A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is created and issued by private market participants, rather than central authorities or incumbent financial institutions (e.g., banks). A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is designed to function as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not run by any central authority, such as a government or a bank. The network uses cryptography for security

Cryptocurrencies constitute a specific type of a distinct asset class. The main examples of cryptocurrencies include the following:

• Bitcoin (BTC): a decentralized peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that is supported by its users with no central authority or middlemen. It was first introduced in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto (as the world’s first cryptocurrency). Bitcoin has since become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the market, and in terms of market capitalization, it hods the top slot amongst other coins. It has small units or denominations known as satoshis, named after the inventor. A satoshi is equivalent to 0.00000001 bitcoin. It has a fixed total supply of 21 million units.
• Zcash (ZEC): a cryptocurrency that uses cryptography to provide enhanced privacy for its users as a key value proposition. Zcash is based on Bitcoin’s codebase. It is similar to bitcoin in many aspects, including the fixed total supply.
• Monero (XMR): a cryptocurrency that is powered by a blockchain with privacy-enhancing technologies to obfuscate transactions and establish a level of fungibility. It has an unlimited supply, and originally was a fork of Bytecoin (when an original coin is split into two, each forming a new version, this is known as a fork).
• Dash (DASH): originally named XCoin, an altcoin that was forked from the Bitcoin source code (protocol) in 2014. It is a payments-focused peer-to-peer cryptocurrency. It was renamed to Darkcoin then Dash. It is a form of money that can be used securely both online and physically with minimal transaction fees. Based on the Bitcoin project, it was meant to provide a more user-friendly and scalable payments system.