Cryptocurrencies have become a staple of modern-day finance. The meteoric rise of Bitcoin in the past few years has created a lot of hype around digital coins. While some see it as the future of money, others see it as an avenue for criminals to launder money and purchase illicit goods anonymously. However, there’s no denying that Cryptocurrencies have changed lives in ways good and bad. Their introduction has opened up a whole new world for those who venture into their intricacies. Let’s explore and understand how Cryptocurrencies have impacted people’s lifestyles:
Security and Transparency
Cryptocurrency transactions are secured by blockchain technology, a decentralized accounting system that keeps a record of all transactions across a network. Transactions are verified and recorded across the network by participating computers, which makes it very difficult to forge or fake data.
When you send money via Cryptocurrencies, the details of the transaction get broadcast across the network, making it traceable. This makes it harder for criminals to launder money or hide illicit activities. In addition, Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are anonymous, as they don’t have a central repository of all account details. This makes them a less-attractive tool for criminals to use.
Financial Inclusion and Independence
It’s no surprise that Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have gained a lot of traction in the developing world where many people are excluded from the financial system. The most common use of Bitcoin is to buy goods and services from vendors who accept it as payment. This allows people in developing countries to get access to goods and services they would not be able to otherwise.
Cryptocurrencies can also act as a bridge to bridge currency and commodity exchange rates, which gives people in developing countries access to more goods. For example, a trader who uses US dollars as a commodity exchange rate could use Bitcoin to buy goods in the US, and then sell the goods for local currency in his country. This makes him significantly richer and gives him access to more goods and services.
Bitcoin also acts as an investment option, as it is traded on a global decentralized exchange like the stock market. Through Cryptocurrency exchanges, people can buy or trade Cryptocurrencies and get a return through interest.
Boring but Important Things
With all the hype around blockchain and decentralized accounting systems, it’s easy to forget that Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are also money transfer systems. This means you can use it to send money to friends and family all over the world and fulfill your basic financial obligations. This is a huge advantage of Cryptocurrencies over traditional methods of payment like credit cards.
When your credit card company sees that you’ve used it to buy a bunch of stuff, they might decide to charge you a high-interest rate. However, with Cryptocurrencies, there’s no central authority that can decide to raise rates at their discretion.
Also, Check About – Top 5 Best Bitcoin Trading Platforms
Modern Day Problems and Future Prospects
While the introduction of Cryptocurrencies has changed people’s lifestyles for the better, it has also created a few modern-day problems. Firstly, Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been used as an investment option to get returns regularly, which has led to a sharp increase in the trading volume. This has increased the price of trading these coins on centralized exchanges.
Again, with the rise in the number of people trading Cryptocurrencies, the security of these exchanges has become a major concern. All major Cryptocurrency exchanges have been attacked, leaving a lot of people’s money at risk.
Unintended Consequences
While Cryptocurrencies have brought many advantages to people’s lifestyles, they have also created a few bad effects. Firstly, the sudden rise in demand for Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether has led to a rise in the price of mining these coins. This has led to a sharp rise in the cost of mining these coins, which has now limited the number of coins that can be mined.
Secondly, people are using Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to buy illegal goods and services, which has led to a spike in the number of illegal goods and services available online. For example, a study found that a large number of Bitcoin transactions are related to the purchase of drugs and guns.
Final Words
Cryptocurrencies have shown us how powerful finance can be when it is decentralized and accessible to all. They have also shown us that financial inclusion is a powerful force that can change people’s lives for the better. While Cryptocurrencies have changed a lot, they have also shown that they aren’t perfect. They have created several modern-day problems and challenges that need to be addressed in the future.
