So, it’s a complicated subject, because it depends on the definition of “crypto currency”, primarily the currency part of the term.

Technically, “crypto” as meaning cryptography, as we commonly use it today, as a form of “money”was implemented in 1995 as digicash, an implementation of the e-cash thesis.

There were other attempts such as b-money and a described bitgold, but none of them implemented the proof of work methodology as invented by Satoshi, and therefor were not successful as a form of “currency.”

As such, some consider bitcoin the first true “cryptocurrency.” 

The term had grown to include all kinds of digital tokens that use cryptography, but I’d suggest bitcoin is the one and only. 

 Okay so there may be no agreed upon answer to this is is the gist I’m starting to get 🤷‍♀️ 

 Yah and apparently I was five years off with my digicash reference as it was first implemented in 1990. But as i said it depends on someone’s definition of currency. 

 > it depends on the definition of "crypto currency", primarily the currency part of the term.

100%. By most working definitions of "currency" used by economists, BitCoin has never really succeeded as one. Neither has any other blockchain crypto-tokens. Eg you can't reliably buy a loaf of bread with one, from any vendor within a geographic area. So technically "cryto-currency" isn't a thing.

But as a neologism for blockchain crypto-tokens, BitCoin was definitely the first.