The cryptocurrency market has been around for over a decade now and shows no signs of slowing down. Cryptocurrencies have even been referred to as the future of money, global trade, and banking. Maybe you’ve heard about them, and perhaps you’ve even heard about their volatility and risks.
Regardless of what you might have heard, this blog will explain what they are, the most common offerings, and most importantly, how you can use them.
What Are Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies whose transactions are secured with cryptography and whose creation is controlled by it. Decentralization means that no central authority is in charge of them. It is possible to purchase goods and services online and transfer funds between accounts using these cards.
How Do You Acquire Them?
Over the past few years, acquiring cryptocurrencies has become a lot easier, but still requires signing up with a cryptocurrency exchange for the most part. Users can buy or sell cryptocurrencies on cryptocurrency exchanges, which are essentially digital marketplaces. While some cryptocurrency exchanges accept a fiat currency (such as the US dollar), others only accept cryptocurrencies. The most commonly used exchanges for beginners include:
- Coinbase
- Binance
- Kraken
- Gemini
They each have pros and cons, but all require verifying your identity to begin trading currencies. Once you have created your account and verified your ID, you can deposit your fiat currency and exchange it for whatever crypto token you desire, as long as they host it on their platform.
Is Bitcoin Synonymous With Crypto?
When many people think about cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin tends to be the first thing that comes to mind. While it is often used interchangeably with crypto at large, this is incorrect. There are numerous others, with some of the more serious offerings referred to as altcoins and the more joke-related one’s terms as meme coins.
How Are They Mined?
The entire principle of cryptocurrencies is predicated on the fact that they must be indeed and that there is a finite amount in existence. While the number will vary from token to token, they have to be “mined” for the most part. Mining crypto involves verifying and adding transactions to the blockchain of a cryptocurrency network. Mining cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum uses computer hardware to run computationally intensive tasks. There are two types of consensus methods currently used:
- Proof of work: A proof-of-work system uses time, storage, and processing power to prove valid transactions. It takes a tremendous amount of computing power to validate a transaction.
- Proof of stake: Proof of stake is the process by which a cryptocurrency blockchain network attempts to achieve distributed consensus by limiting the rate at which new currency is generated. The algorithm incentivizes those who have a “stake.”
More and more cryptocurrencies are moving over to the newer and more environmentally-friendly proof of stake method. Once Ethereum finally releases its Ethereum 2.0 model, which will be proof of stake, the entire crypto world will change irrevocably.
What Are The Most Commonly Traded Altcoins
Apart from Bitcoin, there are few tokens that are popular with both investors and consumers. They all have advantages and disadvantages, with some being better for transactional purposes and others being advantageous due to their underlying technologies. The top five by market capitalization currently include:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Binance Coin
- Tether
- Solana
What Can You Do With Them?
Traditionally, cryptocurrencies have been traded exclusively speculatively, with little else to offer than the ability to gain value (although they have always had value inherent in the blockchain). With more and more ways to use them, such as creating smart contracts and making life easier for people cut off from the banking system, they have matured and today can be used for a wide variety of purposes.
Spending On Everyday Things
Although they are still not widely accepted as a form of payment compared to conventional currencies, you can still use them for various purposes. This can range from buying a ticket to a Mavericks NBA game, purchasing property, or even using them in crypto casinos! Furthermore, with new technologies and trends emerging, such as NFTs and the Metaverse, they will only become more valuable as a method of payment.
Use Them As Investments
Because they are becoming more valuable as a general currency to buy things, you can compare investments to forex trading more than a commodity. Nevertheless, many people still trade them as commodities because of their potential to make vast sums of money. However, you should note that they seem to have inadvertently become pegged to the stock market, and as can be seen with the market’s recent correction, many tokens have plummeted in value.
Cryptocurrencies are undoubtedly one of the most exciting technologies to come out of the past decade. They have single-handedly revolutionized how commodities are thought of and become an alternative form of payment.
