CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND THE ROLE OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN THE ECONOMY

This article analyzes the role of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in the modern economy, their impact on financial systems, and their significance in global economic processes from a scientific perspective. In recent years, along with the development of the digital economy, interest in crypto assets has increased significantly. In traditional financial systems, banks and other financial institutions play a central role. Cryptocurrencies, however, operate based on the principle of decentralization, allowing financial transactions to be carried out without intermediaries. This process is ensured through blockchain technology. Blockchain is a distributed database in which all transactions are stored in the form of blocks and protected by cryptographic algorithms. Each new block is linked to the previous one, making it almost impossible to alter the stored information. For this reason, blockchain systems provide a high level of security and transparency. This technology is used not only in financial operations but also in many other sectors such as logistics, public administration, healthcare, and international trade.