With the lightning-fast pace at which technology, business and economies are globalizing, it’s enough to make even the sharpest leader’s head spin just trying to keep up.
But one thing is for sure: cryptocurrency is here to stay. And it can’t be ignored. Digital wallets are increasingly being used, and though they require some creativity (and perhaps a bit of grandiosity), they really do have a future in terms of influence.
Below we’ll take a look at five ways cryptocurrency has already begun to shape our world:
Accessible Financial Services
Anytime someone says “this is gonna change everything,” you’re right to be skeptical. But with growing crypto ads across television screens and wild assertions from celebrities promoting different coins, they might have actually got this one right.
Cryptocurrencies offer new investment opportunities and contribute to economic growth, but their proliferation also raises concerns regarding volatility, risk, and cybersecurity. By understanding key drivers of adoption and creating targeted educational campaigns and security measures to promote trust in this technology.
Empowered Individuals
Some people living far away may only dream about using currency that’s not tied down by borders or local economy restrictions — but that dream could soon become reality.
Migrant workers in developing countries can use cryptocurrency to send funds home quickly and avoid high fees and slow transfer times associated with traditional remittance services.
Similar considerations apply for small-scale entrepreneurs selling goods and services online: thanks to cryptocurrency’s cross-border capabilities, microtransaction support, and asset tokenization features, they can reach global customer bases without being restricted by local financial infrastructure constraints.
Encouraged Innovation
We’ve seen smart contracts blast off into the digital transaction world — taking all sorts of intermediaries down along with them! This kind of innovation has made it easier for less fortunate communities to gain access to loans and savings accounts without the help of traditional banks.
Cryptocurrencies have long been seen as revolutionary innovations that seek to dismantle central banks and Wall Street while simultaneously increasing financial autonomy and inclusivity. Critics, however, view cryptocurrency as an enabler of criminals and rogue states, despite the clear benefits for all.
Reduced Costs
With greater power comes greater responsibility — or so they say. And in this case, with more power for consumers comes the potential to challenge traditionally costly systems like foreign exchange fees and long transfer times.
Traditional money transfers require costly foreign exchange fees and long transfer times; cryptocurrency transactions, on the other hand, can be completed instantly at a fraction of their cost and offer increased censorship resistance because they do not rely on third parties such as banks to block transactions or charge fees.
Previous studies on the cryptocurrency ecosystem have largely focused on informing policymakers, investors, and consumers of its various prospects, difficulties, and ramifications. This paper uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to investigate awareness, perceived usefulness, adoption of cryptocurrency-related products using TAM as well as trust’s role as a moderating factor.
Politically-motivated Trade Barriers
Cryptocurrency’s existence alone has attracted investors. It being a decentralized network that allows for secure transactions has been lucrative. No middle man involved cuts the costs of doing business and everyone wins.
This is all great, but it can’t go unsaid that crypto has some major issues. Despite its potential to nip inflation in the bud with a always fixed supply they have made people wary due to how volatile they are (Evans & Zhang, 2022).
That said it cannot be denied what cryptocurrency does well. Money issuance used to be solely in the hands of governments, but now with this new technology it seems that anyone can do it. Rather than shutting down the competition, policymakers should look to collaborate with this innovative new tech as a source of inspiration to make their own currencies better.
In developing countries this could change lives by bringing financial inclusion and speeding up development by making corruption and bribery less efficient