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
Brenda PoppyExamples of cryptocurrency in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Spurs’ Fiesta shirts were paid for by the team’s jersey sponsor Ledger, a French cryptocurrency company, but different shirts for future games will have different sponsors.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Each month, DriveSavers receives calls from people facing the loss of their memories, their livelihoods, their businesses, their cryptocurrency wallets.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Andreessen, for example, has been highly critical of financial regulation, particularly regarding cryptocurrency.
—Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Celsius ultimately declared bankruptcy, but that’s small potatoes compared to what happened to FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, who was famously convicted of seven counts of fraud and is now serving 25 years in prison.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
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Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Each month, DriveSavers receives calls from people facing the loss of their memories, their livelihoods, their businesses, their cryptocurrency wallets.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Andreessen, for example, has been highly critical of financial regulation, particularly regarding cryptocurrency.
—Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Celsius ultimately declared bankruptcy, but that’s small potatoes compared to what happened to FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, who was famously convicted of seven counts of fraud and is now serving 25 years in prison.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cryptocurrency
Cite this Entry
“Cryptocurrency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptocurrency. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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