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
During the pandemic, tech investment surged and reached a peak in 2021, as newcomers entered the market, hyped by cryptocurrency, blockchain and the metaverse.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Genesis will repay $2 billion to hundreds of thousands of investors across the U.S. who were defrauded by the company, New York prosecutors said Monday.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 May 2024
Liu, who spent years in the cryptocurrency sector, is now developing free-to-use facial recognition software that will allow victims to identify faked and abusive content and then remove it.
—Johnny Dodd, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
In a pig butchering scam, scammers contact victims online and gain their trust before manipulating them into investing in a fake cryptocurrency.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 17 May 2024
Argo Blockchain plc, a global leader in cryptocurrency mining (LSE:ARB)(NASDAQ:ARBK), announces that the Company's Q1 2024 results will be released on Thursday, 23 May 2024.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 May 2024
UnitedHealth ended up paying a ransom of $22 million in cryptocurrency, its CEO told a Congressional committee earlier this month.
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 14 May 2024
Although customers will be reimbursed the cash value of their cryptocurrency assets at the time of FTX’s collapse plus some interest, that’s far short of how much money those assets would be worth today given crypto’s resurgence.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Customers of the cryptocurrency exchange—which imploded back in November 2022 and led to the imprisonment of Sam Bankman-Fried—will get their money back, plus interest, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 May 2024
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Genesis will repay $2 billion to hundreds of thousands of investors across the U.S. who were defrauded by the company, New York prosecutors said Monday.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 May 2024
Liu, who spent years in the cryptocurrency sector, is now developing free-to-use facial recognition software that will allow victims to identify faked and abusive content and then remove it.
—Johnny Dodd, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
In a pig butchering scam, scammers contact victims online and gain their trust before manipulating them into investing in a fake cryptocurrency.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 17 May 2024
Argo Blockchain plc, a global leader in cryptocurrency mining (LSE:ARB)(NASDAQ:ARBK), announces that the Company's Q1 2024 results will be released on Thursday, 23 May 2024.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 May 2024
UnitedHealth ended up paying a ransom of $22 million in cryptocurrency, its CEO told a Congressional committee earlier this month.
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 14 May 2024
Although customers will be reimbursed the cash value of their cryptocurrency assets at the time of FTX’s collapse plus some interest, that’s far short of how much money those assets would be worth today given crypto’s resurgence.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Customers of the cryptocurrency exchange—which imploded back in November 2022 and led to the imprisonment of Sam Bankman-Fried—will get their money back, plus interest, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cryptocurrency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cryptocurrency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptocurrency. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
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