Here’s how you should write cryptocurrency terms according to the 2019 Associated Press Stylebook

New York-based news outlet the Associated Press (AP) revealed in a tweet that its latest edition of The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law has a dedicated section for cryptocurrencies.

Based on the new AP style guidelines, which are used by journalists, academics, and other writers, the cryptocurrency names should be capitalized when they are referred to as a system. But when they are referred to as token payments, the first letter should be kept in lowercase.

Here are two examples provided:

“The government wants to regulate Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. He bought a vacuum cleaner online using bitcoins.”

The AP Stylebook also prohibits digital money to be called as crypto.

“Avoid using the shorthand crypto, which can be confused with cryptography. Cryptocurrency is not the same as virtual currency, which is used in virtual worlds such as online games,” AP writes, as cited by CoinDesk.

It appears that cryptocurrency is getting recognized globally. Just recently, Reddit and Twitter users discovered that the Bitcoin symbol has been added to Microsoft Excel as its currency option. Although Microsoft has not officially commented, the newly added feature would make it easy for users of the spreadsheet creation software to record or account their Bitcoin financial data.