Blockchain, sometimes referred to as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), makes the history of any digital asset unalterable and transparent through the use of decentralization and cryptographic hashing.
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A decentralized, distributed ledger that records the provenance of a digital asset.
Digital assets are distributed instead of copied or transferred. The asset is decentralized, allowing full real-time access. A transparent ledger of changes preserves integrity of the document, which creates trust in the asset.
Blockchain is an especially promising and revolutionary technology because it helps reduce risk, stamps out fraud and brings transparency in a scaleable way for myriad uses.
Cryptocurrency is a type of currency which uses digital files as money. Usually, the files are created using the same methods as cryptography (the science of hiding information). ... Cryptocurrencies use 'decentralized control', which means that they aren't controlled by one person or government.
This is different to 'centralized' electronic money and central banks. The control of each cryptocurrency works through a distributed ledger (a list of transactions shared by everyone), usually a blockchain, that serves as a public financial transaction database. #Bitcoin, first released as open-source software in 2009, is often called the first decentralized cryptocurrency.
Since then, over 5,000 cryptocurrencies (sometimes called 'altcoins', which is short for alternative coins) have been created.
In many cases, cryptocurrencies cannot be converted to real currencies; it is only possible to convert them to other cryptocurrencies, or to use them to buy things.
