Bitcoin, Blockchain, & Cryptocurrency
A Basic Explanation of Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency, just like the U.S. Dollar is a form of traditional currency. Theoretically, you can use cryptocurrency (crypto) to buy things online or in person.
In practice, many merchants do not accept cryptocurrencies due to their high volatility. Unlike traditional currency, cryptocurrencies tend to have frequent, often drastic price changes.
New forms of cryptocurrency pop up almost every day. There are currently over 2,500 known cryptocurrencies listed online. Many of them offer something unique, like being tied to the value of gold or backed by new technology.
Safe to say, there’s probably a cryptocurrency out there for everyone. Despite the small differences, all cryptocurrencies work basically the same way. Everything written in this article can be applied to all forms of cryptocurrency, not just Bitcoin.
If Bitcoin is currency, why does its value go up & down so much?
Due to their high volatility, many analysts note that cryptocurrencies behave more like equities than currencies. Even the SEC is unsure how to classify cryptocurrencies. Like with equities, the law of supply and demand is proudly at work here.
Unlike traditional currencies that trade in the open market and can be created by a country’s treasury, crypto has a pre-determined number of coins. When coins are bought and sold, the price moves quickly based on market demand.
What is the underlying technology used by Cryptocurrency?
Blockchain is the technology behind crypto. If you are happy with that explanation, feel free to skip ahead to the next paragraph. Otherwise, here is a really nerdy explanation of blockchain.
Any time a transaction with Bitcoin or other crypto occurs, it’s recorded in files called blocks. A block usually holds about 500 transactions. Whenever a new transaction is sent to a blockchain block, other computers on the chain must verify it before it is completed.
Think of this like the bank checking to make sure your signature looks right before cashing a check. Every computer connected to the blockchain network has the same copy of the blockchain.
This means it would be almost impossible for hackers to manipulate cryptocurrency transactions. To do this, they would have to find a way to change the blockchain records on every computer connected to the network.
When I buy Bitcoin, what do I actually get?
Well, disappointingly, you actually get nothing. You don’t own a piece of a company as you do with a stock. Unlike a bar of gold, you don’t own any physical object.
You don’t even get a Bitcoin debit card. When you buy Bitcoin or a fraction of a Bitcoin, since a whole Bitcoin would be over $12,000, that fraction of a coin goes in your “digital wallet.”
Remember when we said earlier how Bitcoin is unhackable and secure. Well, that’s true. Unfortunately, however, humans are not. If someone gained access to your virtual wallet by stealing your username and password, they could drain your cryptocurrency fairly easily.
Since all cryptocurrency transactions are anonymous and untraceable, once the crypto is gone, it’s truly gone. Tracking down someone who stole your virtual currency would be next to impossible.
Despite being the internet coin of the future, not many people are using them as an actual coin. Most people’s hesitation comes from the fear of the unknown and swift, often extreme volatility. Experts warn that Bitcoin needs to be spent to be taken seriously.
This makes a great deal of sense. If cryptos want to be considered currencies, they need to be widely used and accepted for everyday transactions like traditional currency. Until Bitcoin and other cryptos are being regularly used for goods and services, it’s probably safe to consider them speculative, high-risk investments.
Now that you know the basics of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, take your knowledge to the next level. A good place to start would be memorizing all 2,500 cryptocurrencies. Although, by the time you read this, there will probably be 2,600.
