What is Cryptocurrency?

Whether you're a wide-eyed blockchain newbie or tech-savvy enthusiast, prepare yourself for the learning adventure of a lifetime. We'll be your tour guide through this extraordinary new world of cryptocurrency and decentralized digital networks. A world that promises to shape the very future of money, power, governance and beyond.  

You may have noticed cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum and even meme-inspired Dogecoin dominating headlines over the past few years... Tales of overnight millionaires, irrational exuberance, crashes and controversy.  

In this intro course, we'll cover everything you need to confidently navigate this brave new landscape. What exactly is cryptocurrency? How did Bitcoin (and other coins) come to be? What can they be used for, both now and in the future? And most importantly, how everyday folks fit into the equation.  

We'll tackle these questions and many more in this curriculum. Think of this as Crypto 101—the comprehensive prerequisite to more advanced technical courses to follow.  

Before we dive deep into this brave new world of digital assets and decentralized technology, we have to start with the basics.  

By now, you know what good old currency is - those paper bills and metal coins used to buy goods that have been around forever. But let's quickly define it anyway. Currency serves as money circulating within an economy, allowing people to assign and exchange value. It evolved across history from physical commodities to minted coins to fiat paper and it is backed by governing institutions. The general characteristics of money are: divisible, portable, acceptable, scarce, durable, and stable in value.  

Today, however, there is a revolutionary new form of internet-native currency called cryptocurrency. Backed by cryptography instead of governments, cryptocurrency enables fast, borderless digital transactions. It does so without requiring centralized intermediaries like financial institutions (like banks, credit card companies or services like PayPal). This opens up accessibility, efficiency, and innovations across finance and beyond!  

Let's level-set on foundational concepts before circling back to the futuristic possibilities later.  

Cryptocurrencies represent a new form of money built for the internet age. Unlike cash or bank account funds, cryptocurrencies exist exclusively in the digital world. They allow value to be exchanged between parties worldwide through blockchain technology.  

Think of cryptocurrencies like 21st-century upgrades to traditional forms of money we're familiar with:  

• For security, paper money depends on physical materials, serial numbers, and bank vault storage. Cryptocurrencies rely on advanced cryptography for digital security. Decentralization helps non-censorable distribution across the internet.  
• Bank account balances represent IOUs from private institutions entrusted to store deposits. Cryptocurrency ownership is proven by the possession of cryptographic keys. These mathematically control coins on public blockchains.  
• Gold bars must be physically secured and assayed for authenticity guarantees. Cryptocurrency tokens can be checked against their underlying blockchain to ensure validity.  

The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, emerged in 2009 from the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. It pioneered the use of blockchain to record transactions in a transparent, incorruptible manner. All without relying on banks or governments.  

Think of blockchains like shared public accounting ledgers. An international volunteer network of participants constantly updates it—in Bitcoin’s case, every ten minutes. We'll explore it in more detail later in the curriculum. Advanced cryptography replaces fallible human credit agencies. Digital consensus enables cooperation at scale, aligning economic incentives.  

Together, these innovations unlock peer-to-peer transactions for the digital age across borders.  

There are a few standout attributes that set cryptocurrencies apart:  

• Decentralized - Instead of central group control, participatory peer-to-peer networks manage activities. Thousands of volunteer nodes follow protocols. They update ledgers and process transactions without hierarchy. This reduces singular points of failure.  
• Secure - Advanced cryptographic techniques like public-key encryption guarantee tamper-proof, fraud-resistant transactions. Digital signatures prevent counterfeiting. Hashing algorithms enable transparency. Decentralized records prevent systemic corruption, enabling “trustlessness."  
• Transparent Yet Private - Public ledgers allow anyone to view transactions. That guarantees integrity. Yet, users maintain pseudo-anonymity by default through random addresses unlinked to real-world identities.
• Permissionless - Because most blockchains are public, participation requires no access permissions, identity checks, or gatekeeper approval. Anyone worldwide can access, use, build, or support open cryptocurrency networks 24/7. This market freedom expands financial inclusion.  

Medium of Exchange - Pay for goods, services, or transfer funds peer-to-peer. For example, a shopper can scan a QR code to pay a merchant directly from a mobile crypto wallet. No cash, bank or credit cards are involved.

Store of Value - Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are often classified as a store of value because they are digital assets that can be held over time. They operate on decentralized networks, and some have a fixed supply, which can impact their value. Their market value is subject to fluctuations based on supply and demand.

Unit of Account - Provide a universal metric to quantify, display, denominate, and record the value of other assets and offerings. Real estate and insurance premiums can utilize token prices as benchmarks. As adoption grows, expanded crypto valuation history aids consistent accounting.  

But let's look beyond basic money functionality. Cryptocurrency systems enable programmable capabilities and embeddable governance through code.  

For example, the Ethereum blockchain supports smart contracts and decentralized applications. These can all be used for finance, gaming, social platforms, and more. These software programs feature security, transparency, and automation, transferring blockchain's strengths to the respective applications built on top of them.  

Cryptocurrency is decentralized, meaning no single group controls it. Some other potential benefits of a decentralized currency can include but not limited to:

• Increased Security: Enhancing security by distributing control and reducing single fail points.  
• Censorship Resistance: Decentralization provides a space that is censorship resistant form bad actor parties or organizations.
• Transparency: A decentralization network builds trust through transparent and verifiable transactions.  
• Elimination of Intermediaries: By reducing or removing middlemen in financial transactions reduces the cost and inefficiencies. Essentially creating a P2P Network where participants interact with other participants directly.  
• Improved Accessibility: Decentralization opens financial services to unbanked populations globally.  
• Enhanced Privacy: Although transactions are visible, the pseudonymous nature of blockchains protects user privacy compared to conventional centralized systems.  

For these reasons and more, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology hold promise to deliver inclusive financial services to the nearly 2 billion unbanked individuals globally, and in a self-sovereign manner.

It helps to distinguish between cryptocurrency tokens and their underlying blockchain networks. These enable secondary functions and technical capabilities.  

For example, Bitcoin runs on its blockchain, which is optimized for transferring value from one wallet to another. Meanwhile, the Ethereum blockchain allows developers to build decentralized applications on top. These manifest as tokens with additional capabilities related to utilities, governance rights, etc.  

Ethereum tokens follow specific formatting standards like ERC-20. This interoperability allows them to be exchanged on secondary markets. When discussing cryptocurrency, we primarily refer to coins native to their blockchains.  

As we wrap up this intoduction to cryptocurrency, remember that this is just the start of an exciting journey. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are more than digital money; they’re reshaping the world of finance and technology. They enable peer-to-peer transactions and empower decentralized applications and are opening new opportunities for innovation and financial inclusion.

Whether you're intrigued by tech, eyeing potential investment opportunities, or curious about its broader impact, staying informed is key. The crypto world is rapidly evolving, with endless possibilities on the horizon. Keep exploring and staying curious. The digital currency landscape is vast and full of potential and now you’re better equipped to navigate this fast-paced ecosystem.