Deciding which currency we use every day is not a choice we’ve had to make before, but that choice is coming and it will have a massive impact on our future.

Looking back to the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, this new technology appeared to mark the beginning of a globally accessible currency. We could easily carry large amounts of wealth on an electronic device and transfer it cheaply to anywhere in the world — or so the promise went.

Some of the best characteristics of the network survive today and serve as evidence that the original idea of a blockchain-based currency accepted all over the world is achievable. But, like most technologies, as new versions emerged and existing ones matured many better designs showed up that improved on the earlier ones in nearly every way.

And they aren’t just incremental improvements. The efficiencies and benefits these new designs brought in cost, usability and the overall impact on our world are enormous. Some of the improvements are so big they are hard to grasp despite having very clear numbers about their differences.

It is precisely because of these huge variations that our choice of currency is becoming increasingly important. This short series of posts about Currency as a Choice aim to help us prepare for this decision. In Part II we look at some of the characteristics of digital currencies you should be familiar with to help get closer to the right choice for us all.

Whether we use digital currency today or not, there isn’t a better time than now to try understanding more about them. They’re coming one way or another and with a little insight we can steer them for the better. Start by sharing your thoughts in the comments below and follow me to get updates on the next part in this series.