<p>Reading the NXT website, it talks about an <a href="http://nxt.org/about/asset-exchange/" rel="nofollow">Asset Exchange</a> and a <a href="http://nxt.org/about/monetary-system/" rel="nofollow">Monetary System</a>. First seems to be regarding assets, while the second article one is talking about currencies. Is there any difference between those two, is one a subset of the other, or are they all the same?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-15T20:02:53.097Z
In some places, they seem to be drawing the distinction that a currency is a means for measuring the magnitude of assets while an asset has to have a specific location, issuer, or backer. But in other places, they seem to use the terms interchangeably. (Dollars are a *currency*. If I have a 10 dollars bill in my pocket, that's an *asset*, whose magnitude is 10 dollars. Currencies are how you measure how much of an asset you have.)
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-15T21:20:22.767Z
I'll try to login tonight and more throughly explain.  Functionally they are very different.  Assets are like simple stocks.  MS currencies have a whole slew of properties thaf allow you to customize your own token/currency. You could create a currency where you can create/destroy units (for usecases like arcades) or you could create dynamic scenarios where users can create coins when certain conditions are met.  Many of the new MS currencies are full-fledged PoW coins.  No code necessary.  Spec the currency, pay the Nxt fee and you've created your own custom cryptocurrency.
RLH
<currencies><nxt><decentralized-assets>
NXT - What is the difference between an Asset and a Currency?
ThePiachu
# NXT - What is the difference between an Asset and a Currency?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-15)

Reading the NXT website, it talks about an [Asset Exchange](http://nxt.org/about/asset-exchange/) and a [Monetary System](http://nxt.org/about/monetary-system/). First seems to be regarding assets, while the second article one is talking about currencies. Is there any difference between those two, is one a subset of the other, or are they all the same?

**Tags:** currencies, nxt, decentralized-assets

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In some places, they seem to be drawing the distinction that a currency is a means for measuring the magnitude of assets while an asset has to have a specific location, issuer, or backer. But in other places, they seem to use the terms interchangeably. (Dollars are a *currency*. If I have a 10 dollars bill in my pocket, that's an *asset*, whose magnitude is 10 dollars. Currencies are how you measure how much of an asset you have.)  
> **username_2**: I'll try to login tonight and more throughly explain.  Functionally they are very different.  Assets are like simple stocks.  MS currencies have a whole slew of properties thaf allow you to customize your own token/currency. You could create a currency where you can create/destroy units (for usecases like arcades) or you could create dynamic scenarios where users can create coins when certain conditions are met.  Many of the new MS currencies are full-fledged PoW coins.  No code necessary.  Spec the currency, pay the Nxt fee and you've created your own custom cryptocurrency.  

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## 0 answers

