Crypto assets, or "cryptoassets", are purely digital assets that use blockchain technology to create, verify and secure transactions.
The crypto market is made up of thousands of different crypto assets with different functions or technical characteristics.
Blockchain technology utilizes a new kind of database that can securely record information on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
This shared database, in which new entries can be added but existing entries can’t be modified, is duplicated across many computers.
One defining feature of crypto assets is that they all operate independently of a central authority like a government or central bank.
Crypto assets are owned by HODLers but are also traded as speculative bets by people who expect their value to rise within a short timeframe.