The evolution of money over the past few decades has been nothing short of spectacular. From being a largely useless means of exchange in the 1970s and 1980s to being the backbone of the modern financial services industry, digital currency has come a long way in a short time. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how the history of cryptocurrency can help guide our understanding of its future.
Bitcoin and the Death of Currency
The one thing that cryptocurrencies have in common is that they are not expected to retain the same value that they did a year or two ago. And that is a major turning point for the entire industry. The series of events that have led up to this point is perhaps best depicted in the term “Bitcoin death.” That is the death of a novel technology that was as much a fad as it was a disruptive force.
Bitcoin and the Birth of Cryptocurrency
The Bitcoin whitepaper was published in 2008 and the first transaction using the digital currency was conducted in 2009. What brought this about was the development of a decentralized digital currency, which was expected to change the way people exchanged value across national borders. The birth of cryptocurrency occurred in a very different environment to that of today. Back in the day, most people were kept in the dark about the benefits of cryptocurrencies. The idea was to keep the technology behind them a closely guarded secret. In the words of the paper’s author, “The Bitcoin blockchain is a database that is shared, not kept private.” This concept of transparency and public awareness of the technology can be applied to digital currency as a whole.
Bitcoin, the Challengers: 1st Proof-of-Work cryptocurrency hits the market
In the years since the birth of Bitcoin, the landscape has changed drastically. The technology itself has evolved and now includes blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies that use different algorithms, and digital signature and coinsurance mechanisms. While the first proof-of-work cryptocurrencies — notably Litecoin and Feathercoin — have proven to be challenging to create and scale, newer cryptocurrencies have begun to make inroads. In the first quarter of 2018, the market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies was worth over $38 billion, accounting for 10% of the entire global market.
Ethereum and the Rise of Smart Contracts
The rise of smart contracts has been one of the most significant developments in the field of cryptocurrency. First introduced in late 2013 as a new technological concept, Ethereum has quickly evolved into one of the most successful blockchain platforms of all time. In the words of its creator, “It allows anyone to build an applications with very low-cost of implementation, very high level of abstraction and easy scalability.”
How Cryptocurrencies Are Impacting Today’s World Summing up
The adoption of cryptocurrencies is set to skyrocket in the coming years. The technology is still in its infancy and the marketing of new cryptocurrencies is in its infancy, too. But, currently, we are witnessing the birth of a new industry. We can call it the “crypto-commerce” industry, as this is what the technology is being used for. Furthermore, the industry is still in its infancy and is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years. This transformation of money is going to be accompanied by a host of new issues and challenges, both for the industry and the average user. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to completely disrupt many industries, including the banking sector and advertising. In the long run, they could also prove to be big boosters for the security of financial institutions and the integrity of the entire banking system.
Outline of key takeaways
Virtual currencies such as Bitcoin have a huge potential to disrupt many industries, including the banking sector and the advertising industry. In the long run, however, they could also prove to be big boosters for the security of financial institutions and the integrity of the entire banking system.
