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Crypto Daily Topic

8 Great Tricks to Maximize Your Mining Profits: Number 7 will Amaze you!

Cryptocurrency has opened up so many opportunities to make money. Whether it’s HODLing, staking, or mining, there’s always an opportunity to make money with crypto. Now, some of these are pretty straightforward. You deposit your crypto and sit and watch your money grow. Or you HODL and move in one day when the market is particularly bullish. But other ways, such as mining, are not as straightforward. 

Making money via crypto mining takes more than buying hardware and starting to mine right away. You want your investment in hardware, electricity, and time to count. These 8 tricks will show you how to maximize your crypto mining profit to get the best returns on investment. 

#1. Do your homework

Doing background research is one of the first things you should do before you engage with crypto mining in any capacity. Crypto mining is already complicated, and the same way you can gain lucratively is the same way you can lose.

Start with mining equipment. Check whether the type of equipment you intend to acquire and deploy is outdated. Study whether the market is currently favorable – you may find that it’s more profitable to buy the crypto rather than invest to mine it.

#2. Check whether it’s a good time to enter 

Just like with everything, there are good and bad times to jump into crypto mining. For instance, during the crypto market’s incredible bull run in 2017, crypto mining hardware from manufacturers was pretty much sold out. Most of the profitable equipment could only be found in second-hand marketplaces selling it at exorbitant prices. These hiked prices virtually made any projected profits not worth it. 

This time may have seemed a good time to start mining, but with hardware speculators milking the market as much as possible, the conditions were not the most favorable. 

On the other hand, when cryptos are trading at a much-reduced rate, you may get mining hardware at much better prices both from the manufacturer and second-hand marketplaces. This way, you stand actually to profit from the equipment rebounds. 

#3. Switch to low hash rate cryptocurrencies

This is one of the best-kept secrets of the crypto mining world. Unlike popular belief, it’s possible to find a smaller cryptocurrency with a higher return on investment than a ‘mainstream’ cryptocurrency. Smaller currencies also usually have a lower hash rate, meaning you can contribute a larger hash rate and reap a bigger mining reward. 

This means keeping an eye out on all the other markets, not just the ones you’re currently mining. If you’re using a GPU, you have even better chances. GPUs, unlike ASICs, have the flexibility of being able to mine different cryptocurrencies. 

#4. Mine brand new cryptocurrencies

Mining a new cryptocurrency can be very profitable – sometimes. When a new crypto enters the market, there’s a phase of euphoria as the creators crank up the hype, creating interest in the currency. As a result, the currency in question might have considerable value in the first few days, weeks, or even months. 

What you need to do is be there at the very start. Depending on the currency, you can mine with GPUs, as ASIC manufacturers have not yet had time to develop an algorithm for the particular currency. Due to the unpredictable nature of cryptocurrencies and especially brand new ones, you want to quickly exchange the earnings for more reliant cryptos or Fiat. 

#5. Start small

This is universal wisdom for getting into any kind of business endeavor. It’s much truer for a market as volatile as cryptocurrency, isn’t it? When you’re new in the space, there’s so much you need to learn, and any rushed moves are highly discouraged. 

When you start small, any losses are also less painful. You also build the right skill set as you learn what works and what doesn’t. After you’ve figured out how crypto mining works, you can scale up. 

#6. Explore various scaling choices 

There are so many ways you can scale your crypto mining operation. This can be replacing aging equipment – which will lead to an increased heart rate while maintaining low expenditures and increasing your return on investment (ROI). 

You can also scale by buying mining capability from hash rate marketplaces. There’s also the option of cloud mining, where you purchase high amounts of hash rate for your favorite crypto or algorithm from companies that specialize in such. Whichever scaling method you choose, be sure to avoid third-party risk by doing appropriate research beforehand. 

#7. Find cheap energy

We can’t overemphasize the importance of inexpensive energy when it comes to crypto mining. Electricity is usually the largest expenditure involved in crypto mining. So when you save on energy costs, that’s more money for your bottom line. 

Also, depending on the region and electricity cost, your equipment may be profitable or not. In some parts of the world, energy prices tend to fluctuate instead of being constant. Some professional miners actually migrate in pursuit of cheap energy. 

The point is, you can increase your ROI if you find cheaper energy. You can even talk to your utility provider and see what’s the best rates they can provide. Again, this depends on your locale. 

#8. Join a mining pool

Now, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include joining a mining pool in this list. A mining pool is a group of miners who combine their computational power so as to discover new blocks faster. If the pool succeeds in finding a blog, the block reward is shared proportionally to each contributor’s processing power.

Why should you join a mining pool? Because the more the computational power, the more the likelihood for discovering and processing new blocks. As you can see, an individual miner would have a big challenge – financially and otherwise, assembling that kind of power. While going it alone doesn’t mean you’ll never see profits, it means they will be few and very far between. On the other hand, you stand a better chance to earn smaller but more frequent rewards with a mining pool. 

Final Thoughts 

Crypto mining is a great way to make money. Whether you’re a veteran in the scene or just getting started, these tips will help you make the best of your mining endeavor. Good luck! 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s Injective Protocol All About? 

In this age of DeFi, project after project is competing to provide users all over the world with the most innovative products. Injective Protocol, a layer 2 decentralized exchange, is one of them. Injective wants to unleash the potential of crypto derivatives and borderless decentralized finance. 

The protocol supports cross-chain derivatives trading for multiple crypto products such as perpetual swaps, futures, CDFs, and more. In 2018, the protocol made it to the winner’s list of projects selected for incubation by Binance Labs. Injective wants to solve high latency, inefficiencies, and poor liquidity encountered by most exchanges today. 

Understanding the Injective Protocol

Launched in 2018, the Injective Protocol is a DeFi project that wants to enable decentralized and cross-chain spot trading and derivative trading of financial products, from perpetual swaps to CDFs, to futures and more. The platform utilizes ‘peg zones’ to realize a cross-chain trading infrastructure. This environment is also trustless, censorship-resistant, transparent, and with low fees. 

Highlights of the Injective Protocol

The Injective Protocol features the following highlights: 

#1 Layer 2 decentralized derivatives trading: Injective can support fast, autonomous and transparent trading 

#2. Trading opportunities: On Injective, anyone can create and trade on a derivative market of their choice by utilizing only a price feed. This increases opportunities for trading that are not found on other exchanges.

#3. Cross-chain trading: Injective supports a wide range of trading and yield generation activities across a variety of networks

#4. Community governance: The Injective Protocol will be governed by the community – in a true decentralization fashion. Any changes or updates to the protocol will be determined through a vote based on a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structure.

#5. Liquidity mining incentives: Injective users will have the ability to earn value through a variety of liquidity mining pools

Injective: Products and Technical Infrastructure

The Injective protocol is made of four key components: 

  • Injective Chain
  • Smart Contracts on Ethereum
  • API nodes
  • Front-end interface

Let’s take a close look at each: 

#1. Injective Chain

This is a decentralized sidechain solution that powers derivatives trading and supports a Trade Execution Coordinator (TEC) and a decentralized order book. The Injective Chain utilizes a Tendermint consensus mechanism to confirm and validate transactions. 

On the Chain, users can build derivatives through two ways: the Injective Futures Protocol and smart contracts. The Injective Futures Protocol allows traders to create, enter into, and execute decentralized perpetual swaps and CFDs. 

#2. Smart Contracts on Ethereum

As a token-based protocol, Injective is intricately linked with INJ, its native token. For that reason, major protocol interactions and token economics are implemented through various smart contracts, which are as follows: 

  • Injective Coordinator Contract: Implements orders and Injective’s derivative transactions both on Ethereum and the Injective Chain
  • Staking Contract: Manages core functions like token rewards, choosing delegates, and governance
  • Injective Futures Contracts: Smart contracts that allow traders to create and trade perpetual swap contracts on the market
  • Injective Bridge Contracts: A suite of smart contracts that manage the flow of info between the Injective Chain and the Ethereum network
  • Injective Token Contract: An ERC-20 contract for INJ token

#3. Injective API Nodes

Injective’s API nodes are responsible for two things: supporting transaction relay services and being the data layer of the protocol. 

  • Transaction Relay Service – This is a tool that formulates transactions and relays them to the Injective Chain. It also simplifies functionalities such as staking, voting, and governance.
  • Data layer – The API nodes also act as a data layer through which external clients can interact with the protocol. 

#4. Front-end interface

The Injective protocol is fully decentralized, meaning individuals and companies can use it in a permissionless manner. Injective has enabled a friendly front-end interface through which they can do so. 

The INJ Token

INJ is the native token for the Injective network. It plays several roles, which include the following: 

  • Protocol governance: The INJ token will be used as a governance mechanism. Token holders will be able to vote on the future of the project, network parameters, and protocol upgrades through a DAO structure.
  • Deflationary mechanism: The INJ token will be periodically bought back and burned so that it doesn’t flood the market – as a deflationary measure
  • Collateral backing: INJ can be used as an alternative to stablecoins in the protocol’s derivatives trading, as well as a collateral backing when users lock up tokens so as to earn interest
  • Incentive mechanism: The INJ token is used to reward participants for taking part in the network’s consensus
  • Proof of Security (PoS): When nodes stake in INJ and get the right to take part in the network consensus, which secures the network, they will be rewarded with block rewards

INJ Token Distribution

The INJ token was distributed in the following fashion: 

  • Binance launchpad sale tokens: 9%
  • Seed sale tokens: 6%
  • Private sale tokens: 16.67%
  • Team tokens: 20%
  • Advisors’ tokens: 2%
  • Ecosystem development tokens: 36.33%
  • Community growth tokens: 10%

INJ: Tokenomics

As of Oct 31st, 2020, the INJ token traded at $0.776922, with a market cap of $10,456,039, which places it at #470 per Coinmarketcap. The token’s 24-hour volume is $2,431,311, with a circulating and total supply of 13,458,281 and 100 million, respectively. INJ’s all-time high was $1.22 (Oct 23, 2020), while its all-time low is $0.662174 (Oct 29, 2020). 

Buy and Storing INJ

You can find the INJ token listed on several exchanges, including but not limited to Binance, HotBit, Poloniex, DCoin, Uniswap (V2), VCC Exchange, and Pancake Swap. The token is listed as a market pair with USDT, BTC, BNB, BUSD, and WBNB. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

Here is how to make a kill investing in Altcoins in 2021

As the bulls continue to run the Bitcoin market, investors have squarely focused their attention on this crypto. Meanwhile, many seem to not care about altcoins. 

Just like BTC, altcoins provide investors with a good opportunity to make money, both now and in the near future. Making money in the near future is the interest of this article. If you wonder why not just invest in BTC amid the current boom, your answer is right below. If you want to explore something different (from Bitcoin), your guide is down below as well. And for those who are curious to know how profitable altcoins can be, read on. 

This article will look at why investing in Bitcoin might be riskier than investing in altcoins, why you should consider altcoins, and what should be your next steps in that course. 

Why Not Bitcoin? It’s Currently the Talk of Investors 

Bitcoin is undoubtedly performing impressively. Since July, BTC investors have enjoyed a stable and significant growth of their assets. At the moment, it is the most enviable crypto. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the bulls will eventually run out of energy. Price falls after periods of booming growth are a natural part of market cycles. So, it is only logical to expect Bitcoin to start declining. 

What makes Bitcoin particularly risky at the moment is that there is a high chance that it will rapidly devalue when that descent begins. To be honest, $16K (which is still growing) is not a stable price for Bitcoin. While we might disagree on what is a good average for Bitcoin, historical figures show that BTC has an affinity for $10K. The point is when the hype dies down, speculations are confirmed as either true or false, and investor sentiment switches to pessimism, BTC will shed value until it finds some semblance of stability.

But altcoins go through the same cycle, so what’s the difference? Of course, all crypto inevitably cycle through the bear and bull markets. The difference is that Bitcoin is already in the bull market, and this favors those who jumped in about four months ago (that’s July). If you are not one of them, you may as well consider yourself late to the party and look in the direction of altcoins.

Can You Make Profits Investing in Altcoins?

The simple answer is, it’s complicated. Some altcoins are performing okay while others are struggling. But to be fair, altcoins are still profitable. 

Two things make crypto investments lucrative:

1. The margins you get through buying and selling coins, tokens, and other crypto-assets

— If you’re in the business of buying when prices are hiking and disposing of just before the descent begins, you can make profits trading any crypto. And if the price movements for an altcoin are significant enough and you get your timing right, you can make as much profit as you would with BTC. 

2. The gradual increase in the value of A crypto

— Some cryptos experience sustained growth against the dollar over the course of their lifetime. This growth is usually attributed to the usefulness of the project/idea on which the crypto is pegged. Gradual value growth makes sense, particularly to long-term investors. Just as Bitcoin solved the problem of having money controlled by central authorities, different altcoins solve different problems, which gives them the potential for gradual long-term growth. 

As you see, altcoins can be just as good as BTC. You only need to identify an investment ‘style’ that suits your needs and a good altcoin to match that.

Why You Should Consider Altcoins

#1: They are cheap

Actually, they’re not any cheaper than Bitcoin. Altcoins give you the chance to own more coins for the same amount of dollars. Whether this is any good is debatable, but the feeling you get by having a mind-boggling number of crypto coins to your name is satisfying. If you’re satisfied with your investment progress, you are likely to pursue the course further. That’s simply the logic. 

#2. The most profitable venture is not necessarily the most suitable for you

High margins can be irresistibly tempting. But on the flip side, the risks associated with high-margin investments are proportionately scary. 

We can safely assume that Bitcoin has had the highest growth in value within the last four months. However, we can also assume that the crypto will experience a slump when the bears come calling. Just because we don’t know when this will happen, we should not assume that it’s too far away. When choosing an investment, the amount of risk you’re willing to take matters a great deal. So, if you’re not into high-adrenaline crypto investments, you might want to consider altcoins for now.

#3. It would help if you diversified your investment

Investment wisdom dictates that one should never put all their investment capital into one asset. This is because no matter how lucrative an investment may appear, there is none without risk. 

There is no guarantee that Bitcoin will not face some unforeseeable calamity that would shatter its prices. Thus, in the interest of spreading your investment risk, it is worth considering altcoins. If you’re already a Bitcoin investor, that’s good. But what’s better is channeling some of your capital to altcoins to balance off the potential risks of a catastrophic BTC crash. 

Next Steps

If you are beginning to see altcoins as a good investment alternative in 2021, you are on the right path. Here are some steps to help steer you through that course.

#1. Research which altcoins are currently performing well 

All altcoins are not equal, and so are their investment prospects. Look at the price history of the coin, evaluate the concept’s soundness, and find out what experts are saying about the crypto. This information will help you eliminate investments that might not work for you and narrow down to a crypto that’s suitable for your needs. 

#2. Find out the altcoin’s growth potential 

You create value by solving people’s problems, and that’s the philosophy behind most successful cryptocurrencies. There are many altcoins for which crypto analysts are still struggling to find their usefulness. However, for the successful bunch, their ability to solve different financial problems has already been demonstrated. 

If you want to know that an altcoin will grow in the future, determine whether it has life-saving real-world use cases. Ethereum demonstrated the potential of smart contracts, and Ripple has shown how blockchain can disrupt real-time cross-border payments, and both have experienced sustained growth. As long as the crypto has a meaningful real-world utility, it is bound to grow, of course, unless something really wrong happens.

Final Thoughts

Altcoins are as good an investment as Bitcoin. Although BTC is currently booming, it is not the only worthy crypto investment. In fact, some investors may find altcoins a better alternative as some have yet to enter their bull markets. If you do your analysis properly and find a suitable altcoin, you can make reasonable profits when the market booms. Due to Bitcoin’s current hype and associated risk of entering the bear market, altcoins are a good option for spreading out the risk. Today is certainly a good day to think about altcoins. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Peach wallet Review: Is Peach The Safest Wallet For The Lightning Network?

Lightning Peach Wallet is an enterprise-focused crypto vault that’s specially designed to help you process micro-payments done on the lightning network. It is developed and maintained by the BitFury Lightning Network team and aims to help your business become crypto-ready. To this end, the wallet has incorporated several key features, including a fee-free payment processing service for all transactions carried on the lightning network and the integration of eCommerce plugins. The Lightning Peach wallet website also claims that the branded wallet is highly customizable, allowing you to scale up and feature more products and services for your business.

According to BitFury, Lightning Peach wallet was created to help any business increase user engagement and satisfaction, reach out to new audiences, and incentivize in-store spending. And achieve all this in a safe and cost-effective manner.

But does it live to these expectations? Is it safe for your business and your private keys? We answer these questions and more in this Lightning Peach Wallet review by looking at its key operational and security features, outlining the step-by-step guide on using the wallet, its pros, cons, and everything in between.

Key features

Cross-platform: Lightning Peach Wallet is a cross-platform wallet available in both desktop and mobile app versions. It is also available in both the standard and extended modes, whose only difference is the number of supported features.

Address book: Lightning peach wallet features an address book that integrates your phone’s contact list or allows you to save the wallet addresses for parties you interact with regularly. It simplifies back and forth crypto engagements by speeding up the time it takes to initiate a transaction while minimizing errors.

Pay with card: The wallet also integrates several payment processing options, including debit and credit card. Therefore, you can buy crypto from the lighting wallet or withdraw funds to a card or bank.

Integrates third party exchanges: Peach wallet also integrates such third party exchanges as Coinbase, Binance, and Bittrex, where users can buy, sell, and exchange cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Fee-free processing: Lightning peach wallet will not charge you a transaction-processing fee for all payments transacted on the Lightning network.

Full-node client: Peach Wallet is a full node client that requires you to download the Lightning Network. The node is inbuilt when you download the desktop client, but you will need to personalize one if you decide to use the mobile app. A recent upgrade to the Peach wallet has, however, made it possible for users to link their desktop wallet with the mobile app using a QR code.

Security features

Password: Lighting Peach wallet, like most other crypto vaults, is password secured to prevent and minimize cases of unauthorized access to your digital assets.

Recovery seed: Lightning Peach wallet will also provide you with a backup phrase that comes in handy when you need to recover lost private keys.

Open sourced: BitFury has also open-sourced the Lightning Peach Wallet design and availed it for viewing and auditing by both users and the entire crypto community. You can download this source code from the BitFury Peach website or GitHub.

Non-custodial: Peach Wallet is non-custodial and will, therefore, not store your private keys in the BitFury servers. Rather, it encrypts them and stores them within your mobile phone or computer.

Enterprise-grade encryption: BitFury has embraced end-to-end enterprise-grade encryption for all Peach Wallet communications. The wallet developer argues that not even their company servers can view the wallet’s communication with other wallets or third party software/systems.

Opt-in Improvements: One of Lightning Peach Wallet’s most controversial features is the opt-in service for data collection. The wallet developer claim that they will, by default, not collect any information from your wallet but adds that users can opt-in and allow BitFury to collect non-sensitive information anonymously to help improve wallet functions and user engagement. The crypto-security community has, however, expressed concerns with the fact that BitFury doesn’t explicitly state the type of data it collects for opt-in users or how the data is held and used.

How to set and activate the Peach wallet

Step 1: Start by downloading Lightning Peach Wallet on the BitFuryPeach.com website or GitHub

Step 2: Install the wallet and upon launching, click on the ‘Create a new wallet’ tab

Step 3: Read and agree to the wallet terms & conditions and privacy policy statements

Step 4: On the next window, click on the ‘Sign up’ tab

Step 5: Choose a unique username and create a password for the wallet

Step 6:  The wallet will now present you with a set of words that form the backup and recovery seed. Write them down, or choose to download them and save the copy offline.

