The cryptocurrencies are virtual coins. They can be exchanged and operated like any other traditional currency, but they are beyond the control of governments and financial institutions.
There is a large number of cryptocurrency available, all with their own characteristics and applications.
Changes in interest rates and the increase in monetary reserves only have an indirect effect on their value
The value of cryptocurrencies depends on the commitment of users to maintain their price when converting them to traditional currencies
The Bitcoin, being a digital currency, can not be acquired and treasured outside the Internet and, therefore, requires a digital portfolio where we can store our credit. This portfolio is commonly known as "purse", which can be carried on a flash drive or stored in the cloud.
But how can you get Bitcoins? Basically, there are two ways.
Being a miner
The first way to obtain Bitcoins is to be a miner or, in other words, generating new units of this currency. Its name comes from the analogy with the time when gold, which was accepted as a medium of exchange in many societies and countries, was extracted from the mines.
However, since Bitcoin uses advanced cryptography and verification systems that require many mathematical calculations, the enormous computational processing capacity that currently requires the extraction of a new unit makes this alternative an almost impossible option to carry out with the performance of current computers.
And, as new Bitcoins are mined, it is more difficult to obtain the following ones. Today, there are companies specializing in Bitcoin mining that use computer clusters of up to $ 150,000 in value. The result is huge computers, with a very large computing capacity and, in any case, very far from the devices that any of us can have in a normal house.
Exchanging Bitcoins
The other option to obtain Bitcoins, much more feasible than the previous one, is to exchange them. Simply buy them from people or companies that have them. The simplest way to exchange Bitcoins is through the so-called exchange houses, platforms that act analogously to the way currency exchange offices do, although, yes, with a presence that is limited to the Internet.
