We further explore the significance of cryptocurrency fundamentals at the aggregate market level using traditional asset pricing tests. For this analysis, we construct risk factors that are based on aggregate values of computing power and network. We denote the aggregate computing power factor with ACP and aggregate network factor with ANET. The innovation in constructing these factors is that we express them in cryptocurrency return units following the factor mimicking portfolio approach (Knez et al. 1994, Lamont 2001, Vassalou 2003).
Privacy coins are among those most being discussed by investors today. Monero is one of the oldest privacy coins. Its whole purpose is to help users keep their transactions completely anonymous. It also aims to be wholly decentralised. Users are able to complete transactions without needing to trust any user on the network.

Ethereum makes some noteworthy improvements to Bitcoin’s basic architecture. In particular, it utilizes “smart contracts” that enforce the performance of a given transaction, compel parties not to renege on their agreements, and contain mechanisms for refunds should one party violate the agreement.
About 15 years later, an accomplished software engineer named Wei Dai published a white paper on b-money, a virtual currency architecture that included many of the basic components of modern cryptocurrencies, such as complex anonymity protections and decentralization.