The Magic Crypto Sauce
What makes crypto unique is that it runs on the blockchain and uses cryptography to secure transactions.
Cryptography is a way to encrypt or secure data so that only the correct entity sees its contents. This makes transactions secure and also removes the need for middle-men in most cases.
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For example, when sending money to your friend, you usually have to go through an application like Venmo, Zelle, or Paypal. Sometimes these applications take fees and time to confirm a transaction. However, if you send some crypto to your friend through the blockchain directly, you avoid having to pay a middle-man fees and the transaction usually takes a few seconds or less.