Crypto for beginners

Despite its decentralized nature, transactions on most cryptocurrency networks are very secure — as long as crypto users take precautions . The underlying blockchain technology is inherently secure.

A cryptocurrency is an encrypted data string that denotes a unit of currency . It is monitored and organized by a peer-to-peer network called a blockchain, which also serves as a secure ledger of transactions, e.g., buying, selling, and transferring.

Both fiat money and cryptocurrency deliver this utility, but are different in a number of key ways. Fiat money is legal tender whose value is tied to a government-issued currency, like the U.S. dollar, while cryptocurrency is a digital asset that derives its value from its native blockchain .

crypto- a combining form meaning “hidden,” “secret,” used in the formation of compound words: cryptograph.

Cryptocurrency, sometimes called crypto-currency or crypto, is any form of currency that exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography to secure transactions . Cryptocurrencies don’t have a central issuing or regulating authority, instead using a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units.