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Over the past month, I received quite a number of questions on cryptocurrency.
Everyone keeps asking what I think about it as a viable investment option
As I always say, I do not invest in what I do not understand and cryptocurrency is one of those options
However, I took up the challenge to do some research in a bid to understand how it works.
A little knowledge does not hurt, right?
So today, I'm going to try to break it down in simple English so when you get into a conversation about 'Crytocurrency', you won't bite your tongue (Lol...it's a tongue twister, right?) but speak intelligently
Here goes...
What exactly is cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is simply a digital currency that uses encryption to generate money and to verify transactions.
Let me break it down.
'
digital currency'. It's a medium of exchange but it is digital. Digital coins are stored in digital wallets and transferred digitally to other peoples’ digital wallets. No physical object ever exists. It was created as an alternative currency to traditional currencies such as the U.S. dollar or Naira.
'
uses encryption' . This means
it is created with the use of an extremely complex code system to protect sensitive data and transactions.
Cryptocurrency developers build these systems using advanced mathematics and computer engineering principles. These principles make the currencies virtually impossible to break, duplicate or counterfeit.
These protocols also mask the identities of cryptocurrency users making it difficult to know the specific individuals or groups you're trading with.
What's the difference between cryptocurrency and other currencies, apart from it being a digital currency?
A key difference between cryptocurrency and traditional currencies is while traditional currencies are backed and monitored by a central monitoring authority such as a Central bank, cryptocurrency is not.
To give an analogy, when you purchase an item, you pay cash right? or you do a transfer from your bank account to another.
Before your payment gets to the other party, it has to go through a central system (a regulatory authority that monitors that currency). This central system reviews the transaction, approves it and sends it to the other party
With cryptocurrency, the central system is a public network.
- If you want to make transaction, you simply broadcast to the cryptocurrency’s network that you’re transferring ownership of some cryptocurrency of yours to someone else.
- The network verifies your transaction (that you do own the cryptocurrency your spending and that you haven’t spent it before), and adds it to the public ledger
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular and widely-used cryptocurrency. It was created by an unknown programmer or group of programmers under the name Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009.
Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a legitimate means of exchange. Many well-known companies (Microsoft , Dell ,Wordpress and Time Inc) now accept Bitcoin payments, though what they do is to partner with an exchange to convert Bitcoin into U.S. dollars before receiving their funds.
Litecoin is the second most popular by market size.
Ethereum was introduced in 2015 and is gaining ground because of it's improvements on Bitcoin's basic architecture
There are hundreds of other cryptocurrencies and more are getting created every week.
Is it Bitcoin really a currency or a speculative asset?
I had an argument with a friend recently. I didn't really understand how Bitcoin, or any other cryptocurrency, is a currency in the true sense of the word.
and that's because of two key reasons;
It's value is too unstable. think about it, one of the key issues we've had with Naira (here in Nigeria), for a while now, has been the volatility in value and the effect on the economy. It was quite difficult to plan purchases or predict future earnings because of this.
An economist will tell you that the most important feature of a currency is it's use as a stable store of value. On May 24th 2017, Bitcoin hit an all time high of $2,791.69 but dropped 18% in less than a week.
I honestly do not think it can really become a currency without a stable value
Secondly, you have to find someone else willing to buy from you before you can sell. Currencies are used to facilitate transactions , and not just to make more money.
Most investors are investing to earn income and not necessarily to use as a means of exchange
Should I invest in cryptocurrency?
Hmm...The BIG question.
Should I invest? It looks profitable and most of us just want to make the quick buck but please 'Shine your eyes' (local slang)
Cryptocurrency is an exciting innovation but be cautious. Invest in what you understand and study the risks involved before you invest.
There are so many new digital currencies and I see quite a number of people rushing to invest.
Don't be in a hurry to invest in any new currency, there might not be adequate demand to drive the value up and you'll be stuck with a digital currency nobody wants to buy
Have you invested in any digital currency? What was your experience?
Notes.
- http://www.moneycrashers.com/cryptocurrency-history-bitcoin-alternatives/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2017/05/17/bitcoin-is-an-asset-not-a-currency/#2e0bd2a42e5b
- http://cryptocurrencyfacts.com/what-is-cryptocurrency/
- http://www.wired.co.uk/article/bitcoin-101