cryptocurrency

noun

cryp·​to·​cur·​ren·​cy ˌkrip-tō-ˈkər-ən(t)-sē 

-ˈkə-rən(t)-sē

plural cryptocurrencies

: any form of currency that only exists digitally, that usually has no central issuing or regulating authority but instead uses a decentralized system to record transactions and manage the issuance of new units, and that relies on cryptography to prevent counterfeiting and fraudulent transactions

Virtual currency bitcoin hit the mainstream in 2014. Bitcoin ATMs started springing up all over the world … , allowing people to exchange cash for the cryptocurrency, a secure digital payment outside of conventional financial institutions.

—Brenda Poppy

Examples of cryptocurrency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The last rule failure was on July 15, when 13 conservatives tanked a rule vote for a slate of cryptocurrency bills and an appropriations bill over problems with some of the crypto legislation. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 10 Dec. 2025

And something came along that was a cryptocurrency that was stable, therefore a stablecoin. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025

In another case in France in May, police rescued the father of a cryptocurrency millionaire in a Paris suburb who was being held for ransom. —CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

The cryptocurrency should now hit $150,000 in 2026, down from the earlier $300,000 target set by the firm. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

crypto- + currency

First Known Use

2009, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cryptocurrency

• eurocurrency
• concurrency
• currency

Kids Definition

cryptocurrency

noun

cryp·​to·​cur·​ren·​cy ˌkrip-tō-ˈkər-ən(t)-sē 

-ˈkə-rən(t)-sē

: any form of currency that only exists digitally, that usually uses a decentralized system for issuing new units and reording transactions, and that relies on cryptography to prevent fraudulent transactions