**Title: The Rise of Cryptocurrencies: A New Era of Digital Finance** In the last decade, the world has witnessed a seismic shift in the financial landscape — the rise of cryptocurrencies. What started as a fringe experiment with the launch of Bitcoin in 2009 has now grown into a global phenomenon reshaping how we think about money, investing, and even freedom. ### What Are Cryptocurrencies? Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security.