Una cryptocurrency It is a type of digital money that only exists on the internet. You can use it to buy, sell or send money to another person without the need for banks, cards or intermediaries. Everything works thanks to a computer network that verify and record transactions using automatic rules.

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Una cryptocurrency It's a decentralized digital asset designed to work as medium of exchange, store of value or unit of account through the use of blockchain technology and advanced cryptography. Unlike traditional fiat money, it is not issued or controlled by central banks, but is managed through distributed protocols and consensus between nodes on a public or private network.

Cryptocurrencies work on blockchain, where each transaction:

• If Record publicly and immutably.
• It is verified by the network using consensus algorithms such as Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS).
• It's cryptographically protected for ensure authenticity, integrity and relative anonymity.

Its main functions include:

• Means of payment on platforms, stores or transfers between people.
• Speculative or investment asset on centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) exchanges.
• Gas or commission to execute transactions or smart contracts (as with ETH on Ethereum).
• Collateral in DeFi protocols for loans, yield farming, stablecoins, etc.

Representative examples:

• Bitcoin (BTC): first cryptocurrency, focused on value and decentralization.
• Ethereum (ETH): programmable platform for use as a gas and a base asset in DeFi.
• Stablecoins (USDT, DAI, USDC): designed to maintain parity with fiat currencies.
• Altcoins: tokens from specific projects such as MATIC, AVAX, ADA, DOT, and many others.

Cryptocurrencies can be classified as:

• Natives (e.g. BTC, ETH): they are part of your blockchain protocol.
• Tokenized (e.g. ERC-20, BEP-20): issued on another blockchain network.

From a legal perspective, their treatment varies by jurisdiction and use: they may be considered financial assets, means of payment, commodities or digital representations. In addition, its mass adoption has led to regulatory frameworks such as MiCA in Europe or country-specific tax regulations.

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