Crypto Basics

What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is digital money that runs on a blockchain—a public, transparent ledger that records transactions without needing a bank or middleman. It’s borderless, permissionless, and powered by math, code, and global consensus.

Instead of trusting institutions, you trust code and cryptography. Transactions are verified by a network of computers (called nodes), and everything is visible, trackable, and immutable.

The most well-known cryptocurrencies are:

• Bitcoin (BTC) – the original store of value, often called “digital gold”
• Ethereum (ETH) – a platform for building decentralized apps (DeFi, NFTs)
• XRP (XRP) – focused on fast, low-cost global payments

A Brief History of Crypto

• 2008 – An anonymous figure named
  Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper:
  “A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”
• 2009 – The first Bitcoin transaction takes place; BTC becomes the first working digital currency outside any government control
• 2015 – Ethereum launches, enabling programmable smart contracts and decentralized apps (DApps)
• 2017–2018 – The first major “crypto bull run” introduces millions to Bitcoin, ICOs, and altcoins
• 2020–2022 – DeFi, NFTs, stablecoins, and institutional adoption explode across blockchain networks
• 2023 and beyond – Focus shifts toward utility, interoperability, tokenized real-world assets, and sovereign finance tools like gold-backed crypto

Why It Matters

Crypto isn’t just about price—it’s about freedom, ownership, and control. It lets you:

• Hold your own money without a bank
• Send funds across the world in seconds
• Earn yield without asking permission
• Exit collapsing systems with something sovereign