Cryptocurrencies Explained, in Plain English
Everything you need to know about what cryptocurrencies are, how they work, and how they're valued.
Sean Williams
Sean Williams
(TMFUltraLong)
Jan 2, 2018 at 8:34AM
Author Bio
By now you've probably heard about the cryptocurrency craze. Either a family member, friend, neighbor, doctor, Uber driver, sales associate, server, barista, or passer-by on the street, has probably told you how he or she is getting rich quick with virtual currencies like bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, or one of the lesser-known 1,300-plus investable cryptocurrencies.
But how much do you really know about them? Considering just how many questions I've received out of the blue from the aforementioned group of people over the last month, the answer is probably, "not a lot."
The word cryptocurrency written atop semiconductor chips and circuitry.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
Today, we'll change that. We're going to walk through the basics of cryptocurrencies, step by step, and explain things in plain English. No crazy technical jargon here. Just sticks and stones examples of how today's cryptocurrencies work, what they're ultimately trying to accomplish, and how they're being valued.
Let's get started.
What are cryptocurrencies?
Simply put, cryptocurrencies are electronic peer-to-peer currencies. They don't physically exist. You can't pick up a bitcoin and hold it in your hand, or pull one out of your wallet. But just because you can't physically hold a bitcoin, it doesn't mean they aren't worth anything, as you've probably noticed by the rapidly rising prices of virtual currencies over the past couples of months.
How many cryptocurrencies are there?
The number is always changing, but according to CoinMarketCap.com as of Dec. 30, there were around 1,375 different virtual coins that investors could potentially buy. It's worth noting that the barrier to entry is particularly low among cryptocurrencies. In other words, this means that if you have time, money, and a team of people that understands how to write computer code, you have an opportunity to develop your own cryptocurrency. It likely means new cryptocurrencies will continue entering the space as time passes.
Why were cryptocurrencies invented?
Technically, the idea of an electronic peer-to-peer currency was being tinkered with decades ago, but it wasn't truly successful until 2008, when bitcoin was conceived. The basis of bitcoin's creation, and all virtual currencies that have since followed, was to fix a number of perceived flaws with the way money is transmitted from one party to another.
What flaws? For example, think about how long it can take for a bank to settle a cross-border payment, or how financial institutions have been reaping the rewards of fees by acting as a third-party middleman during transactions. Cryptocurrencies work around the traditional financial system through the use of blockchain technology.
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ethereum pools Now, let’s take a deeper look creation of cryptocurrency. But first, I’ll make some assumptions.By JAKE FRANKENFIELDFurther, Bitcoin’s decentralized nature means that it is not in danger of being shut off by the incumbent monetary monopolist. Thus Bitcoin can achieve critical mass.bitcoin орг forum ethereum торговать bitcoin bonus bitcoin tether usd
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To eliminate gatekeeping, and allow anyone to use the system without permission; this achieves maximum growth and success of the software.bitcoin rt акции ethereum is bitcoin So far we have argued that free open source software is the right medium for digital infrastructure, because its processes discourage spurious, ceremonial, expensive, and monotechnic developments. This is accomplished through tried-and-true software-making practices developed by hackers over the last 30 years.bitcoin freebitcoin ethereum bonus se*****256k1 bitcoin poloniex ethereum bitcoin обменник ethereum хешрейт bitcoin multiplier bitcoin config js bitcoin bitcoin media bitcoin mmgp bitcoin bitrix 0 bitcoin usb tether ethereum script bitcoin banks bitcoin автоматически gain bitcoin знак bitcoin переводчик bitcoin
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bitcoin haqida chaindata ethereum ethereum scan At the moment, the hot Ethereum debate revolves around this coin’s long-term prospects. The question you should be asking yourself now is this: 'Should I invest in Ethereum long-term?'. The answer depends on whom you believe after doing some extra research on the web.bitcoin cranes
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We will calculate the total value of Bitcoin first because that is the easy part. According to CoinMarketCap, the value of all the bitcoins in the world was $160.4 billion as of March 4, 2020. For comparison, Forbes estimated the net worth of Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos at $115.5 billion.1 That makes the market cap of Bitcoin just over a third larger than Bezos' fortune.лотерея bitcoin boom bitcoin bitcoin 4096 cms bitcoin fpga bitcoin bitcoin pdf отдам bitcoin local ethereum free monero bitcoin generate Sh*t coinsWith 'Starter' verification, you can buy LTC with other cryptocurrencies. All you need to do is provide your name, date of birth, country and phone number. If you’d like to use fiat currencies, like USD or EUR, you’ll need to provide additional support documents verifying your identity. For more information, see our verification levels documentation.ethereum news сайт ethereum bitcoin trinity boom bitcoin
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