Cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to ensure the key [properties](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money#Properties) of money are fulfilled.
It is decentralized, meaning no single entity controls it; all the regulations come from cryptography and consensus.
Today, governments across the world maintain different fiat currencies.
Fiat has some advantages over its predecessor, precious metals.
The government can control the supply, stabilizing the value.
It is also more portable than precious metals.
Carrying a bag of gold doesn't make sense when you can use Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Unfortunately, fiat currencies always end in disaster.
The longest lasting fiat currency was around for 325 years, but its value eventually went to zero.
A currency which experiences hyperinflation eventually becomes worthless.
Here are a few examples of this happening:
*<ahref="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/14/zimbabwe-trillion-dollar-note-hyerinflation-investment"target="_blank">Z$100 trillion loaves of bread in Zimbabwe</a>
*<ahref="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_the_Weimar_Republic"target="_blank">German Papiermark</a>: The currency was inflated to the point of people getting paid in wheelbarrows of cash.
[Monero](https://web.getmonero.org/) is cryptocurrency which was released a few years after Bitcoin.
It is [fungible](https://web.getmonero.org/resources/moneropedia/fungibility.html) unlike Bitcoin, meaning each unit of currency is of equal value as the others.
This is achieved by keeping the ledger private.
Transactions are put out in the open like Bitcoin, but the details are encrypted.
This means there is no way to discriminate against a user based on their financial history.
Monero is private by default, but has the ability to reveal transactions at your discretion.
In the case of a business, it may be required to show the "books".
This is simple with a view key that can be used to show incoming transactions.
One of the advantages to using cryptocurrency is that you are your own bank.
As long as you hold your private keys, your funds are safe.
With today's computing power, you will be long gone before [your key is guessed](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/2847/how-long-would-it-take-a-large-computer-to-crack-a-private-key).
Credit card companies and banks get [hacked](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/capital-one-data-breach-compromises-tens-of-millions-of-credit-card-applications-fbi-says/2019/07/29/72114cc2-b243-11e9-8f6c-7828e68cb15f_story.html), and when they do the consequences are serious.
When you are your own bank, there is no middle man, and it is your responsibility to secure your finances.
As mentioned earlier, the Bitcoin network has not gone down in over a decade. Monero has a similar track record.
