Cryptocurrencies, or "Crypto," are a specific class of software that enables online financial transactions. The system's primary benefit is the fact that it is decentralized, a quality often offered by the blockchain database system.

The meteoric rise in Bitcoin's "price" has helped propel blockchain technology and so-called "crypto currencies" into the mainstream consciousness around the world. Many "Bitcoin exchanges" have seen huge infrastructural pressures as demand has skyrocketed, with millions of users now participating in the market.

Crypto has a practical use (facilitating online international trade), but other than that, it offers no tangible advantages. [DAX](https://heliosdax.com/) That is to say, its "intrinsic worth" consists solely in its utility for exchanging goods and services with others and NOT in its use for accumulating or distributing wealth (which is what most people see it as).

To begin, you must understand that "Bitcoin" and similar systems are payment networks, not currencies. To be clear, the mechanism of "becoming rich" with Bitcoin is simply the ability to acquire the "coins" for a low price and sell them higher, and this will be discussed in further detail in a moment.

Therefore, when considering "crypto," it's important to first grasp how it operates and where its true "worth" lies...

Indirect Financial Transaction Networks...

Remember that Crypto is predominantly a decentralised payment network, as was previously mentioned. Imagine if Visa and Mastercard didn't have a centralised database.

This illustrates the underlying reason why people have started looking into the "Bitcoin" idea more fully; the capacity to send/receive money from anyone in the globe, so long as they have your Bitcoin wallet address.

Because of the widespread belief that Bitcoin automatically makes you rich because it is a "crypto" asset, this gives each coin a monetary value. That's not the case.

Only by buying "coins" at a low price and selling them at a MUCH higher one have people been able to profit from Bitcoin, which has experienced a dramatic "increase" in price. Although it was profitable for many, it was founded on the "greater fool idea," which holds that if you are able to "sell" your coins, you did it to someone who was an even bigger dunce than you.

As a result, today's entry point into the "crypto" realm consists mostly of buying low-priced "coins" (including "alt" currencies) and selling them after their value has increased. There is no way to predict when/if/how this will function because none of the "currencies" are backed by physical assets.

Prosperity in the Years to Come

Bitcoin is dead in the water, as far as practical purposes are concerned.

Despite the fact that its price is expected to continue growing into the $20,000+ area because the epic rise in December 2017 signalled broad adoption, purchasing one of the coins now is essentially a large gamble that this will occur.

Most "alt" coins (Ethereum, Ripple, etc.) are currently trading at a low price, but as their popularity grows, their value will rise. The actual usage patterns of different "platform" systems are the most important factor in the present "crypto" space.

Such is the rapid evolution of the "technology" sector; Ethereum and Ripple appear to be the next "Bitcoin," with a focus on the ease with which their respective networks may be used to power "decentralized applications" (DApps).

If you're interested in the future of "crypto," the answer lies in the numerous platforms that you've already been able to identify. How "Crypto" Currencies Work - A Brief Overview Of Bitcoin, Ethereum & Ripple