Tag: Blockchain

Buy Ethereum Today!

Posted on by Wayne Burritt

If Bitcoin is the big boy on the block, Ethereum (ETH) is the second biggest. But unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum has many advantages over BTC that make it extremely attractive. In fact, every investor should consider buying a little ETH today.

What Is Ethereum?

While Bitcoin is a great store of value – and certainly worthy of a portion of your portfolio – it can’t do much more than transfer value. You can pay for stuff using BTC, and you can save it for a rainy day, but you can’t really do much more. That’s not a knock on BTC anymore than it would be a knock on gold or the dollar.

Ethereum, on the other hand, is a store of value like BTC. But it’s much, much more. In fact, it’s these other features that make ETH so interesting.

First off, like nearly all cryptocurrencies, Ethereum works on a decentralized, distributed ledger network. ETH is decentralized because there is no single authority – like a bank – that controls or approves transactions. And ETH is a distributed ledger because it has multiple copies of itself spread over a vast array of computers using cryptography and mathematical problems to make the network strong and safe. Continue reading "Buy Ethereum Today!" →

Why Everyone Should Own (A Little) Bitcoin

Posted on by Wayne Burritt

You don’t have to dig very deep to notice that when people talk about cryptocurrencies and the blockchain, they’re usually talking about Bitcoin (BTC).

In fact, to most people, BTC is synonymous with cryptocurrencies.

This huge popularity makes BTC the big player on the block. And with a recent price of $57,678 and a market capitalization of $1.1 trillion, investors are putting their money where their mouths are. And that’s having a dramatic effect on BTC price.

We’ll get into the nitty-gritty behind the best reasons for just about everyone to own at least a little Bitcoin in a sec.

But before we do, take a look at some of our prior installments on cryptocurrencies and the blockchain. We’ve talked about why you should own some cryptocurrency, what the blockchain and cryptocurrency mean to you, the basics of cryptocurrencies, and why they’re so important. They’ll help you get your head around the basics of cryptocurrencies like BTC and why they’re not as scary as they once were.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital currency that lives in a distributed ledger on a place called the blockchain. Because of this digital nature, it doesn’t exist in a physical state, like gold or currency. And because it lives in a distributed ledger system on the blockchain, a vast array of computers track and secure the currency using cryptography. The people that run these computers are paid a fee for securing the network and making sure the transactions are correct by solving complex mathematical problems. These people are called miners and form the backbone of the BTC ecosystem. Continue reading "Why Everyone Should Own (A Little) Bitcoin" →

Should You Own Cryptocurrency?

Posted on by Wayne Burritt

The short answer: Yes.

I’ll get to the reasons why it should be a part of just about every investor’s portfolio in just a moment.

I’ll also get into why, if you do take the plunge into crypto, do so gingerly.

But before we get started, take a look at the first three installments in this multi-part series about blockchain and cryptocurrency. We talked about why they’re so important, what they’re all about, and what they really mean to you.

Feel free to take a look at these when you get a sec. But they’re not needed to get a deep understanding into what we’ll talk about today.

So, let’s get to it. Here are just a few reasons to own cryptocurrency... Continue reading "Should You Own Cryptocurrency?" →

What The Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Mean To You

Posted on by Wayne Burritt

So, what does the blockchain and cryptocurrency really mean to you? Well, really everything.

Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency are fundamentally transforming our lives, unlike anything we’ve seen in a long time.

In fact, when you think about that transformation, you’ll put it up there with the other giant shifts in technology. I mean...

The printing press... antibiotics... railroads... steel... automobiles... windows... the internet.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency are next.

Right now, I can think of dozens or even hundreds of ways this transformation will impact you. But if I had to boil it down to two big ones, they would be... Continue reading "What The Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Mean To You" →

What Is Cryptocurrency Anyway?

Posted on by Wayne Burritt

When you take your first look at cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, it can make your head swim. I know it did mine. But in this article, we’ll break down cryptocurrencies into bite-sized chunks so you can understand them just as well – or even better -- as the cash in your wallet.

First off, if you didn’t get a chance to do a deep dive into my first article of this three-part series on blockchain and cryptocurrencies, no worries. This article will get you up and running on like a crypto pro in no time. (But do take a spin around that article when you get a sec – it’s a good blockchain primer without all the jargon.)

So, let’s get started!

Cryptocurrency is a type of currency category that you’re most likely comfortable with already: Digital currency. Pretty much without exception, most money these days is digital currency.

After all, when you check your bank balance online, you’re looking at a digital representation of your money. And that’s digital currency.

In fact, you could look at cryptocurrency as a distant cousin of your online bank account, digitally speaking.

But unlike your bank account, cryptocurrencies have some unique and exciting features that make them interesting. Here are two important ones. Continue reading "What Is Cryptocurrency Anyway?" →