Development, purpose and main uses of cryptocurrencies

¹ University of Business and science, Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
² Tashkent International University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Abstract

This study focuses on cryptocurrencies. At the beginning it explains what cryptocurrency is, its main features and main areas of its significance for the economy. In this section it deals with the possibility of cryptocurrency one day replacing traditional money, trading opportunities cryptocurrencies offer, possibility to finance a business with digital coins and its availability to people without the access to banking services. A brief overview of cryptocurrency history and a definition of the technology of blockchain are also provided. The practical part of the thesis is analysing cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Firstly, these are described in terms of their origin, emission, circulation, price development and process of mining. Secondly, the impact of selected factors on the price fluctuation of selected cryptocurrencies is evaluated using statistical methods and econometric models. The analysis showed the cryptocurrency prices are more dependent on the internal factors such as the transaction volume, transaction fee, total supply, demand and hashrate, than on the external factors such as interest rates, exchange rates, stock prices and the price of gold.