What are cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies are decentralized digital currencies that use cryptography to ensure transaction security and control over the creation of new units.

Unlike traditional money, such as the Real or the Dollar, cryptocurrencies are not controlled by central banks or governments.

They operate on distributed networks on the internet, allowing people to send and receive value directly to each other, without intermediaries.

These transactions are recorded in a public system called blockchain, which functions as a large digital ledger that cannot be altered without the network's consensus.

Among the main characteristics of cryptocurrencies are:

• decentralization
• cryptographic security
• transparency in transactions
• global access via the internet

Today there are thousands of cryptocurrencies in circulation, each with different objectives and technologies.