Step 7: Verify that you have copied them right and click next

Step 8: Log in to your new wallet using the chosen username and password

Step 9: The wallet is now active and ready to use

How to add/ receive crypto into your Peach wallet

Step 1: Log in to the Peach wallet and click on the “receive” icon

Step 2: Copy the Wallet address or QR code displayed and forward to the person sending you Bitcoins

Step 3: Wait for the funds to reflect in your account

How to send Crypto from your Peach wallet

Step 1: Log in to the Peach wallet (extended) and click on the Lightning tab

Step 2: Choose the create payment option and specify if it is a one-time or recurrent payment

Step 3: Enter the transaction specifics like the name (optional), Recipient of the payment (enter their Lightning I.D, choose from the address book or their wallet address)

Step 4: Enter the amount of coins you want to send

Step 5: Confirm that the transaction details are correct and authorize the transfer

Peach wallet ease of use

Creating a Lightning Peach Wallet user account follows a fast and straightforward setup process. The wallet features a relatively clean user dashboard. The fact that it is also available in extended and standard modes for both mobile and desktop versions ensures that the lighting wallet caters for both experienced and beginner crypto traders/investors.  

Both the wallet and the BitFury website are also multi-lingual and available in several languages.

Peach wallet supported currencies

The lightning Peach wallet will only support Bitcoins. But you are free to send and receive such Bitcoin denominations as Bitcoin Satoshi.

Peach wallet cost and fees

Lightning network transactions are free. Regular Bitcoin network fees charged by miners will, however, apply when you send cryptos to other wallets or a crypto exchange.

Peach wallet customer support

There are three primary ways of contacting the Lightning Peach wallet support team. You can start by raising a support ticket on the BitFuryPeach.com website or engage them via the live chat features on both the website and wallet.

Alternatively, you can direct message this team directly on their official pages on such social media platforms as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Telegram.

What are the pros and cons of using the Peach Wallet?

Pros:

  • Caters for both beginner and experienced Lightning Peach wallet users with their standard and Extended wallets
  • The wallet is feature-rich and hosts a wide range of operational features
  • The wallet is designed and maintained by BitFury, effectively minimizing your operational costs
  • The lightning Peach wallet features highly advanced security features
  • Sending Bitcoins within the Lightning network is free

Cons:

  • It will only support Bitcoin cryptocurrencies
  • Installing and running a full node business wallet eats up a lot of storage space

Verdict: Is Peach wallet safe?

Well, Lightning Peach Wallet has embraced several highly effective and advanced security measures. The developers are especially committed to transparency, as evidenced by the fact that they built the wallet on an open-sourced architecture. Other advanced security features integrated within the platform include enterprise-grade encryption, it is non-custodial, and the wallet’s anonymous data collection is optional. However, it would be great if BitFury were more forthcoming on how they collect and use this data. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

StakedWallet Review: Is Stakedwallet Legit Or Another Ponzi Scheme?

Stakedwallet is a DeFi-focused crypto project that provides you with a platform where you can securely store your digital assets and earn guaranteed interest. It is a highly innovative cryptocurrency wallet that integrates several operational and security features. And they all are aimed at ensuring the wallet is highly secure and easy to use. It works by providing wallet users with an opportunity to stake their cryptocurrencies and earn a fixed daily interest. The interest is deposited to your account daily, and the percentage earning for your staked assets is largely dependent on how long you have kept your funds on the platform.

A debate that questions the legitimacy of Stakedwallet has emerged online, especially on Reddit. Some crypto community members are now advising caution when dealing with the wallet, while others call it out as an outright Ponzi scheme designed to swindle naive crypto-enthusiasts.

In this Stakedwallet review, we will be vetting this passive income-generating platform cum crypto wallet to determine if it indeed is a secure crypto vault or another Ponzi scheme. And to achieve this, we detail all its features, a step-by-step guide on activating and using the wallet, check its ease of use and supported currencies, and compare it to other crypto wallets.

StakedWallet key features:

Cross-platform: Stakedwallet is a cross-platform crypto vault available as both a mobile wallet and a web wallet. Both the web wallet and the website associated with Stakedwallet are, however, inaccessible at the moment.

Inbuilt exchange: Within the StakedWallet user dashboard is the exchange icon that gives you access to the platform’s crypto exchange. You can use it to convert one supported crypto to another at a fraction of the cost charged by most other third-party exchanges.

Stake and Earn: You get to earn by engaging in the proof of stake programs offered by most blockchains networks and protocols through Stakedwallet. You can also earn by completing the numerous tasks on the platform, like inviting your friends and acquaintances to join the platform through its referral program. And for every successful referral, you earn SWL Tokens that you can then convert to any of the supported cryptocurrencies on the inbuilt exchange.

Multi-blockchain: Staked wallet is unlike most DeFi-focused crypto wallets that will only support Ethereum based DeFi apps and protocols. It supports a wide range of altcoins drawn from different Blockchains, including Bitcoin.

Portfolio/Income tracker: Stakedwallet integrates the “My Statistics” tool that you can use to monitor your crypto portfolio and earning trends. It is an automated tool that displays your crypto balances in real-time, transaction history to help you understand inflows and outflows, and the earning trend for all your staked coins on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.

StakedWallet security features:

Password: Like most other crypto storage vaults, Stakedwlalet is secured with a multi-character password that you set when activating the app or web wallet and creating a user account.

Multi-factor authentication: Stakedwallet employs a three-step authentication process that integrates 2FA and multi-signature functionalities for your outbound transfers. Here, every transfer out must be subjected to two-factor authentication and signed by both the app and the company servers.

Enterprise-grade encryption: According to Stakedwallet, both the crypto app and web wallet use a 256-bit enterprise-grade encryption cipher and 25,000 PBKDF2 hash rounds in encrypting your PIN and all other user data in the wallet. They boldly claim that it would take a modern computer a million days to bypass these tools and hack into your account.

Non-custodial: Stakedwallet doesn’t collect any of your personal data, especially the PIN code or private keys. These are highly encrypted and stored locally on your computer or mobile device.

Vulnerability monitoring: According to Stakedwallet’s development team, both the wallet app and web wallet are being constantly monitored for bugs and vulnerabilities around the clock. It is subjected to regular security audits by some of the leading crypto security firms in the world.

VPN Access: Unlike most other crypto storage wallets that don’t support VPN access, Stakedwallet sets no restrictions on logging into your account via a VPN.

How to activate/  setup the StakedWallet

Step 1: Start by downloading the Stakedwallet app compatible with your phone on the Google play store or Apple app store.

Step 2: Launch the app and click on the “Create a New Wallet” on the installation page.

Step 3: Enter your email address and create a unique password for the account.

Step 4: Read and agree to the wallet’s terms of use and user privacy

Step 5: Verify that you are not a robot, and you want to proceed with the registration by clicking the verification button and completing the puzzle.

Step 6: Your account is now active and ready for use

Step 7: Click on the three bars on the top-left corner of the wallet app to access the settings section that you can then use to personalize the wallet.

How to add/receive Crypto into Poketto Wallet:

Step 1: Log in to your Stakedwallet app

Step 2:  Click on the three bars on the top left corner of the app’s user dashboard to access the app menu.

Step 3: Click on the “Deposit” tab and click on the “Add Money” on the deposit page that pops up.

Step 4: The wallet will now present you with a QR code representing the wallet address

Step 5: wait for the funds to reflect.

How to send crypto from StakedWalletwallet:

Step 1: Log in to the Stakedwallet app

Step 2: On the user dashboard, click on the “Send” button

Step 3: Select the altcoin you want to send and enter the recipient wallet address

Step 4: Decide on the amount you wish to send

Step 5: Confirm that the transaction details are correct and hit send.

StakedWallet ease of use:

Stakedwallet has a clean and intuitive user interface. You will find navigating through the app and interacting with most of its features, like depositing and sending crypto coins in and out of the wallet, quite easy. It also has a rather straightforward wallet activation and user account registration process.

It is quite beginner-friendly, and you don’t need help in staking different coins or monitoring your portfolio. The portfolio and earnings tracking processes are rather straightforward.

StakedWallet supported currencies:

Stakedwallet currently supports a significant number of the leading cryptocurrencies and tokens. These include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, and Dash. Plus the wallet’s native token, SWL.

StakedWallet cost and fees:

Downloading the wallet app, creating a user account, and interacting with its features is free. You also get to earn 0.6% – 1.5% of the staked digital assets daily in addition to the bounty program earnings like inviting friends to join the wallet and other microtasks.

However, you will have to part with the blockchain network fees like GAS, charged when you send crypto in and out of your wallet to Stakewalet.

What are the pros and cons of using Stakedwallet?

Pros:

  • It presents wallet users with multiple streams of earning passive income.
  • It is a beginner-friendly wallet.
  • It supports some of the most popular crypto wallets.
  • It has highly advanced security measures around the website, web wallet, and wallet app.
  • It is a free wallet

Cons:

  • There have been a lot of negative reviews about the wallet.
  • One may consider the number of supported cryptos to be limited.
  • It has a poor and unresponsive customer support team.

Comparing StakedWallet with other multi-blockchain wallets

StakedWallet vs. DexWallet

Both Stakedwallet and Dexwallet help their users generate passive income from their digital assets. They, however, differ significantly in the income-generating strategy. While Stakedwallet earns you guaranteed interest via the proof of stake protocol, DexWallet integrates different DeFi apps to make you money by either staking or lending to other app users.

Stakedwallet, however, has a soiled reputation due to a lack of transparency on how they handle client funds and the effectiveness of this income-generating strategy.

Verdict: Is StakedWallet safe?

Staked wallet app has considerably effective and advanced security and privacy measures around the app and private keys. Questions are, however, abound concerning its legitimacy. Most reviewers on crypto discussion platforms like Reddit and Quora and user reviews on the app store pages have termed it a scam and a Ponzi scheme.

Twitter has even suspended the Stakedwallet account. And instead of addressing these allegations, the company has taken its website and web wallet offline. We recommend that our readers avoid the wallet until the company satisfactorily addresses all the allegations levels against their wallet.

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s Carry (CRE) All About? 

Today’s commerce environment is extremely fragmented: merchants don’t know what consumers want, consumers don’t have control over their own data, and advertisers’ campaigns are ineffective. It’s particularly unfair for consumers, who, by clicking “I agree” to terms and conditions, effectively hand over the rights to their data. 

Blockchain has the potential to change this skewed state of events. The Carry Protocol, launched in 2018, is a project that’s using blockchain technology to fulfill this endeavor. Carry allows every participant of the commerce ecosystem to benefit in a transparent, fair, and trustless environment. 

This article studies the Carry Protocol more closely. 

Understanding Carry 

Carry is a data management ecosystem where data owners are accorded complete control over their own data, plus the ability to monetize that data. On the Carry, the platform is consumers, advertisers, stores, and more players in a collaborative and transparent environment where everyone gets their fair share. 

Carry provides a bridge between offline merchants and consumers. This is in cognizance that despite a surge of e-commerce in recent years, most consumption still happens offline. And the offline market is, to a large extent, yet to embrace technology in so many ways. Offline commerce faces the following challenges: 

  • Due to fragmented data, merchants have very little understanding of the behavior and preferences of customers
  • Customers have little control over their own data, with powerful corporations benefiting from it instead
  • Offline advertising is ineffective and lacks transparency

Carry aims to solve this through the following initiatives: 

  • Provide an environment for merchants and customers to communicate and understand each other better
  • Empower customers to have full control over their own data and be able to monetize it 
  • Offer more effective and transparent advertisement channels

The Carry Protocol

As we’ve noted already, Carry brings together merchants and consumers through the blockchain. These two are the most important participants in the ecosystem. The other participants are advertisers. 

The protocol consists of two major parts: 

  • the blockchain, which hosts the transaction database and smart contracts
  • APIs that connect the blockchain to third-party applications such as wallets

The transaction database is the storage location where data is uploaded by consumers and generated by merchants. Carry smart contracts are in charge of issuing the protocol’s token: CRE. Carry wallets allow users to manage their crypto, control their transaction data, and manage their privacy. 

Carry’s Data Ecosystem

Carry wants to create a system where merchants, customers, and advertisers can all benefit. Stores can have a better understanding of their consumers with the purchase data they willingly share. Advertisers can create more effective ad campaigns, and consumers can own the rights to their data and monetize it. 

#1. Merchants

Merchants can better understand the preferences and expectations of consumers.

#2. Consumers

Consumers can control their information and get rewarded in CRE tokens for sharing it and viewing ads.

#3. Advertisers

Advertisers can better target the right consumers through better analysis of their information.

Smart Contracts

Users can get access to the Carry protocol features through smart contracts. To do so, they must first stake in Carry tokens (CRE). This can be done in a one-off or pay-as-you-go way. Staking in a certain amount of tokens, allows usage up to a certain level. When usage exceeds that level, the user must pay for excess usage. 

The rationale is that executing smart contracts uses up the protocol’s resources, which incurs costs. The staking model also protects the protocol from attacks – whether abuse by malicious participants or denial of service attacks. 

The per-use fee can always be set higher than the stake’s opportunity cost, which would encourage users to stake in more CRE. If a merchant wants to conduct more transactions than their stake allows, they can offer perks to other platform users, e.g., customers, who will then stake in more tokens on their behalf. 

Community Growth Strategies

The Carry team plans to expand the growth of their protocol by engaging in the following strategies: 

  • Participates in high-profile industry events and conferences
  • Conduct regular online and physical meetups
  • Conduct social media Ask Me Anything sessions
  • Monthly project updates through Medium posts and newsletters
  • Regular airdrops to reward top participants of community projects
  • Engage traditional companies looking to onboard blockchain services

Future strategies include: 

  • Engage in cross-marketing activities with other blockchain and crypto-projects 
  • Share data-sharing processes with the community

CRE Token Uses 

The CRE token is Carry’s native utility cryptocurrency, playing the following roles: 

  • As a staking mechanism to qualify to use various Carry features to build smart contracts
  • Merchants can use it to come up with their own branded tokens
  • Advertisers must pay CRE tokens to consumers for accessing the transaction history
  • As payment to consumers for watching ads

Token Distribution

The Carry token was distributed in the following manner: 

  • Token generation event tokens: 40%
  • Partner program tokens: 25%
  • Market activation tokens:15%
  • Team tokens: 10%
  • Reserve tokens: 5%
  • Advisors’ tokens: 5%

Key Metrics

CRE’s marketplace figures were as follows on Oct 28, 2020. The per-token value was $0.001614, with a market cap of $9,357,848 and a market rank of #528. The token’s 24-hour volume was $431,939, while its circulating and total supply were 5,799,469,081 and 7,329,872,058. CRE’s all-time high was $0.079546 (Jun 05, 2019), and its all-time low was $0.000810 (Mar 13, 2020).

Where to Buy and Store

The Carry token is listed against currencies such as KRW, USDT, BTC, and HT on several exchanges, including Upbit, Huobi Global, BiKi, Bilaxy, UPEX, and Oasis Exchange. 

You can store CRE in a wide range of wallets, including Trust Wallet, Atomic Wallet, MyEtherWallet, Ledger, and Trezor. 

Closing Thoughts

Carry is one of many blockchain protocols that want to do better for millions of consumers whose data is generally used without their authorization. And it doesn’t stop at just consumers; it aims to improve things for every other player in the commerce arena. Will it stand out in the years to come? That will depend on if they can continue to innovate. If not, they risk being phased out by more forward-thinking similar protocols. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Introducing Certik (CTK): Bringing Safety to DeFi

The blockchain is a new and welcome idea: decentralizing transactions, securing funds with high-level cryptography, and more. The only problem is that today’s blockchains exist in separate environments, hindering interoperability. There’s also the issue of security concerns. While cryptography goes a long way, blockchain transactions are still vulnerable to security threats, such as the hypothetical 51% attack and malicious actions by network participants. 

The Certik Protocol is a blockchain-based interoperability and security solution for blockchain networks. On the network, users can access various security solutions to protect their crypto assets. Certik launched its testnet in March 2020 and its mainnet on October 24, 2020. 

This article is a closer examination of the Certik Protocol. 

Breaking Down Certik

Certik is a blockchain effort that wants to build a safer blockchain infrastructure and decentralized applications’ environment. Based on a Delegated Proof of Stake, Certik wants to offer a more trusted and safer environment for executing decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and even IoT applications. 

The project will offer cross-chain compatibility so that blockchain projects are better off with the Security Oracle, which provides a real-time and thorough check on all transactions by flagging down any potential security threats. Below, we’ll look more closely at the Security Oracle and other key features of the Certik ecosystem. 

Certik: Key Components

#1. Security Oracle

The Security Oracle is a combination of decentralized network operators who rely on cutting-edge security technologies to identify any security threats on the protocol. These operators receive CTK tokens as a reward for this contribution. The Security Oracle can work with various blockchains, allowing users to make informed decisions before interacting with on-chain smart contracts. Smart contracts incorporated into the Security Oracle can flag and prevent malicious transactions from taking place, preventing funds’ potential loss. 

#2. CertikShield

This is a tool that enables flexible and decentralized reimbursements of crypto losses. These losses could have arisen from theft or pure inaccessibility due to security breaches. The CertikShield is made of a decentralized network of members who combine the Security Oracle’s scores with the governance system to provide collateral and vote on claims to protect blockchain networks. 

The CertikShield system is made of two types of members: collateral providers and shield purchasers. 

Collateral providers are members that deposit crypto funds into the CertikShield pool. These funds can be used to reimburse valid claims, meaning the providers can exit with less crypto than they deposited – in case of major security breaches. However, they get to earn staking rewards and a portion of the fees paid by shield purchasers. 

Shield purchasers are members who pay for the protection of their funds. Shield purchasers need to decide how much protection they want for their assets and pay a fee that directly corresponds with the level of protection. This fee goes directly to collateral providers. 

The CertikShield utilizes several safeguards to prevent manipulation. These safeguards include the following: 

  • A voting threshold that meets a majority
  • Claim requests must pay a fee to be processed
  • Approved claim requests are processed over 56 days
  • Claim requests can be stopped through a veto voting proposal of at least a 75% majority
  • Only projects with a security score of more than 80% can become CertikShield members
#3. DeepSEA

This is a secure programming language and compiling tool compatible with the Certik virtual machine, Ethereum’s WebAssembly, and Ant Financial’s Antchain. DeepSEA is the recipient of funding from Ethereum, IBM-Columbia, and Qtum so that it can accelerate its extremely secure programming language. 

#4. Certik Virtual Machine (CVM): 

The Certik Virtual Machine, which is also compatible with Ethereum’s Virtual Machine, allows users to access, check, and utilize security info to gauge smart contracts’ safety. This enables smart contracts to adjust their behavior to the security record of other smart contracts. For example, a lending contract can only approve a loan to a DAO contract if the latter provides a provable security record. Also, CVM supports a smart contracts sandbox system, whereby smart contracts whose security is yet to be verified operate in a separate environment from the rest of the network. 

