A Complete Guide to Cryptocurrency for Beginners

If you’ve ended up on this page, then there’s a chance that you’ve caught
wind of the massive cryptocurrency buzz sweeping the world. Over the last year,
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have gone from being relatively
unknown to household names.

For those of you looking to learn about cryptocurrencies, you’ve come to the
right spot. We’ve developed this detailed beginner’s guide on digital currencies
so that folks with little to no experience with these currencies can learn about
them from the ground up.

In the sections below, we’ll walk you through the basics, including what
cryptocurrency is, how it works, common terminology, and more. By the time you
finish reading this page, you’ll have a good basic understanding of
cryptocurrencies. If you don’t want to read the entire document and would prefer
to jump to a particular section, you can use the jump links below to hop to the
parts that interest you the most.

What Is Cryptocurrency?

At a very high level, cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that is
created through the use of computer coding. Even though it is a form of
currency, there isn’t any physical money like we’re used to with traditional
coins and dollars. Instead, all cryptocurrencies reside in the digital space and
can be sold, transferred, or exchanged for goods and services.

As you’ll see in the sections below, there’s a ton that you can do with these
digital currencies. From buying cars to paying for your meals, cryptocurrencies
like Bitcoin are becoming more usable every day as more retailers and
restaurants are willing to accept these funds as payment.

Cryptocurrencies have many benefits over traditional money. Some of the most
notable ones include that it is decentralized, fast, secure, and globally
accepted. It’s for these reasons and more that many folks are beginning to adopt
the use of these currencies.

As you can probably imagine, cryptocurrency is a pretty complicated thing.
There’s much more you can learn if you’d like to go deeper down the rabbit hole.
Here is a link to an excellent piece from Blockgeeks that has an
in-depth explanation about cryptocurrencies.

How Does It Work?

We could write an entire article about how cryptocurrencies function. Instead
of boring you with a long page of text, we’ve instead included an incredible
infographic below from Blockgeeks. This image will give you an excellent
high-level overview of how digital currencies function. If you’d like to learn
more about how they work, don’t miss out on the link to Blockgeeks just above.

Popular Cryptocurrencies

If you’re new to the world of cryptocurrencies, one of the things that you
should know is that there are a ton of different ones in existence. Currently,
there are over 2,000 different cryptos available. However, the majority of these
are unknown to most folks. We’ve dedicated this section to three of the most
popular cryptocurrencies that currently exist.

Bitcoin

Ethereum

Litecoin

The History of Cryptocurrency

Many folks don’t have a clue about how or why cryptocurrency first came
about. The idea behind it actually traces back to the early 1980s. However, it
wasn’t until 2009 that the first digital currency, Bitcoin, was launched. Since
then, thousands of other cryptocurrencies have launched, and there doesn’t
appear to be any sign that things are slowing down anytime soon.

The basic idea and premise of cryptocurrency is that it is decentralized.
That means that no government or other organization has control over the digital
currency. Along with that, one of the other primary goals was to make the use of
cryptocurrencies anonymous.

If you’d like to learn more details about the history of cryptocurrency, be
sure to check out the link below. It will take you to our page with a vast
explanation about the history of digital currency so that you can deepen your
knowledge on how things have progressed since cryptocurrencies first began.

In addition to our detailed page about the history, we’ve also built a page
dedicated to why people started using cryptocurrency. If you’re looking for more
color on this subject, then be sure to click on the link below to visit this
insightful page.

Common Cryptocurrency Terms

As you begin your journey into the exciting realm of cryptocurrency, you’ll
want to have an understanding of some common terminology. Below, we’ve provided
definitions of common terms that you’ll come across when dealing with the
digital currencies.

Exchange

In the cryptocurrency world, an exchange is merely a place that you can buy
or sell cryptocurrencies. Exchanges for digital currencies like Bitcoin operate
through websites. One of the most popular exchanges for cryptocurrencies is
Coinbase. If you’d like to check out their exchange to see what it looks like
and how it operates, we’ve included a link below in the next section

Altcoin (Alt)

An altcoin is simply any other cryptocurrency that’s not Bitcoin. Also
sometimes known as an alt, these coins are viewed as alternatives to the
original cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.

ICO

ICO is short for initial coin offering. These take place any time that a new
cryptocurrency is introduced to the market. Essentially, an ICO is the first
time that the general public can purchase a new digital currency. If you’re
familiar with IPOs (initial public offerings) in the stock world, ICOs follow
the same general structure and logic.

Market Cap

The term “market cap” is used to represent the total value of a
cryptocurrency as a whole. To calculate the market cap, you just multiply the
current value of a coin by the existing number of coins in circulation.

