The word “crypto” is derived from the Greek word “Kryptos”, which means “hidden” or “secret”. Crypto assets are digital assets that use cryptography to secure their transactions and to control the creation of new units.
Cryptography is a technique used to protect information from unauthorized access and to ensure its authenticity. It is used to convert data into a form that can only be read by authorized individuals. This ensures that only the intended recipient can read the data and that no one else can tamper with it.
Crypto, today, refers to the use of cryptography to secure communications and transactions.
What is the Meaning of “Decentralized Network”?
A decentralized network is a network where each node (computer) in the network is independent and autonomous.
There is no central authority or server that controls the network. Instead, each node in the network cooperates with each other to keep the network running smoothly.
What Does Crypto Have to Do with Digital Cash?
In order to understand digital cash, it is important to first understand cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency is a type of digital asset that uses cryptography to secure its transactions and to control the creation of new units of the currency. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized, meaning they are not subject to government or financial institution control.
Cryptocurrencies are often traded on decentralized exchanges and can also be used to purchase goods and services. Some people view cryptocurrencies as an investment, while others see them as a way to transact without the need for traditional banks or financial institutions.
The Earliest Idea of Decentralized Digital Cash
Today, there are many different cryptocurrencies available on the market, but Bitcoin is still the most well-known and widely used.
However, Bitcoin may not be the first cryptocurrency. In fact, there were several digital currencies developed prior to Bitcoin. These “pre-Bitcoin” digital currencies include:
E-Cash
The idea of digital cash began with David Chaum, an American cryptographer, in the early 1980s. He proposed the idea of anonymous electronic money, which he called e-cash.
His company, DigiCash, developed a form of e-cash that was based on cryptographic algorithms. However, the company went bankrupt in the late 1990s.
E-Gold
E-Gold: Developed in 1996, E-Gold was one of the first electronic payment systems. Users could open an account with E-Gold and then use the service to send or receive payments. E-Gold used a gold-backed digital currency, meaning each E-Gold unit was backed by a physical ounce of gold.
Liberty Reserve
Liberty Reserve: Developed in 2006, Liberty Reserve was another early digital payment system. Like E-Gold, users could open an account with Liberty Reserve and then use the service to send or receive payments. Liberty Reserve’s digital currency was not backed by any physical commodity.
Ripple
Ripple is a real-time gross settlement system (RTGS), currency exchange, and remittance network created by Ripple Labs Inc., a US-based technology company.
Ripplepay was started in 2004 by Ryan Fugger, who was seeking to create a decentralized monetary system that would empower individuals to create their own money.
In 2012, Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz joined the company and created the current Ripple consensus ledger (RCL) as a fork of the now-defunct Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox.
Ripple is built upon a distributed open-source internet protocol and supports tokens representing fiat currency, cryptocurrency, commodities, or other units of value such as frequent flier miles or mobile minutes.
As of September 2019, there were over 300 members in Ripple’s network, including 48 exchanges, 4 major banks, and over 100 remittance operators.
The native digital asset on the Ripple network is XRP. Released in 2012, XRP was created to be a “bridge currency” that would facilitate cross-border payments by providing a liquidity solution for banks and payment providers. XRP can be exchanged for other currencies, assets, or goods, and is also used to pay transaction fees on the network.
As of September 2019, XRP was the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
Bitcoin History
In 2008, Nakamoto (an anonymous individual or group of individuals using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto) published a white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” In this paper, Nakamoto proposed a system for electronic transactions that did not require the use of a central authority.
Nakamoto proposed a decentralized digital currency based on cryptographic proof-of-work, eliminating the need for a trusted third party like a bank or credit card company.
Bitcoin’s launch in early 2009 was a watershed moment for the emerging field of cryptocurrency. While previous digital currencies had failed to gain a lot of traction, Bitcoin began to grow in popularity, particularly among libertarian and cypherpunk circles.
In 2010, an early adopter paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, marking the first real-world cryptocurrency transaction.
That same year, Nakamoto handed over the Bitcoin code repository and network alert key to Gavin Andresen, a developer who had become a close confidant. Nakamoto then disappeared from the public eye, leaving Andresen and a small group of core developers to shepherd Bitcoin through its early developmental stages.
One of the most important decisions made by this early group was to keep Bitcoin’s ruleset intentionally simple, allowing for future scaling and innovation.
In 2012, Bitcoin began to gain mainstream attention as the price of a single BTC climbed above $10 for the first time. The following year, Bitcoin startups began to raise millions of dollars in venture capital funding.
In 2014, Mt. Gox, once the largest Bitcoin exchange in the world, collapsed after suffering a massive hack. The incident caused the price of BTC to crash and raised serious questions about the security of cryptocurrency exchanges.
Despite these early challenges, Bitcoin continued to grow. In 2016, a group of developers launched a hard fork of the Bitcoin protocol, creating a new cryptocurrency called Bitcoin Cash.
Ethereum History
The Ethereum blockchain was launched in 2015, and it rapidly rose to prominence as the most widely used blockchain platform in the world.
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third-party interference.
Ethereum is unique in that it allows developers to create their own cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications (dApps). This has led to the development of hundreds of Ethereum-based tokens and dApps, with more being created every day.
The Ethereum network is powered by ETH, its native cryptocurrency. ETH is used to pay transaction fees and gas prices, and it is also required by developers who want to create new tokens or dApps.
The price of ETH has fluctuated wildly since it was first launched, but it has generally trended upwards over time. Ethereum is currently the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, behind only Bitcoin.
There are many different ways to buy ETH, including through exchanges, brokerages, and OTC platforms. Investors can also buy ETH through decentralized exchanges (DEXes), which are powered by Ethereum smart contracts.
Ethereum is one of the major players in the cryptocurrency space, and its unique features have made it one of the most popular blockchain platforms in the world.
Today, there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies in existence, with new ones being created all the time.
Bitcoin remains the most popular and valuable cryptocurrency, with a market capitalization of over $100 billion. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has also seen tremendous growth in recent years, with a variety of applications being built on top of its blockchain.
How Do Cryptocurrencies Grow their Value?
Cryptocurrencies grow their value in a number of ways. They can be used to purchase goods and services, or traded for other assets. They can also be earned through mining or staking. Cryptocurrencies may also appreciate in value if the demand for them increases. Generally, the more people are using and investing in a cryptocurrency, the higher its value will be.
Will Cryptocurrencies Eventually Become Centralized?
There is a lot of talk in the crypto community about whether or not cryptocurrencies will eventually be centralized. Some people believe that they will, while others think that they will remain decentralized. There is no right or wrong answer, and it ultimately comes down to personal opinion. However, it is worth considering both sides of the argument before making a decision.
Those who believe that cryptocurrencies will eventually be centralized typically point to the fact that most major organizations are centralized. For example, banks are centralized, as are governments. It stands to reason, then, that cryptocurrencies would eventually follow suit. After all, centralization is more efficient and it allows for better control. What’s more, many people believe that centralization is inevitable as cryptocurrencies become more mainstream.
On the other hand, those who think that cryptocurrencies will remain decentralized often point to the fact that there is no central authority overseeing them. Cryptocurrencies are controlled by the code that governs them, and there is no one person or organization that can change that code. This decentralized structure is one of the key selling points of cryptocurrencies, and it is unlikely to change. Additionally, many people believe that decentralization is necessary to maintain the security of cryptocurrencies.
Ultimately, only time will tell whether or not cryptocurrencies will eventually be centralized. Cryptocurrency has a relatively short history, but it has already seen tremendous growth and innovation. Let’s see what’s going to be next.
