Cryptocurrency is a decentralized digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography, making it nearly impossible to counterfeit. It operates on a distributed ledger called a blockchain, which is a network of computers that records and verifies transactions without the need for a central authority like a bank or government.
A crypto coin is a cryptocurrency that operates natively on its own independent blockchain, such as Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH). A crypto token is a digital asset built on top of an existing blockchain network using smart contracts, such as ERC-20 tokens running on the Ethereum network or stablecoins like USDT and USDC.