What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is digital money that runs on an open, decentralized network instead of through a bank. Coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum are issued and verified by software running across thousands of computers worldwide, so no single company or government is in charge.

Instead of an account at an institution, you prove ownership with a pair of cryptographic keys: a public address others can send to, and a private key only you control. Whoever holds the private key controls the funds — which is why protecting it matters so much.

Two things make crypto different from the money in your bank app: transactions are irreversible once confirmed, and the network runs 24/7 without a middleman. That openness is powerful, but it also means there's no support line to reverse a mistake or a scam. Treat your first transactions as small experiments while you learn.