Cryptocurrency can be spent like conventional currency. A merchant just has to accept crypto payments.Crypto is mostly used as a trading instrument like stocks or bonds. People purchase crypto expecting (or hoping) it will increase in value. Then they can turn around and sell it for a profit. But the market value of crypto tends to be volatile. Depending on the type of crypto (bitcoin, ethereum or ripple), the cost of each coin or token can range from a fraction of a cent to tens of thousands of dollars. And each can gain or lose a huge percentage of its value very quickly. This makes investing in crypto very risky.