Start Here: What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is native internet money. Instead of being issued by a central bank and stored in private ledgers, crypto assets live on public blockchains—shared, cryptographically-protected ledgers maintained by many independent nodes. The ledger records balances and transaction history; cryptography ensures integrity and authenticity.

Blocks bundle transactions and reference the previous block, forming an immutable chain. This immutability is not magic: it means changing history is computationally or economically expensive, which raises the cost of attacks and increases trust in the system's state.

Why people care

• Open access: Anyone with an internet connection can receive and send value without permission.
• Programmable money: Developers can create rules that move tokens automatically—enabling automated markets, lending, and novel financial primitives.
• Transparency: Most blockchains are auditable; you can verify supplies, flows, and contract code on-chain.

Trade-offs

Crypto shifts some trust from institutions to software and cryptography. That shift brings benefits and responsibilities: losing a private key is usually irreversible, transaction finality may be probabilistic, and asset prices can be volatile. Always prioritize security, test with tiny amounts, and never risk funds you cannot afford to lose.