Cryptocurrency

A cryptocurrency is digital money that runs on a blockchain instead of a bank. Cryptography secures ownership and prevents counterfeiting, while a distributed network, not a government, agrees on who holds what. Bitcoin, launched in 2009, was the first to make the design work at scale.

Thousands now exist, from large networks like Ethereum to throwaway meme coins. Most are highly volatile and not backed by any reserve, so prices swing on sentiment. The word covers a vast range of quality, from serious infrastructure to outright scams, so the label alone tells you little.