What does "cryptocurrency" mean?

A digital currency based on a cryptographic system, usually having no central issuing or regulating authority.

What is a synonym for "cryptocurrency"?

Common synonyms include: crypto, cryptocoin, cybercurrency.

Pronounced //ˈkɹɪp.toʊˌkɝ.ən.si//.

//ˈkɹɪp.toʊˌkɝ.ən.si// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A digital currency based on a cryptographic system, usually having no central issuing or regulating authority. countable, uncountable
"Bitcoin was the first decentralized cryptocurrency."
2
a currency based on the usage of cryptography to secure transactions wordnet

"Tom wants to create his own cryptocurrency."

From crypto- (“cryptographic”) + currency.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.