The CTK Token 

CTK is the native utility cryptocurrency of the Certik platform, and it fulfills the following roles: 

  • As gas fee for executing smart contracts
  • As governance mechanism to participate in the network’s governance 
  • As a rewards mechanism for participating in the Security Oracle
  • As collateral and reimbursement for the CertikShield system
  • As a staking mechanism to participate in network consensus

The CTK token was distributed in the following manner: 

  • Binance launchpool tokens: 1.50%
  • Private sale 1 tokens: 29%
  • Private sale 2 tokens: 9%
  • Team tokens: 10%
  • Foundation tokens: 25%
  • Community pool tokens: 25%
  • CertikShield pool tokens: 8%

Community Growth Strategies of Certik

The Certik team will carry out various activities in a bid to expand the growth and reach of Certik: 

  • Collaborating with various blockchain protocols to provide security scores for users in those protocols
  • Partner and integrate with various Binance Smart Chain projects 
  • Conduct tutorials, digital and physical meetups
  • Regularly update the public through social media

Future strategies include the following: 

  • Partner with crypto aggregator sites to integrate security scores
  • Conduct both local and global hackathons

Tokenomics of CTK

As of October 28, 2020, CTK traded at $0.945717, with a market cap of $20,900,338 and a market rank of #318. The token has a 24-hour volume of $7,979,974, a circulating supply of 22,100,000, and a total supply of 100 million. CTK’s highest price ever was $1.94 (Oct 27, 2020), while its lowest ever was $0 (October 23, 2020), according to Coinmarketcap. 

Where to Buy and Store CTK

Currently, CTK is listed on the Binance exchange as a market pair of USDT, BTC, BNB, and BUSD. 

Certik provides its official wallet, the Deepwallet

Closing Thoughts 

Certik is a welcome idea in what’s a fragmented blockchain space, where every network operates as a lone island. This lack of interoperability holds back the mainstream success of blockchain. Certik’s solution, along with its industry-leading security offerings, puts it in an interesting position. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this project. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s Troy Trade (TROY) All About?

With decentralized finance edging closer to the mainstream every day, all manner of DeFi products have been launched to cater to a fast-growing user base. You can now carry out your usual trades and a raft of other activities in a decentralized, secure, and borderless environment powered by the blockchain. 

Troy, launched in 2018, is one such platform. Troy claims to “redefine trading beyond exchange,” signaling to the many possibilities it avails to users. Troy incorporates modern technology like artificial intelligence to achieve safe and frictionless interactions with its products. The Troy platform currently runs on Ethereum but plans to switch to its mainnet in December 2020. 

This article is a deeper dive into the Troy ecosystem. 

Breaking Down Troy 

Troy is a full-stack, blockchain-powered environment for financial and brokerage services. Both individual and institutional traders can access a raft of services such as spot and margin trading, derivatives, lending, borrowing, and staking. Troy wants to achieve this main objective: provide users with decentralized, diversified, and affordable brokerage services for people of all regulatory backgrounds and financial habits.

Some of the project’s highlights include: 

  • Aggregated trading: Troy offers users direct access to the aggregated liquidity of multiple exchanges. Some of the functions on offer include dark pools, assignment services, and smart order routing. 
  • Data analytics: Troy helps customers make informed trading decisions by providing them with blockchain, trading, market, and media data. This data is optimized by artificial intelligence and quantitative models. 
  • Diversified brokerage services: Users can access a range of brokerage services from real-time fund transfer to settlement to OTC trading
  • Broad range asset management solutions: Troy users have access to a full-stack solution complete with straight-through processing, historical data, and a strategy assessment tool

Troy: Architecture

The Troy network is divided into smaller core subsystems, with each running independently of the other but all interoperable. Some of the core subsystems include, but are not limited to: user subsystem, market subsystem, trade subsystem, management subsystem, and gateway subsystem.

The trade subsystem is the most important of the subsystems, hosting the order transaction module,  scheduled scheduling module, etc. Users can create new trading accounts on the platform and immediately get to depositing, withdrawing, and sending and receiving crypto assets. They can also link existing trading accounts on various crypto exchanges to the Troy protocol through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). 

You can also authorize other users to trade using your account and generally manage your account using the risk management module. Troy’s trading interface also allows you to move seamlessly between accounts and carry out cross-exchange trades. 

The platform’s data monitoring interface allows you to keep tabs with real-time market movements and utilize the mainstream trading execution algorithm to make better trades. And lastly, the data analysis module allows you to access real-time data from the most popular exchanges, as well as spot and margin trading data. 

Community Growth Strategies of Troy

The Troy team will deploy several strategies to expand the project’s growth and recruit more members into its fold. The Troy community is made of these participants:

  • Crypto investors, which are the main user base of Troy
  • Stakers and relayers: Network participants who update and record orders on the blockchain
  • Exchanges: These are liquidity and custodial service providers
  • Ecological partners: These are projects both in the blockchain and traditional finance space which contribute to the Troy ecosystem one way  or another

Troy will engage with these community groups in the following ways: 

  • Partner with programs such as the Global Financial Partnership Program to help expand global reach
  • Expand user base through programs like the Troy Token Challenge and the Troy Hercules Ambassador Program
  • Offer users incentives like mining rewards, staking rewards, etc. to attract more users

Future strategies include the following: 

  • Partner with product-oriented platforms such as quantity providers, wallets, and exchanges 
  • Open access for more Fiat channels such as JPY, EUR, USD, etc

The Troy Token

The native token of the Troy network is stylized as TROY. The token has these use cases: 

  • As a means of access to various Troy services 
  • As a deflationary mechanism: the Troy token will be occasionally burnt to rebalance supply and demand
  • As gas fees for interacting with the protocol
  • As fees for various functions, like trading and settlement
  • As an incentive mechanism for brokers for their contribution in maintaining the platform
  • As an incentive mechanism for relayer nodes to update, broadcast and  synchronize orders in a timely and accurate manner
  • As a staking mechanism for brokers to maintain global networks

Token Distribution

The Troy token was distributed in this fashion: 

  • Private sale tokens: 12%
  • Binance launchpad sale tokens: 8%
  • Team and advisors’ tokens: 10%
  • Ecosystem tokens: 10%
  • Mining rewards tokens: 60%

As of 27th October 2020, the TROY token traded at $0.002708, with a market cap of $24,854,424 that placed it at #293. The token had a 24-hour volume of $828,108, with a circulating and total supply of $9, 176,552, and 10 billion, respectively. TROY’s highest-ever price was $0.010834 (Dec 06, 2019), while its lowest-ever was $0.001330 (Mar 16, 2020). 

Where to Buy and Store TROY

TROY token is listed as a market pair of BNB, USDT, BNB, and KRW on exchanges such as Bilaxy, Binance, Binance DEX, XTheta Global, Bitribe, and HBTC. 

Troy is an ERC-20 token, meaning you can store it in any Ethereum-compatible wallet. Great choices include MyEtherWallet, MetaMask,  Ledger, Parity, Guarda, Atomic Wallet, Coinomi, and Trust Wallet.

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Crypto Daily Topic

How Chainanalysis Helps Crack Down on Crypto Crime

Since the inception of cryptocurrency tech, cybercrime has spiked in the space tremendously. And with cybercriminals devising methods every day to obtain crypto illegally, companies and individuals are seeking solutions to protect themselves and their funds. Even governments are pumping a lot of resources into cracking down on such individuals. 

What’s Chainalysis? 

As the saying goes, there’s a reaction to every action. As crypto crime intensifies, other forces are working to counteract the trend. One of the most visible of these is Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics company that harvests and analyzes crypto-related data by studying the history of blockchain transactions. 

The birth of Chainanalysis resulted from one of the biggest crypto hacks in history – Mt. Gox, which resulted in the loss of around 650,000 Bitcoins worth around $500 million then. 

Michael Gronager, CEO and founder of Chainanalysis, decided to create tools to prevent or mitigate such losses in the future. In 2017, Jonathan Levin – Chainanalysis co-founder, confirmed that Chainanalysis had tracked down 650,000 stolen Bitcoins to BTC-e. This successful case skyrocketed Chainanalysis’ reputation as more and more entities began approaching the company.

Chainanalysis received its first government contract in 2015 when the FBI paid $9000 for data software services from the company. The recent spike in criminal activities within the crypto world has prompted the federal agencies to invest more money in Chainanalysis. Today, Chainanalysis is receiving contracts from 10 U.S government agencies willing to pay millions of dollars for their assignments. According to CoinDesk, federal agencies have spent $10,690,760 in American tax dollars on Chainanalysis tools and training since 2015. 

Cryptocurrency Crime Rates and Activities

Criminals worldwide have taken advantage of crypto to engage in illegal activities. These criminal cases surged from 3.5% in 2016 to 7% in 2017. In 2018, according to Cointelegraph Group-IB, CipherTrace and Carbon Black reported that hackers had stolen cryptocurrencies amounting to $1.1 to $1.7 billion. Out of this amount, $960 million had been sourced from exchanges. 

In September last year, losses from cryptocurrency hit a whopping $4.4 billion,  per CipherTrace. This was a 150% increase from the year 2018. A report compiled by Chainanalysis indicated that cryptocurrency criminal activities spiked from 0.04% in 2018 to 0.08% in 2019. 

A more recent report presented in June by CipherTrace shows that crypto criminals are still finding new ways to accrue wealth illegally. In July, hackers posed as President Obama, Bill Gates, and Kanye West on Twitter and convinced followers to send $1000 in Bitcoin with a promise of accruing $2000 in return. They milked this scheme for a while before getting shut down, but not before accruing Bitcoins worth $100,000.

Pseudonymity of Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s pseudonymity makes it harder for stolen crypto to be tracked. Therefore, tracking these transactions is tedious and, at times, impossible. This fact makes Bitcoin more appealing to criminals. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation has flagged Bitcoin as the most popular cryptocurrency used for criminal activities.

While tracking the movement of thieves is fairly simple, tracking the money movement is not as easy. The criminals are usually aware that their movements can be traced.  To ensure the stolen money is not recovered, these criminals transact to the targets of hundreds and thousands within a short time. According to Chainanalysis, some criminals have a plethora of wallets that they use to move their illicit money back and forth. Some of them use the ‘mixer’- software that can break Bitcoin into smaller pieces and then ‘mixes’ it with other people’s transactions. In the end, the criminals acquire the same amount they put in but not the same Bitcoin.

How Chainanalysis Helps Track Down Crypto Thieves

When Gronager was starting Chainanalysis in the year 2014, his main idea surrounded the creation of a tool capable of combing through public blockchains to track down stolen money and suspicious transactions.

The blockchain records all the transactions made using crypto coins. The tools designed by Chainanalysis can go through these records and trace Illicitly acquired funds.  

More intricately, Chainanalysis identifies the flow of transactions of a known address to an exchange and then notifies the exchange that they have received illicit funds. In other instances, Chainanalysis can notify law enforcement when they identify a suspicious address transferring Bitcoin to another address. It gets easier to nab the thief if the recipient address happens to have posted their wallet address on any social media platform.  

The Kryptos tool invented by Chainanalysis is used by financial institutions to establish whether some cryptocurrency businesses are genuine or not. Another popular tool from Chainanalysis is the Know Your Transaction (KYT) software. This software is used by various entities such as law enforcement agencies and crypto exchanges to trace illicit cryptocurrency transactions. 

On the other hand, Reactor is the most widely used tool.  This tool, also by Chainanalysis, is used by agencies to trace cryptocurrency movements across a blockchain. Additionally, the Reactor also flag addresses that are involved in shady activities. 

The Downsides of Chainanalysis

Since the allure of privacy is what draws in most cryptocurrency investors, there has been concern over the close relationship between governments and Chainanalysis. Simply put, Chainanalysis undermines the privacy promise of cryptocurrency.

Final Thoughts

Crypto crime is dwindling with Chainanalysis tools, closely watching the movements of Illicitly acquired funds.  Chainanalysis estimates that the total fraction of cryptocurrency transactions heading to the dark web has significantly fallen since they started their company in 2015. Will this trend continue, or will we see crypto crime surge again? That seems unlikely. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Is Helium (HNT) the Future of Wireless?

The Internet of Things is already a billion-dollar industry, with billions of connected devices as of today. Also, IoT spending is on track to reach almost $1.4 trillion by 2021. While the IoT industry continues to grow, it needs a secure and readily available internet to flourish. However, the available solutions, i.e., cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth, are either too expensive, too energy-intensive, or too limited in range. 

The Helium network is a blockchain-powered wireless network that allows devices from anywhere in the globe to connect to the internet and establish their location without needing power-intensive satellite location hardware or costly network plans. Helium wants to utilize the blockchain to bring decentralization to an industry long dominated by powerful monopolies. The result is that an affordable wireless network becomes a commodity available to anyone. 

Helium’s secure and open-source network also allows developers to build energy-saving, internet-connected devices in a fast and low-cost manner. With this, the project wants to ‘Start a Wireless Revolution.’ 

At the time of writing, the network had 10,426 total hotspots, with close to 8 billion credits spent, per its website. 

Breaking Down Helium

Launched in 2013, Helium is a decentralized wireless network that seeks to offer a secure and cost-effective way for low-power devices to join the IoT industry. The Helium protocol runs on blockchain technology and uses the HoneyBadgerBFT consensus model. 

Helium has the following core features: 

  • Helium hotspot – A tool that’s both a miner and users’ pathway to the Helium blockchain
  • Proof of coverage – A novel mining mechanism that uses radio waves to verify the location of Hotspots
  • LongFi – a technology that combines the wireless protocol LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) with the Helium blockchain so compatible LoRaWAN devices can transfer data over the Helium network

Helium: Existing Products

#1. Helium Hotspot

The Helium Hotspot is a wireless router by Helium. Just like other LoRaWAN devices on Helium, the Hotspots support miles of wireless network for anyone to carry out mining and help maintain and support the network. 

#2. Helium Console 

This is an internet-based management tool through which developers can register, verify, and manage their devices in the network. The Helium Console is responsible for managing user-level permissions, registering devices IDs, onboarding new devices securely, and utilizing data credits. 

#3. LongFi

This tool combines LoRaWAN with the Helium blockchain, so any LoRaWAN device can plug in and start transferring data on the network. LongFi supports the following: 

  • Easy device onboarding: Users can onboard as many devices as possible without them having to undergo endless configurations or verification by third parties
  • Device roaming: Devices on the network have IDs that are stored on the blockchain, allowing them to transfer data to the network through any Hotspot 
  • Earning HNT tokens: Via LongFi, device owners can earn HNT tokens for transferring data over the network
  • LoRaWAN Support: Any LoRaWAN device can transfer data through the network with little configuration required
#4. Helium Tabs

These are location trackers enabled by Helium. They can track all sorts of things: from pets to luggage, to keys, and pretty much anything that’s covered by the Helium network.

Helium: Technical Infrastructure

Here, we look at the infrastructural highlights of Helium. 

#1. Proof of Coverage (PoC)

PoC is a variation of the Proof of Work consensus algorithm that utilizes radio waves to verify hotspots’ location on the Helium network. PoC constantly requires routers to prove their wireless coverage quality by decrypting and transferring LongFi data over the network. Helium Hotspots stand to earn HNT for submitting valid coverage proofs. 

#2. The Helium Consensus Model

Helium’s consensus mechanism involves 16 participants – who form the Consensus Group (CG) – elected once every epoch. Any active Helium Hotspot on the network is eligible for election to become part of the CG, although they’re more likely to be chosen if they pass the PoC challenge. 

For every election, 4 new CGs are added to 12 members from the previous election. A Hotspot can participate in no more than 4 consecutive CGs. If a CG member performs poorly, they’re likely to be removed before the 4 epoch limit. Mining rewards are distributed among participating members at the end of every epoch. 

Participants in the Helium Network

The participants of Helium can be thought of as these below: 

#1. WHIP

This is an open wireless protocol that is long-range, low-power, and most fitting for use with commodity open-standards hardware. Hardware that’s compatible with WHIP can communicate over many square miles, whether in dense urban settings or rural areas. Such hardware can also last for many years using standard batteries. WHIP utilizes public-key cryptography for security, with verification taking place on the Helium blockchain.

#2. Hotspots

These are physical network devices that transfer data back and forth between routers and various devices. Hotspots also generate proof of coverage, and they can also geolocate devices through the Helium network without any additional apparatus. 

#3 Devices

Devices are hardware products embedded with a WHIP-compatible radio transceiver and can interact with Hotspots on the network. Devices are powered by the typical battery and can last for several years with them. Devices can exist in many forms depending on their use case, and the performance and battery life can be optimized through a variety of transmission strategies.

Helium: Community Growth Strategies

The Helium team is currently undertaking several strategies to advance the growth of the project. These strategies are as follows: 

  • Rewarding network participants who deployed more than 15 Hotspots
  • Educating IoT developers on how to use the Helium platform
  • Hosting Helium Hacks, a weekly video chat session by the Helium team
  • Carrying out local and online meetups
  • Engaging with the community via social media channels

Future strategies include: 

  • Releasing blockchain and IoT-related content via podcasts, videos, blogs, and interviews with industry experts
  • Providing the community with sponsorships to empower them to build apps on the Helium network

Who’s on the Helium Team? 

Helium is the brainchild of Amir Haleem, Shawn Fanning, and Sean Carrey. The trio began working on the idea in 2013. 

Haleem has a strong background in game development. Fanning is known for creating the popular music sharing platform Napster, one of the first of such platforms to employ a peer-to-peer approach. Carry has several years of development experience, including Where, an advertising platform since acquired by PayPal. 

The product team comprises members with combined experience in “radio and hardware, manufacturing, distributed systems, peer-to-peer and blockchain technologies.” 

Future of Helium

The Helium team considers where they are to be just the beginning. They view decentralized wireless networks as a still novel concept that needs more research so it can meet the demands of the modern-day internet. Given this, the team has or intends to undertake the following initiatives: 

  • Identify whether it’s possible to apply blockchain and the decentralized wireless service idea to WiFi Bluetooth and cellular networks
  • Add the possibility for more proofs of coverage to strengthen the Helium network as it grows
  • Formally illustrate the algorithm behind Proof of Coverage
  • Investigate the possibility of deploying smart contracts beyond their current limitations

The Helium Token

HNT is the native cryptocurrency of the Helium network. The token has several uses, including the two most important ones: 

  • Mining rewards: Hotspots earn HNT for contributing to the running and security of the network by transferring data
  • Payment: HNT is used by users to generate data credits with which to pay for network services

HNT: Tokenomics 

On October 20, 2020, HNT traded at $1.12, with a market cap of $57,123,035 and a market rank of #131. HNT’s 24-hour volume was $1,848,021, and it had a circulating and total supply of 51,005,233 and a total supply of 55,960,199. And finally, the token had an all-time high of $4.03 (Sep 24, 2020) and an all-time low of $0.0253391 (June 10, 2020). 

Where to Buy HNT 

HNT is listed as a market pair with USDC, USDT, PERP, and USD in exchanges like Bilaxy, Binance, Binance.US, Hoo, FTX, and Serum DEX. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Is Bitcoin Cash a Good Investment?

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a cryptocurrency created in 2017 as a result of attempts to improve the performance of Bitcoin. BCH was spun off from Bitcoin (BTC) – the original cryptocurrency. 

The idea of forking one crypto from another is not strange. However, what makes the BCH spin-off noteworthy is that the fork involved an update to Bitcoin Core. Whereas some nodes accepted the update, others declined. Those that accepted the update formed the BCH network. The number of Bitcoins that each node had in their Bitcoin wallet at the time of the fork was duplicated on their BCH wallet.

The main motivation for starting the Bitcoin Cash project was to make Bitcoin more transactional-friendly. In other words, the pioneers of Bitcoin Cash were of the opinion that Bitcoin transactions took too long to settle; hence, it was better suited as an investment tool than a transactional currency. That was a good observation, but stakeholders widely disagreed on how to make these enhancements on the original Bitcoin, and that’s how Bitcoin Cash came to life.

