Advantages and Disadvantages of Cryptocurrency

Protection from inflation :–

Inflation has caused many currencies to urge their value to decline with time. At the time of its launch, almost every cryptocurrency, is released with a fixed amount. The ASCII computer code file specifies the amount of any coin; there are only 21 million Bitcoins released in the world. Then, the demand increases, its value will increase which might maintain with the market and, in the long run, prevent inflation.

Self-governed and managed :–

Governance and maintenance of any currency is also a serious factor for its development. The cryptocurrency transactions are stored by miners/developers on their hardware, and they get the transaction fee as a gift for doing so. Since the miners are getting paid for it, they keep transaction records accurate and up-to-date, keeping the integrity of the cryptocurrency and the records decentralized. Within the context of cryptocurrencies, self-regulation is the establishment of guidelines, industry organizations, and a code of conduct for market participants to operate businesses within the ecosystem.

Decentralized :–

A major pro of cryptocurrencies is that they are mainly decentralized. A lot of cryptocurrencies are controlled by the developers using it and those who have a significant amount of the coin or by a corporation to develop it before it’s released into the market. Include cheaper and faster money transfers and decentralized systems that do not collapse at a single point of failure. The decentralization helps keep the currency monopoly free and in check, so nobody organization can determine the flow and so the worth of the coin, which, in turn, will keep it stable and secure, unlike fiat currencies which are controlled by the Government.
This decentralized structure allows them to exist outside the control of governments and central authorities. … The advantages of cryptocurrencies which allows for direct peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transactions to take place online securely and without the need for an intermediary.

A fast way to transfer funds :–

Nano describes itself as the “fastest decentralized currency in existence, with a median transaction time of less than one second.
Cryptocurrencies have always kept themselves as an optimal solution for transactions. Transactions, whether international or domestic in cryptocurrencies, are lightning-fast. This is because the verification requires very little time to process as there are very few barriers to cross.

Cost-effective mode of transaction :–

One of the most uses of cryptocurrencies is to send money across borders. With the help of cryptocurrency, the transaction fees paid by a user is reduced to a negligible or zero amount. It does so by eliminating the need for third parties, like PayPal or VISA, to verify a transaction. It removes the requirement to pay any extra transaction fees.

Currency exchanges can be done easily :–

Crypto exchanges in simple terms, allow investors to trade cryptocurrencies for other assets such as traditional currency. Further like stock exchanges, they serve as a platform where buyers and sellers meet. Cryptocurrency can be bought using many currencies like the US dollar, European euro, and British unit of measurement, Indian rupee or Japanese yen. With the help of different cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges, one currency can be converted to other by trading in cryptocurrency, across different wallets, and by paying minimal transaction fees.

Secure and private :–

Privacy and security have always been a major concerns for cryptocurrencies. The blockchain ledger relies on different mathematical puzzles, which are hard to decode. This makes a cryptocurrency more secure than ordinary electronic transactions. Cryptocurrencies, for better security and privacy, and they use pseudonyms that are unconnected to any user account or stored data that might be linked to a profile.
Bitcoin is the most secure cryptocurrency and the most widely-used. Niche privacy coins like Dash, Zcash, Monero etc., on the other hand, have smaller transaction volumes (as does every coin other than bitcoin).
The currency on such a CBDC network is considered a private currency, and is usable only by the public of the sovereign state issuing it. In India, such a CBDC would act as legal tender in the state (which is in the works), since it is sovereign-issued and is the digital currency equivalent of INR.

Usually illegal payments and activities can be done on the internet with the help of cryptocurrency. But no government can ban it because no one has authority over it. Governments and high authorities of the country can apply restrictions but can’t ban them.

Susceptible to hacks :–

Although cryptocurrencies are very secure, exchanges don’t seem to be that secure. Most exchanges store the wallet data of users to operate their user ID properly. This data can be often stolen by hackers, giving them access to lots of accounts.
These hackers can easily transfer funds from those accounts (After access). Some exchanges, like Bitfinex or Mt Gox, have been hacked in the past years and Bitcoin has been stolen in thousands and millions of countless US dollars. Most exchanges are highly secure nowadays, but there is always a potential for further hack.

Buying NFTs with other tokens :–

Some cryptocurrencies can only be traded in one or some fiat currencies. This forces the user to convert these currencies into one all told the most major currencies, like Ethereum or Bitcoin first and then through other exchanges, to their desired currency. It can apply to just some cryptocurrencies. By doing this, the extra transaction fees are added in the process, costing unnecessary money. NFTs with utility, like real estate contracts, will ultimately hold greater value in the future. An NFT can be a legitimate investment if investors understand what the NFT is being used for.

High consumption of Energy :–

Mining cryptocurrencies require plenty of computational power and electricity input, making it highly energy-intensive. The biggest culprit in this is Bitcoin. Mining Bitcoin requires advanced computers and a lot of energy. One cannot do it on ordinary computers. Major Bitcoin miners are in countries like China that use coal to produce electricity. It has increased China’s carbon footprint tremendously.

No refund or cancellation policy :–

If there is a dispute between concerning parties, or if someone mistakenly sends funds to a wrong wallet address, the coin cannot be retrieved by the sender. It might be utilized by many folks to cheat others out of their money. Since there are no refunds, one can easily be created for a transaction whose product or services they never received. It mean, A Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed, it can only be refunded by the person receiving the funds. This means you should take care to do business with people and organizations you know and trust, or who have an established reputation.

Decentralized but still operated by some organization :–

Although cryptocurrencies are known for their feature of being decentralized. But, the flow and amount of some currencies in the market are still controlled by their creators and some organizations. These holders can manipulate the coin for enormous swings in its price. Even hugely traded coins are at risk of these manipulations like Bitcoin, whose value doubled several times in 2017.

Conclusion

As you read, cryptocurrency has both Advantages and Disadvantages, so you have to be careful while you are trading or investing with cryptocurrency. Before investing in cryptocurrency you should have all Advantages and Disadvantages in your mind. Especially mentioned above, you can’t ignore these Advantages and Disadvantages because these are major and critical.