crypto
n. uncountablen. digital money that uses complex computer code to keep transactions secure. It is a short, casual way to talk about currencies like Bitcoin.
n. a digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography, typically operating on a decentralized network such as a blockchain. It is an informal clipping of the word 'cryptocurrency'.
He lost a lot of money investing in crypto last year.
Many younger investors prefer buying crypto over traditional stocks because they hope for faster profits.
Despite the promise of decentralized finance, the extreme volatility of crypto has led regulators to demand stricter oversight of digital asset exchanges.
All senses trace back to clippings of words derived from the prefix crypto-, developed at various times in the 20th and 21st centuries. During the 2010s and 2020s, the "cryptocurrency" sense has become the dominant sense. The "cryptography" sense predates that one; thus, a computer or math geek in earlier decades would be referring to cryptography when using this word. The "secret supporter or follower" sense is clipped from such terms as cryptofascist and cryptocommunist. The several informal senses in medicine referring to several microbe genera or the diseases they cause have existed since circa the mid-20th century.