This article explains what Bitcoin Cash is and evaluates whether it is worth investing in it.

How Is BCH Different from Bitcoin?

Considering that Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin, one would expect striking similarity between the two. In fact, many crypto enthusiasts have described the former as nothing more than a newer version of the latter. So, are they one and the same thing? Well, not quite.

As earlier mentioned, the pioneers of Bitcoin Cash wanted Bitcoin transactions to be settled as fast as possible – just like traditional payment methods. The solution to this problem was to increase block sizes so that each block could accommodate more transactions. So, fundamentally, the difference is the block sizes. 

Nevertheless, the following are the notable differences between the two. Some came about as a result of increasing the block sizes and the sequence of events that were set in motion. 

  • Block size: This is the fundamental difference. The maximum block size of Bitcoin is 1 MB, while Bitcoin Cash blocks can grow up to 8 MB. Larger block sizes mean increased capacity to handle more transactions per second
  • Value: BCH has a lower dollar exchange rate than BTC. For comparison, at the time of writing, BCH was worth $269, while BTC was valued at $12,850.
  • Transaction processing time: Bitcoin transactions typically reflect after at least 10 minutes. For BCH, you can expect far shorter times.
  • Cheaper transaction fees: Crypto networks usually deduct a small percentage of the transaction value as network fees. While a network fee of $0.20 is common for BCH transactions, BTC transfers charge an average of $1.

BCH proponents believe that these differences give Bitcoin Cash an edge over Bitcoin.

Disadvantages of BCH

BCH seems to address most of Bitcoin’s challenges, making it seem more appealing. However, it is not without fault. The following are some of its notable disadvantages:

  • Less trading pairs – Since BCH is relatively new, you might find it a little cumbersome to get an exchange pair for your BCH. In comparison, you can exchange BTC or Ethereum with almost any other coin.
  • Less appeal among investor circles – BCH has not yet won investors’ confidence because it is relatively new in the market.
  • Lower mining profits – Mining BCH takes almost the same effort as mining BTC, but the network fees are much lower, thereby making the venture less profitable.

Investing in BCH

Bitcoin faces scalability challenges, and investors are increasingly showing optimism that BCH will save the day. But before investing in Bitcoin Cash, you need to find an exchange where you can buy and sell BCH and a secure wallet to keep your crypto. These two quick tips below will help you get started:

  • Finding an exchange: There are many crypto exchanges, but not all will work for you. You need to consider their exchange rates, supported payment methods, reputation, how fast they send the crypto to your wallet, and so on. Coinsutra has summarized the best exchanges for BCH here.
  • Getting a good wallet: Getting a secure and reliable wallet is a key pillar in your investment journey. You can find a comprehensive summary of the best BCH wallets on Wallets.com.

Now that you know where to buy your BCH and where to keep them safe, you can confidently join the club of BCH investors. 

Remember that BCH was created purposely as a transactional currency and not for long-term storage of value like stocks. This means that hoarding a large volume of BCH waiting for its value to grow might not be a wise thought. Nevertheless, you can still make some profit through buying and selling BCH. The idea is simple – you buy at a low price and sell when the price goes up. However, you will realize that this is a double-edged sword when you buy at a low price, and the price continues to drop even further. 

Coinbase is one of the best exchanges to buy and sell BCH since it offers a wide variety of exchange pairs. eToro is also worth considering as it facilitates social trading. Social trading allows you to learn trading from experts who are currently trading on the platform. So, you have a chance at trading profitably even if you have no experience. 

There is no magic formula for getting this right. However, you might want to play around with exchange pairs to find the best margins. For instance, if BCH/USD has low margins, you could try exchanging your BCH with BTC instead. 

Mining Bitcoin Cash

Mining cryptocurrencies is one of the ways one can generate revenue. It is, however, not for the faint-hearted. Just as is the case with Bitcoin, mining Bitcoin Cash requires mining rigs, which are special computers designed specifically for that purpose. You can get an Antminer R4, which is among the most powerful, at about $1,000. Antminer has a processing power of roughly 8.6TH/s (trillion calculations per second). You also need to prepare for huge power costs as this machine is rated at 845W. 

According to Bitinfocharts.com, mining Bitcoin Cash at 1TH/s earns an average of $1.35 per day. So, you’re looking at returns of $10.8 per day for the sort of investment above.

Overall, mining Bitcoin Cash is not the most lucrative of all alternatives, but at least you are guaranteed some returns. 

Final Remarks 

Bitcoin Cash is among the new cryptocurrencies. It is fast gaining popularity, making it worth considering for investment. It is cheaper than Bitcoin and allows faster transaction settlement. On the flip side, BCH is not yet widely accepted by investors. This makes it harder to find convenient trading pairs. 

Also, if you’re looking to invest in mining Bitcoin Cash, it isn’t as profitable as mining Bitcoin. If you’re considering investing in BCH for the long term, please understand that you will only make a profit if people want to buy BCH, more than they want to sell. So, if you are optimistic about this crypto’s steady growth, go forth in confidence and join the club of BCH investors.

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Crypto Daily Topic

Investing in ICOs – What You Need to Know

An ICO (Initial Coin Offering) is a strategy startups use to raise capital to fund a project by selling digital tokens. The project’s nature could vary from building an app to creating a new service to developing a new cryptocurrency. It is a similar concept to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) – the sale of shares by corporations to raise lump sum capital. 

ICOs, just like IPOs, often excite investors, which is why: at the launch of an ICO, tokens are usually sold at an outrageously discounted price. If the project goes well, the startup will become attractive to investors, and so will be the tokens. At this point, early-bird investors can sell their tokens at much higher prices and walk away with their newly-acquired wealth. This is the same thinking IPO investors have.

Despite the potential to gain massively from these investments, the risk of losing everything always lingers. If the project is a false start, the startup behind the ICO will fail to attract investors, and the tokens will be, at best, a little more than useless.

This article explains ICOs in detail, the benefits of investing, and the risks involved. Read on to know if they are a worthy venture.

How ICOs Work

First, it’s worth noting that cryptocurrency startups typically offer iCOs. Startups have limited access to funding. To make it worse, crypto startups lack the assets to back up liabilities such as credit, and this fact makes them particularly unattractive to creditors. 

When such organizations want to raise capital, ICOs come to their rescue. It all starts with publishing a technical paper detailing their idea. The whitepaper will explain the capital requirements, what the project will achieve at the end, how many tokens investors will keep, how the tokens can be redeemed, and so on. An elaborate paper is crucial in convincing investors to jump aboard. 

During the offering, those who have read the paper and see potential in the idea will buy the tokens using fiat money or crypto. In the future, issued tokens can be redeemed for cash. However, there are cases where the tokens only represent a stake in the organization and only entitle the holders to dividends. 

If the ICO fails to raise the amount needed to pursue the project, the startup may refund investors. Otherwise, it will use the funds collected to implement the proposed project. It is important to note that ICO activities are not regulated – and that’s a huge risk. Luckily, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can intervene if it believes the ICO is illegal and may harm investors, as was the case with Telegram’s 2018 ICO. Nonetheless, the SEC’s jurisdiction is limited to the United States, something that you need to keep in mind. 

Comparison with IPOs/ Stocks 

ICOs and IPOs have a lot in common, especially in terms of how they work. Below are some of how the two compare:

  • Both are used to raise funds from the public 
  • Investors receive a token that represents their contribution. In ICOs, digital tokens are issued while IPOs feature shares
  • Both are supposed to be tradeable or redeemable 

Despite the similarities, there are notable differences between the two. For instance: 

  • ICOs are not regulated, while stocks are regulated by government agencies (SEC does this in the US)
  • Returns on IPOs are straightforward – stockholders reap annual dividends. On the other hand, ICO tokens do not grant investors ownership of the project. Still, they can be redeemed at a fixed rate, grant buyers access to the startup’s offices, entitle them to a share of the company’s profits, or whatever the whitepaper says – it’s usually all in the whitepaper.
  • IPOs are restricted to specific stock markets, while ICOs can be purchased anywhere the internet has reached.
  • IPOs usually have a high minimum amount of shares that one can purchase. ICOs, on the other hand, offer more flexibility when it comes to the minimum number of tokens that can be purchased.

How to Participate in an ICO

There is no specific process for venturing into ICOs. However, the general guide below can help you get started.

  1. Search online for upcoming ICOs. Using Google search terms like “upcoming ICOs” should be sufficient. You can also check out icodrops.com. The website provides a summary of active, upcoming, and concluded ICOs. When contemplating which ICO to settle for, take your time to read and understand the whitepaper. If you can, consult an investment expert for advice.
  2. Once you have made a comparison and settled on an ICO of your liking, register with an exchange. Since you are likely to purchase the tokens using crypto, you will need to exchange your fiat money for the said crypto. Most ICOs can be paid for using Bitcoin or Ether – that’s if they are not accepting fiat money.
  3. Buy crypto from the exchange and transfer that to your private wallet. 
  4. Go to the ICO’s official website and follow the participation guide. Most of them have simple well-explained guides. That’s it.

Pump-and-Dump ICO Schemes

Not all ICOs are established with genuine intentions. Like it is the case with any other investment alternative, you should be extra-careful when approaching an ICO investment. Pump-and-dump schemes involve overly hyping an idea to mislead investors into thinking that the proposed project will be super successful. In a typical pump-and-dump scheme, ICO owners will make outrageous claims about the potential of their idea. Then, clueless investors will buy the tokens in large quantities. Naturally, the project will fail after the capital collected has been spent, meaning the startup will have no money to pay investors.

It might be difficult to read the intentions of ICO owners from the start. However, if you see an influencer promoting a certain ICO, you should be vigilant. Using authoritative figures to market ICOs is among the best-known tactics pump-and-dump schemers use.

The ICO Bubble

ICO critics have long speculated that the concept is just a fanfare whose curtains are due to close. In 2017, Wired predicted that the ICO bubble was about to burst, but obviously, it didn’t. In 2018, cryptocurrencies saw an all-time decline in market capitalization, with Bitcoin losing over 70% of its value. The thing is, cryptocurrencies ride on speculation, and speculation cannot be predicted. Therefore, we cannot validate claims of a looming ICO bubble burst. What’s more important is to do your due diligence before diving into this unpredictable business.

Final Thoughts

ICOs present an exciting investment alternative to crypto enthusiasts. They offer many benefits that traditional IPOs lack. For instance, you can invest for as low as a few dollars. You are also not restricted to any country – provided you can access the ICO’s website, you can participate. Generally, ICOs have opened up investment opportunities to more people. However, it would help if you exercise caution when dealing with them. Their unregulated nature means if anything goes wrong, legal redress might be impossible. But since all investments are risky anyway, you might want to give it a try regardless.

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Crypto Daily Topic

Why Bitcoin is Here To Stay

Let’s face it – at some point, we all thought that Bitcoin was going to collapse, but it didn’t. Since its inception in 2009, this cryptocurrency has shown tremendous resilience throughout its lifetime. Bitcoin has had meteoric rises and falls, having gone to the highs of $20,000 at some point and plunged as low as $5,000 within months. PayCoin, SpaceBit, and many other digital currencies have collapsed, and so, the idea of a cryptocurrency failing is not foreign after all. So what makes Bitcoin special? Does this pioneer crypto really have nine lives, or is it a matter of time before it vanishes into the nether world? 

Critics say it shall end in tears; analysts say Bitcoin is here to stay. But let’s settle this debate by looking at the factors that give Bitcoin its resilience and evaluating whether they are solid enough to see it through crypto’s uncertainties. 

This article presents Bitcoin’s history of fluctuations and reasons it is likely to survive the test of time.

The 2018 Bitcoin Crash

If there’s a time Bitcoin’s doomsayers were almost right in their predictions, it must have been 2018. After reaching almost $20,000 in December 2017, Bitcoin crashed to just $5,000 in December 2018. Cryptocurrencies were undergoing a rough time. During this period, a series of events led to widespread speculation about the fate of digital currencies.

  • In January 2018, it was rumored that South Korea was planning to ban cryptocurrencies in the country. As a direct consequence, Bitcoin lost 12 percent of its value.
  • Exactly 2 weeks later, Coincheck, then Japan’s largest crypto exchange, was hacked, and the cyberpunk made away with NEM equivalent to USD 530 million. Crypto enthusiasts across the globe momentarily lost trust in the security of digital currencies. Within a couple of days after this news broke, Bitcoin lost 50% of its value.
  • In March of the same year, someone stole Binance’s API keys and attempted to make fraudulent transfers. Binance detected the unusual activity and immediately suspended withdrawals. Panic had already spread.
  • In the same month, Facebook, Twitter, and Google banned all ICOs and token sales ads. This was the final piece of evidence doomsayers needed to prove their case.

For the remainder of the year, cryptocurrencies struggled to remain afloat. Some exchanges suspended trading, and some currencies collapsed. By November 2018, Bitcoin was exchanging at $5,500.

The Comeback

From the beginning of 2019, Bitcoin started to show signs of recovery. In fits and bursts, the currency rose in both trade volume and price. By June 2019, it had already reached $10,000. Between June 2019 and October 2020, the coin has fluctuated between $14,000 and $5,000. The comeback was not the strongest. However, it brought hope that Bitcoin was permanently poised for recovery and stabilization. 

Why Bitcoin Is Likely to Survive the Test of Time

We have seen Bitcoin’s unpredictable fluctuations over the years. One question we need to answer is what makes it always recover even after an epic fail. Below are some of the reasons.

#1 – It solves real-world problems

This is arguably the main reason Bitcoin has survived for a decade. Bitcoin has real utility – you can use it to pay for goods and services, you can send it to another person, and you can invest in it as if it were an asset. While it was possible to achieve all this even before Bitcoin’s creation, its invention has made these transactions more versatile and cost-effective. 

It has also opened new use cases that were previously impossible. For instance, activists are increasingly relying on Bitcoin to bypass government restrictions and receive donations. Of course, criminals and terrorists are also abusing the network to raise funds for nefarious activities, but that does not negate the fact that Bitcoin comes in handy when an unrestricted movement of funds is desirable. 

#2 – It is (relatively) simple to understand and use

Compared to other cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is relatively easy to understand and use. For comparison, Ethereum and Ripple, Bitcoin’s closest competitors, include complicated concepts (smart contracts and payment infrastructure, respectively) that confuse neophytes. Bitcoin is simply a currency. Even a person with modest internet skills can begin using it in a short time. 

Bitcoin’s simplicity is on the user front – the mechanisms behind how it works remain as complex as those for other cryptocurrencies. Thus, none of the security, decentralization, and network stability benefits are compromised.

#3 – It is highly consistent with our past payment experiences

Bitcoin’s compatibility means you can easily plug it into traditional financial systems, and it blends seamlessly. It is accessible from mobile apps and other platforms that we are all already used to. Its acquisition and usage are also consistent with our past experiences. For instance, when checking out on an eCommerce site, you can pay for your goods by simply selecting Bitcoin, if it is listed. This is what you’d normally do with your credit card, PayPal, and so on.

So how does compatibility make Bitcoin resilient? Glad you asked. After a crash in volume, Bitcoin users can easily pick up where they left and continue using the currency like it never crashed. For emphasis, just imagine if, after abandoning its usage, you have to re-register, get a new wallet, find another exchange because the other one collapsed, and so on before you start using the currency again. It might not sound like much, but such complexities can impede the recovery of a cryptocurrency.

#4 – The pioneer advantage

Having entered the cryptocurrency market before any other currency, Bitcoin enjoys the pioneer advantage. It has been and will always be the trendsetter for cryptocurrencies. For instance, when Bitcoin activity slows down due to Bitcoin-specific adverse events, the entire crypto world is shaken. But Bitcoin does not necessarily suffer such instabilities when other networks go down. 

The pioneer advantage creates the impression that Bitcoin can be trusted more than any other cryptocurrency. This makes it easier for Bitcoin to bounce back after a slump because crypto enthusiasts will likely continue to trust it even when cryptocurrencies are undergoing tumultuous times. It is a good thing anyway, as the lifeline of cryptocurrencies heavily relies on Bitcoin trends.

#5 – It is globally available 

Bitcoin’s global presence contributes a great deal to its resilience. Each world region is characterized by a different economic and regulatory environment. So, when Bitcoin activity slows down in the Eurozone due to Brexit (if there’s such a cause-effect relationship), it could be pretty much business as usual in the rest of the world. Of course, changes in Bitcoin activity in certain regions have a high likelihood of impacting the rest of the globe. Even so, we must agree that having Bitcoin everywhere spreads and thus mitigates its risk of collapsing.

Final Thoughts

Bitcoin was created over a decade ago, and despite multiple scares that it was collapsing, the cryptocurrency still stands tall. It experienced its worst slump in December 2018, but its resurgence thereafter was a clear demonstration of its resilience. For the critics out there, Bitcoin’s high volatility is not necessarily a symptom of extinction – as it has been shown time and again. Lastly, although Bitcoin has seen countless rises and falls in its lifetime, one thing remains clear: after a fall, it shall rise.

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Crypto Daily Topic

What is Ripple, and Should You Buy It?

Introduced in 2012, Ripple aimed to facilitate seamless, fast, and cheap global money transfers. It is different from other cryptocurrencies in the way it works and what it aims to achieve. Bitcoin came as a digital currency and Ethereum as a smart contracts platform. But Ripple entered the scene as a payments infrastructure. Today, its digital currency is among the most popular – only surpassed by Bitcoin and Ethereum in market capitalization.

In this article, we take a deep dive into this fascinating cryptocurrency network. We will look at how Ripple works, its pros and cons, compare it with Bitcoin, and even look at how you can use it. Read on to find out more about Ripple.

Understanding Ripple

We’ve just said that Ripple is different because it is a payment infrastructure. But what exactly is a payments infrastructure? In the interest of simplicity, let’s say it is any platform that facilitates the transfer of funds between individuals. For Ripple, this transfer happens in real-time and on an individual order basis. In other words, this network is a real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system. 

The Ripple platform consists of the XCurrent messaging technology and the XRP currency. SWIFT is currently the most popular inter-bank funds transfer system. However, the recent adoption of the XCurrent messaging technology by some leading global banks has created uncertainty over SWIFT’s future. 

Ripple was created by Ripple Labs Inc. Unlike another crypto, which is usually generated through mining, Ripple Labs created the entire 100 billion XRP that circulates within the network. The company, strangely, holds 55 billion of these. 

While Ripple runs on open-source software, the network is not really decentralized – which the executives of Ripple Labs’ vehemently refute. The CTO is quoted saying that the XRP ledger existed even before Ripple Labs was founded, and that XRP will continue to circulate even if the company collapses. Cryptocurrencies are loved because they are decentralized. For Ripple, the company’s involvement in developing the network complicates the matter. Nevertheless, it remains the third most popular crypto going by total value of coins in circulation. 

Current Applications

Ripple’s utility extends beyond sending crypto from one person to another – the company’s recent partnership with Banco Santander demonstrated its potential in facilitating RTGS in mainstream banking. According to the Financial Times, this partnership allows the bank’s customers to send money across the globe in different currencies. That said, Ripple is mainly used for currency exchange and remittances. 

While the banking industry may be shy in adopting XRP because it’s volatile – like all other cryptos, it is likely to embrace Ripple’s payment infrastructure. Should that happen, Ripple will enable banks to make instant transfers and in different currencies while avoiding the high costs associated with SWIFT.

