediately give you wallet services.
Where you can use cryptocurrency
When it was first created, Bitcoin was meant to be a way to buy things like coffee, computers, and even big-ticket items like real estate. That hasn’t happened yet, and while the number of places that accept cryptocurrencies is growing, it’s still rare for big transactions to involve them. Even so, you can use crypto to buy a wide range of things from e-commerce websites. Here are just a few:
Technology : Several sites that sell tech goods, like newegg.com, AT&T, and Microsoft, accept crypto as payment. Overstock, which lets people buy and sell things online, was one of the first sites to accept Bitcoin. It can also be used on Shopify, Rakuten, and at Home Depot.
Good: Some high-end stores will let you pay with cryptocurrency. For example, Bitdials, an online luxury store, will take Bitcoin in exchange for Rolex, Patek Philippe, and other high-end watches.
Fraud and scams in cryptocurrency
Sadly, crimes involving bitcoin are on the rise. Some types of cryptocurrency scams are:
Fake websites: These are fake websites with fake testimonials and crypto jargon that promise huge returns that are guaranteed as long as you keep spending.
Virtual schemes: Criminals who deal in digital currencies advertise investment possibilities that don’t exist and give the impression of huge returns by paying off old investors with the money of new investors. BitClub Network was a scam that took in more than $700 million before its people were charged in December 2019.
Adult scams: The FBI warns of a trend in online dating scams in which con artists convince people they meet on dating apps or social media to invest or trade in virtual currencies. In the first seven months of 2021, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center got more than 1,800 reports of crypto-focused dating scams that cost $133 million.
If not, thieves could pretend to be real users of virtual currencies or set up fake exchanges to get people to give them money. Fraudulent sales pitches for individual retirement funds in cryptocurrencies are another type of crypto scam. Then there is simple cryptocurrency hacking, which is when thieves break into people’s digital banks where they keep their virtual currency to steal it.
Is cryptocurrency safe?
Blockchain technology is usually used to make cryptocurrencies. Blockchain is a way to talk about how transactions are saved in “blocks” and given a time stamp. It’s a pretty technical process, but the result is a digital ledger of cryptocurrency transactions that’s hard for hackers to change.
A two-factor authentication method is also needed for transactions. For example, to start a transaction, you might be asked to enter a login and password. Then, you might have to enter a number that was sent to your cell phone via text message.
Even though there are security measures in place, that does not mean that cryptocurrencies can’t be broken into. Hacks that cost a lot of money have hurt cryptocurrency start-ups a lot. Hackers stole $534 million from Coincheck and $195 million from BitGrail, making them two of the biggest bitcoin thefts of 2018.
Unlike money that is backed by the government, the value of virtual currencies is completely based on supply and demand. This can lead to wild swings that can give investors big wins or big losses. And traditional investments like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds get a lot more safety from the government than cryptocurrencies.
10 Best Cryptocurrencies To Invest In September 2023
There are thousands of different cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Tether. This makes it hard to know where to start when you’re new to the world of crypto. To help you get started, here are the top 10 cryptocurrencies based on their market price, or the total value of all the coins in circulation.
What are Cryptocurrency?
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset built on blockchain technology that can move around without a bank or government controlling it. There are currently 24,630 coin projects on the market, which is expected to be worth $4.94 billion by 2030.
1. Bitcoins
Bitcoin (BTC) is the first cryptocurrency. Satoshi Nakamoto made it in 2009. As with most other cryptocurrencies, BTC is based on a blockchain, which is a ledger that keeps track of activities across a network of thousands of computers. Because adding to the distributed ledgers requires answering a cryptographic puzzle, which is called “proof of work,” fraudsters can’t steal Bitcoin.
As Bitcoin has become more well-known, its price has gone through the roof. In May 2016, it cost about $500 to buy one Bitcoin. As of September 12, 2023, one Bitcoin was worth about $26,077. That’s a 5,115% increase.
2. Ether
Ethereum is a popular choice among programmers because it can be used in a lot of different ways. For example, smart contracts automatically run when certain conditions are met, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can’t be exchanged for money.
There has been a lot of growth in Ethereum as well. Its price went from about $11 in April 2016 to around $1,598 at the end of September 2023, a 14,431% increase.
3. Tether
Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin, which is different from some other types of cryptocurrency. This means that it is backed by fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar and the Euro, and its value is supposed to stay the same as one of those amounts. This means that, in theory, Tether’s value should be more stable than other cryptocurrencies. Investors who are wary of the high volatility of other coins tend to like Tether.
4. Binance Coin
Binance Coin (BNB) is a type of coin that you can use to trade and pay fees on Binance, which is one of the biggest crypto exchanges in the world. Since its release in 2017, Binance Coin has grown into more than just a way to buy and sell on Binance’s exchange site. Now, it can be used to buy and sell things, process payments, and even book trips. It can also be traded for other types of cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
In 2017, BNB was worth only $0.10. By the end of September 2023, its price had gone up by 211,204%, to about $211.
5. United States Dollar Coin
USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin like Tether. This means that it is backed by U.S. dollars and aims for a 1 USD to 1 USDC ratio. USDC is driven by Ethereum, and you can use it to make transactions around the world.
6. XRP
Ripple is a digital technology and payment processing business. Some of the same people who started Ripple also started XRP. XRP can be used on the Ripple network to help exchange different types of currency, including fiat currencies and other major cryptocurrencies.
At the start of 2017, one XRP was worth $0.006. As of September 12, 2023, its price had gone up 7,860%, to $0.48.
7. Cardano
Cardano (ADA), which came to the crypto world a little later, is known for being one of the first to use proof-of-stake validation. By taking away the competitive, problem-solving part of transaction proof on platforms like Bitcoin, this method speeds up transactions, uses less energy, and has less of an effect on the environment. Cardano is similar to Ethereum in that it enables smart contracts and open applications, which are powered by ADA, its own coin.
Compared to other big crypto coins, Cardano’s ADA token has not grown as much. In 2017, one ADA was worth $0.02. On September 12, 2023, it cost $0.25. This is 1,141% more than before.
8. Dogecoin
Dogecoin was widely started as a joke in 2013, but thanks to a strong community and funny memes, it quickly grew into a well-known cryptocurrency. Unlike many other cryptos, there is no limit on how many Dogecoins can be made. This means that as the number of Dogecoins grows, the value of the currency could go down.
In 2017, one Dogecoin was worth $0.0002. By September 2023, the price had gone up 30,617%, to $0.06.
9. Solana
Solana was made to help power decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized apps (DApps), and smart contracts. It uses a unique combination of proof-of-stake and proof-of-history to process transactions quickly and safely. The site is powered by SOL, which is Solana’s native token.
When SOL first came out in 2020, it cost $0.77. By September 12, 2023, it was worth about $17.98, which was a 2,235% increase.
10. TRON
TRON is a blockchain that can run smart contracts and other DeFi apps, just like Solana. The platform’s proof-of-stake consensus algorithm runs on TRX, which is the platform’s original cryptocurrency.
TRON was started in 2017, and each TRX coin was worth $0.0019 at first. At its highest point in 2018, TRX reached $0.2245, which was a gain of 11,715% in just a few months. TRX is worth about $0.08 right now.
