Cryptocurrency works by taking advantage of the power of cryptography to secure and verify transactions between two parties. Cryptocurrency transactions are created and stored on a public ledger known as a blockchain. Each transaction requires two keys – a public key, which is available for everyone to see but is impossible for anyone else to use, and a private key, which gives you access to your funds and allows you to authorize transactions. When someone sends you cryptocurrency, the transaction is broadcast to the blockchain and then cryptographically verified to prove that the sender has the amount they are trying to send. The transaction is then added to the blockchain which serves as a permanent record of all the transactions that have ever taken place in that particular cryptocurrency.