Ripple Versus Bitcoin

Ripple and Bitcoin are both blockchain-based technologies. This similarity should not make you think that Ripple is simply another cryptocurrency, just like Bitcoin. These two fundamentally differ in the following ways:

  • Mining: Bitcoin miners get rewarded with new coins. Ripple is not mined as all the coins were created when the network was built.
  • Underlying technology: Bitcoin transactions are verified using the proof-of-work concept (mining), while Ripple uses an iterative consensus.
  • Speed: Bitcoin takes an average of 10 minutes to commit transactions, while Ripple needs only 5 seconds. Ripple’s fast speed is what makes it suitable for RTGS.
  • Transaction cost: Bitcoin charges upwards of $2 per transaction, while Ripple costs about $0.004. The low transaction fees give Ripple an edge over SWIFT for remittances.
  • Supported currencies: The Bitcoin network supports only once currency while Ripple was built to support any currency.
  • Ownership: Bitcoin is decentralized, while Ripple is controlled by Ripple Labs Inc.

How to Use Ripple

Ripple can be used by both individuals and financial institutions. For individuals, it works like other cryptocurrencies – you can invest in it or use it to make payments. For banks, Ripple’s usefulness lies in its payment infrastructure technology. Let’s take a closer look at how the platform plays out in these two scenarios. 

For Individuals

As mentioned above, you can invest in Ripple (XRP) or use it for payments – just as you would with any other crypto. For this, you will need a digital wallet that supports XRP. There is a good review of XRP wallets on this page. Secondly, you need to identify a reliable exchange from where you can buy XRP; Bitstamp, Kraken, and GateHub are good options. Most of the exchanges offer XRP/USD, XRP/EUR, and XRP/BTC exchange pairs. Also, most of them will deposit the purchased XRP on your account on that website. Always ensure you move the funds to your private wallet soonest possible. 

For Banks/ Financial Institutions 

Ripple was developed with banks and other financial institutions in mind. The aim was to make cross-border fund transfers fast, cheap, and transparent, which banks have been unable to achieve for decades. 

Ever since, banks have been using SWIFT, an interbank telecommunication system, to send money across borders. SWIFT is expensive. Also, its transfers take about 1-4 business days to reflect. People seeking to make cross-border remittances have had to endure this reality for the last four decades. However, things are changing. Several major banks have seen the light and are now using Ripple’s messaging system to achieve the same function as SWIFT, but faster, more cheaply, and transparently. 

Just like SWIFT, Ripple’s payment infrastructure does not hold any funds – it is simply a messaging system. This means that banks do not have to overhaul the entire remittance process when adopting Ripple, and thus, the switch to Ripple should be swift (no pun intended).

Having cheap, instantaneous cross-border transfers is everyone’s wish, but until all banks adopt Ripple’s platform, such transfers will have to stay on the wishlist. 

Ripple’s Pros 

  • Fast transactions – Transactions on Ripple are among the fastest among cryptocurrency networks. Within 3-5 seconds, the transfer of funds from person A to person B can be complete.
  • Supported by a reliable technical team – Ripple is supported by a team of world-class engineers because the company can afford them.
  • Reliability – The platform has been tested by some of the world’s largest banks, meaning it is a reliable solution.
  • Low cost – Transaction fees on Ripple are very competitive.

Ripple’s Cons

  • Centralized – Ripple Labs owns 55% of the total coins in the network, which makes it too powerful. Decentralized governance is one of the characteristics that have made cryptocurrencies attractive. 
  • Focus on banks/ financial institutions – Ripple was largely designed to benefit banks and financial institutions. Individuals might be unable to leverage the platform’s full range of capabilities. 

Closing Remarks

Ripple is an original, fresh, and unique solution to the age-old problem of cross-border money transfers and, as a digital currency, an alternative to Bitcoin. We have seen that the crypto network is primarily focused on financial institutions. However, you can still use XRP to make payments or invest in it. So, if you are a crypto enthusiast, XRP is a good alternative to other altcoins. 

For financial institutions, Ripple introduces speed, low-costs, and transparency in international money transfers. Many of the world’s largest banks have already tested its payment infrastructure – giving it the seal of approval that other financial institutions can rely on. Ripple promises faster and cheaper money transfers. However, we might have to wait for long as banks consider its adoption. Until then, we will have to endure the slow and costly SWIFT transfers.

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Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s PIVX All About?

Bitcoin has inspired thousands of cryptocurrencies. At the moment, there are 7,434 cryptocurrencies, according to Coinmarketcap. Each cryptocurrency comes with aspirations of being better than the last one in one way or another. Others want to solve the issues inherent with Bitcoin, such as lack of complete privacy, scalability issues, etc. 

PIVX is one of such cryptocurrencies. Launched in 2016, PIVX was the first to use a two-tier staking reward model and both cold and hot staking. 

This article explores the PIVX protocol and what innovations it brings to the space. We’ll also see its native token and how it fits in the puzzle.

Understanding PIVX

PIVX, Private Instant Verified Transaction (Tx), is a decentralized, Proof-of-stake (PoS) cryptocurrency dedicated to privacy, fungibility, community governance, and real-world utilization. PIVX wants to achieve this with the power of several key characteristics: 

#1. Dash/Bitcoin core source-code: The PIVX protocol is forked off of the source code for Dash, which in itself forked off Bitcoin’s source code. Dash’s code is fortified with a tailored PoS algorithm and an enhanced privacy protocol.

#2. Customized PoS algorithm: PIVX’s improved PoS is intended to achieve true decentralization while using as little energy as possible. This PoS also implements a community governance system to be “the ultimate people’s fungible cryptocurrency.” After transitioning from Proof of Work (PoW), PIVX has solely relied on PoS to generate new blocks. Block generation is done by holders of the PIVX token

#3. Masternode network: PIVX features a second-tier network of masternodes through which users can set up specialized full-node wallets if they stake in at least 10,000 of PIVX tokens. The masternodes are entitled to network governance, a role for which they are rewarded with more PIVX. All payouts are done in a completely decentralized manner.

How Does PIVX Differ From Other Blockchain Networks? 

PIVX distinguishes itself from other blockchain networks with the following characteristics: 

#1. Private and Public Staking:

PIVX utilizes a customized Proof of Stake model in which users can stake in PIVX using both hot and cold wallets. Through this, users can mint new tokens and get rewards. Masternodes are also rewarded for every new block that’s minted.

#2. Cold Staking: 

This feature allows users to store coins in one wallet, with the possibility of delegating those coins for staking by another node. This means a staker can have their wallets online and still stake without necessarily having spending access to the coins. Cold staking ensures security for coins and ensures the user can still stake and get rewards even if their coins are stored offline.

#3. Sapling

This is a faster and more efficient replacement for the Zerocoin protocol. 

#4. PIVX Foundation:

PIVX features its own legal footprint, which supports the project legally and financially. The foundation stepped in in 2019 as a subset of the Sustainable Development Goals Impact Fund (SDG) – a Public Charity Donor Advised Fund (DAF). This DAF is the only one in the US that’s not controlled by a bank, uses cryptocurrency, and is focused on helping advance the United Nations’ SDGs. 

How to Stake PIVX

There are two ways to stake PIVX (PIV). One is hot staking, which involves installing PIVX’s core desktop wallet and unlocking it in Staking Only mode. When you deposit coins, they’ll start when they gain 600 confirmations. Hot staking requires that the wallet be online for the process to take place. 

The other method is cold staking, which can be done by installing the core desktop wallet, depositing crypto, and delegating the staking of those coins via the Cold Staking tab to an offline staking address. That address could either be your own wallet or one belonging to a third-party cold staking service provider.

Specs of the PIVX Token 

  • Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm (both hot and cold staking)
  • Block size of 2 MB
  • Block time of 60 seconds (which re-targets after every block)
  • 173 transactions per second (TPS)
  • Stake-able, with rewards for ownership
  • Masternode support upon staking 10,000 PIV

Key Metrics 

As of October 16, the PIVX token traded at $0.368337, ata market cap of $20, 914, 580, placing it at #337. PIVX has a 24-hour volume of $705, 146, and a circulating and total supply of 56, 781,166. The token’s all-time high was $9.20 (Jan 23, 2018), while its all-time low was $0.000422 (Feb 16, 2016), per Coinmarketcap.

Where to Buy and Store PIV

Today, you can find PIV listed on a variety of exchanges as a market pair of BTC, KRW, ETH, EUR and USDT. Some of the exchanges include Binance, Finexbox, VCC Exchange, Bithumb, Bittrex, KuCoin, Graviex, YoBit, LiteBite.eu, Birake Network, HotBit, Txbit, and VALR. 

You can hold PIV tokens in the PIVX core wallet (Desktop), PIVX Light wallet (desktop), Ledger Nano S (hardware), PIVX Mobile, Coinomi (Mobile/Desktop), and Satowallet (Desktop/Mobile/Web). 

Final Thoughts

PIVX manages to provide something novel for the crypto space, whether its pioneering the Zerocoin protocol or supporting both cold and hot staking. However, its place in the market is not exactly enviable at this point, and if it means to stay relevant, it will need to up its game or risk being relegated to oblivion. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s Sandbox (SAND): A Beginner Guide

Online gaming is a favorite pastime for millions of players around the world. However, the current structure is beset with problems such as fraud, lack of guaranteed security, and game creators not getting their fair share of the revenue. In an extremely skewed version of events, it’s powerful entities that own the rights to games and not the actual owners. 

What if this changed? What if game creators owned their content and could generate revenue from them in a decentralized, secure, and safe environment? What if players explored their favorite games in that environment and earned from simply participating? 

This is what Sandbox, a blockchain-powered gaming project, wants to achieve. This article explores the protocol as well as its native cryptocurrency, SAND. We’ll also look at the brilliant team behind the project. 

Understanding Sandbox 

Sandbox is a platform where players worldwide can experiment with games – including building, owning, and earning from them. The Sandbox team wants to disrupt the current centralized gaming environment and create one in which content creators can truly own their work. Ownership will be in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and participants will be rewarded in the network’s native SAND tokens. 

In the existing gaming environment, game developers’ give up nearly all control of their rights to ownership. This, in turn, means they don’t get the fair value of their creation. On top of that, it can be challenging to prove the original owner of a creation, especially after being modified, copied, or built upon. 

Sandbox says its vision is “to offer a deeply immersive metaverse in which players will create virtual worlds and games collaboratively and without a central authority.” 

It aims to do this by promoting the concept of blockchain in the gaming world in general and providing a voxel gaming platform for players to build, share, play, and trade in games without centralized control. Game creators will also have complete ownership of their content, and they also get to earn crypto tokens for simply participating. Copyright ownership will be accomplished through non-fungible tokens, with in-game items having a unique and fraud-prone identity on the blockchain. 

With that, let’s explore

How exactly the Sandbox environment works. 

A User-generated Content Ecosystem

The Sandbox environment comprises three core products that work together to provide a conducive environment for content creators and players. Let’s take a look at them: 

#1. VOXEDIT – This is a 3D voxel tool that allows users to create and animate objects such as animals, buildings, people, etc. and then relay them to the Sandbox marketplace as assets.

#2. MARKETPLACE – This is an internet-based marketplace where users can export, publish, and offer their creation (assets) for sale.

#3. GAME MAKER – This is a tool that asset owners – either by creating them in VOXEDIT or purchasing them, can place and use them in a ‘land’ in a virtual world.

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the Sandbox 

The Sandbox ecosystem utilizes blockchain tech and non-fungible tokens to provide an empowered gaming experience to participants. Each token is unique, indivisible, and not interchangeable. Through NFTs, Sandbox users will benefit in the following ways: 

#1. True Ownership of Creations – Developers and gamers are the true owners of gaming content. Sandbox will operate in a blockchain-powered environment where every digital item is tokenized in an immutable and fraud-free way. Game owners can then do with their game items as they wish – trade, sell, or gift people.

#2. Security and Immutability – On Sandbox, game owners can tokenize and trade/sell their creations in both primary and secondary markets. This would attract fraud and theft in a centralized environment, but such risks are stamped out thanks to the distributed and cryptographically secured nature of the blockchain. 

#3. Trading – Thanks to the blockchain-powered ecosystem, users can buy and sell game items in a secure way and without concern that they might be defrauded.

#4. Cross-application InteroperabilityBlockchain enables an app to share assets such as LANDS, avatars, and other game elements compatible with it. In short, game elements are not constrained in just one digital environment. 

What’s the SAND Token? 

SAND is the native cryptocurrency and an essential part of the Sandbox platform. The token is based on Ethereum, and it plays the following roles: 

  • Accessing the platform: To participate in the Sandbox platform, i.e., playing games, buying game tools, customizing their avatar, and so on, players must spend SAND tokens. Creators stake in SAND to acquire assets and LANDS, while artists spend SAND to upload export assets to the marketplace.
  • Governance: SAND token holders can take part in governance decisions by voting for proposals. Such proposals may include how the foundation grant will be allocated, how the roadmap will be prioritized, and so on. Token holders can vote themselves or for any other participant of their choice.
  • Staking: SAND token holders can stake in the crypto and get more revenue on LAND
  • As an incentive: A percentage of the total transaction fee shall be channeled to reward SAND token holders. Token holders contribute to the resilience of a blockchain network. 

SAND Stakeholders

The Sandbox team has come up with a stakeholders’ approach to work towards a model where the value of the ecosystem, in general, accrues value to the SAND token. Revenues generated will be distributed among four stakeholders. The goal is to support high-value gaming experiences and provide growth resources to expand Sandbox’s reach. 

The stakeholders will be as follows: 

#1. Foundation pool: for making sure revenue generated through the ecosystem accrues value to SAND

#2. Staking pool: for providing yield and value to participants who stake in SAND. Token holders who are also active gamers get to generate extra yield.

#3. Company treasury: these are tokens owned by the company and are proceeds from the sale of assets. Tokens generated this way will be sold back to the market to cater for operational expenses.

$4. Company reserve: this is the company reserve of 20% of the total token supply. It will be funded with the proceeds of the sale of assets with a six-month lock-up

The Sandbox Team 

Sandbox has assembled a team of 42 to execute its vision. 28 of these are in Argentina, while 11, 2, and 1 are in France, Korea, and Japan, respectively. That said, let’s look at the core team: 

Director Arthur Madrid is the co-founder and CEO of Pixowl and has years of experience in social gaming. He’s also an advisor to gaming and social media startups.

COO and Director Sebastian Borget is also the COO and co-founder of Animoca Brands. He’s very passionate about blockchain tech and is one of the most visible evangelists of non-fungible tokens’ potential. Borget is the president of the Blockchain Game Alliance as of 2020. 

CFO Marcelo Santurio is co-founder of the first-ever online payment company in Latin America and has over 20 years of finance, tech, and gaming experience. Santurio has an MBA with a focus on finance from the London School of Business. 

The inventor of the Sandbox idea, Pablo Iglesias, has 10+ years of research and development experience in emerging procedural systems.

CTO Lucas Shrewsbury is the ex-CTO of Gameloft, a gaming company, where he managed a team of 200 people and has 10+ years of experience in mobile gaming. 

SAND: Tokenomics

As of Oct 8, 2020, the SAND token is trading at $0.046725, with a market cap of $27,952,641, which puts it at #274. It has a 24-hour volume of $4,085,734, a circulating supply of 598,238,245, and has a total and maximum supply of 3 million. The token’s all-time high and all-time low was $0.086577 (Aug 14, 2020) and $0.033405 (Sep 06, 2020). 

Buying and Storing SAND 

SAND tokens can be exchanged for BTC, USDT, BNB, WETH, EUR, and HT on various exchanges, including Huobi, Binance, Upbit, CoinTiger, BKEX, 50x, Poloniex, BitAsset, Dcoin, WazirX, Binance.KR, and more. 

SAND tokens are Ethereum-based, meaning they can be stored in any Ethereum-compatible wallet. Great choices include Trust Wallet, Atomic Wallet, MyEtherWallet, MetaMask, Guarda, Exodus, Mist, Exodus, Edge, Trezor, and Ledger Nano. 

Closing Thoughts 

Sandbox wants to change how things are done in the online gaming world by injecting more transparency, fairness, and creativity. Let’s see how the team continues to innovate in the future.

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Crypto Daily Topic

What You Need to Know About DigixDao 

Would you have thought that it was possible to own gold even if you’re not a millionaire?  That is now possible thanks to blockchain-enabled tokenization. 

DigixDAO is a blockchain project that wants to make this realization true for many people across the world. Launched in March 2019, DigixDAO has created a cryptocurrency backed by actual, physical gold – which users can invest in and sell off for profit at any time. The Digix team says that it creates “a world where 99.99% fine gold bars are made divisible, transferable and redeemable.”

Why should you care about DigixDAO? Well, for one, you can own actual gold, something that’s long been a preserve for the minority few. Second, you can diversify your crypto portfolio, and third, it provides much-needed stability in the crypto space. 

With that, let’s look into the Digix platform and how exactly it tokenizes gold. We’ll also explore the platform’s dual-token system and the role of each token.

Features of DigixDAO

Digix utilizes Proof of Asset (PoA), which works this way: 

Users record the audit trail of an asset on the Ethereum blockchain to generate POA Asst Cards. Digix says, “the asset cards are certified using sequential digital signatures from the entities in the chain of custody, mainly Vendor,  Custodian, and Auditor, which are further validated with proof of purchase and depository receipts uploaded onto IPFS (IterPlanetary File System) for permanent record.” 

The Vendor in question is ValueMax Singapore, a mainboard-listed company that sells certified gold bars and products like luxury jewelry and timepieces. The auditor in question is a multinational auditing group Bureau Veritas Inspectorate, which checks the gold’s quality and quantity. And the custodian is MalcaAmit, a state of the art vault located in Le Freeport, Singapore. 

A Proof of Asset Cards contains the following info: 

  • Timestamp showing the date when the card was created
  • Stock keeping unit of the gold bar
  • The serial number of bar
  • Digital signatures of the vendor, custodian, and auditor
  • Receipt of purchase
  • Documentation of audit trail
  • Depository receipt
  • Storage fees due 

Digix’s DGX Tokens

DGX tokens tokenize gold in the network. One DGX token represents a gram of gold. Investors can redeem 100 DGX tokens for 100 grams of gold. DGX tokens are based on the Ethereum EIP20 protocol. DGX tokens are made to make gold accessible to the average person. Users can liquidate on their gold holdings at any time. 

Digix’s DGD Tokens 

The DGD token is the other token of Digix. DGD token holders can claim rewards based on how much DGX tokens they’ve used as transaction fees. Again, token holders can vote on network proposals and get rewards. Digix says they can make “active managerial decisions to any proposals submitted to DigixDAO.”

Unlike DGX tokens, you can’t redeem DGD tokens for gold. 

Key Metrics of DGD

On Sep 29,2020, DGD traded at $68.66 with a market cap of $10,220,244 that placed it at #479 in the market. Its 24-hour volume is $69,49.29, while its circulating and total supply is 148,863. The token’s all-time high was $597.66 (Feb 28, 2018), while its all-time low was $4.10 (May 03, 2016). 

Where to Buy and Store DGD Tokens

DGD token is listed as a market pair of ETH, BTC, INR, WETH, and USDT at Huobi Global, Bitrue, Livecoin, HitBTC, Bitbns, Coinbene, IDEX, Radar Relay, and Gate.io.

The token can be stored in any Ethereum-compatible wallet such as imToken, MyEtherWallet, Parity, Guarda Wallet, Trust Wallet, Trezor, and Ledger Nano. 

Final Thoughts

Digix manages to come with an original concept: one to make gold “cool again” with the help of a decentralized, secure blockchain. Anyone anywhere can now own the precious metals and liquidate their holdings at their own desired time. Perhaps this sets a new precedent for the precious metal industry and indeed the crypto and blockchain world. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

What’s Measurable Data Token All About? 

