(4-min plain-English read | no jargon)
1. What Is Crypto? 🤔
Crypto = digital money secured by cryptography instead of a bank.
Lives on the internet, not in your pocket
Supply is controlled by open-source code, not governments
Moves wallet-to-wallet in minutes, 24/7, borders don’t matter
Example: Sending $10 of Bitcoin to a friend in Brazil while you sit in Nigeria no bank, no holiday delays, no currency exchange hassle.
What Is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is the same thing as crypto just the full word.
“Currency” reminds us the main goal is medium of exchange: you can buy, sell, price and swap things with it exactly like dollars or euros, only in purely digital form and without central-bank backing.
2. What Is Blockchain?
Blockchain = the public spreadsheet in the sky that tracks every crypto transaction.
Key points:
Blocks = pages of transactions
Chain = pages glued together in order
Thousands of computers keep identical copies, so cheating is almost impossible
Once a page is written, it can’t be erased → immutable
Analogy: Google Sheets that everyone can view, no one can secretly edit, and anyone can add a new row if they follow the rules.
3. What Is Bitcoin? $BTC
Bitcoin = the first and most famous cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto.
Fast facts:
Only 21 million coins will ever exist → digital scarcity
New coins enter circulation through mining (computers solving puzzles)
No CEO, no central server → run by decentralized volunteers
Often called “digital gold” because many holders use it as a store of value
4. Why Do We Use It?
Crypto / Cryptocurrency = internet money
Blockchain = shared, tamper-proof ledger
Bitcoin = first, scarce, decentralized
We use it for cheaper, faster, always-open finance and to protect purchasing power