With so much talk of prices rising to the moon, it might feel like crypto is a world apart, especially if you've been fortunate enough to watch your stack appreciate in value.
Please keep in mind that this is not tax advise. For interpretation on how crypto taxation rules may apply to you, consult a trained tax accountant/professional or contact your local tax agencies.
There is one use case we haven't gone through yet that is possibly the most important: actively supporting blockchains by hosting a node.
Bitcoin brought decentralization and blockchain technology to the crypto market, but it was still hampered by centralized finance, which became burdened with governance to suit regulatory and investor expectations.
Bitcoin is a great store of value for now, but it's slow and expensive to use for everyday transactions, which is where the Lightning Network comes in. Bitcoin users can have their cake and eat it, thanks to the so-called layer two solution.
There is no central authority needed to facilitate and authorise transactions - instead it is the technology itself and its consensus mechanism that reaches agreement on the accuracy of transactions and to provide finality of settlement.
In its basic form, Decentralised Finance (Defi), gives you access to a range of financial services, from the simple kind that would easily be provided by your high street bank, to the complex instruments used by Hedge Funds and Investment Bankers; all you need is a browser wallet and vigilance.
The cryptocurrency ecosystem is continuously expanding, with new services being developed that allow you to do more with it than merely retain it. Crypto banking services are one of the most rapidly growing fields.
Cryptocurrency is a new type of online money with qualities that imply it could eventually replace traditional money. But, in order for money to be useful, it must be able to buy goods, so what can you buy with cryptocurrencies right now?
If you've made it this far through our series of articles on how to utilize cryptocurrencies, you've put in a lot of effort and, ideally, some money into putting what you've learned into practice and acquiring your own cryptocurrency.
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