Blockchain

This is the type of technology that significant cryptocurrencies like
Ethereum and Bitcoin use in the process of managing their currency. In short,
the blockchain is a series of ledgers showing every transaction for that
currency. However, the primary thing with these ledgers is that they are highly
secured through the use of cryptography. Instead of this sensitive data being
stored on a lone server, it has copies across thousands of computers around the
globe.

Keys

Since cryptocurrencies operate through the use of cryptography, keys are a
common aspect of working with them. Specifically, you’ll have public keys and
private keys. The public keys are what you’ll use to have people send you a new
cryptocurrency. These are keys that you don’t need to be very careful with. It’s
your private keys that you need to secure and store in a safe place so that you
don’t lose them. With these private keys, you’re able to access your digital
currencies and sell them or send them to other individuals. Without your private
keys, you won’t be able to access your funds.

Wallet

While the idea is generally the same as the wallet you may have in your
pocket right now, cryptocurrency wallets differ in their own way. Instead of
being a physical wallet, these wallets act as a place for you to safely store
the keys to any cryptocurrencies that you own. You can choose to use a software
wallet that resides on your computer, or you can utilize a hardware wallet,
which is a specialized USB stick for secure storage of your keys.

How to Buy Cryptocurrency

These days, it’s relatively simple to purchase cryptocurrencies using one of
two primary methods. You can either purchase coins from an exchange, or you can
get them from a cryptocurrency ATM. No matter which one you use, it’s a quick
and easy process.

The most popular way for folks to purchase digital currencies is through the
use of an exchange. Cryptocurrency exchanges are much like a stock exchange in
that they are a place where you can buy or sell crypto funds. If you’d like to
check one out, we’ve added a link to Coinbase, one of the most significant
exchanges for cryptocurrencies in existence.

If you’d like to purchase somewhere other than an exchange, then you can use
a digital currency ATM. Spread around the globe, you can use these machines to
pick up different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Instead of walking away with
actual money, you’ll instead receive confirmation and the private keys that you
can use to sell or transfer your crypto funds at a later date. We’ve included this
link that will show you all of the cryptocurrency ATMs near you if you
want to buy some using this method.

Cryptocurrency and Online Gambling

One of the earliest mainstream adopters of cryptocurrency was the gambling
industry. What’s nice about this is that it allows online gamblers a broader
assortment of payment methods to select from when they are making deposits or
withdrawals from a betting site. We’ve included this section, as it’s the
primary focus of our website, and it’s something that we’re very passionate
about.

If you’re interested in betting on sports or casino games online using
cryptocurrencies, then don’t miss the links below. On these pages, we’ll provide
you with more information about how you can use these digital currencies for
your online gambling. Also included on the pages are our top picks for the best
online sites to use for Bitcoin. You can select below from a page dedicated to
sports betting sites or one dedicated to online casinos. Just click on the one
that you’d like to learn more about.

Other Things You Can Do with Cryptocurrency

Besides being able to do online gambling, there’s plenty of other things that
you can do with cryptocurrencies. In this section, we’ll detail some of the
alternatives that you’ll have at your fingertips if you decide to buy and hold
some of these digital currencies.

Purchase Cars

If you end up holding a substantial portfolio of cryptocurrencies, one of the
things that you can do is purchase a car with it. Instead of showing up and
paying with a loan or cash, some buyers have paid for cars in full using Bitcoin
and other alt coins. Lamborghinis have become immensely popular with
cryptocurrency millionaires that hit it big thanks to their crypto investments.

Around the globe, there’s a good list of car dealerships that will accept
cryptocurrencies as payment. If you’re in the market to purchase a new car using
cryptocurrency funds, or if you’d like to see which dealerships are out there
that accept digital currency, a simple Google search can provide you with a list
of dealerships near you that accept cryptocurrencies.

Buy Homes

Another option is to use cryptocurrency funds to purchase real estate. As
with the cars example above, you’ll need a pretty hefty crypto portfolio to
execute on buying a home. However, it has been done, and many real estate
sellers around the globe are now accepting digital currencies as a form of
payment. For those of you seeking to buy a home using your crypto funds, you can
use Google to locate properties around the world that can be purchased using
your digital currency.

Shopping

If your crypto portfolio isn’t big enough yet to purchase homes or cars,
you’re still not out of luck. Something else that you can do is retail shopping
with your cryptocurrency funds. Currently, many online and traditional
brick-and-mortar retailers accept digital currencies as a form of payment.

In the online space, there are lots of web retailers that take
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, the majority of them are
smaller retailers that you’ve probably not heard of. Luckily, there are a couple
of major retailers that have stepped up to the cryptocurrency plate. Most
notably, both Overstock.com and Etsy.com will accept digital currency as a form
of payment in check-out. Unfortunately, Amazon hasn’t opened up to crypto
payments at this time.