Living in the digital age means we leave digital footprints every time we log in to an application. This data is very lucrative to the companies behind these applications – it’s like the new oil, and yet the owners of that data do not benefit from it in any meaningful way. Additionally, they have almost no control over their data privacy.

What if data owners had more control over how their data is handled and earned from it? Blockchain can make this possible. The technology’s qualities of decentralization and transparency can help make this a reality. 

Launched in 2017, Measurable Data Token is a token designed to achieve this through a decentralized data exchange ecosystem. It connects data providers, users, and buyers, and ascribes value to data to make economic sense to owners. 

How MDT Works 

#1. Decentralized Data Trading Economy

Through MDT, the team wants to end the era of corporates trading user data without their consent. It wants to create a decentralized data ecosystem that is fair and beneficial to all parties, and it wants to do this by creating a new platform and assigning economic value to data. The MDT token is the unit of data exchange that will connect platform users. 

It will compensate data owners for sharing their anonymous data while offering data buyers and providers a more effective and transparent model. In the MDT ecosystem, data owners can finally reclaim the true value of their data.

On their part, buyers will have a better trading model in terms of security, transparency, and speed. Cryptographically secured smart contracts will eliminate the potential risk of fraud, as will a completely transparent process. Unlike a traditional data exchange model, where buyers are at risk of purchasing invalid data, they can participate in the validation process in MDT. The MDT platform is held together by MDT token – which is the most significant component of the ecosystem. 

#2. MDT Technology and Participants

The MDT platform relies on several technologies to accomplish its big picture. Below, we’ll take a look at the main pieces of technology. We’ll also see the participants of the ecosystem. 

  • Measurable Data SDK 

This is a free software development kit by the MDT team that users, including providers and developers, can use. The kit also includes a wallet address that users can leverage to store and track their rewards. 

  • Data Provider

This is an entity that obtains users’ anonymous data and uses rewards data owners (users) with MDT tokens.

  • User

These are users who share their data in the MDT ecosystem and receive rewards in the form of MDT tokens.

  • Data Buyer 

The entity buys the rights to the use of owners’ data. They could get this data either through accessing the database or by buying it from providers. At the moment, buyers do not get the ownership rights of such data. 

  • Measurable Data Point

This is a data point that results from every transaction. It has a denomination that ascribes value to it in the ecosystem. 

  • Measurable Platform

This is a decentralized data exchange (DEX) that facilitates transactions between data owners, providers, and buyers. It provides for secure and immutable transactions. Initially, those actions would be administered by the MDT platform. However, the network will, in the near future, switch to a purely smart contracts-based model.

#3. MyMDT App 

MyMDT app is a decentralized application (DApp) based on Ethereum through which users can get rewarded for sharing data on the platform. It’s the user-facing part of the ecosystem, and you can join the MDT ecosystem through it. The app currently supports three features: 

  • Allowing users to join the MDT ecosystem and share anonymous data so they can earn MDT tokens
  • Allocates rewards to users 
  • Allows users to earn rewards for completing certain tailor-made tasks for third-party applications

Community Strategy of MDT

The MDT team plans to pursue several strategies in the future to advance its growth. 

Current strategies include: 

  • Carrying out marketing campaigns on various social media platforms
  • Partnering with other industry players such as exchanges in joints campaign efforts including seminars
  • working together with prominent institutions such as Nanyang Technological University of Singapore to hold blockchain hackathons
  • Curating content for various video formats to increase awareness of data rewards
  • Updating community members weekly on the program’s development

Future strategies include the following: 

  • Introduce data reward apps in various data formats to sell the idea to the mainstream
  • Launch an ambassador campaign
  • Work with artificial intelligence companies to increase awareness on data reward responsibility in the public

The MDT Token

The Measurable Data Token (MDT), which has the same name as the platform, is based on the Ethereum blockchain and is used to monetize their own data 

Measurable Data Token was distributed in the following manner: 

  • Seed sale: 15%
  • Private sale: 35%
  • Equity investors: 10%
  • Team tokens: 10%
  • Advisors’ tokens: 1%
  • User growth pool: 15%

Key Metrics 

On Sep 29, 2020, MDT traded at $0.013749, with a market cap of $9,043,789, which placed it at #528. It has a 24-hour volume of $229,322, a circulating supply of 657,790,346, and a total supply of 1 billion. It has an all-time high of $0.858288 (Jan 10, 2018) and an all-time low of $0.001614 (Dec 17, 2018). 

Where to Buy and Store MDT 

There’s no shortage of where to purchase MDT tokens. The token is listed on several reputable exchanges, including Binance, DigiFinex, Gate.io, Poloniex, Bittrex, Uniswap, BKEX, Uniswap, and Bancor Network. You can find it listed against currencies such as BTC, ETH, WETH, TRX, BNB, and USDT. 

Options for storing MDT include Ledger, Trezor, KeepKey, MyEtherWallet, Coinomi, Exodus, and My Data Token Wallet. 

Final Thoughts

The MDT platform is among many blockchain-based platforms that seek to solve the problem of big and powerful companies profiting off user data while the users walk away with nothing. What sets it apart is its MyMDT app that allows users to get on board the platform and start trading data conveniently. The MDT team will need to keep innovating if it’s to go toe-to-toe with similar projects in the space.

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic

Introducing the Standard Tokenization Protocol (STP)

Security issuance in the traditional world is faced with so many challenges. And many of these challenges stem from the centralized nature of the system – from costly intermediaries to inaccurate records to fraud-prone processes.

Blockchain technology provides an opportunity for the industry to rectify these shortcomings. It facilitates the decentralized and peer-to-peer exchange of assets as it does trustless and fraud-free transactions. 

The Standard Tokenization Protocol is a blockchain effort that wants to make this possible. And it has the bonus of making sure these assets are legally compliant, eliminating any potential friction with authorities. 

How does it achieve that? This article is an attempt to answering that question. 

Breaking Down STP

The Standard Tokenization Protocol is a blockchain effort aimed at cross-chain assets tokenization. It wants to differentiate itself from similar protocols by supporting assets in a way that makes them compliant with various jurisdictions. The end goal for STP is to popularize the knowledge and usage of digital assets around the world.

The STP whitepaper describes itself as “a decentralized platform for digital asset issuance powered by the STP token, a new smart contract protocol framework for compliance offerings.” It also states that it aims to “enable the movement of digital assets in a globally compliant manner.” 

STP wants to address the issues of traditional security-issuing platforms. 

The Problems with Traditional Options

  • Security issuance in the traditional system involves intermediaries who add to the bloat and expenses of the process
  • Often, there’s a limit on the scale of participants that can be involved in security issuance and trading at any time, in an attempt to minimize the manual process 
  • The restrictions lead to the securities being less liquid in the market

Benefits of Digital Assets

#1. Digital assets are programmable

Blockchain enables programmability for digital assets. Blockchain-enabled smart contracts can automatically move value in a peer-to-peer manner from one party to another when certain thresholds are met. This massively reduces costs.

#2. Fractional ownership

Fractional ownership enables investors to purchase part of traditionally valuable assets such as rare art and antique cars, and even assets that were previously a preserve of the wealthy such as real estate. This enables such assets to be liquid as opposed to if the process involved looking for one single buyer. 

#3. Increased liquidity

Liquidity is how fast a product is sold once it’s listed on the market. It’s the opposite of illiquidity, which is when a product takes too long to find an exit position once it’s listed. Fractionalization of assets increases liquidity since it increases the number of buyers interested in purchasing a product. 

#4. Peer-to-peer transactions 

At its core, decentralization stands for the transfer of assets between parties without the involvement of overseeing authorities or intermediaries. The STP protocol ensures the peer-to-peer transfer of assets executed via smart contracts. 

#5. Automated compliance

Traditional compliance procedures involve lengthy Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures to ensure trust. On the other hand, blockchain-powered transactions are inherently transparent, making them trustless and legally compliant. 

The STP Standard 

The STP Standard is a protocol that oversees the generation, issuance, and transfer of tokenized assets. The protocol has a Compliance Validator that checks whether token issuance meets all the requirements -whether it’s accreditation, AML, and so on. There’s a validator committee whose work is to ensure this compliance is met. The STP network enables assets to move across geographical borders in a compliant manner. 

Use Cases of the STP Protocol

The STP standard can be applied to several use cases across different industries. Let’s take a look at three of them: 

#.1. Compliant asset tokenization 

Asset owners from anywhere can use the STP protocol to tokenize their assets on the blockchain, increasing their liquidity. 

#2. Mobile platform 

Various users, such as retail investors, can access the STP platform conveniently via their mobile app. Not only will they be able to access wealth management tools, but they can also find projects to invest in, and if they’re the owners of a project, they can find the right audience in the platform. 

#3. Blockchain-based crowdfunding

With the native cryptocurrency, STP, investors will be able to access new financial tools such as blockchain-based crowdfunding via smart contracts. Such onchain crowdfunding is safer, more secure, and more transparent than traditional crowdfunding. 

STP Protocol’s Community Growth Strategies

The STP team plans to implement several strategies in the near future in a bid to build a bigger community. These strategies are as follows: 

  • Team up with various industry players so as to expand its ecosystem
  • Hold airdrops and similar marketing campaigns to build community engagement
  • Engage with the community on various social media platforms
  • Keep the community updated on quarterly initiatives
  • Launch Ambassador Programs to promote the idea of decentralization everywhere

The STP Token

The native cryptocurrency of the STP network is known as STPT. The token will serve several crucial roles in the network, including the following: 

  • Enable users to fractionalize assets or features of those assets
  • As ‘gas’ for powering verification processes and transactions
  • As staking so as to take part in the proof of stake consensus mechanism
  • As a governance mechanism through which to contribute to major decisions of the network
  • As a reward for good behavior 

STP’s token distribution was as follows:

  • Bittrex IEO token sale – 3.75%
  • First private sale – 25%
  • Second private sale – 5%
  • Team tokens – 18.75%
  • Token treasury tokens – 7.5%
  • Token reserve tokens – 40%

Key Metrics of STP Token

If you’re interested in buying the STP token, then you need to know its current standing in the market. As of Sep 22, the token is trading at $0.019297 while ranking at #396. It has a market cap of $15,793,071, with a 24-hour volume of $2,738,104, a circulating supply of 818,409,893, and a total supply of 1,942,420,283. The token’s all-time high was $0.094944 (June 27, 2019), while its all-time low was $0.005800 (Sep 30, 2019). 

Where to Buy STP Tokens

You can purchase STP tokens at any of several crypto exchanges, including Coinone Upbit, Coinone, VCC Exchange, Bithumb Global, BitMax, Huobi Global, Bittrex Poloniex, Bitsonic, Gate.io, and CoinDCX. 

Closing Thoughts

STP is leading from the front to set a new standard for assets issuance. Issuers no longer have to deal with the burden of complying with regulations. All in all, users can expect a more accessible, inclusive, and efficient token issuance platform. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Introducing Newton (NEW)

In a world where everyone looks out for themselves, it’s a breath of fresh air when a project comes out to work for everyone to get their fair share.

Newton, which believes that “everyone should benefit from economic growth,” is that project. Through what it calls a “community-based economy,” Newton wants to facilitate an economy where all participants benefit on an equal footing. 

The project is named so as a tribute to ‘great scientist’ and ‘founder of the gold standard system,’ Sir Isaac Newton. 

Core Features 

Newton plans to put into effect various features to realize these achievements. Let’s go through each of these below: 

#1. NewChain

NewChain is a technology that will enhance the project’s scalability, performance, and privacy. NewChain comprises a main chain and multiple subchains. The main chain handles the following: managing accounts, managing tokens, overseeing the subchains, etc. For their part, the subchains run the network’s main operations, such as overseeing consensus mechanisms and staking. Third parties can create their own subchains after staking the network’s native token – NEW. Network users can exchange value between both the mainchain and subchains and between the subchains. 

The main chain utilizes a Delegated Proof of Stake consensus, with block producers being chosen through a voting process. NewChain features a virtual machine called NewVM, which is compatible with programming languages that developers across the globe are familiar with, such as Typescript, C/C++, Java, and Python. Newchain also features smart contract templates so developers can have an easier time developing DApps. The chain can process upwards of 5 thousand transactions per second and support high-frequency activities such as the internet of things (IoT), e-commerce, and more. 

#2. Atom hashing 

Before we talk about atom hashing, let’s do a refresher on non-digital assets. For one, these assets are registered manually in an unreliable and fraud-prone process, making it hard for them to be represented on the blockchain. Things like labeling of these products and authenticating rights are difficult to do. 

Atom hashing is a process that utilizes technology machine vision to identify several characteristics like weight, volume, shape, volume, and so on. Based on these metrics, things like the identification and the authentic rights of a non-digital asset are quickly established. For instance, before a commodity leaves a factory, the results of the atomic hashing process can be recorded on the blockchain. Customers such as online shoppers can use this info to confirm if a commodity is the one that they ordered indeed. 

#3. NewNet 

NewNet is a decentralized computing tool that supports functions such as computing and storage. On the network, developers can publish computing tasks while selected nodes choose those tasks based on their computing power and complete them, upon which they get rewarded for it. 

Users can access the network through their everyday browser. They can choose to run the network through their local nodes or proxy nodes. 

#4. NewIoT

This network will support blockchain gateways, communication channels for IoT devices, and so on. It features a very powerful computing capacity and supports several access methods, including Ethernet/fiber, 3G, 4G, 5G, IoT, and communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and more. IoT devices will store their aggregated info on NewChain through these pathways. 

The NewIoT specification can support multiple IoT devices, including sensors for temperature, humidity, vibration, harmful gases, and more. Other devices that can be supported include sound and image collectors and GPS. 

#5. NewAI

This is an intelligence engine that supports decentralized data sources, computing resources, and more so that various tasks can be completed successfully. It features data, model, and execution protocols called NDData, NDModel, and NDEngine, respectively. NDData is the channel through which users can access data.

It facilitates data compression, data encryption, and so on. NDModel is a tool through which developers can define various algorithm models, operations, and storage. NDEngine is a tool for functions like deployment, operation, running calculation software, and so on. 

Newton Project’s Community Growth Strategies

The Newton project team intends to carry out the following activities in a bid to expand the brand: 

  • Cooperate with various partners such as Wanqi Group to bring more users to the platform
  • Launch a string of social media marketing events
  • Come up with and provide tutorials to the community
  • Provide community members with progress updates

In the future: 

  • Improve the developer experience by upgrading developer kits 
  • Launch a Blockchain Debate Podcast to increase awareness of the project
  • Release an ambassador plan to popularize the project further

The NEW Token

NEW is the native token of the Newton network. It is an essential part of the ecosystem and will play a key role in transactions and smart-contract execution. 

Token Distribution of NEW

The distribution of NEW was done in the following fashion:: 

  • Seed sale tokens – 7.59%
  • Private sale tokens – 6.07%
  • Public sale – 0.33%
  • Huobi IEO tokens – 2.02%
  • Community incentives tokens – 60.71%
  • Team tokens – 10.12%
  • Foundation tokens – 13.15%

Key Metrics of NEW

As of September 27, 2020, NEW traded at $0.000584, while it ranked at #443 with a market cap of 12 million. The coin has a 24-hour volume of $705,269, a circulating supply of 20,571,994,592, and a total and maximum supply of 98,823,661,261. NEW has an all-time high of $0.016538 (April 19, 2019) and an all-time low of $0.000271 (March 13, 2020). 

Where to Buy and Store NEW

You can find NEW as a market pair of USDT, ETH, BTC, BNB, and HT and more at exchanges like HotBit, MXC, Huobi Global, HotBit, BiKi, Binance DEX.

The Newton Project currently supports official wallets for Windows, MacOs, and Ubuntu. 

Final Thoughts

Through its core features of NewChain, atom hashing, NewNet, NewIoT, and NewAI, the Newton project is set to usher in an economic playground where all participants benefit directly from economic growth. Its unique atom hashing technology is ground-breaking, and depending on how the team nurtures it, NewChain could become a core feature of the blockchain world and the entire tech space. The project is one to keep an eye on.

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic

What’s IoTex All About? 

The Internet of things (IoT) is touted to be the next big thing in technology. IoT is the concept of connecting devices with each other to be of better use to us. It’s not complicated at all: think of your hot shower turning on 5 minutes after you wake up, or your coffee maker starting to make coffee as soon as 20 minutes after that. It’s a concept designed to leverage the technology behind us to make our lives easier. 

Already, IoT is alive and functioning in various forms across the world. The problem is that existing IoT devices are operating in decentralized systems, raising scalability problems, high costs, privacy, and security concerns. 

A blockchain-based IoT system could solve this by facilitating more scalability, better privacy, and cost-effective operations. Storing data in the blockchain reduces the chances of it being hacked or abused. Also, blockchain-powered smart contracts could enable automatic coordination with devices, creating a more seamless and functional system. 

But then there’s also the problem of current blockchains having scalability issues. For instance, the most popular blockchain – the Bitcoin blockchain, can handle just 7 transactions per second, which is way below the threshold of what would be considered a scalable system to support millions of users across the world every single second. 

IoTex is a project that wants to solve this problem. It calls itself “the internet of things, reimagined.” This article explores the IoTex network to unearth what innovations it brings to the space.

Breaking Down IoTeX

IoTex is a blockchain effort that wants to change the entire concept of the Internet of Things by creating a more trusted, worldwide network of both virtual and physical things. 

The IoTex team consists of people with vast experience in cryptocurrency, engineering, and social media giants like Facebook and Google. The IoTex team wants to “drive end-to-end trust throughout the entire life cycle in an IoT network, including data collection, transport, storage, and utilization.” 

IoTex wants to achieve this through four breakthroughs: 

  • A “blockchains-in-blockchain” solution promoting distributedness, scalability, and privacy in the most cost-effective way possible.
  • True privacy supported by a reliable payment model, ring signatures, and ‘bulletproof’ code.
  • Fast confirmation of transactions with instant finality, dramatically increasing the network’s throughput and lowering transaction fees.
  • A lightweight architecture design for the most significant applications across various industries.

IoTex: Highlights

Roll-DPoS Consensus: a variation of Delegated Proof of Stake of consensus designed to handle high scalability without compromising on decentralization and security.

A Layer 2 chain as a service: a technology that utilizes the blockchains-in-blockchain setup to support intense computing and high-level storage. 

Edge trusted computing: a technology that powers the shared economy in a way that supports trust and privacy.

Cross network interoperability: The IoTex core chain is designed for cross-chain interactions with other blockchains, as it does with Layer 2 chains in the larger IoTex network. This creates better privacy of assets on those other chains as well as cross-chain governance.

Roll-DPoS consensus

IoTex utilizes the Roll-DPoS consensus mechanism to provide high levels of scalability. With Roll-DPoS, any node can nominate themselves to be a block producer, with network participants voting for the node of their choice. The mechanism operates in periods known as ‘epochs.’ Before a new epoch starts, the nodes that receive the highest number of votes form a ‘pool of candidates” out of which block producers are selected randomly using a Deterministic Random Bit Generator (DRBG). 

Block producers alternate in proposing and confirming blocks, and use the Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) mechanism to reach a consensus. In every epoch, around 360 blocks are produced. Black producers are replaced at the beginning of every epoch to promote decentralization and security.

