What is Cryptocurrency? A complete Guide for Beginners, Crypto and currency are the two words that make up the word “cryptocurrency.” The word “Cryptography” is where the word “Crypto” comes from.
Cryptocurrency is a way to pay for things online that doesn’t use banks to verify transactions. It is a peer-to-peer system that lets anyone, anywhere, send and get money.
Instead of being real money that can be carried around and traded, cryptocurrency payments only exist as digital entries in an online database that describe specific transactions. When you send money using cryptocurrency, the transfer is written down in a public ledger. Digital wallets are used to store cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency got its name because transactions are checked using encryption. This means that advanced coding is needed to store and send cryptocurrency data from wallets to public ledgers and back again. The goal of encryption is to make sure that things are safe and secure.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009 and is still the most well-known one today. Most people who are interested in cryptocurrencies want to trade them to make money, and sometimes speculators drive prices through the roof.
Cryptocurrency is a way to pay for things online that doesn’t use banks to verify transactions.
It is a peer-to-peer system that lets anyone, anywhere, send and get money.
Instead of being real money that can be carried around and traded, cryptocurrency payments only exist as digital entries in an online database that describe specific transactions.
When you send money using cryptocurrency, the transfer is written down in a public ledger. Digital wallets are used to store cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency got its name because transactions are checked using encryption.
This means that advanced coding is needed to store and send cryptocurrency data from wallets to public ledgers and back again.
The goal of encryption is to make sure that things are safe and secure.
How does Cryptocurrency work?
If you want to buy a book with a cryptocurrency, for example:
- You tell the cashier about your cryptocurrency.
- The shop asks everyone in the network if you have enough coins to buy the book.
- All the people who keep records in the network check to see if you do. (These record keepers are called “nodes,” and this chapter will talk more about them.)
- If you have enough, each node gives the cashier a thumbs up.
- Each node updates its records to show that the transfer has happened.
- A node gets a reward for its work at random.
Examples of Cryptocurrency
1. Bitcoin
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/opengraph.png)
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009, and it is still the most traded. Satoshi Nakamoto created the currency. Most people think that Satoshi Nakamoto is a fake name for a person or group of people who’s real names are still unknown.
2. Ethereum
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/unnamed-1.jpeg)
Ethereum is a blockchain platform that was made in 2015. It has its own currency called Ether (ETH) or Ethereum. After Bitcoin, it is the most popular digital currency.
3. Ripple
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/pNaQPiX2_400x400.jpeg)
Ripple is a system of shared ledgers that started in 2012. Ripple can be used to keep track of more than just cryptocurrency transactions. It was made by a company that has worked with banks and other financial institutions.
What are the Top 10 CryptoCurrency ?
There are thousands of different cryptocurrencies, from Bitcoin and Ethereum to Dogecoin and Tether. If you’re new to the world of cryptocurrencies, this can be confusing.
Here are the top 10 cryptocurrencies based on their market capitalization, which is the total value of all the coins that are currently in circulation.
1. Bitcoin [ BTC ]
2. Ethereum [ ETH ]
3. Tether [ USDT ]
4. Usd Coin [ USDC ]
5. Binance Coin [ BNB ]
6. Ripple [ XRP ]
7. Cardano [ ADA ]
8. Solana [ SOL ]
9. Binance usd [ BUSD ]
10. Polygon [ MATIC ]
How to Buy the Cryptocurrency?
Step 1 : Decide a Broker or CryptoExchange
To buy cryptocurrency, you must first choose a broker or a cryptocurrency exchange. Either way, you can buy cryptocurrency, but there are a few key differences to keep in mind.
Exchanges often have low fees, but they tend to have more complicated interfaces with different types of trades and advanced performance charts, which can be scary for people who are new to investing in cryptocurrency.
Step 2. Create and Verify Your Account
Once you choose a cryptocurrency broker or exchange, you can sign up to open an account. Depending on the platform and how much you want to buy, you may need to prove who you are. This is a very important step to take to stop fraud and meet government rules.
Until you go through the verification process, you might not be able to buy or sell cryptocurrency. The platform might ask you to upload a copy of your driver’s licence or passport, or it might even ask you to upload a selfie to show that your face matches the one on the documents.
Step 3. Deposit Cash to Invest
Make sure you have money in your account before you buy crypto. You could put money into your cryptocurrency account by linking it to your bank account, giving permission for a wire transfer, or even using a debit or credit card.
Depending on the exchange or broker and how you fund your account, you may have to wait a few days before you can buy cryptocurrency with the money you deposit.
Buyer beware: Some exchanges or brokers let you deposit money from a credit card, but it’s very risky and expensive to do so. When you buy cryptocurrency with a credit card, the credit card company treats it as a cash advance.
This means that the interest rates on cash advances are higher than those on regular purchases, and you’ll have to pay more cash advance fees. For example, when you get a cash advance, you may have to pay 5% of the amount you are taking out.
This is in addition to any fees that your cryptocurrency exchange or brokerage may charge. These fees can be up to 5 percent, so you could lose up to 10 percent of your cryptocurrency purchase to fees.
Step 4. Place Your Cryptocurrency Order
When you have money in your account, you can place your first order for cryptocurrency.
There are a lot of different cryptocurrencies to choose from, from well-known ones like Bitcoin and Ethereum to less well-known ones like Theta Fuel and Holo.
