Over recent years, cryptocurrency has generated more headlines than any other phenomenon in the world of finance. It has achieved things that no other investment mechanism has ever achieved, in a timescale that is barely believable. And it has resonated with a new generation of Internet-savvy entrepreneurs and consumers, who almost intrinsically understand its particular qualities and advantages.Yet as important as cryptocurrency has been in liberalizing finance and currency, the most important revolution in this sphere is still to occur. This is due to technology that has always underpinned cryptocurrency, without ever attracting the frenzied attention associated with the express escalation in the value of Bitcoin. The blockchain is the technology that makes cryptocurrency possible. It is an incredible innovation that makes it possible to compile huge registers of transactions, which can not only be updated in real-time, but also retain the privacy of those transactions indefinitely. The blockchain guarantees equality, granting all participants within a system equal access, while also ensuring that the vandalism of the system underlying the blockchain is impossible.This is no mean feat. It is something that has only become conceivable due to the paradigm shift that has occurred via what is sometimes described as the Technological Age. This whirlwind has swept up each and every one of us, at least in the Western world, in recent years. The unstoppable force created by technology can be exciting; offering a wealth of new opportunities and experiences. And it can be inspirational; enticing us with the possibility of exploring new frontiers and solving epoch-defining problems.But, perhaps above all else, it can be difficult to understand and keep up! The world revolves at a lightning pace nowadays, and the breakneck speed of change means that grasping the latest zeitgeist can be challenging.Technological development has been a fundamental part of human society since the first industrial revolution, but this change has certainly accelerated in the 21st century