digital currency
Americannoun
Usage
There are numerous terms for money available only in nonphysical forms, and each has a slightly different scope. Digital currency is the broadest label, covering any kind of money or money-like asset that only has an electronic form. Some digital currencies are also virtual currencies, which are distinguished by being unregulated, issued by private individuals such as the developers of the currency, and generally localized to a particular community. Virtual currencies include tokens you can buy in online games, but they also include cryptocurrencies, which are distinguished by their decentralized trading networks and their use of advanced cryptography for security. The first widely adopted cryptocurrency was bitcoin, and all other cryptocurrencies are sometimes called altcoins. Another type of digital currency is a CBDC, or central bank digital currency. These are electronic-only versions of national currencies, such as China's digital yuan, and they are regulated by the same central bank that regulates the nondigital money supply in that country. A central bank digital currency is different from money stored electronically in an online bank account, because CBDCs are only issued and traded electronically, with no physical form.
Etymology
Origin of digital currency
First recorded in 1990–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This enables Chinese trading partners to be paid for goods in digital yuan, and then earn interest on that digital currency, mirroring how reserves of U.S. dollars earn interest as U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
He was lackluster and stuck mostly to talking about Trump accounts, taxes, 401k’s, digital currency and interest rates, though he did have to handle a few questions on Iran, AI, Cuba and antifa.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Labour MP Phil Brickell has urged the watchdog to investigate donations made to Restore Britain by the anonymous creators of digital currency Britain Token.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
A central bank digital currency, the study found, could speed up the time it takes for transactions to settle and expand banking access but could pose risks to banks.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
That includes when the digital asset is traded for another digital currency or when it’s sold for cash or foreign currency.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 14, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
