Download or read book Cryptocurrency: Policy Issues, Financial Implications, and Security Risks written by Edward J. McCallum and published by . This book was released on 2022-08-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cryptocurrencies are digital money in electronic payment systems that generally do not require government backing or the involvement of an intermediary, such as a bank. Instead, users of the system validate payments using certain protocols. Since the 2008 invention of the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies have proliferated. In recent years, they experienced a rapid increase and subsequent decrease in value. One estimate found that, as of March 2020, there were more than 5,100 different cryptocurrencies worth about $231 billion.