There's a good video on explaining cryptocurrency on Netflix. Here's the accompanying piece from Vox:
What is bitcoin? Cryptocurrencies could be the way of the future. - Vox
I would advise the intrepid investor to do further research in this order:
1) Understand the basics of distributed computing (e.g. SETI, cloud computing) and peer to peer networking (e.g. Bit*******, Kazaa).
2) Learn how a blockchain works and how this digitally distributed ledger keeps/makes records
3) Get to know how and why Bitcoin thrived
4) Get to know Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and other blockchains like Ethereum and Solana, including other concepts like Proof-of-Work (PoW) vs Proof-of-Stake (PoS).
5) Learn the basics of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT's) and its many applications, including digital art and Play-to-Earn (P2E) online gaming models.
6) Look around and find out what sort of real-world applications of this is in your country/locale (e.g. Axie Infinity, track and trace logistics)
You will probably need a few days to get enough foundational knowledge to invest. Otherwise, do NOT get into crypto. Don't get FOMO (fear of missing out) and just dive in head first without knowing what all these newfangled things are about. You will most likely end up LOSING money.
It's basically like any other investment instrument: don't get into it without first understanding it.
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