Cryptocurrency is digital money secured by cryptography and recorded on a blockchain. Categories: payment cryptos (Bitcoin, Litecoin), platform tokens (ETH, SOL — used to power smart contracts), stablecoins (USDC, USDT — pegged to fiat), governance tokens (UNI, AAVE — vote on protocol changes), meme coins (DOGE, SHIB — community/speculation). Total market cap: $2-3 trillion. Cryptocurrencies aren't legal tender in most countries; treated as property by IRS for tax purposes (capital gains on disposition). Wallet types: custodial (exchanges hold keys) vs. self-custody (you hold keys). 'Not your keys, not your coins' — exchanges have failed (Mt. Gox, FTX).
Article
Airdrop
An airdrop is a distribution of free cryptocurrency tokens to users meeting specific criteria — often early protocol…
Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) is the first and largest cryptocurrency, created by pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 as peer-to-peer electronic…
Bitcoin Halving
Bitcoin halving is the programmed event occurring roughly every 4 years (every 210,000 blocks) that cuts the block…
Blockchain
Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers in a way that's…
Cold Storage
Cold storage refers to keeping cryptocurrency private keys completely offline, eliminating online attack vectors. Methods: hardware wallets (most…
Cryptocurrency Tax
The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property — every disposition is a taxable event triggering capital gains or losses.…
Cryptocurrency
August 22, 2026 · Aditya Gupta
Investing
Related terms
Airdrop
An airdrop is a distribution of free cryptocurrency tokens to users meeting specific criteria — often early protocol…
Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) is the first and largest cryptocurrency, created by pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 as peer-to-peer electronic…
Bitcoin Halving
Bitcoin halving is the programmed event occurring roughly every 4 years (every 210,000 blocks) that cuts the block…
Blockchain
Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers in a way that's…
Cold Storage
Cold storage refers to keeping cryptocurrency private keys completely offline, eliminating online attack vectors. Methods: hardware wallets (most…
Cryptocurrency Tax
The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property — every disposition is a taxable event triggering capital gains or losses.…
