Cryptocurrencies have grown significantly since their launch. From “geek stuff” or crypto-anarchism, to the integration of bitcoin into traditional finance, things have evolved a lot. And whether we watch it or not, it now seems certain that cryptocurrencies and the blockchain are an integral part of our future. It is therefore important in my opinion to know how it works, what are the positive elements that it brings, as well as the negative sides. Know the opportunities as well as the associated risks.
I offer you this file on cryptocurrencies. At first, the idea is to offer you an overview of the historical ecosystem so that you realize everything that exists. The idea is mainly to give you keys if you are a beginner or curious, or if you want to discover everything related to cryptocurrencies in general. I also refer you to links or videos that will allow you to go further. I will then do a little more advanced articles on specific points. This file is meant to be enriched progressively.
The basics
Before starting to go into detail, it may be good to already familiarize yourself with the vocabulary that you will encounter frequently, and which is not necessarily clear at first sight.
Network
No cryptocurrency without a suitable network to carry it all. It is the implementation of the blockchain that has made it possible to carry bitcoin and to provide a framework allowing exchanges in a decentralized way, without trusted third parties and in a tamper-proof manner.
bitcoins and altcoins
The basics if you want to know how to buy bitcoin or altcoins. The article is a bit old (2018), but the fundamentals remain the same.
Smart contracts, NFTs and DeFi
The development of cryptocurrencies has been accompanied in recent years by an entire ecosystem. Now it’s not just about currencies, but also about smart contracts, artwork, loans…
- smart contracts
- NFT: art, games, metaverses, uses of NFTs on the blockchain
- DeFi, or decentralized finance: lending and borrowing
Trading
Cryptocurrencies involve a lot of fundamental analysis (very important to know the viability of a project), but it’s also a lot of trading and technical analysis. The subject is complex, I already propose to give you the first bases and the first indicators.
