What are cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies or digital currencies are digital assets designed to work as a way to exchange value. Digital currencies use cryptography to secure all transactions and to limit the creation of additional units of the currency. The most commonly known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, a worldwide digital payment system.

Most digital currencies rely on a technology called blockchain which was first pioneered by Bitcoin. The blockchain is a immutable set of transaction records. This means that every transaction made on the blockchain is saved indefinitely in a publicly available database. As a result, the blockchain enables two parties who never met to make trustful transactions, without the need for an intermediary like a bank or payment processor.

What is Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a worldwide digital currency and digital payment system. Bitcoin Cash is the result of a prolonged disagreement on how to handle the bitcoin scalability and was created through a so called hard fork of the original Bitcoin blockchain on August 1, 2017. The main differences between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash are that Bitcoin integrated a new technology called Segregated Witness as a means to improve transaction volume and speed, whereas Bitcoin Cash increased the size one block in the blockchain can have to achieve the same goal.

IOTA is a next–generation cryptocurrency designed for the Internet of Things. IOTA utilizes a distributed ledger called „tangle“ that does not make use of a blockchain and does not require mining. This technology will offer several advantages over blockchain cryptocurrencies such as scalability, decentralization and low fees. IOTA is currently still in a beta development stage.

How to buy Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?

Bitcoin Cash is traded at so called exchanges. Exchanges are platforms that allow the exchange of fiat currencies such as Dollars or Euros against digital currencies. Besides exchanges, there are so called broker services, which aim to facilitate the buying process for non-experts. These brokers allow the purchase of Bitcoin Cash at a fixed price and often feature more payment solutions and are easier to use for beginners.

Look out for the following conditions before you select a marketplace to buy Bitcoin Cash :

• Fees: Exchanges usually charge a relatively low trading fee between 0.1 and 0.3 percent on every trade, whereas broker services usually charge higher buying fees of up to 10 percent. Besides trading fees there are often fees for deposits and withdrawals.
• Verification: Most exchanges and broker services require you to verify your identity before you can start depositing fiat currencies like Dollars or Euros. The verification methods vary among different providers, but usually you will be required to upload a copy of your passport (or other identity document) and a valid proof of residence (e.g. a utility bill). The verification process may take between 10 minutes (using video conferencing tools) and several weeks.
• Payment Methods: To buy Bitcoin, Ethereum or other currencies you need to deposit money on a marketplace. Most exchanges only offer you the possibility to deposit money using wire transfer, which can take up to 5 days. Broker services, however, often offer additional payment methods such as VISA or MasterCard at an additional payment fee.
• Security: Security also plays a major role when trading cryptocurrencies- There have already been several hacks of cryptocurrency marketplaces. Cryptoradar helps you filter providers by offered security features such as 2FA, cold storage or multisig wallets. We also encourage you to not keep significant amounts of fiat or digital currencies on exchanges as these might be affected in case of an hack.