Cryptocurrency is a digital currency, which means that it doesn’t have physical notes and coins. It exists in the form of data on your computer or smartphone and can be transferred using the internet. This makes cryptocurrency decentralized so there are no intermediaries like banks or governments involved in transactions. Cryptocurrency is also encrypted to ensure security and privacy when making transactions online.
What is cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is not controlled by a central authority. Instead, it’s decentralized and powered by blockchain technology. There are no banks involved in cryptocurrency transactions — and it’s not regulated by any government.
This means there are no middlemen between you and the person or company you’re dealing with, which means fewer fees and less hassle than traditional financial institutions offer. Cryptocurrency also offers anonymity; if you want to remain anonymous while making transactions, it’s easy to do so with cryptocurrency!
How do you invest in cryptocurrency?
There are a few ways to invest in cryptocurrency. The most common way is to buy it, but you can also exchange one kind of cryptocurrency for another.
To buy cryptocurrency through an exchange like Coinbase or Binance:
- You’ll need to set up an account with one of these exchanges and link your bank account or credit card. There may also be fees charged for purchases made through the platform or currency conversion services. The amount you pay will depend on how much money is being transferred, the type of payment method used, and which country both parties reside in (among other factors).
- After verifying your identity by providing documents such as proof that you’re over 18 years old and proof that you live at the address where your bank account was opened, you’ll have access to their order book so that when someone sells Bitcoin worth $10 they’ll see how many units they’re selling at what price point before accepting or rejecting their offer.
Cryptocurrency vs. Fiat Currency
Cryptocurrency and fiat currency are two types of money that can be used to purchase goods and services. While both are considered types of currencies, there are significant differences between the two.
Fiat currency is a currency that a government has declared to be legal tender, but it is not backed by a physical commodity. The value of fiat currencies is derived from the relationship between supply and demand rather than the value of gold or other precious metals. Fiat currencies have been in use since at least the 6th century B.C. when Lydia was first issued coins made out of electrum — a naturally occurring form of silver-gold alloy.
Since 2009, cryptocurrencies have been developed as an alternative option to fiat currencies on account of their decentralized nature; they allow users to transfer funds without going through traditional middlemen like banks or PayPal (which charge fees). Cryptocurrencies also offer more anonymity than traditional forms because users may only need an Internet connection rather than presenting their physical identity cards when making purchases online with these digital assets.
How can you protect and access your cryptocurrency?
So, you’ve finally decided to start buying and selling cryptocurrency. Good for you! There are a few ways that you can store your digital cash, depending on how much security is important to you.
First off, wallets are where cryptocurrencies are stored. Cryptocurrency wallets can be found on a computer or mobile device (desktop wallet), downloadable through an app store (mobile wallet), as hardware devices such as USB drives or external hard drives (hardware wallet), or paper documents printed out from the internet (paper wallet), or even stored on a cryptocurrency exchange if it supports more than one type of cryptocurrency (exchange wallet).
What are the risks to your investment and how can you mitigate them?
If you’re new to cryptocurrency, the best way to protect your investment is by doing thorough research and having a plan in place before making any investments. The following tips can help you stay safe:
- Research the technology behind the cryptocurrency before investing. Be aware of its strengths and weaknesses, as well as what makes it different from other cryptocurrencies on the market. If possible, find out who developed it and whether they have any experience with previous projects that were successful or not so successful.
- Find out where the currency will be traded if it becomes popular enough for an exchange listing. This is essential for knowing how much profit potential there might be in holding onto your coins rather than selling them immediately after buying them at their ICO stage (initial coin offering). In general, exchanges are safer than peer-to-peer transactions because they use escrow services to protect buyers from fraudsters trying to sell fake coins created by themselves.”
Be aware of the risks, conditions and protocols for your investments.
Now that you’re aware of the risks, conditions and protocols for your investments, it’s time to understand how to protect yourself. The most important thing is to be careful. Always remember: if the price goes up. And if the price goes down? Well… you can figure out what happens when a car drops from an aeroplane onto another car!
- Protect your identity by staying anonymous online and offline
- Backup your computer or phone frequently
- Keep an eye on who has access to your computer or phone (your parents?)
- Make sure someone else has access as well — just in case something happens!
Conclusion
There are many different aspects to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology that we didn’t cover in this article. My goal was to give you an overview of what it is, why people invest in it, what risks there are and how you can protect yourself from them.
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What is Cryptocurrency? was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.