cryptocurrency

noun

cryp·​to·​cur·​ren·​cy ˌkrip-tō-ˈkər-ən(t)-sē 

-ˈkə-rən(t)-sē

plural cryptocurrencies

: any form of currency that only exists digitally, that usually has no central issuing or regulating authority but instead uses a decentralized system to record transactions and manage the issuance of new units, and that relies on cryptography to prevent counterfeiting and fraudulent transactions

Virtual currency bitcoin hit the mainstream in 2014. Bitcoin ATMs started springing up all over the world … , allowing people to exchange cash for the cryptocurrency, a secure digital payment outside of conventional financial institutions.

—Brenda Poppy

Examples of cryptocurrency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Global electricity consumption from data centers, AI and the cryptocurrency sector is expected to double between 2022 and 2026, according to a report from the International Energy Agency. —Cj Haddad, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025

What Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg, and other business leaders say about Bitcoin While some are cryptocurrency cheerleaders, others are highly skeptical By Start Slideshow Start Slideshow Cryptocurrency is gaining mainstream acceptance with each passing day. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 14 Jan. 2025

One of them tricked an employee at a Japanese cryptocurrency wallet software company into participating in a job test that actually installed malware on their computer. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025

The cryptocurrency market is known for being volatile and subject to change. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

crypto- + currency

First Known Use

2009, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cryptocurrency

noun

cryp·​to·​cur·​ren·​cy

ˌkrip-tō-ˈkər-ən(t)-sē,

-ˈkə-rən(t)-sē

: any form of currency that only exists digitally, that usually uses a decentralized system for issuing new units and reording transactions, and that relies on cryptography to prevent fraudulent transactions