If you have ever had to travel to a different country, then you’ll know that one of the most important things to have in place is the right currency. While having Dollars in your wallet will buy you a hotdog in the US, you’ll need some Pounds in your pocket to get you fish and chips in England.

Similarly to exchanging currency to that of a new country, cryptocurrency is an investment that only works in a very specific context within the online market. However, it’s not just an online currency, it’s a very worthwhile way of diversifying your investment portfolio. Cryptocurrency is one of those things that not a lot of people know a lot about, in spite of its launch in 2010.

Here are some of the things you need to know about cryptocurrencies before making the leap and investing.

What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency  is a digital currency or assets that people use for investing or making purchases online. There are more and more types of cryptocurrencies that are being launched all the time. Most people have heard of Bitcoin, but Ripple and Litecoin are others. In 2021, Facebook is set to launch its own cryptocurrency. Go to www.diemanswers.com to find out more information about its launch.

Cryptocurrency is the result of writing and solving codes, with each coin being a unique code that is impossible to duplicate, making it easy to identify and track as they go through trades.

How Do Cryptocurrencies Work?

Without the middleman of banks or governments, cryptocurrencies are exchanged from person to person online.

Exchanging cryptocurrencies is like paying someone in cash to provide a small favor on a casual basis. You wouldn’t have them invoice you and fo to the bank to make a formal transaction for them going into your home to feed your cat while you were out of town for a night. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized in the same way – no bank or government officials control how they are produced, how they’re exchanged, or even what their value is. On a basic level, cryptocurrency values can become worth the price of what people are willing to pay in order to exchange them.

Your digital currency is stored in a digital wallet. You will be given a private code that you will use to digitally complete your purchases. They use blockchain technology which is evidence of your trades and each exchange. You can use this evidence to watch your investment grow over time.

Can You Buy Anything With Cryptocurrency?

At this moment in time, cryptocurrencies are generally only used as an investment tool. Due to their independent nature, they can also be exchanged by any two people who hold value in the tokens in exchange for goods and services.

However, that doesn’t mean to say that as they gain trust and establishment, they won’t start to become a more well-known payment method further down the line. More recently, some major retailers such as Starbucks and Home Depot have begun accepting crypto as a payment method.

Does the emergence of cryptocurrency mean the end of traditional exchanges in the future?