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Cryptocurrencies are digital tokens — not coin or cash — but digital money which allow people to make payments directly to each other through an online system set-up to allow peer-to-peer transactions without needing a bank. Cryptocurrency payments exist purely as digital entries into an online database that describes specific transactions. Cryptocurrency is stored in a digital wallet. Cryptos came into existence after the 2008 financial market crisis when a need was felt to democratise how currencies are held, exchanged and regulated. That year a person under the anonymous name Satoshi Nakamoto invented Bitcoin. Cryptos today also include Ethereum, Tether, Cardano, and Dogecoin, among others. Cryptos are more democratic in nature – you can use them in any part of the world, but as much as you want and use them anywhere. There is a network of people and their computers which maintains a ledger and any transaction must be validated by all those present in that network. The ledger then gets updated to reflect the transaction. This technology is called blockchain. Cryptos also express values in units similar to traditional currency and some people also consider Bitcoin comparable to gold as they are finite in number and supply and need to be mined. Mining is the process by which new cryptos enter circulation and is also a critical component of the maintenance and development of the blockchain ledger. More

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  • Crypto’s $300 billion wipeout marks harshest selloff in months

    Crypto’s $300 billion wipeout marks harshest selloff in months

    Ether, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, led the rout with its steepest weekly decline since June

  • Stablecoin issuer Circle examines ‘reversible’ transactions in departure for crypto

    Stablecoin issuer Circle examines ‘reversible’ transactions in departure for crypto

    President says sector should learn from traditional finance and allow refunds in cases of fraud or disputes

  • Banking Central | Why investors must not ignore RBI’s warnings on crypto

    Banking Central | Why investors must not ignore RBI’s warnings on crypto

    The RBI has been warning for years, flagging the role of cryptocurrency in laundering, terror finance and tax evasion

  • OPINION | India’s Crypto Dilemma: Why half-regulation is worse than a ban

    OPINION | India’s Crypto Dilemma: Why half-regulation is worse than a ban

    We tax it, advertise it, and let exchanges run, but still pretend crypto isn’t 'official.’ Half-regulation is like giving teenagers sharp knives and hoping they don’t cut themselves

  • When stablecoins threaten global financial stability

    When stablecoins threaten global financial stability

    A Putin aide has alleged that the US is planning to shift government debt to USD-backed cryptocurrencies. The possibility does not seem very far-fetched

  • How worried should we be about the crypto crush?

    How worried should we be about the crypto crush?

  • Crypto Futures driving 70-80% trading volumes, say Indian exchanges

    Crypto Futures driving 70-80% trading volumes, say Indian exchanges

    Tax saving benefits, influencer-driven traction, and flexibility to take long and short positions on a large variety of tokens led to the growing popularity of crypto perpetual futures.

  • Trump family adds $1.3 billion of crypto wealth in span of weeks

    Trump family adds $1.3 billion of crypto wealth in span of weeks

    The haul from crypto firm World Liberty Financial and separate mining operation American Bitcoin Corp. shows how still-nascent projects are already translating into tangible wealth for the first family

  • Trump family’s $5 billion crypto windfall and the dubious ties to Pakistan’s cash-strapped military | Explained

    Trump family’s $5 billion crypto windfall and the dubious ties to Pakistan’s cash-strapped military | Explained

    The venture has signed a deal with Pakistan’s new crypto council at a time when Pakistan’s military is desperate for money. This mix of politics, private profit and global finance could have serious consequences.

  • ‘Easier to pump’: Trump-tied crypto token opens for trading

    ‘Easier to pump’: Trump-tied crypto token opens for trading

    Early investors, who don’t include founders like Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, can sell no more than 20% of their holdings as part of Monday’s launch; the rest will remain non-tradable.

  • Why bitcoin treasury companies are a fool’s paradise

    Why bitcoin treasury companies are a fool’s paradise

    In a crypto winter, the consequences could be painful for investors

  • Bilal, Binance and Bitcoins: Is a dubious crypto deal driving Trump’s new bromance with Pakistan?

