Coinbase

Bitcoin (BTC) has been making a lot of headlines in recent weeks with its seemingly relentless growth, prompting many to take the cryptocurrency a bit more seriously. Understanding what exactly cryptocurrency is and furthermore, understanding how to trade it, can be a daunting task for somebody new to the concept. There are a number of exchanges where you can purchase Bitcoin and other altcoins (cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin), many of which are byzantine to say the least.

While Bitcoin (BTC) has long been the star of the crypto-currency world, another currency has recently been upstaging Bitcoin. That currency is Ripple (XRP), which aims to replace old, costly, outdated international bank transfers that can take days with its blockchain technology that takes only seconds to complete.