Cryptocurrency

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve most likely heard the word “cryptocurrency” or “crypto” used plenty of times over the last couple years. Today we’ll be talking about the revolutionary cryptocurrency phenomenon as well as suggesting a few resources to get you started.

What Is Cryptocurrency?

Essentially, cryptocurrency is digital currency. Its name is derived from cryptography, which is the process used to keep cryptocurrencies safe. Cryptography is the art of protecting, or encrypting, messages and other digital entities through coding and complex algorithms.

Cryptocurrency started with Bitcoin (BTC) in 2009 after the financial crisis of 2008. Since then, more and more cryptocurrencies have been created, each with their own names and purposes. While cryptocurrencies are technically meant to be used as a payment method between private buyers and sellers, there is still only a small number of individuals and companies who accept crypto as payment. A much larger amount of people, however, use cryptocurrencies as an investment. A growing number of brokerages offer Bitcoin and other cryptos as investment options, and there are also cryptocurrency exchanges designed to let you use crypto as both a currency and an investment.

Before we get started, let’s go over two quick vocab terms. Firstly, the word altcoin essentially refers to any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. This really goes to show you that Bitcoin is the standard for crypto. Secondly, a stablecoin is a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to the value of another asset, such as a country’s currency, precious metals, or even another cryptocurrency. Stablecoins are meant to provide crypto investors some protection from the volatility of unpegged cryptocurrencies, hence the name.

What’s the Point?

To many, cryptocurrency isn’t just another type of money that should be seen in the same way as cash, checks, debit cards, or credit cards. Many see cryptocurrency as the money of the future, something that will revolutionize the way that we conduct private transactions as well as the financial system as a whole.

Most cryptocurrencies utilize blockchains to verify their transactions. The blockchain is public ledger that involves a network of computers verifying the validity of transactions, instead of that verification being done by a big institution like a bank or credit union. This is important because through blockchain, cryptocurrency is bringing a new feature to the world’s financial system: decentralization. Since cryptocurrency is so decentralized, it’s basically impossible for federal governments to manipulate the money supply. When it comes to monetary policy in the United States, the Federal Reserve has the ability to print money, take it out of circulation, and perform a number of other measures that are meant to stabilize the economy. This can be seen as a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your views on the financial system. Regardless, the point of cryptocurrency is that it’s essentially immune to this type of manipulation and can therefore be seen as a more trustworthy way to conduct transactions.

While cryptocurrency has built-in protection from regulation and manipulation due to its decentralized nature, some countries such as the UK and China are taking measures to keep crypto outside of their borders entirely.

Most Popular Cryptocurrency Apps

There are plenty of apps out there that you can use to buy, sell, and even secure loans with cryptocurrency. Here are some of the most popular cryptocurrency apps:

Coinbase is one of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges on the market and is a phenomenal choice for beginners. With a simple, sleek user interface and over 25 supported cryptocurrencies, Coinbase is a great way to get your foot in the metaphorical crypto door. Users can buy and sell plenty of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase, and those who want more advanced features can sign up for the premium plan, Coinbase Pro.

Cash App is owned by Square and is known for its peer-to-peer payment features. You can send money, receive money, open a bank account, and even invest through Cash App. The reason Cash App is on this list is because it lets you use Bitcoin as a payment method, not just an investment. While Bitcoin is currently the only supported cryptocurrency for transactions and investments on the app, it’s worth noting that Cash App lets you send and receive BTC. Read our full Cash App review for more information.

Kraken is another great cryptocurrency exchange with a good range of cryptos to trade. With over 50 cryptocurrencies and some fancier trading tools offered, Kraken makes a great choice for intermediate to advanced crypto traders.

Final Thoughts

Cryptocurrency is still a relatively new addition to the world of finance and its future is unknown. Crypto enthusiasts claim that cryptocurrencies are the money of the future, while skeptics say that the only purpose of crypto is to allow criminals to execute payments anonymously. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you think of cryptocurrency and whether or not you want to add it to your portfolio.

The Best Stock Newsletters as of June 29, 2025

Ranking of Top Stock Newsletters Based on Last 3 Years of Stock Picks

We are paid subscribers to dozens of stock newsletters. We actively track every recommendation from all of these services, calculate performance, and share the results of the top performing stock newsletters whose subscriptions fees are under $500. The main metric to look for is "Excess Return" which is their return above that of the S&P500. So, based on last 3 years ending June 29, 2025:

Rank	Stock Newsletter	Stock Picks	Average Return	Excess Return	Percent Profitable	Max % Return
1.	Alpha Picks	76	63%	40%	73%	969%
	Summary: 2 picks/month based on Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating; Retail Price is $499/yr. See details in our Alpha Picks Review.			July, 2025 Promotion: Save $50
2.	Moby.co	308	43.3%	12.3%	74%	1764%
	Summary: 60-150 stock picks per year, segmented by industry; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Moby Review.			July, 2025 Promotion:Next pick free!
3.	Stock Advisor	72	41.2%	6.9%	78%	258%
	Summary: 2 picks/month and 2 Best Buy Stocks lists focusing on high growth potential stocks over 5 years; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Review.			July, 2025 Promotion: Get $100 Off
4.	Value Investor	39	17.5%	6.1%	38%	410%
	Summary: 10-25 stock picks per year based on Zacks' Quant Rating; Retail Price is $495/yr. Read our Zacks Review.			July, 2025 PROMOTION:$1, then $495/yr
5.	Rule Breakers	66	40.0%	4.7%	61%	311%
	Summary: 2 picks/month focusing on disruptive technology and business models; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2005; Now part of Motley Fool Epic. Read our Motley Fool Epic Review.			Current Promotion: Save $200
6.	TipRanks SmartInvestor	121	10.6%	3.7%	55%	340%
	Summary: About 1 pick/week focusing on short term trades; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2015. Retail Price is $379/yr. Read our TipRanks Review.			Current Promotion: Save $180
7.	Action Alerts Plus	394	20.0%	3.4%	57%	220%
	Summary: 100-150 trades per year, lots of buying and selling and short term trades. Read our Jim Cramer Review.			Current Promotion: None
8.	Stock Advisor Canada	36	32.3%	0.5%	69%	378%
	Summary: 1 pick/month from the Toronto stock exchange; Retail Price is CD$199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Canada Stock Advisor Review.			July, 2025 Promotion: Save $100
Top Ranking Stock Newsletters based on their last 3 years of stock picks' performance through May 31, 2025 as compared to S&P500. S&P500's return is based on average return of S&P500 from date each stock pick is released. NOTE: To get these results you must buy equal dollar amounts of each pick on the date the stock pick is released. Investor Business Daily Top 50 based on performance of FFTY ETF.