    Bilal, Binance and Bitcoins: Is a dubious crypto deal driving Trump’s new bromance with Pakistan?

    The real story may not be about diplomacy at all. It may be about money, specifically a crypto deal linking Donald Trump’s family, Pakistan’s military, and some of the shadiest figures in the global financial world.

  • Bitcoin falls 7% after record rally: What lies ahead?

    Bitcoin falls 7% after record rally: What lies ahead?

    Cryptocurrency news: The sharp fall in the crypto's prices comes as investors may have booked profits at elevated levels

  • Bitcoin hits fresh record as US Fed easing bets add to tailwinds

    Bitcoin hits fresh record as US Fed easing bets add to tailwinds

    The world's largest crypto-asset by market capitalisation climbed as much as 0.9% to $124,002.49 in early Asia trading, surpassing its previous peak hit in July

  • Why struggling companies are loading up on bitcoin

    Why struggling companies are loading up on bitcoin

    Biotechs, miners and hoteliers are snapping up crypto to boost their share prices, but experts warn of a crisis if markets crash

  • Applying Equity Principles to Crypto: Smart diversification strategies

    Applying Equity Principles to Crypto: Smart diversification strategies

    Crypto may feel new, but smart diversification strategies from equity markets apply here too — and may matter even more

  • How to declare cryptocurrency income in your ITR this financial year

    How to declare cryptocurrency income in your ITR this financial year

    Crypto is subject to a flat 30% rate—here is how to report your gains and pay the right return for FY 2024-25.

  • CoinDCX announces recovery bounty programme after hack; offers up to $11 million in reward

    CoinDCX announces recovery bounty programme after hack; offers up to $11 million in reward

    The exchange has promised up to 25% of recovered funds to 'individuals or teams who can help trace and retrieve the stolen crypto' and, assist in the 'identification and conviction of those involved'

  • How Trump and Mastercard are pushing the global financial system to an inflection point

    How Trump and Mastercard are pushing the global financial system to an inflection point

    For more than a decade, cryptocurrencies have created a parallel decentralised payments architecture as opposed to the centralised global financial system dominated by select intermediaries. Trump’s championing of stablecoins along with Mastercard’s embrace of blockchain can lead to the convergence of disparate worlds

  • US President Donald Trump to sign new cryptocurrency bill into law

    US President Donald Trump to sign new cryptocurrency bill into law

    The passage of this bill will come at a time when President Donald Trump has made it a mission to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”

  • Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Crypto craze hits India’s rich

    Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Crypto craze hits India’s rich

    For Moneycontrol's Pro Panorama July 16 edition: With stocks and gold losing their charm, India’s wealthy are jumping into cryptocurrencies, driven by Bitcoin’s record rally and big moves in US regulations

  • What's really fuelling the bull run in Bitcoin?

    What's really fuelling the bull run in Bitcoin?

    As global markets wobble under tariff tremors, Bitcoin and the broader crypto market are charting a course buoyed by record ETF inflows, rising institutional interest, and landmark US legislation.

  • Bitcoin chases American dream in norm-shattering mortgage push

    Bitcoin chases American dream in norm-shattering mortgage push

    If crypto is eventually allowed to count toward mortgage eligibility without being liquidated, borrowers could retain their tokens instead of converting them to meet reserve requirements

  • Standard Chartered launches bitcoin, ether spot trading for institutional clients

    Standard Chartered launches bitcoin, ether spot trading for institutional clients

    Some financial institutions have said they are seeing more client demand for crypto products as the price of bitcoin hits record highs

  • Satoshi Nakamoto becomes 11th richest man on Earth: Who is the mysterious Bitcoin founder?

    Satoshi Nakamoto becomes 11th richest man on Earth: Who is the mysterious Bitcoin founder?

    Bitcoin today hit a fresh lifetime high, crossing the $121,000-mark for the first time ever.

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