Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of money that uses cryptography for security. Unlike traditional currencies issued by governments (fiat), cryptocurrencies are decentralized and typically operate on blockchain technology—a distributed ledger enforced by a network of computers (nodes).
The most well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was introduced in 2009 by the mysterious figure (or group) Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, thousands of other cryptocurrencies—like Ethereum, Binance Coin, Solana, and stablecoins such as USDT—have emerged, each with unique use cases and technological features.
Cryptocurrencies are the backbone of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), a movement aiming to recreate traditional financial services - lending, borrowing, trading—without centralized institutions like banks or brokers. Platforms such as Uniswap, Aave, and Compound allow users to interact directly with protocols, often earning higher returns than through traditional savings or investments.