The IOTX Token

IOTX is the native cryptocurrency of the IoTex network. It’s an essential part of the network, playing the following roles and more: 

  • As a governance mechanism – network participants must stake in IOTX to participate in voting for block producers, network referendums, and various network decisions
  • As payment for gas fees: to transact sent execute smart contracts on IoTex, one must pay ‘gas’ fees
  • As payment for operation cost for Layer 2 chains: a network user must stake in IOTX before provisioning a Layer 2 chain

The IOTX token was distributed in the following manner: 

  • Private sale tokens: 24%
  • Community development tokens: 6%
  • Team tokens: 25%
  • Ecosystem development tokens: 18%
  • Roll-DPoS mining tokens: 12%
  • Foundation tokens: 25%

IOTX: Key Metrics

As of September 29, 2020, IOTX traded at $. 0 08097 with a market cap of $39, 059, 090 that placed it at #164. It has a 24-hour volume of $10,474,005 and a circulating supply of 4,823,952,133, a total and maximum supply of 9.7 and 10 billion, respectively. IOTX’s highest price ever was $0.088037 (Jun 02, 2018), while its all-time low was $0.002239 (March 13, 2020). 

Where to Buy and Store IOTX

You can purchase IOTX from any of the following exchanges: Binance, MXC, HotBit, VCC Exchange, CITEX, KuCoin, WazirX, CoinDCX, Upbit, Gate.io, Coinone, IDEX, Bittrex, and Uniswap. The token is listed as a market pair with currencies like BTC, ETH, USDT, WETH, and KRW. 

For storage, options include Trust Wallet, Cobo, IoTex Mobile, IoTex Desktop, and imToken wallet.

Final Thoughts

IoTex is not doing anything groundbreaking, but it’s challenging the IoT game with its trust-based model and a blockchain-in-blockchain model that solves the enduring problem of scalability. Nevertheless, the team will have to keep innovating to remain competitive in both the IoT and blockchain spaces.

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Crypto Daily Topic

Serious Crypto Trading Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them

The crypto market has made people millionaires overnight. It has also caused others to lose a large amount of their portfolio in the same time span. And it’s stories of the former that have newbie traders jumping on the ship every single day. However, the same reason some have gotten uber-lucky is the same one others have found themselves at the cleaners. 

What’s the reason? Well, the sheer unpredictability of the crypto market makes the markets subject to dramatic changes in the blink of an eye. This volatility means when dealing with the crypto market, lots of extra caution is needed. 

In this article, we’ll detail exactly how. It’s an examination of the most serious mistakes traders are not to make, and how you can avoid them to stand a better chance with your trades. 

#1. Relying on too Many Indicators

Trading indicators are one of the most obvious tricks to get ahead in any kind of trading – at least at first. Soon enough, though, you could easily find yourself lost in the myriad of available indicators available. From Bollinger Bands to MACD, to Stochastic, to EMAs, to RSI and plenty more, it’s so easy to get caught up without any tangible benefits. 

Most beginner traders and even experienced ones often make the mistake of thinking that they must understand all these indicators. Apart from indicators of having the ability to contradict each other, some overlap, meaning there’s no need to use so many. 

The reality is, many of the most successful traders get on while relying very little, if at all, on indicators. 

Instead, they observe things like volume and price action – which give them lots of clues on how to make the next move. 

#2. Trading as Much as You Can

In most crypto trading circles, the mantra is the more you trade, the better your chances. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Success in trading arises from strategy and well-executed trades. 

When you don’t overtrade, you can avoid losses caused by, let’s say, the market being down. Also, things like setting for yourself a fixed number of trades that you must meet daily are actually harmful because they force you to make decisions just to tick the list. In such a scenario, it’s very easy for you to take uncalculated risks that could lead to losses. 

What to do instead? Use your well-curated strategy to enter those particularly promising trades. Remember that your strategy need not be written in stone. What worked last week, last month, and so on might not necessarily work next time. So always change up your strategy in response to market realities. 

#3. Going Against the Trend

Trading against the trend is not a no-no. Many successful traders do that all the time. However, it’s harder for a beginner to pull this move successfully. For instance, it would be folly to buy when the market is bearish. While sometimes it can rebound, most times, profitable opportunities are highly uncertain. 

In most cases, when the market is on a downtrend, better to go short than long. When you become more acquainted with the intricacies of the market, you can make bolder moves. 

#4. Placing The Stop Loss Order Too Close

Stop losses are an indispensable tool of modern-day trading. They can help you limit losses in a security position. But in certain conditions, a stop-loss order can actually hold you back. An example is when you place the order too close to the buying price. 

In the highly-volatile cryptocurrency market, the price can go practically any direction in a very short time. As such, it’s very easy to trigger a stop-loss order before the price has stretched sufficiently. The scenario of the market taking a deep before climbing again is all too common. That’s why you need to give room for the price to test both support and resistance levels. 

#5. Acting on Hype

The cryptocurrency space is riddled with hype and “pump and dump” groups, caused by entities who pose as highly knowledgeable in crypto trends when in actuality, they are scam groups. Pump and dump is a crypto scam where a trader(s) hypes a coin as the next big thing, creating excitement about it in the market. 

The idea is to get unsuspecting traders to rush and purchase the coin. When this happens, the hype masters will offload the coin. Because it’s now flooding in the market, it loses value, and the unsuspecting traders are stuck with a valueless coin.

When you spot this kind of hype, take it with a generous pinch of salt. Do your own research before you invest in any coin. Reliable websites and reputable traders’ social media accounts are good places to start. 

#6. Diving Headfirst

You wouldn’t plunge into new waters without knowing the depth, so why would you do it with your money? One of the surefire ways to lose money in crypto trading is to blindly follow a strategy without knowing the mechanics of it. 

Instead, practice your strategy before applying it to real money. Most trading platforms will allow you to conduct demo trading, trading with virtual money instead of real cash. It’s highly recommended that you use these to rigorously experiment before trading in the real world. 

#7. Being Overconfident

The most successful traders will tell you confidence is part of their recipe. Confidence means carefully calculating a move and proceeding to execute it. And while confidence is great, overconfidence is not. 

Overconfidence can cause you to take unnecessary risks and lose money. It can make you enter trades at every turn while ignoring price direction. Fear is not the only emotion causing traders to lose money. Overconfidence is another. And both are detrimental to the process. 

So what should you do? Be confident, instead. One way to cultivate confidence is to study the markets regularly. The crypto market can change in an instant, and when you have beforehand knowledge of what to do in such a scenario, you can make a better-informed decision. 

One thing to know is that what might work when the markets are falling might not be applicable when they’re on an upturn. Another is that the overall market sentiment should outweigh yours at any point. If the market is falling, it makes no sense to go in and make a trade. Better wait for when the trend is more bullish. 

Another way to be confident? By staying on top of the news. The crypto market is highly sensitive to the news – and this means the news of many events – not just finance news. This could be the outcome of a major election, a natural disaster, and so on. And mind you –  this news never has to be true. Even a rumor could send the markets flying in the opposite direction. What does this mean? Sentiment analysis is key, too. If your sentiment analysis game is on top, then you’ll be more confident in your trades. 

#8. Having a Poor Risk-to-Reward Ratio

A risk-to-reward ratio could make the difference between miserable trades and profitable ones. Most beginner traders think scoring more profitable trades than losing ones is what makes a successful trader. In truth, you can lose more than you win and still come out on top. 

For instance, let’s say you have an 80% winning strategy. Even with such a strategy, a terrible risk-to-reward ratio, such as 1:1, will still lose you money. On the other hand, you can have a 40% winning strategy and with a healthy risk-to-reward ratio like 3:1, flip the tables in the best way. 

What does this mean? Better to have a superior risk-to-reward ratio with a lower winning strategy than a huge strategy with a poor risk-to-reward ratio. 

#9. Being Greedy

Humans are naturally predisposed to want it all – whenever possible. This, in its bare bones, is being greedy. And greed in trading is one of the surest ways to lose. 

Every trader will tell you of a time they entered a profitable position and held on for too long – waiting for it to double or triple. Then the markets changed at the flip of a coin, and they lost the position. What this means is sometimes it’s best to lock in a trade even when it’s rising, because a flash crash is an everyday occurrence in the world of crypto. And you simply never see it coming. 

So the key is to be realistic with your trades. Try to increase your portfolio methodically, rather than trying to make quick gains. 

#10. Entering More and More Losing Positions

This is when a trader insists on buying a  digital asset even though it’s clearly falling in value. In cryptoverse, it’s easy to get attached to a particular asset and continue to buy, even though the asset is taking a beating. While it’s good to trust your judgment, let your decision be based on evidence rather than personal bias. 

Go by this rule: if the market is in a general bearish mode, it’s a good idea to ‘buy the dip.’ But if the asset has been on a downtrend for months, even years, better hold out. Generally, buying into a position of strength works better than buying the dip because a currency is dear to your heart.

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Crypto Daily Topic

Blockchain and Sports: A Comprehensive Guide

If you have been following – even in the remotest way possible, advances in banking and investment, you must have heard of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Indeed, since its invention in 2009, blockchain has extensively experimented with cryptocurrencies, but sports? 

Well, the global sports industry is fast realizing the potential that lies in the adoption of blockchain. Today, startups such as Fight to Fame have come up with interesting use cases for blockchain in the sports industry. 

This article will look at some of these use cases and the benefits of blockchain for sports. We’ll also look at how blockchain can impact different areas of operation in the sports industry. 

Blockchain use cases in sports

#1. Fan Engagement

Continuously engaging fans is key to making them happy and keeping them consuming sports entertainment. Also, without fans, the sports industry would not succeed. Blockchain’s transparency and speed can be leveraged to enhance the customer experience in the sale of tickets and merchandise. 

#2. Smart Contracts 

Smart contracts were designed to enable automated transactions. This is particularly useful when transactions involve complex arrangements. On the business side of sports, there is a myriad of processes that can be automated using blockchain. For instance, sports investors can enter into agreements to finance athletes and, in turn, use them as tokens for future profitability.

#3. Sports Betting

While betting has existed for ages, blockchain ideals can transform the way fans bet. Since betting is similar to investing, digital tokens and cryptocurrency derivatives can be used in place of fiat money. This paradigm shift will not only create new possibilities, but it will also make betting more sophisticated and exciting.

#4. Anti-doping Control

Considering how doping adversely affects gaming, solutions that can intelligently address the issue are most welcome. Blockchain won’t be the panacea to the problem, but it will significantly enhance the integrity of doping tests. This can be achieved by maintaining test results on a public land immutable edger. In such an event, we might begin to see more accountability from athletes and their promoters when it comes to the use of performance-enhancing substances.

#5. Securing Athletes’ Data

Blockchain, being an immutable public ledger, can be used as a secure decentralized database for storing athletes’ information. Allegations of sportspersons changing their particulars over the course of their careers – usually done to gain some form of advantage – are common. But with an athletes’ registry backed by blockchain, such cases will be a thing of the past.

#6. Memorabilia Authentication

Badges, trophies, cups, signed merchandise and other memorabilia have great sentimental value in sports, which makes them prone to counterfeiting. Blockchain can be used to assign identity and verify the authenticity of such memorabilia.

#7. Tokenization of Sports Teams

Blockchain has made it easier for sports teams to tokenize their assets, such that investors can easily purchase these tokens from their favorite teams. Just like with traditional share purchases, this can be used to boost the liquidity of teams.

Benefits of Adopting Blockchain in Sports 

The sports industry will derive the following benefits from blockchain: 

  • The creation of new revenue streams through enhanced watching experiences, team tokenization, loyalty programs, and more
  • Easier crowdfunding for athletes which can be achieved through income share contracts between athletes and their fans
  • The creation of new betting models that might attract new audiences
  • The development of new incentives models that can be used to enhance fan engagement

How Blockchain Will Impact Fan Identity

The idea that fans can have digital identities is exciting. These digital identities can form a basis for crowdfunding, fan recognition, and digital collectibles. With such identities in place, the path to stardom will become clearer to many fans. And since superfans can be verified, there will be much more prestige associated with being a notable supporter. Fans will be more loyal, and teams will be able to better identify and reward such loyalty. As you can see, blockchain will elevate fan identity to a whole new level, where serious fans can be separated from casual followers.

How Blockchain Will Impact Incentivizing and Rewarding Fan Interaction

First, since it will be easier to identify fans, rewarding them for their interaction will be pretty straight forward. We will begin to see the rise of loyalty programs that can both identify and reward high levels of engagement. Tokens earned through loyalty programs can be redeemed for tickets or even exchanged for money. 

How Blockchain Will Impact Memorabilia Authentication

Just like fans, memorabilia can also acquire digital identities. For example, manufacturers can collaborate to create a standard for encoding the particulars of given memorabilia. These particulars can then be maintained on a blockchain ledger. Once this is achieved, verifying the authenticity of a trophy or medal will be as easy as looking upon the blockchain. 

How Blockchain Will Impact Digital Collectibles

Blockchain will give sports organizations the ability to generate digital collectibles and sell them to collectors. The beauty of it is that organizations will have control over the scarcity of collectibles. On the other hand, fans will have the ability to verify the authenticity and reputation of a collectible before buying it.

How Blockchain Will Impact Crowdfunding

With blockchain, crowdfunding will certainly become easier for athletes and sports organizations. Athletes and sports organizations can create tokens and sell them to fans, who can then redeem these tokens in the future for money, tickets, or other available options.

How Blockchain Will Impact Gaming and E-sports

Gaming has significantly grown in the recent past, and organizations are scrambling to satisfy consumer needs with new and exciting innovations. Introducing tokenization in blockchain-based games will change the game as players will now be able to trade the tokens among themselves or in the open market. 

The adoption of smart contracts will also transform betting by reducing payout time and transaction costs. This can be achieved through direct payouts for betting proceeds.

How Blockchain Will Impact the Tokenization of Teams

The tokenization of teams will become easier than ever before. Sports organizations will be able to create tokens that represent company ownership and sell them to their supporters. This will enable teams to grow even without relying on corporate sponsorship, as is traditionally the case.

Final Thoughts

The applications of blockchain are gradually expanding to industries beyond finance. As it’s adoption begins to sip through the global sports industry, changes in fan identity and engagement, loyalty programs, crowdfunding for athletes, and the trade of collectibles are inevitable. It will be a thrill to watch how the two spaces evolve together. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic

Games to Play and Earn Cryptocurrency

In our real-world, fun and making money don’t always go together. What if that changed? How amazing would it be if you could earn money just playing games in the comfort of your couch? 

Well, that’s now possible thanks to blockchain tech. Blockchain and gaming is the near-perfect combination of amazing gaming experience. If you are a cryptocurrency and gaming enthusiast, you probably won’t need to spend thousands of dollars on ridiculously expensive mining rigs to earn crypto.

We made a list of some of the best games to play and earn cryptocurrency. 

#1.Worldopoly

In 2018, Qubit AG released the first blockchain-driven mobile augmented reality game, Worldopoly. This is a multiplayer strategy board game that resembles Monopoly, but with its in-game economy. It is a real estate simulation game that utilizes DAG (Direct Acyclic Graph), MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer online crypto-coin Game), augmented reality, and geopositioning for a frictionless gaming experience.

Worldopoly turns the whole world into a game of Monopoly. Players can buy cities, streets, build buildings, restaurants, and hotels. The players can equally sell part of their empire, rent out shop fronts to advertisers, and earn crypto-tokens worth real money. Every structure bought can be improved and sold to bring additional income. Gamers can raid or even torch down competing players’ properties. Similarly, players can cooperate with other players to build or buy large projects together. The game uses data from Google Maps and open street maps to give players access to every city and other places of interest across the globe. 

Worldopoly’s game concept uses three currencies; Worldopoly Tokens (WTP), gold, and coins. Gold and coins can only be used in the game. Gold helps players quicken the completion of their projects while coins are used to buy and renovate buildings. Players can earn WTP from selling or leasing their properties. Similar to the real world, the more property a player has, the more profit generated. These tokens can be withdrawn from the game directly to the users’ wallet. One WTP has a per-token value of around $0.12.

#2.Cryptokitties

Cryptokitties is a game that was created as an attempt to deploy blockchain technology for recreation; Cryptokitties was created. Developed by Axiom Zen, the game was launched in 2017. It is one of the earliest blockchain-based games, and it comes packed with impressive animation, huge rewards, and great graphics for an exciting gaming experience. 

Cryptokitties involveS collecting, purchasing, breeding, and selling virtual cats. There are more than 3 million cats to choose from, each with a unique avatar. Users get to create their Cryptokitties and put them up for sale. Players can interact with their kitties either by selling, buying, or breeding them. Different breeds of kitties have different market valuations. 

These breedable cats have unique numbers and different attributes called ‘cattributes’. Cattributes can be passed on to their offsprings after breeding. In total, there are 12 cattributes for any given kitty. Some of these include fur color, eye color, mouth shape, and pattern. A rare breed cat is worth more tokens than the others. 

Trading and breeding cryptokitties unlocks rare cat traits that can be traded for higher earnings. Players can further crack puzzles, create their own cat collections, and play games to earn extra rewards. Until November 2018, developers created a new supply of cats, but since then, new cats were created through breeding by the users.

Gamers earn various rewards, including ETH tokens. The rewards go directly to the players’ wallets and can be later withdrawn for real money.

#3.Splinterlands

Splinterlands is a popular multiplayer, digital collectible trading card game. With over 2,500 users daily, this blockchain-based game is integrated with the Wax blockchain platform. In the game, players can easily sell, buy, and trade digital cards. 

Splinterlands is an epic fantasy card game where gamers battle with monsters to gain control of a world in disarray. Players are expected to collect cards and come up with strategies that will strengthen their deck against their opponents. If a user plays their cards right and scores a win, they will be awarded crypto-tokens. 

Every card in the game is individually owned – not even creators of the game can take a card away from any player. The game enables players to see how many of each card exists in the game. Additionally, different cards in the game possess different elements. Therefore, players are free to buy and sell their cards, depending on what their deck needs.

By trading cards, winning tournaments, quests, and ranked plays, gamers are rewarded in cryptocurrency. A high-level tournament winner is rewarded with Steem tokens. Gamers earn more cryptocurrency trading in cards than winning tournaments.

#4.Privateers Life

The creators of Privateers life developed this game in an attempt to mirror the world’s actual economy. The game is based on the life of a pirate in the 17th century who uses tactics and strategy to survive in harsh conditions. The ultimate goal of this game is to survive by using the resources in the game. 

A player needs to constantly monitor the pirate to ensure his survival – he must be fed regularly. Food can be acquired through hunting, collecting wild plants, fishing, or cultivating their own land. Food gained can alternatively be sold in exchange for cryptotokens worth real money. To earn more, players can manufacture or process products and put them for sale in the premium store. Similar to the real world, raw materials are obtained through harvesting, mining, or foraging on their territories. Alternatively, players can purchase raw materials from the premium store.

A player can buy goods from other players or the premium store using Ludum tokens (LDM), the in-game currency. The goods in the premium store are crafted by other players in the game. Players earn Ludum crypto-tokens from selling their products and ceding their territories.

5.Alien Run

Alien run is another crypto-based mobile game available on Android and iOS which utilizes Bitcoin technology.

Remember those arcade games back in the day? Alien run is built using that same concept. If you enjoyed these classic games, then you should check this one out. A player assumes the role of an alien that needs to run to safety, avoiding obstacles on its path. 

The game is simple and easy to play, but quite addictive. As the player makes progress through the levels, the alien develops new skills. These skills are useful in maneuvering through the game as the difficulty increases as one levels up.

