Introduction to Crypto

Money is something we use every day to buy things we love, like toys, candy, or even a new bike! Long, long ago—think way back when dinosaurs were gone—people didn't have money. Instead, they traded things they had, like shells, cows, or handmade tools. If you had extra chickens and someone had a cool spear, you'd swap! But that was tricky because not everyone wanted what you had to trade.

Then, people got smarter and created coins made of gold or silver—small, shiny, and easy to carry. Later, they invented paper money, like the dollars or euros we use today, which banks and governments made and controlled. But what if money could be different? What if it was digital, like the points you earn in a video game, but you could actually use it to buy real stuff? That's where cryptocurrency comes in—it's a special kind of money that only exists on the internet, not in your piggy bank or wallet.

Unlike regular money, cryptocurrency isn't run by one big bank or government telling everyone what to do. Instead, it's shared and managed by thousands of computers all over the world working together. These computers keep track of who owns what, making it fair and open for everyone. This idea might sound like magic, but it's the start of a new way to think about money—and we'll explore it more in the next lessons!