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5 Most Common Misconceptions About Cryptocurrency

We still have people who do not know that cryptocurrencies have been on the market for more than a decade. Not all of them, of course, but BTC has been around for even more. Despite this, most people aren’t familiar with them, and once they develop an interest, many things leave them confused. In the first years, while crypto indeed was a mystery, myths and misconceptions arose, and some of them remained to this day. In this article, we are going to talk about the five most common misconceptions about cryptocurrency. Could you keep reading and see what they are?

Source:medium.com

It’s Anonymous

These days it is popular to get involved with crypto. Such is the trend. But most people see it as some type of mystery, which grants them anonymity while they mine and trade it. This is not the case. It is actually more of confusion that the term pseudonymity creates with new users. It is because of this that people believe that crypto guarantees their anonymity, which makes a great misconception.

Furthermore, not all crypto’s are the same. One of the most famous ones, Bitcoin, provides pseudonymity because the user’s personal data are not disclosed during the transactions. But, this doesn’t mean that your exchange or blockchain doesn’t know who you are or that this data isn’t available to governmental and financial institutions who look over the legitimacy and security of crypto trading.

What people are actually are looking for are other cryptocurrencies such as Monero and Dash. They do offer their customers with a high level of anonymity and the highest possible levels of security and privacy. Even with all of that, once you log onto an exchange and create an e-wallet, you need to leave your personal data.

Cryptocurrencies are Mostly Used for Illegal Activities

Source:cryptotim.es

Yup, you heard it right. Many people link cryptocurrencies to illegal activities that occur on the other end of the web specter. There are those who believe that you can operate with crypto only on the dark web. Just like anything else in this world, there are people who conduct illegal activities with cryptocurrencies. But, they are few and far between to consider crypto as anything remotely illegal. Most activities conducted with crypto occur on the open market and are entirely legal.

This opinion still lives because people understand the numbers, but percentages not so much. During the last year, the dark web activity, which included Bitcoin, amassed to $829 million in transactions. This is a significant number on its own, but it’s just a tiny fraction of entire BTC transactions that happen during one fiscal year (0.5%). What this means that many other FIAT currencies are used on illegal markets much more compared to crypto. If you want to discover what we’re talking about, just look into how much US Dollars or Euro are represented on illegal markets. You’ll be astonished.

Tokens And Coins Are The Same Things

Source:steemit.com

All of the terms regarding cryptocurrencies are new to most people, and it’s no wonder we have as many misconceptions. Tokens and ICO (Initial Coin Offerings) are not the same. Blockchain has both of them, but coins are only there to manifest the value. Tokens, on the other hand, are much more. They do not only hold the simple value but also intangibles such as income, property, utility, and fungibility. In terms of crypto, the property can both refer to real estate transactions, but also to intellectual property. Tokens are much more broader term that also goes hand in hand with terms such as loyalty points and other commodities that crypto holds.

It’s Untaxable Income

Sometimes this statement holds the truth. There are countries in the world that haven’t out tax on crypto. If you are lucky enough to be living in places such as Holland, Denmark, Italy, or Singapore, you don’t have to pay taxes on BTC and similar crypto. But, despite the lack of regulations right now, it’s only a matter of time when things are going to change in these countries. While there are no established tax rules in some countries, it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. It all comes down to what you’re allowed and what you shouldn’t be doing regardless of the regulations.

On the opposite side of the countries, we listed above, you have the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, where cryptocurrencies are seen as capital gains and thus is taxed. So if you live in the land down under, and want to start your crypto life with bitcoinaussiesystem, don’t forget the taxes. In addition to everything said above, we also have Japan that sees cryptocurrencies as miscellaneous income, and Germany that regulates it differently depending on either you sell, buy, or invest crypto.

Bitcoin is the Only Cryptocurrency that Matters

Source:coindesk.com

Yes, it all started with BTC. It is the oldest and the most valuable cryptocurrency, but it’s not the only one. Thanks to this, it became the most popular one, and it often overshadows the other ones available. It also holds the most incredible value, so there’s that. This is precisely why most people believe that they shouldn’t look further from it. While you won’t do anything wrong, if you focus only on Bitcoin, you could miss on the opportunities other crypto’s offer.

You should also know that due to the limit of available BTC and the fact it has been on the market for so long, it gets harder to mine it. We are not exaggerate anything, but while BTC lives of its old glory, many modern cryptocurrencies have upped their game and today have much more to offer compared to BTC. We should also mention the small matter of price, where BTC is reasonably expensive and provides lower margins of gain for trades in recent times. By now, you must be understanding that other cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin or Ethereum can rival BTC. Maybe not today, but soon. You are probably googling them as we speak.