Blockchains typically function via proof-of-work (PoW) or proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithms. PoW operates based on miners who often designate specific computing machines for the process.
The first cryptocurrency was bitcoin. The bitcoin domain was registered in 2008, but the first transaction took place in 2009. It was developed by someone called ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’. However, there is speculation that Nakamoto is a pseudonym as the bitcoin creator is notoriously secretive, and no one knows whether ‘he’ is a person or a group.

Since the Great Recession ended more than 12 years ago, growth stocks have been the talk of Wall Street. Historically low lending rates and an accommodative Federal Reserve have paved the way for fast-paced companies to borrow cheaply in order to hire, acquire, and innovate. A report from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, a division of JPMorgan Chase, found the average annual return for companies that initiated and grew their payouts between 1972 and 2012 completely trounced the average annual return of companies that didn't pay a dividend over the same four-decade span (9.5% vs. 1.6%).
In June, the Chinese Government cracked down on considerable crypto mining operations taking place in the Sichuan province and demanded that Chinese banks and payment channels stop supporting decentralised and anonymous crypto transactions.