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What is Cryptocurrency and Why You Should Be Paying Attention



Cryptocurrency may sound like it belongs in an episode of The Outer Limits, but it’s quickly becoming mainstream, and it’s making waves in the financial world. So what is cryptocurrency? How does it work? And what can you do with it? This article explains cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, and tells you everything you need to know to get started using cryptocurrency yourself!


The Ins And Outs Of Investing In Bitcoin

There are several reasons why you should be paying attention to Bitcoin. Some say it’s a good investment, others say it’s something you need to stay away from, but whatever your feelings about cryptocurrency might be, there’s no denying that it plays an important role in today’s online marketplace. If you plan on engaging in online transactions or making use of peer-to-peer networks, having some knowledge of cryptocurrencies could prove beneficial. Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to invest in Bitcoin.


How To Use Your Crypto Assets To Buy Real Goods Or Services

Buying crypto assets with fiat money can be a tricky business. Numerous exchanges offer these types of transactions, but you have to follow certain steps if you want to do it securely. The same goes for using your cryptos to buy goods or services from a merchant or freelancer. Here’s what you need to know...

If you don’t already own any crypto currency assets, there are plenty of ways to acquire them. Bitcoin is still the most popular coin by far, but there are other options available like Ethereum and Litecoin. The first step in using your cryptocurrencies to purchase something is finding an exchange that supports your desired currency. Once you’ve found one, log in and create an account (this will require some personal information). Then simply deposit some funds into your account if you don’t have any yet, just use another exchange or service where you do have funds. Next up, choose which currency you want to purchase on that exchange.


How To Get Started With Crypto

The first step in getting involved with cryptocurrency is, of course, to obtain some. Buying Bitcoins (BTC) or ether (ETH) takes just a few moments; you can easily set up an account on Coinbase, one of many exchanges where you can purchase cryptocurrencies using either fiat currency or BTC/ETH. Once you have purchased your desired amount of crypto, it’s time to start learning how to use it. The most basic thing that all people need to know about crypto is that transactions are irreversible by design you cannot cancel them once they are confirmed by miners. This means that if you send your crypto somewhere and then change your mind, there’s no way for anyone else on earth to get it back from them. This also means that if someone hacks into your account and steals your funds, there’s nothing anyone can do about it but hope that you have good enough security practices in place so they don’t steal everything else too!


Security Issues That Need To Be Addressed

For anyone to lose faith in cryptocurrencies, security issues need to arise. Whether it’s a massive hack or just a few scary stories about stolen coins, people need to feel like cryptocurrency isn’t safe. In reality, most of these threats are still largely theoretical—there have been a handful of major hacks that have cost users millions of dollars worth of digital currency. But if you take away all of those incidents, there are hundreds more that never happened at all. The truth is that as long as you use common sense when dealing with your crypto wallet (and any other sensitive information), you can keep your money perfectly secure. A simple rule: Don’t click on suspicious links or download software from websites you don’t know and trust 100%. That way, no one can compromise your computer and steal your private keys (which will give them access to all of your funds).


The Future Of Cryptocurrencies

One of the most popular ways to invest in cryptocurrencies, particularly for those with a longer time horizon, is what’s known as hardware wallets. A hardware wallet can be described as a portable hard drive that connects via USB to your computer, which stores your private key information. Private keys are important for accessing any public cryptocurrency addresses. If someone were to steal these devices or your private keys somehow, they would have immediate access to every bit of cryptocurrency you own—and we’re not just talking about Bitcoin here. In order to avoid that from happening, make sure that when you set up your hardware wallet (which is an offline device), it has a strong password protection system so no one else can get into it. The best way to do that? Use a combination of letters and numbers; don’t use anything like 123456 or password1 because both are extremely easy to hack. Once you’ve got a secure password on your hardware wallet, go ahead and move all of your currency over to it. You can leave some money on exchanges if you want that’s totally fine. But don’t keep all of your money there long-term. It's also worth noting that if you lose access to your hardware wallet for whatever reason, there isn't much you can do about it unless you wrote down its recovery seed somewhere safe beforehand. Once again: Make sure to write down everything correctly! Don't skip any steps! This is especially true if you're trying to restore your wallet after losing it. Without that piece of paper, there's nothing anyone can do to help you recover your funds.

 


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