'Crypto' Meaning Debate

The cluster revolves around debates over whether 'crypto' refers to cryptography or cryptocurrencies, with many users expressing frustration at the term's appropriation by cryptocurrency contexts causing confusion.

📉 Falling 0.2x Finance & Crypto
1,346
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#5816
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Keywords

e.g NYT AI NaCl secappdev.org ARE en.m EUROCRYPT wikipedia.org cryptography crypto cryptocurrency cryptocurrencies currency word means referring meaning subset

Sample Comments

eeZah7Ux Aug 7, 2019 View on HN

"crypto" means cryptography, not cryptocurrencies. Please stop appropriating the word.

Steuard Dec 23, 2017 View on HN

Where by "crypto" you mean "cryptocurrencies", rather than the more common "cryptography" (which I think is still overwhelmingly appreciated here), right?

TRiG_Ireland Jul 29, 2023 View on HN

Methinks you're committing the etymological fallacy. Crypto is not cryptography. Crypto is a specific subset of cryptography, quite far removed (in purpose, if not in technology) from normal cryptography.

dredmorbius Nov 21, 2019 View on HN

"Crypto" in context clearly means cryptography, not cryptocurrency.

nicoburns Oct 18, 2022 View on HN

Sadly crypto in this context refers to cryptocurrencies, not cryptography.

timdaub Dec 20, 2021 View on HN

"crypto means cryptography" is reactionary.

mthoms Sep 9, 2021 View on HN

Be careful, you're about to be berated for using "Crypto" in reference to Cryptocurrency instead of Cryptography :)

gammacrawler Apr 11, 2018 View on HN

crypto should not mean cryptocurrency it should mean cryptography

jimktrains2 Nov 14, 2017 View on HN

I really dislike"crypto" referring to "crytocurrencies" and not "cryptography".

quickthrower2 Dec 16, 2018 View on HN

Just to avoid the confusion, "crypto" means cryptography not currency in this context. I had to check myself.