# Why Crypto Prices Move: The Real Story Behind the Numbers

Ever wondered why Bitcoin's $103,942 on Gate but slightly different on another exchange? Here's the deal: crypto prices aren't set by some central authority—they're **crowd-sourced** through millions of trades happening 24/7 across different platforms.

When you place a buy order at $100 and someone sells at $99, that's your market price. Multiply that across thousands of traders on hundreds of exchanges, and you get the average price you see everywhere.

# # The Price Mechanics

Unlike stocks that close at 4 PM, crypto trading never stops. This means:

- **BTC/USD** pairs tell you Bitcoin's value in fiat currency
- **BTC/ETH** pairs show relative strength between two cryptos
- **Order books** (bids and asks) determine real-time price discovery

Right now: BTC at -3.74%, ETH at -6.12%, XRP down -6.93%. These swings happen because traders constantly adjust their buy/sell prices based on news, technicals, and market sentiment.

# # Which Crypto Actually Wins?

There's no single "best"—it depends on your use case:

**Want maximum security?** → Bitcoin. 15,000+ nodes, proven track record since 2009. Trade-off: slower, more expensive per transaction.

**Need speed & low fees?** → XRP or Stellar Lumens. Built for fast settlement. Trade-off: less decentralization than BTC.

**Building dApps or using DeFi?** → Ethereum or Solana. Smart contract powerhouses. Trade-off: more complex, higher gas during congestion.

The real winner isn't the coin with the best tech—it's the one solving your specific problem.