The differences between cryptocurrencies, virtual, and digital currencies

Rife with complex terminology, the world of cryptocurrency can be daunting at the best of times, but things got even more confusing last week when JPMorgan announced the launch of its own coin, which many argued was a digital currency – possibly a stablecoin – but most definitely not a cryptocurrency.

With this in mind, Hard Fork put together a primer on the differences between cryptocurrencies, digital, and virtual currencies – three terms that are often used indiscriminately but don’t actually mean the same thing.

Defining digital currencies

Digital currency is the blanket term used to describe all electronic money, that includes both virtual currency and cryptocurrency. It can be regulated or unregulated.

It’s only available in digital or electronic form and unlike a dollar bill or a coin, it’s intangible. Digital currencies, which can only be owned and spent using electronic wallets or designated connected networks, are also commonly called digital money, or cyber cash.

The lack of intermediaries means transactions are typically instantaneous and incur no or little fees.

If what critics say is true, JPMorgan’s coin, for example, would classify as a digital currency because it doesn’t operate on a blockchain, it’s used online, and its intended use is to transfer funds between the financial giant and its clients.

What about virtual currencies?

Virtual currencies are a type of digital currency, typically controlled by its creators and used and accepted among the members of a specific virtual community

Here is where it gets a little confusing: all virtual currencies are digital (they exist online only), but not all digital currencies are virtual, because they exist outside a specific virtual environment.

Essentially, virtual currency is a representation of monetary value issued, managed, and controlled by private issuers for the transaction of peer-to-peer payments. They are sometimes represented in terms of tokens and may be unregulated without a legal tender such as coins or banknotes.

Unlike fiat currency, virtual currency is not issued by a bank. This lack of regulation means virtual currencies are susceptible to price swings.

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are considered to be virtual currencies.

So, what is a cryptocurrency?

The ‘crypto’ in ‘cryptocurrency‘ refers to the fact that many encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques are used to ensure security across the network. This level of security also makes cryptocurrencies hard to counterfeit.

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