Exploring Cryptocurrency

Today, we look at Ripple and their native token XRP, a unique cryptocurrency that is being utilized to facilitate cross-border transactions in a lightning fast, extremely cost-effective ecosystem.

You’ll learn all the basics necessary to understand what XRP is and how it works, including their revolutionary and highly demanded xRapid technology as well as the proprietary consensus algorithm that affords the Ripple network high scalability and such speed that it rivals that of the entire VISA network.

Also, just a quick crypto news update on a recent ICO scam - just friendly warning to listeners who are actively or thinking about investing in cryptocurrencies, some advice on identifying scams and how to take measures to avoid them.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy this podcast so more people can learn about these exciting technologies!

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Ethereum! Yes, we’re going to learn all about Ethereum today! This is probably the most revolutionary cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in the history of the space, and we’ll be learning every aspect of it: from smart contracts and decentralized applications - or DApps - to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and the ERC20 token standard.

As always, “Exploring Cryptocurrency” episodes come with the guarantee of never leaving a stone unturned: we promise that you’ll understand what all of these terms mean throughout this episode. No technical jargon, no Master’s in computer science and programming required.

Even if you’re experienced in the crypto and alt-coin space, we recommend checking this one out, as it’s a thorough outline of Ethereum.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy this podcast so more people can learn about these exciting technologies!

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Today we're going over Bitcoin! What is Bitcoin? How does Bitcoin - the world's first global, digital, and decentralized currency - work? What is bitcoin mining and how does that work? And what are some of the potential problems with the Bitcoin network?

All of these questions answered and made simple in this episode of "Exploring Cryptocurrency". In this episode, we make Bitcoin simple and explain the technology without all the confusing jargon and over-complication you may encounter when trying to understand it. You'll also learn what Bitcoin-specific terms mean, such as mining, proof-of-work, and blockchain really mean.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy this podcast so more people can learn about these exciting technologies!

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In this episode, we'll be learning all about TRON! We'll discuss the history and background of The TRON Foundation, the TRX token, how TRX works, and the controversy surrounding TRON.

We'll also be taking a dive into the inner-workings of this unique cryptocurrency, learning how its delegated-proof-of-stake (DPOS) consensus algorithm works, and how it is used to create a democratic network of voting for and electing "Super Representatives" using the TRX token and "TRON Power".

Last, we'll take a look at TRON's acquisition of the BitTorrent Network, the BTT token, and how TRON stacks up against competitors Ethereum and EOS.

If you're a total beginner, don't fret! Our first two episodes break down this technology into simple terms. Nevertheless, this episode is easy to understand and informative for newcomers and the experienced alike.

Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast to help inform more people about cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies and their use cases.

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In episode 2 of Exploring Cryptocurrency, we're going to learn how Bitcoin and the blockchain work. Using a simple analogy, even someone with no background in computer science, finance, or technology will be able to understand the Bitcoin protocol and the creative, revolutionary blockchain technology it utilizes.

This episode is great for both complete newcomers to the crypto space, as well as the experienced user/investor who may want to polish up on some Bitcoin and blockchain basics. Check it out and acquire a working knowledge of this curious technology that everyone's talking about!


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In our first podcast episode, we will be discussing the history of this curious technology called "money". We'll learn how money is a system for expressing value and acquire a clear understand of this abstract, incorporeal, and often confounding concept.

Evaluating and surveying this history will illustrate how cryptocurrency plays a natural role in the progression of money as a technology and will establish an important baseline understanding of currency that will allow us to move forward into upcoming episodes where we will discuss Bitcoin, the blockchain technology on which it operates, and eventually other cryptocurrencies and types of blockchains, such as permissioned distributed systems, centralized and distributed hybrid systems, ERC20, the Hyperledger project, et al. 

And don't worry - if you have no idea what those aforementioned technologies are, you'll learn all about them in their respective episodes.

This podcast episode is intended for all audiences, regardless of computer science or finance foreknowledge.

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Hi all,

Welcome to "Exploring Cryptocurrency"! This is a platform for both new and experienced users of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to learn and keep up-to-date with current events in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. Discourse is also encouraged; don't hesitate to leave a comment with your input, questions, and/or topics you'd like to learn more about.

Exploring Cryptocurrency is about more than just cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology - it is a place for exploring new, emergent, and disruptive technologies and ideas. One of our primary goals is to contribute to the crypto community by educating every day, often non-tech savvy folks about this exciting and powerful technology. In that interest, you will find many podcasts and articles that investigate these technologies from a layman's perspective, making complex ideas easy to understand by way of real-world use-cases, analogies, and ongoing discourse.

About the Author:

I'm not an expert; my knowledge isn't preeminent. I am merely a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast and passionate adherent of futurist ideologies. I was introduced to blockchain tech in 2012 while in University when I stumbled upon a curious research paper on the dark web. This research paper was Satoshi Nakamoto's original Bitcoin white paper. Given my prior acquaintanceship with distributed systems and a burgeoning interest in cryptography, I was blown away - here was a solution-driven technology that had the potential to change the world, not just finance! I was excited about this peer-to-peer, decentralized protocol standard that could potentiate a network of immutability, consensus and trust. The applications were and are immeasurable.

I subsequently casually followed Bitcoin, then Ethereum, then the ERC20 standard and smart contracts. In 2016, I fully realized the potential of blockchain technology as a means of creating and fostering global markets, trans-nationalism, automated technology, as well as incredible theoretical ideas, such as automating things like personal finance and corporate management, things that we have until now envisioned as inextricably intertwined with person-hood. e.g. The Internet of Things, AI financial autonomy, algorithmic corporations and non-profits

The Responsibilities of the Cryptocurrency Community:

Many individuals first made their foray into the crypto space when Bitcoin's valuation reached an all-time-high in December 2017. Thereafter, another market correction happened (something early crypto adopters are accustomed to), leaving millions of new users disenfranchised with what they saw as only a means to acquire capital gains by way of speculative investing. This created a rift in the cryptocurrency space, wherein the valuations of token assets seemingly inversely reflects (and unfortunately, obfuscates) the success of blockchain implementations and the ever-growing use-cases of various tokens: while a bear market has endured, blockchain technology has flourished. Thus, one of my goals here is to educate new cryptocurrency users and investors about how important it is to actively engage in and use these technologies, not to just see them as ways to make money.

As someone who has spent countless hours across over two years researching these technologies, I owe the community a didactic, accessible, and welcoming platform for learning about them. Please do not hesitate to comment so as to ask questions, which I will answer as best as I can. Please keep dialogue civil and remain cognizant that we, the cryptocurrency community, have a responsibility to make this space accessible to those who either have a difficult time understanding this technology, or otherwise are not well-versed in computer science and/or finance. In order to see widespread adoption, it is imperative that we become less insular.

Best,

Matthew