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Crypto basics
Start here: what cryptocurrency is, how it works and who is in charge of it.
12 guides, in reading order
- What is cryptocurrency?Cryptocurrency is digital money recorded on a shared public ledger called a blockchain, with no bank or government keeping the accounts.2 min read
- How does cryptocurrency work?A cryptocurrency payment is a signed message that thousands of computers check and add to a shared ledger. No bank approves it.2 min read
- What is cryptocurrency used for?Cryptocurrency is used mainly for trading and investment, and also for cross-border transfers, digital dollars and financial apps.2 min read
- What is cryptocurrency backed by, and why does it have value?Most cryptocurrencies are backed by nothing. Their value comes from limited supply, usefulness and what buyers are willing to pay.2 min read
- Is crypto the same as bitcoin?No. Bitcoin is one cryptocurrency, the first and best known. Crypto is the name for the whole category, which includes thousands of others.2 min read
- Who controls cryptocurrency?No single person or company controls bitcoin. Power is split among developers, miners, node operators and holders. Some tokens are run by a company.2 min read
- Is cryptocurrency real money?Cryptocurrency does some of the jobs of money, but most governments treat it in law as property or an asset and not as currency.2 min read
- Crypto vs stocks: what is the difference?A stock is a share of a company with a claim on its profits. Most crypto tokens carry no such claim and trade under looser, newer rules.2 min read
- A short history of cryptocurrencyCryptocurrency began with the bitcoin white paper in 2008 and grew through booms and collapses into a regulated market held by large funds.2 min read
- How is a new cryptocurrency created?A new cryptocurrency is made by launching a new blockchain or, far more often, by issuing a token on an existing one. Giving it value is harder.2 min read
- Can cryptocurrency be traced?Yes. Most cryptocurrencies record every transaction on a public ledger. Addresses carry no names, but they can often be linked to people.2 min read
- Crypto glossary: 40 terms in plain EnglishForty common crypto terms, from altcoin to whale, each defined in one plain sentence and grouped by topic, with links to fuller guides.3 min read