The most well known crypto currency (CC) is BITCOIN. It was the first CC, started in 2008. Today there are more than 800 CC’s, including Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Zcash, Ripple, Monero, and they are all “virtual”. There are no “physical” coins or currency.
Q: How do CC’s work?
CC’s are virtual currencies that exist in very large distributed databases. These databases use BLOCKCHAIN technology. Because each Blockchain database is widely distributed, it is thought to be immune to hacking, as there is no central point of attack and every transaction is visible to everyone on the network. Each CC has a group of administrators, often called “miners”, who validate transactions. One CC called Ethereum uses “smart contracts” to validate transactions. Crypto TREND will provide more details in upcoming news publications.
Q: What is BLOCKCHAIN?
Blockchain is the technology that underpins all CC’s. Each transaction for the purchase, sale, or exchange of CC’s is entered into a BLOCK that is added to the chain. This technology is complex and will not be explained here, but it has the potential to revolutionize the financial services industry, as transactions can be executed quickly and easily, reducing or eliminating fees. The technology is also being examined for applications in many other industries.
Q: Are CC Exchanges regulated by government?
For the most part, the answer is NO, which, for some users, is a big attractions of this market. It is the “wild west” right now, but governments in most developed countries are examining this market to decide what regulation may be needed. A big decision is whether to treat CC’s as a currency or a commodity / security. Canada and USA have so far declared that CC’s are legal, however the situation remains fluid as for reporting and tax implications. Crypto TREND will be following and reporting on these developments.
Q: How do I invest in this market?
You can buy, sell, and exchange CC’s using the services of specialized “Exchanges” that act as a brokerage. You start by selecting an Exchange, setting up an account, and transferring fiat currency into your account. You can then place your BUY and SELL CC orders. There are many exchanges around the world. Opening an account is fairly simple and these exchanges all have their own rules about initial funding and withdrawals.
Crypto TREND will be recommending CC Exchanges in future.
Q: Where do I keep my CC?
To have the freedom to move your crypto currencies around, and to pay bills, you will need to have a digital wallet. These wallets come in several formats, such as desktop, cloud based, hardware (USB), mobile phone, and paper. Many of them are FREE, however, security is a big factor as no one ever wants to lose their wallet or have it stolen. Crypto TREND will be recommending digital wallets in future.
Q: What can I do with my CC?
As well as investing in CC products, you can also use crypto currency for some financial transactions, such as money transfers and paying bills. The list of companies accepting crypto currency is growing fast, and includes big hitters like Microsoft, GAP, JC Penny, Expedia, Shopify, Bloomberg.com, Dish Network, Zynga, Subway, and WordPress.
Q: What’s next?
As we start off, we will keep each of the Crypto TREND articles short and keep the scope of each one as narrow as possible. As we noted earlier, we believe that the crypto currency technology will be a game changer and potential investment opportunities like this come by once or twice in a lifetime. Make no mistake, early investing in this sector will be only for your most speculative capital, money that you can afford to lose