Abstract

The field of cryptocurrency has witnessed exponential growth in popularity in recent years. Almost ten years ago, the release of Bitcoin marked the beginning of a new era of innovation in the financial sector. In this work, we outline what exactly defines a cryptocurrency, describing fundamental concepts, underlying technologies such as the blockchain, and subsequently the viability of this new digital financial asset. Building on this knowledge, we examine the infamous volatility of cryptocurrency prices, analyzing pricing data and the likelihood of these currencies, specifically Bitcoin, being in the midst of a financial bubble. We examine the prediction of prices, or rather the inability to do so, before introducing the Currency Analyzer web application developed as part of this work. Containing up to date prices, this application predicts the prices of Bitcoin using machine learning. The research, planning methodologies, technologies, and design and evaluation of this application are described in detail in this chapter, followed by a conclusion and future scope.