THE CRYPTO WORLD: LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF DIGITAL CURRENCIES

Oh my goodness! I have been researching these darn cryptocurrencies for weeks, and every day they surprise me more. I'll share my personal experience with this digital universe that promises financial freedom but sometimes keeps me awake at night.

Cryptos are, in essence, virtual coins secured by cryptography. The fascinating thing is that no one controls them - neither banks, nor governments, nobody! They operate on those famous blockchains, which are nothing more than ledgers distributed among thousands of computers.

What blows my mind the most is that they don't need intermediaries. When I sent my first bitcoins to my cousin in Argentina, the transaction was direct, without banks sticking their noses in and charging abusive fees. It's a marvel for those who have family far away!

But not everything is rosy. Volatility is a real roller coaster. One day you’re up 20% and celebrating, and the next you lose half of your investment while you sleep. I learned the hard way when I bought ETH at the 2021 highs... what a beating!

And be aware of the types of cryptos that are out there:

• Utility ones like XRP and ETH, which actually serve a purpose.
• Transactional ones like Bitcoin, for payments
• Governance tokens that grant voting rights
• And some that seem like outright scams...

Are they legal? It depends on where you live. Japan considers them legal property, China has banned them, and in Europe and the US it seems they want to regulate them but can't seem to agree. The problem is that governments see them as a threat to their control of money.

What no one tells you is that storing your cryptos can be a hell. If you lose your password or private key, goodbye to your money forever! And exchanges are not exactly Fort Knox - every few months one suffers a hack or its founder mysteriously "disappears" with everyone's funds.

For me, the advantages are evident: total control over your money, fast and global transactions, the possibility of generating passive income... But the disadvantages keep me awake at night: extreme volatility, the ease of being scammed, and that many projects end up being smoke.

If you ask me, I believe we are facing a revolutionary but immature technology. It reminds me of the early days of the internet. Cryptocurrencies can democratize finance, but they still have to overcome huge technical and regulatory challenges.

My advice: experiment with small amounts, learn before investing, and please, never put in money that you can't afford to lose. I learned the hard way, and believe me, it's not pleasant to see your savings evaporate in seconds.