Since cryptocurrency first emerged it has grown significantly in popularity, particularly in recent years. However, as an outsider, it can be difficult to understand what it is, how it works, and why it’s used. So, here’s a quick guide to cryptocurrency. 

What is cryptocurrency? 

Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that allows for secure transactions online. Traditionally, currencies like the US dollar or euro are operated by a bank or a central authority. Crypto, however, operates independently and negates the need for a middleman (a bank), in turn making transactions faster and more secure. 

How does cryptocurrency work? 

Cryptocurrency works on a decentralised network and uses blockchain technology – a shared ledger that records all transactions and assets (both tangible and intangible) across a network of computers. Users (also known as miners or validators) maintain this ledger whilst each transaction is approved by a protocol known as a ‘consensus mechanism’. 

Types of cryptocurrencies 

There are several types of cryptocurrencies available. Bitcoin, created in 2009, was the first and is the most widely known cryptocurrency. 

Other notable cryptocurrencies include Ethereum, Tether, XRP, BNB, and Solana. Some cryptocurrencies, such as Tether (USDT), are set to the value of a traditional currency to minimise the unpredictability that’s often seen in the cryptocurrency market. 

How cryptocurrency can be used

Cryptocurrency is used for a variety of purposes. Here are some of the most popular:

Investing and trading 

Cryptocurrency is commonly used for investment purposes. Investors can purchase cryptocurrencies and if their value increases over time, they can sell them on and make a profit. They can also be traded using sites like Coinbase.

Online purchases 

Numerous businesses now accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. For example, PayPal now lets users buy, sell, and use cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services online. 

Gambling 

Crypto casinos have seen an increase in popularity, and are used as a more secure method to gamble online. If you plan on using crypto casinos there are a few things to look out for: 

• Licensing

Licensed and regulated casinos follow certain standards for fairness and security based on a regulatory body such as the UK Gambling Commission. Unregulated casinos are often sought after because they usually have better bonuses and fewer restrictions. However, they do come with an increased risk of security threats. 

• KYC (Know Your Customer)

KYC is a legal requirement that verifies user identities and helps ensure no illegal financial activities take place – for comparison, crypto casinos with no KYC don’t have this extra step in security. As such, casinos with KYC are typically more secure, however, those without avoid users going through the longer verification processes. 

• Customer support 

Having helpful and responsive customer support is essential. You need to be able to raise and dispute any issues you run into, whether it be unfair gameplay or trouble with payments.

The future of cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is just one of the many financial advancements that have been made in recent years to keep up with the digital age. This digital currency offers freedom, security, and transparency with online transactions and as they evolve, they are set to play an increasingly significant role in the financial world. 

FAMILIES in Haverfordwest are in for a treat as the Easter Funfair rolls into town, offering colourful rides, sweet treats, and affordable fun for all ages.

The fair, presented by Andrew Holmes, officially opened on Friday (April 18) and runs daily until Saturday (April 26) at the Rifleman Field Car Park, SA61 1SF. Today, Sunday (April 20), the fair is open from 2:00pm to 8:00pm and is already drawing large crowds enjoying the lively atmosphere and family-friendly rides.

Entry to the event is free, with tokens for rides starting from just £1, making it a budget-friendly option for a family day out. A wide selection of attractions are available, including teacup rides, funhouses, and the popular ‘Puppy Catcher’ game. There are also refreshments sold on site, and car parking is available nearby.

The fair operates weekdays from 4:00pm to 8:30pm, Saturdays from 2:00pm to 8:30pm, and on the Bank Holiday Monday from 2:00pm to 8:30pm.

Organisers have kept a “price freeze for 2025”, ensuring that families can enjoy the fair without worrying about rising costs.

For more information, updates, and competitions, visitors can follow Andrew Holmes Funfairs on Facebook or visit www.funfairshirewales.co.uk.

A DECKHAND on the Milford Haven steam trawler Maretta is the subject of a powerful and moving exhibition opening this May at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.

Artist Donald Sinclair Swan FRSA (1918–2004), who once served as a deckhand on the Maretta, had a lifelong connection with the sea. From an early age, he was fascinated by ships—often dreaming of them or sketching their outlines in pencil. His passion for the ocean, especially the rugged beauty of the North Atlantic, is reflected in the collection now on display in the Joanna Field Gallery. Most of the works have never been seen before.