If you don’t do all of your shopping online, then you may also be able to
spend some of your cryptocurrency funds in a brick-and-mortar retail shop.
Currently, the retailers accepting this form of payment are mostly smaller ones.
However, we expect that the number of retailers allowing customers to pay using
cryptocurrencies will continue to increase. You can use the following link to find a
map of all of the retailers near you willing to accept digital currency funds as
a form of payment.

Eat Out

Lastly, you can pay for your food with crypto funds. Similar to the
brick-and-mortar retailers, many restaurants globally are now accepting
cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Using the link above to CoinMap, you can
locate restaurants in your neighborhood that allow you to use digital currency
to check out.

The Benefits and Risks of Using Cryptocurrency

Another thing that we wanted to cover on this page relates to the benefits
and risks of using cryptocurrency. We’re here to give you a good look at both
sides of the coin so that you know both the potential good and bad that could
come with it. It’s vital that you check out this portion of the page so that you
understand precisely what you may be getting yourself into.

Up first, let’s take a look at some of the risks associated with
cryptocurrencies. One of the main dangers of digital currencies is that their
prices are very volatile, meaning that the prices can change rapidly in either
direction. In addition, there is always the possibility that the value of a
crypto can become worthless.

Another risk associated with cryptocurrency is that there is a risk of your
coins being hacked. With everything being digitally based, there is always a
possibility that someone could gain access to your crypto funds and steal them.
To help reduce the likelihood of this, make sure that you’re using some form of
cryptocurrency wallet. We’ve got a link where you can learn more about wallets
in the next section of additional resources.

If you’d like a more expanded explanation of the risk of using
cryptocurrencies, we’ve built a page dedicated to just that. By using the link
below, you can gain a deeper understanding of all of the potential downsides
associated with using digital currencies.

Next, let’s focus on some of the benefits of cryptocurrency. One of the
significant benefits of cryptocurrencies is that they provide easy access for
many individuals and it can be spent globally. Unlike traditional currency
that’s only able to be used in a specific country or region, cryptos can be used
around the world.

Another great benefit of digital currencies is that they provide very fast
settlements. Compared to other payment forms like bank wires and checks,
cryptocurrency can settle transactions in as little as a matter of moments. This
helps speed up things for folks using cryptocurrencies to transact buying and
selling.

While we’ve highlighted some of the benefits of cryptocurrencies here, this
is not an all-inclusive list. To view more detail about the benefits of using
digital currency, be sure to check out the link below. Here, we’ll provide you
with a broader list of potential benefits.

Another benefit of cryptocurrency is that it is beginning to replace other
currencies. Much of this is thanks to the fact that cryptocurrencies can be sent
and spent around the globe, unlike traditional currencies which tend to be tied
to a specific country or region of the world. If you’d like to read more about
how digital currencies are replacing traditional currencies, don’t miss our
write up below. To read this interesting piece, click on the link below.

Additional Resources

In addition to all of the information we’ve already provided above, we also
wanted to bring you a lineup of additional resources about cryptocurrencies. By
using these guides below, you can broaden your knowledge and understanding of
cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency FAQ Page

If you still have questions after checking out this page, don’t miss our
cryptocurrency FAQ page. Here, you’ll find an expanded assortment of questions
that we commonly hear about cryptos. To view this list of additional questions,
click the link below.

Guide to Cryptocurrency Wallets

We’ve built out a detailed guide dedicated to cryptocurrency wallets. If
you’re wondering what they are or how you can go about finding one to use, then
you’ll definitely want to check this page out. Just click below to head over to
our cryptocurrency wallet guide.

How to Mine Cryptocurrency Guide

Many of you might be thinking about mining cryptocurrencies. Before you
purchase equipment to get things started, make sure that you view our guide on
how to mine cryptocurrency. Here, we’ll give you a full understanding of what
you can expect, from high electricity bills to the massive amount of heat
output.

Conclusion

We hope that you’ve gathered up a solid fundamental understanding of
cryptocurrencies using our beginner’s guide. If this is the first time that
you’ve visited our page, consider taking a minute to check out the other
valuable resources and guides that we have to offer. You’ll find a nice
collection of cryptocurrency and gambling-related information that you can use
to elevate your knowledge. Thanks for reading, and good luck in all of your
future cryptocurrency investing adventures!

Cryptocurrency Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully, we’ve helped you answer all of your questions using the
information and resources above. Just in case, we’ve also included a handful of
FAQs below that readers have submitted about cryptocurrency. To view the answer
to one of the questions below, all you have to do is click on the question, and
the answer will appear for you.