Decentralized Finance, “DeFi,” is a technological movement towards cheaper and open access to financial services (such as borrowing and lending) by eliminating or reducing the costs and risks that comes with centralized intermediaries such as banks. In line with the decentralization ethos of cryptocurrency, DeFi…
An NFT, or “non-fungible token,” is a token that represents a unique, digital item that exists on the blockchain. If that sentence sounds like a bunch of cryptocurrency industry jargon to you, don’t fret– we’ll unpack every component below. Token. To understand NFTs, you should…
In October 2021, the first tokenized lawsuit fund went live on Republic. Termed an “Initial Litigation Offering,” the tokenized effort is aiming to fund a case against a California county. Tokenholders of the lawsuit token will receive a stake in the resulting recovery, if any.…
A smart contract is a preprogrammed contract that automatically executes if certain predefined conditions are (or are not) met. The Ethereum project defines a smart contract as a collection of code (its functions) and data (its state), all of which reside at a specific account…
In just ten years, the flagship cryptocurrency Bitcoin has garnered a wide range of prominent and notorious monikers: Bitcoin is…the future of money, Internet drug money, the future of the financial industry, a speculative bubble, a global currency, a direct threat to the U.S. Dollar,…
One of the strong selling points of cryptocurrency is the degree of anonymity it provides. However, many crypto enthusiasts feel that many popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin lack true privacy. Privacy coins are specifically designed to add a layer of privacy to the benefits and functionality…
Stablecoins offer a combination of the traits of cryptocurrencies and a fixed real-world asset, often fiat. The most popular use for stablecoins is to provide users the advantages of cryptocurrency and the blockchain, such as decentralization and quick, low-cost transactions, but with the stability of…
A cryptocurrency exchange is a platform that enables users to trade various currency and cryptocurrency types. A crypto exchange has a similar interface to a bank or investment firm, but it differs in some notable ways. The exchange acts as a central platform that connects…
The cryptocurrency industry is inseparably linked to a “be your own bank” ethos, and a cryptocurrency wallet is perhaps the most important component. A cryptocurrency wallet can be used as a transfer agent for payment distribution, an escrow for a contract, a redistribution of an…
The concept of putting money in a wallet is something few have difficulty understanding– your hand places a $20 bill into a wallet, and the deed is done. The expectation is that your wallet keeps your money safe. The nitty-gritty of cryptocurrency wallets, on the…