Born in Glasgow, Donald was the son of a Presbyterian minister and a former primary school teacher. He was educated at Glasgow High School but left at sixteen to join the Clan Line shipping company, determined to pursue a life in the Merchant Navy. The move came as little surprise to his father, who himself had spent years under sail before taking up the ministry.

As his daughter Mary explains, a life at sea was never a question for Donald—it was a calling.

“In 1938, with the Second World War looming, Dad transferred to the Royal Navy, serving on HMS Barham as a cadet midshipman,” she said. “By 1939 he was a Sub Lieutenant on HMS Wessex, heading into the Western Approaches. In 1940, he was posted to HMT Northern Sun, a requisitioned trawler, but contracted tuberculosis in 1941 and had to be discharged.”

The illness nearly cost Donald his life. He survived a spontaneous pneumothorax against the odds but was advised never to undertake strenuous work again. During his recovery, he turned to his childhood dream: becoming an artist.

With help from an ex-serviceman’s grant, Donald studied at the Glasgow School of Art and the Patrick Allan Fraser School of Art at Hospitalfield, Arbroath. Influential tutors included Hugh Crawford RSA and James Cowie RSA.

In 1945, he moved to London, living an unsettled life between the capital, Glasgow and eventually Cornwall. A promising spell working with Royal portrait painter Sir James Gunn was interrupted when he had to return north to care for his ailing parents.

By 1948, feeling stronger and eager to return to sea, Donald signed on as mate of the Thames sailing barge Carina. Then, in 1949, he joined the crew of the Maretta as a deckhand—drawn once again to the open sea.

“He joined the fishing fleet at a time when the industry was booming,” said Mary. “After the war, many trawlers had been requisitioned and fish stocks were healthy. Milford Haven had become a thriving fishing port.”

It was during this time that Donald wrote to an old school friend from his lodgings at The Seaman’s Bethel, Charles Street:

“As you’ll have guessed from my address, the old curse has got me and I’m off to sea again… this time for deep sea trawling. Hard work and good money—and I hope to God it lays my ghosts for keeps.”

“From my window I can see a destroyer anchored in the Roads where we lay ten years ago… The ghosts it brings up are quite unbelievable, quite beyond anything I’d expected or prepared for. Still—hard work and Atlantic air may work wonders.”

The experience proved pivotal. Donald sketched prolifically during his time aboard the Maretta, capturing the daily life, physical strain, and quiet dignity of trawlermen. Later, he would turn many of these sketches into finished artworks.

In the 1950s, Donald returned to Cornwall and married fellow artist Elizabeth Lane. The couple raised three children in a cottage near St Ives. He went on to exhibit his work on board the Cutty Sark in 1969, marking the ship’s centenary, and took on major commissions including paintings of the Mayflower, HMS Bounty, HMS Endeavour, and Suhaili, the yacht sailed solo around the world by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

In 1972, the family moved back to Scotland, where Donald continued painting maritime scenes—particularly Clyde paddle steamers—and turned his hand to pottery. Alongside Elizabeth, a Leach-trained potter, he established the Castle-an-Dinas Pottery in Cornwall and later the Isle of Cumbrae Pottery in Scotland.

Donald’s ability to sketch quickly and from life also helped him in portraiture—particularly with children. As he once wrote from the Bethel, “At the moment I’m earning my keep very nicely by drawing people…”

His “Time and Family” portrait series, a visual family history spanning 40 years and three generations, was exhibited multiple times in Scotland and Cornwall.

He and Elizabeth returned to Cornwall in 2000. Donald continued to paint until shortly before his death in November 2004. His final portraits, of his nephew’s children, were sent to Canada just weeks before he died. Elizabeth continued to paint into her 80s, passing away in 2021.

“When I found the drawings, I knew Dad would have wanted them shown in Wales,” said Mary. “With his connection to Milford Haven, the Torch Theatre seemed like the perfect place. I hope people who visit will see something of their own lives in his work.”

The exhibition includes watercolours, oils, and impressionistic sketches—some bearing the names of other trawlers and fellow crew members. One haunting piece, Up Trawl, Ballet of Sleeping Deckies, shows the sheer exhaustion of life at sea. The artworks serve not only as pieces of art but as a record of a vanished way of life—and a tribute to those who lived it.

The exhibition runs throughout May at the Torch Theatre’s Joanna Field Gallery, during Box Office opening hours. For more information, visit www.torchtheatre.co.uk or call (01646) 695267.