In the article the essence of electronic and digital money is analyzed, comparative analysis of these two categories is carried out, taking into account their distinctive characteristics and common elements. Virtual money, including cryptocurrencies, is distinguished as a subspecies of digital money. Cryptocurrencies are analyzed based on the most famous ones, such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, DASH, etc. Separately, data on the volume of cryptocurrency market are given, as well as the list of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges is presented. In the final part of the article the main advantages and disadvantages of operations with cryptocurrencies are listed.
The publication is available only in Russian.