Cryptocurrency

While most would argue that Cryptocurrency is actually a form of digital currency, it's more precisely a form of digital asset which can be bought, sold, traded, etc. There are many kinds of cryptocurrencies, each of which is tracked on its own Blockchain network technology. The concept has gained worldwide traction in recent times, especially in capitalistic developed economies. Cryptocurrencies are tracked by and are also used to run Blockchain technology network, which is essentially a decentralized ledger maintaining the records of all the transactions and who owns what. Unlike the traditional currencies and their circulation network, they are not managed by any centralized authority like the government, and are very hard to be tampered or corrupted. In each of the transactions involving cryptocurrencies, a new 'Block' is added to the network of Blockchains, which has a unique hash code directly derived from code of previous block using advanced cryptographic algorithms like SHA-256. These heavy computing power intensive calculations are performed by computers connected to the network which maintain the blockchains and enhance its security. The computation effort gets rewarded in cryptocurrencies as a "Proof of Work" in this process called cryptocurrency mining. Although there are many types of cryptocurrencies, the most popular among them are cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. These are in wide circulation and are heavily traded and maintained on various exchanges and also in personal wallets respectively. Though there are various factors which determine the market cap, investability, popularity of any cryptocurrency, etc., the most predominant players are the market forces, investors, the niche and its many popular narratives of a cryptocurrency, etc. Despite their popularity and the noble as well as user-centric architecture which cryptocurrencies support, they too have their limitations as well. With the rise of Quantum Computing, it has posed a serious threat to the integrity of blockchain. Despite the security, there are no guarantees of returns in cryptocurrency investments and there are chances of huge loss. Cryptocurrency, in its essence, is less a mere financial innovation than a profound, ongoing experiment in human trust and distributed power, challenging us to redefine the very nature of value and governance in a digital age.