One of the biggest technological breakthroughs today is cryptocurrencies. With their fast, cost-effective and transparent nature, people have a new alternative when it comes to the medium of exchange and investments. However, in a world where fiat reigns in the financial sector, is there a way for digital assets to thrive and become a widely accepted currency alongside traditional money?
Today at Casino Days, you’ll learn the differences between the two currencies and see if cryptocurrencies will replace fiat in the world of finance. Are you looking forward to learning more? Then keep on reading this comprehensive article.
Fiat money
Fiat is the currency people use as a medium of exchange in most parts of the world. Also known as legal tender, these come in the form of paper bills and coins that can be used to purchase items. They are centralized by nature, meaning their production is regulated by banks or the government.
Widely accessible to people
For the longest time, people have been used to utilising fiat currencies. From buying a car to buying snacks on the streets, everyone knows how to use and where to get fiat currency. This is because fiat is the standard mode of payment for all transactions in a country.
It’s regulated by centralized authorities like banks and the government
On its own, fiat currency has no inherent value. To make them valuable, the government and financial institutions follow the fiscal policy and the law of supply and demand in the country.
Transactions are slower and more expensive
Due to the centralized nature of fiat currencies, all your purchases will always go through a bank, which requires various approval forms, charges, and a lot of potential red tape.
Additionally, direct bank transactions can range from 3 to 5 business days along with some costly fees. During the process, the transactions are done through a by-batch process in an automated clearinghouse. Afterwards, they’re sorted out between two and four hours of being received and then sent to the receiving bank.
Refunds are acceptable
In the event of making a purchasing mistake, one can easily request a refund from a store. This is helpful because we’re prone to occasional miscalculations to our budget.
Can be easily faked
There are many incidents of criminals counterfeiting money. With the advancement of printing and paper technology, anyone can easily create fake money.
Cryptocurrency
Running on blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies are decentralized digital currencies that allow seamless, cost and time-efficient transactions between traders and buyers. Due to these features, countless investors are looking to have their own crypto tokens. Below are important features to know about cryptocurrencies:
Decentralized nature
Digital assets are characterized as decentralized, meaning, they’re not controlled by third parties such as banks and government. This is possible because of blockchain technology, which allows a decentralized ledger to process transactions seamlessly across the world.
The information (known as the ‘hash’ code) from the previous block is linked to the new block. This process repeats itself until the block is filled once more. The information within these blocks is known to be publicly accessible to the cryptocurrency network.
Information stored in the blockchain is protected by hashes which means transactions can’t be hacked or tampered with. Additionally, if someone tries to do malicious acts in the network, they need at least 51% of the nodes to participate in order to succeed. This is virtually impossible to achieve since they are scattered across the globe.
Its value is regulated by the market movement
Unlike fiat currency, cryptocurrencies’ value is defined by the people using it, and not by a centralised authority. Meaning, the price of crypto tokens rise and fall depending on the demand of its investors.
Transactions are fast and inexpensive
Due to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, transactions made are fast and easy to process immediately. Due to the removal of a third party, not only are the transactions faster, but they’re also more inexpensive.
This is because unlike in fiat currencies processed in banks, crypto tokens don’t have to go through various expensive processes.
Cryptocurrencies are difficult to recover when lost
Cryptocurrencies are non-refundable because they don’t have physical counterparts like fiat. If you send your funds to the wrong address, it’s hard to retrieve because there’s no information attached to a wallet address. Additionally, instances such as lost or damaged wallets also pose an issue to digital asset users that’s why it’s important to keep them safe.
Cryptocurrency: The answer to the world’s financial problems?
For more than a decade, the investment world has seen the growth of cryptocurrencies. With its continuous rise in value, countless people have been investing large sums of money to profit from its rising growth.
Also, with people losing faith in government currency because of various economic recessions over the last decade, cryptocurrencies are starting to look more and more attractive. However, can it truly replace fiat currency?
Using the information below, you will be able to predict if crypto can be the currency of the future:
Empowers the economy
From crypto traders to companies making crypto investments to earn more money, cryptocurrencies help empower the economy. This is because as more people start investing and buying up cryptocurrencies, more individuals get opportunities when they invest in digital assets.
Empowers poor countries
Thanks to the blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrencies, transparency becomes an important point of many transactions.
This is because the people within the network of cryptocurrencies are able to see the activities being done by every cryptocurrency investor. Thus diminishing a significant amount of fraud and corruption within financial institutions and the economy. Additionally, it can be used by people living in far-flung places who don’t have access to financial services.
Many countries have had their own opinions pertaining to the usage of cryptocurrencies. The governments of China, India and Turkey have all been opposed to its usage. On the other hand, the governments of the United States, the European Union, and El Salvador have allowed its usage, and El Salvador has even started accepting it as legal tender.