To create new units of value, cryptoassets must typically be “mined” by running energy-intensive computer computations. This is, in effect, a form of preprogrammed monetary policy: the purchasing power of the crypto tokens is determined by supply and demand, where the supply is limited by the enabling software.5 This pre-programmed mechanism for creating cryptoassets was originally a key selling point.
Those who believed that central banks could not be trusted to maintain the value of money were attracted by the idea of a money that is untouched by any public institution or individual. 5 However, Bitcoin allows the possibility of “forking” or the creation of two separate versions of the  blockchain and two different cryptoassets.