When you decide which cryptocurrency you want to buy, you can enter its symbol (BTC for Bitcoin, for example) and the number of coins you want to buy.
Most exchanges and brokers let you buy fractional shares of cryptocurrency. This lets you buy a tiny piece of high-priced tokens like Bitcoin or Ethereum that would cost you thousands of dollars to buy otherwise.
Step 5. Select a Storage Method
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/digital_wallet-1-edited.jpg)
The government doesn’t protect cryptocurrency exchanges, so they could be stolen from or hacked.
You could even lose your investment if you forget or lose the codes that let you get into your account. This has already happened with millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin.
That’s why it’s so important to keep your cryptocurrencies in a safe place.
If you buy cryptocurrency through a broker, you may not have much or any choice in how your cryptocurrency is stored.
Buying cryptocurrency through an exchange gives you more choices:
- Cryptocurrency Stored on the Exchange
- Hot Wallet Storage( Online )
- Cold Wallet Storage ( Offline )
What are Top 10 Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Exchanges ?
1. Binance
![Binance Crypto](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BINANCE-1024x510.jpg)
Binance is an exchange for cryptocurrencies. It is the largest exchange in the world in terms of the amount of cryptocurrencies traded every day.
It began in 2017 and is based in the Cayman Islands, where it is registered. Changpeng Zhao started Binance. He was a programmer who had made software for high frequency trading before.
- Please Click the Link Below to Go to the Binance Website : https://www.binance.com/
2. Ftx
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FTX-1024x498.jpg)
FTX is a cryptocurrency exchange in the Bahamas. FTX is set up in Antigua and Barbuda, but its main office is in The Bahamas.
As of July 2021, the average daily trading volume on the exchange is $10 billion, and it has more than a million users. FTX runs FTX.US, a separate exchange for people in the US.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Ftx Website : https://ftx.com/
3. Coinbase Exchange
![Coinbase Crypto](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/COINBASE-1024x479.jpg)
Coinbase Global, Inc., which does business as Coinbase, is an American company that runs an exchange platform for cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase is a distributed company, which means that all of its employees work from home and there is no physical headquarters.
It has the most trades of any cryptocurrency exchange in the United States.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Coinbase Website : https://pro.coinbase.com/
4. Kraken
![Kraken Crypto](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/KRAKEN-1024x461.jpg)
Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange and bank based in the United States. It was started in 2011.
The exchange lets people buy and sell both cryptocurrencies and regular currencies. It also sends price data to Bloomberg Terminal.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Kraken Website : https://www.kraken.com/
5. Kucoin
![Kucoin Crypto](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/kucoin-1024x511.jpg)
Johnny Lyu is the co-founder and CEO of KuCoin, which is the world’s largest and most popular cryptocurrency exchange.
Since it started in 2017, KuCoin has become one of the most popular places to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. It now has more than 8 million registered users in 207 countries and regions around the world.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Kucoin Website : https://www.kucoin.com/
6. Bitfinex
![](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/bitfinex-1024x472.jpg)
The company iFinex Inc., which is based in the British Virgin Islands, owns and runs the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange.
Founded in 2012 by JL van der Velde & Headquarters in HongKong
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Bitfnex Website : https://www.bitfinex.com/
7. Huobi Global
![Huobi Global Exchange](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HUOBI-GLOBAL-1024x492.jpg)
Huobi Global is the world’s best financial services group for virtual assets. In 2013, the team that started the company saw that the blockchain industry had a lot of potential to change the future of the world’s financial system.
They started Huobi.com very quickly with the goal of making the financial industry run better and making wealth easier for everyone to get.
Huobi Global has offices in Singapore, the US, Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, and it is present in more than 130 countries around the world.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Huobi Global Website : https://www.huobi.com/
8. FTX Us
![Ftx Us Exchange](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FTX-US-1024x510.jpg)
FTX.US is a brand-new cryptocurrency exchange that was built from the ground up and is regulated by the US.
The goal of FTX.US is to grow the ecosystem of digital currencies, give US traders a platform that makes them want to stick with it, and become the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the US in the next two years.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Ftx Us Website : https://ftx.us/
9. Gemini
![gemini exchange](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GEMINI-1024x482.jpg)
Gemini Trust Company, LLC is an exchange and custodian for digital assets that lets people buy, sell, and store them.
It is a trust company in New York that was started by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in 2014. The New York State Department of Financial Services is in charge of it.
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Gemini Website : https://gemini.com/
10. Gate.io
![gate io exchange](https://financetoall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GATE-IO-1024x474.jpg)
Please Click the Link Below to Visit the Gate.io Website : https://gate.io/
Disclaimer –
Investing in cryptocurrencies and other initial coin offerings (ICOs) is very risky and speculative, and neither Financetoall nor the writer of this article is recommending that you do so , Because everyone’s financial situation is different, you should always talk to a professional before making any financial decisions.
Financetoall doesn’t promise or guarantee that the information on this website is correct or up-to-date, because things like market cap vary each day. The information on this website is not meant to be taken as investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other kind of advice, and you shouldn’t take any of it that way.
Financetoall does not recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any cryptocurrency. Before making any investment decisions, you should do your own research and talk to a financial advisor.
Please Share , comment for Suggestions !
All Images Used in this Article are Licensed Images.
Please Share , comment for Suggestions !