Players receive rewards in the form of cryptotokens after completing each level. The cryptocurrency earned is in Bitcoins, and it goes directly into the players’ eWallet. With the increase in the game’s difficulty, there is an increase in the amount of Bitcoin rewards. 

Final Thoughts

Games like these allow players to interact with the crypto and blockchain world. It’s one of the many shining points about blockchain – the ability to allow people to have fun while earning real money.

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Crypto Daily Topic

How to Buy Bitcoin with PayPal

The crypto community celebrated when it emerged in June that PayPal would be supporting Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency, representing 57.5% of the crypto market at the time of writing. Thus, when PayPal, one of the biggest payment processes in the globe, announced its support, it was a turned page for the Bitcoin community. 

However, many fans of the currency still do not have an idea of how to purchase bitcoin through PayPal. In this article, we’ll explore ways on how you can do that. We’ll also see the pros and cons of each method so you can decide which one would work best for you.

1. eToro

Buying Bitcoin from eToro with PayPal is one of the simplest methods. This is especially if you’re trying to profit from price fluctuations rather than getting the actual coins. 

Pros 

  • Requires low fees
  • Fully regulated in several nations
  • High-level security
  • If you are a first-time buyer, the limits are quite favorable

Cons

  • It can be quite confusing if you do not have the handle on it. 
  • Not available globally

How to Purchase Bitcoin through eToro

As stated above, buying Bitcoins through eToro is quite simple. After loading the eToro homepage, scout for the ‘Get Started’ button. Next, choose the ‘Sign Up’ option. Here, enter your full details. 

Once you have an account set up and you’re logged in, click on the ‘Deposit Funds’ option. Indicate the number of funds you wish to deposit, then select the ‘PayPal’ option. From here, you will be redirected to the PayPal website to complete the transaction.

You now have funds in your account, move on to scour for the ‘Bitcoin’ option at the very top of your page. Click on the ‘Trade’ option.

You’ll need to fill in the amount of Bitcoin you want in your local currency. After doing so, click on ‘Buy.’ 

2. Paxful

Paxful is known for its simple and friendly interface. Users can purchase Bitcoin on Paxful through a variety of ways, i.e., Amazon gift cards and Skype credits. With PayPal, the steps of acquiring Bitcoin through Paxful take a very short time.

Pros

  • Diverse sellers

Cons

  • A rather high exchange rate

How to Purchase Bitcoin through Paxful

Head to the Paxful homepage. Create an account by filling in your crede. Select your desired payment method – in this case, PayPal. This is after inputting the amount of money you want to spend. 

Now that you have funds available choose your seller. You can either do this manually or let Paxful select one for you.

Once you click on ‘Trade’, the website opens up a window where you can chat with your chosen seller. Here, you will finalize the trade deal by indicating that you have sent your payment. At this point, the seller’s Bitcoins will be held in ‘escrow.’ The seller will then release the Bitcoins into your wallet.

There is an approximately thirty-minute window that allows you to complete this transaction. Failure to do so within this time frame will lead to the transaction getting canceled. 

3. LocalBitcoins

LocalBitcoins allows people from more than 200 countries to sell and buy Bitcoin. Its wide use can be attributed to the more than twenty payment methods it supports, which of course, include PayPal.

Pros

  • Secured – both seller and buyer are protected by escrow
  • Simple sign up process
  • A variety of sellers accept payment from PayPal

Cons

  • Because of the risk the seller might incur, they tend to charge higher rates.
  • Sellers might request your verification credentials. This is largely because of the chargeback risks posed by PayPal. 

How to purchase Bitcoin through LocalBitcoins

Head to the LocalBitcoins homepage and create an account. Once again, you are encouraged to fill in your information as honestly as possible. This is advised in order to find a seller who is willing to accept payment through PayPal. 

With your new account, scour for the ‘Buy Bitcoin’ option at the very top of the page.and click on it. Enter your local currency, then proceed to select the country where you want to buy your Bitcoins from. Once you have secured your country, look for a drop-down box with the option of ‘All Online Offers’. Select ‘Search’. 

A list with varied sellers who are willing to allow payments through PayPal will appear. Here, you will have to make a decision based on the detailed information provided on the sellers. The sellers are ranked by the price that they are willing to accept, the total amount of trades conducted by the sellers, and also the feedback from their previous customers.

Once you select a seller, click on ‘Buy.’ Also, include the rate and the amount you wish to purchase. On the right side, you will see specified information by the sellers. Read through this information and see if you can meet these terms. 

If you do, click on ‘Send Trade Request’. The moment the seller accepts your Bitcoin PayPal request, their coins will be locked in an escrow. A PayPal address will be released to you. As soon as you have done the payment, click on ‘Payment Sent’. 

When the seller receives the payment, the Bitcoin will be released to your LocalBitcoins wallet.

Final Thoughts

It’s exciting that Bitcoin users who also use PayPal can now seamlessly use the payment processor to sell and buy Bitcoin. It’s a milestone for the crypto space that helps push the idea to the mainstream, and it remains to be seen how the two will be useful for each other going forward. If you intend to use PayPal to buy/sell Bitcoin, then def do your own research (DYOR) to identify the method that best suits you. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

The FIO Protocol: A Beginners Guide

Everyone who has interacted with crypto one way or another knows how daunting it can be – especially if they’re just beginning. This is due to the complexity of crypto transactions and the knowledge that your funds could be gone forever with a tiny mistake. 

What if there was a seamless way that you could operate your account? What if you could interact with crypto using an everyday name instead of an intimidating public address? 

Launched in April this year, FIO protocol (Foundation for Interwallet Interoperability) is an initiative that wants to make this possible. FIO says it wants to “make crypto products easier so anyone can use them.” It’s a platform that integrates exchanges, wallets, and more so people can have a better experience dealing with cryptocurrency. The FIO team believes the blockchain-based value wave is the inevitable future, and that “the masses are coming and we owe it to them to give them the experience they deserve.” 

In this article, we’ll examine the FIO protocol from a closer vantage point. We’ll also look at the utility token of the protocol and what role it plays. 

What Problem is FIO Hoping to Solve?

FIO’s vision for the blockchain space is based on actual research. The team conducted a survey in 2018 to establish the challenges that crypto users face – whether just operating their own account or sending money to others. They were then able to come up with the following feedback: 

  1. Almost every user finds using public addresses such a hassle
  2. Almost 75% of users are uncomfortable or less than confident when sending crypto
  3. Nearly 1 in five users has conducted a failed transaction or one that led to the loss of funds 
  4. 1 in 20 people has witnessed an attempted man-in-the-middle attack on their public address

The team then concluded that interacting with crypto generally is pretty stressful and requires a user to be extremely vigilant. 

What are the Goals of the FIO Protocol? 

The FIO team wants to create a better way for people everywhere to interact better with blockchain assets. This way encompasses several features, which are: 

  • Human-meaningful – enable users to interact with crypto using identifiers that are easy to understand and remember, e.g., “tom@trustwallet” or “alice@bitcoin” 
  • Decentralized – supported by a public blockchain that doesn’t rely on a centralized entity or third parties
  • Secure – FIO transactions are conducted securely since they require an FIO non-custodial private key
  • Private – sensitive information like transactions’ metadata and public addresses is cryptographically encrypted on the blockchain
  • Interoperable – the FIO platform is capable of working with any blockchain crypto network once it’s integrated with any wallet
  • eCommerce ready – the FIO protocol enables fast, safe, wallet-to-wallet and immutable payments with all metadata kept private

Features of FIO

The FIO protocol can support a variety of features – which we’ll look at below. 

i) FIO Addresses – intelligible wallet identifiers such as tom@trustwallet” and “alice@bitcoin,” which are more friendly to use. With the addresses, users will not come across public addresses. The icing on the cake? The addresses can support any crypto in any wallet or exchange.  

ii) FIO Requests – a functionality that allows users to request funds from any wallet via simple approvals. The requests are cryptographically secured and are only seen by the involved parties. FIO requests will not interfere with underlying blockchain transactions in any way

iii) FIO Data – this is encrypted metadata that can accompany transferred funds in transactions

These are just the current features of FIO. The network hopes to add more in the near future.

Technical Makeup of FIO

The FIO protocol utilizes delegated proof of stake (DPoS) for network consensus. Token holders are responsible for choosing block producers (BPs). Anyone can sign up to be a BP if they can garner enough votes. Every voting round is known as an epoch, and it involves the generation of 126 blocks. The BP selection process is repeated after every epoch – which involves 42 BPs – half active and a half on standby. 

After each block is produced and recorded on the chain, the network mints new rewards. 40% of the reward is equally shared among the 21 active BPs, while 60% goes to all 42 BPs in a manner proportionate to the number of votes each BP received. 

Additionally, BPs can change system settings if they have two thirds plus one (at least 15) majority. 

How Do You Use the FIO Protocol? 

As of now, the FIO protocol supports wallets, exchanges, and payment processors. The team is also planning to develop a suite of software development kits and APIs for developers that desire to use them. 

Now for the everyday user – using FIO is so simple. You just need to register an FIO address and immediately access loads of FIO capabilities. 

The FIO Token 

FIO token is the utility token of the FIO platform. It will be used as payment for transactions done on-chain. Other uses include fees for registering addresses and staking so as to vote for block producers. To hold FIO tokens, all you need is a pair of private/public keys. Transfers can be done through an FIO public key – which means one can hold FIO tokens without relying on a complex process. 

The team envisages demand for FIO arising from:

  • Platform users needing the token to register for addresses and other fees
  • Users needing to stake in the token so as to vote on on-chain governance and block producers
  • The possibility for some entities such as wallets and exchanges compensating users who have staked in the token 
  • Future software upgrades that will create more demand for the protocol and with it, the token

How Was FIO Distributed?

  • 16.42% went to equity investors
  • 0.04% went to the first private sale
  • 0.04% went to a second private sale
  • 1.33% went to the third private sale
  • 17.53% went to the team
  • 22.01% went to the FIO Foundation
  • 0.32% went to the foundation service provider
  • 3.59% went to the future token sales reserve
  • 12.5% went to the bounty program
  • 11.39% went to Integration Incentives
  • 12.5% went to the FIO address giveaway
  • 1% went to block producer incentives
  • 0.28% went to the airdrop program

Tokenomics of FIO

FIO traded at $0.162027 on September 14, 2020. It ranked at #402, with a market cap of 14.6 million, a 24-hour volume of $1,520,360, and a circulating and total supply of 90,017,353 and 714,376,155 respectively. FIO has a maximum supply of 1 billion. Its all-time was $0.425260 (July 31, 2020), while its all-time low was $0.083187 (July 19, 2020). 

Where to Buy FIO

The FIO token can be bought/exchanged at a variety of exchanges, which include Binance, BitMax, BitHumb, HotBit, Binance.KR and Hoo. 

Closing Thoughts

FIO might just deliver the most important of all crypto initiatives: making it extremely easy to send and receive crypto. Interacting with crypto may sound like a walkover, but the story is starkly different for many users. FIO’s solution is simple yet potentially revolutionary. For us here, it will be thrilling to watch the project evolve. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

Bitcoin Sets a Record 63 Days Closing Above $10k

According to CoinDesk, Sep 27 ended with Bitcoin setting a new record of closing above $10,000 in 63 days straight since Jul 27. Messari, a crypto analytics firm, reported that the cryptocurrency giant closed with $10,793 last week. CoinDesk relayed that the price range of Bitcoin within the 63 days sat between $10,000 and $12,500.

The last time Bitcoin achieved this record was on Dec 1, 2017. This good fortune stretched into Jan 31, 2018, when Bitcoin set a record of being valued above $10,000 in 62 consecutive days. Coinbase recorded the highest price at $19,900 during that period.

According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin hasn’t had such a streak in a while, with the closest dates being 28 days in July 2019, followed by 25 days in June of the same year. 

Short-term Pullback

The past week has proven somewhat rocky for the top cryptocurrency, with its price falling to the depths of $9,800. Bitcoin has suffered difficulties surrounding the rising above of $10,600. Skew Analytics pointed out that the reason why prices fell beneath $11,000 is because of the low volatility registered over the whole of September. A chart provided by Coinbase shows that Bitcoin’s volatility has scaled downwards significantly, reaching as low as 49% and 47% within the past ten days.

Technical analyst and crypto trader Josh Rager shared his sentiments on Twitter regarding how people are viewing the pullback. 

“Weekly close looks good, and I don’t know why people continue to be overly bearish. Bitcoin got a short-term pullback, and – 20% is nothing unusual.”

Morgan Creek Digital Antony Pompilano also shared his sentiments on the matter, claiming that the market is ‘proving’ the bears wrong. He highlighted the fact that Bitcoin managed to pull prices above $10,000 for 63 consecutive days, which should be proof enough that it’s likely to soar even higher in the near future.

Bitcoin has stabilized at an $11,000 trading corridor since it lost its momentum after hitting $12,500 in August 2020. There is concern surrounding this short-term pullback as people worry that BTC/USD might still dive to fill the last remaining CME futures ‘gap,’ which stands at $9,600.

The Third Quarter

Skew, and on-chain analytics resource, relayed that this year should have Bitcoin producing the strongest Q3 in history. On Sep 30, Bitcoin traded $10, 680 beating every other Q3 on record. The Q3 figure on record that has come close to this particular figure is $8,310, which was recorded last year.

Skew Analytics strongly believes that Bitcoin may seal the second-best quarterly close of its lifetime. Of course, this can only be achieved if it stays above last year’s Q2, which amounted to $10,590. 

“One more day to go and still looking like its second-best quarterly close for bitcoin, but it’s a close call with Q2 2020,” said Skew. 

At the time of writing (Sep 30, 2020), Bitcoin is trading at $10,780.52. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What Exactly is Botnet Mining?

In recent times, cryptocurrency mining has exponentially increased both as a topic and an activity. All this can be attributed to the surge of crypto in the last few years. 

Crypto mining involves a series of computational processes to earn crypto. Usually, the mining process requires high amounts of computing power – with more computing power translating to more gains. 

As a result, individuals have come up with ingenious ways – both honest and dishonest, to acquire more computing power. One of the honest ones is joining a mining pool. Another not so honest one is botnet mining. 

Botnet mining is one of several ways that black hat hackers continue to commandeer unsuspecting users’ computing power to mine cryptocurrency. It’s a rather novel, yet highly effective way for cyber hackers to earn crypto without breaking a sweat. 

What’s Botnet Mining? 

A botnet is a collection of various internet-connected devices, ranging from desktops to PCs to mobile phones to IoT devices – injected with malicious software and then controlled by the malware from that point on. The owners of these devices are seldom aware that their machines are being controlled by foreign software. A botnet enables the malware owner to get a payday at the oblivious devices’ owners’ expense. 

How Do Botnets Work? 

Botnets are automated computer programs specifically designed to corrupt a computer system to the liking of its creator. The malware surreptitiously sneaks into the victims’ device and utilizes the devices’ computing power, internet bandwidth, electricity to mine crypto. The malware is purposefully engineered to infect any device that plugs into the same network. The computing power of all these devices is then harnessed to mine even more cryptocurrency. A high computational power tremendously boosts the mining output, resulting in more earnings for the malware owner(s). 

What Are Some Examples of Mining Botnets?

As the practice gains a foothold, several botnets have cropped up over the years. However, some have managed to stick out just for their notoriety. Here, let’s have a look at three of the most famous mining botnets: 

#1. Smominru Botnet

Created in May 2017, the Smominru miner botnet is estimated to have mined over 9,000 Monero coins worth more than $3.6 million at the time of writing. Within a span of slightly over three years, Smominru has infected more than 600,000 devices. 

Smominru miner botnet is observed to have spread to a global scale, with the majority of its presence being in Russian, Taiwan, Brazil, and India. Its regenerating nature has made it quite elusive to contain despite multiple efforts. This is because the malware creators, suspected to be based in China, keep registering new domains after the old ones are banned. 

Monero seems to be the most preferred coin by the Botnet, thanks to its anonymity and privacy-oriented features, which make it hard to track the destination address of the mined coins. 

#2. DDG Botnet

Created in March 2017, the DDG botnet has mined in excess of $1.5 million worth of Moreno. To date, it has infected over 4,000 devices harnessing their collective processing power. The DDG botnet utilizes OrientDB and Redis servers because these have more CPU than the average PC. 

DDG was created specifically to target servers. The 4,000 target devices accumulate Redis and OrientDB database servers. The majority of the infiltrated servers are located in China and the US, with the rest scattered across the globe.

Studies show DDG uses a script called i.sh that makes the Botnet’sBotnet’s architecture super flexible. This feature allows the malware creator(s) to download and infect vulnerable servers with it. 

#3. ADB.Miner

The ADB. Miner botnet was discovered in the early months of 2018. This BotnetBotnet is unique since it’s coded to target Android devices to mine, Monero. 

The creators of this botnet aim at compensating the low CPU power in phones with a large target scope. It is estimated to have infected more than 6,000 devices within the first few days, with this figure doubling every 12 hours. 

What’s more, the creators are also targeting smart TVs that have more processing power than phones. The BotnetBotnet infects a device through port 5555. This port is deployed by the command-line software Android Debug Bridge. By default, port 5555 is usually disabled on all Android devices. As such, only users who manually enable it risk the breach. 

The vast majority of ADB.Miner botnet victims are in China and South Korea. 

Huge Gains for Little Effort?

Mining cryptocurrency legitimately is complicated and intensive work. Therefore, botnet mining is becoming more popular with cybercriminals since it’s less risky and offers huge returns. The botnets programs are automated; thus, so little work is put into it. 

We already established that botnets have massive returns. And as of now, there isn’t exactly a viable plan in place to contain the menace. VP of Threat Operations told News.com.au that “Taking down the botnet is very difficult given its distributed nature and the persistence of its operators.” In this state of affairs, botnets are set to increase, and with them, their ill effects. 

Crypto Scammers Leverage the COVID Pandemic

The majority of these botnets gain access to their targets’ devices using undetected methods. The most common methods are embedding malicious code in a link sent as an email. Victims are enticed to click on the link based on the content of the email. Secondly, computer users who are not exactly tech-savvy are, in more ways than one, negligent to the importance of cybersecurity. Therefore, they leave their devices open for hacking.

In this COVID-19 season, cyber crooks are taking advantage of unsuspecting internet users more than ever. They are now impersonating health bodies such as the World Health Organisation so that when users visit such a site, they’re redirected to potentially click on malicious links that could trap them in a botnet and other scams of the nature. As an internet user, being aware of such malicious intentions is the first step to avoiding them. 

Final Thoughts

As otherworldly as the concept seems, botnets are real, and the tech world is yet to come up with ways to tackle them. It’s almost impossible to contain one at the individual level, but keeping an eye on the various processes your device is running should go a long way. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

What’s Illicit Crypto Mining?

The value of cryptocurrencies has been on a steady rise in recent years. Even if the market itself has experienced a downturn, the collective idea of crypto as an asset continues to be alluring, driving in more interested investors. 

There are several ways to earn cryptocurrency, with one of those being mining. Cryptomining is the process of generating cryptocurrency using computational and energy resources, and it’s usually a rigorous process that requires tremendous effort. And like anything else where money is involved, certain people would rather cut corners than put in honest work. These are people who fraudulently mine cryptocurrency using illegitimate methods in what’s known as illicit cryptomining.

How Does Illicit Cryptomining Work? 

Illicit cryptomining involves cyber-crooks tricking unwitting victims’ to have their computer or phones infiltrated with malicious malware that gives them (the crooks) access to their devices. They then use the devices’ CPU power to mine cryptocurrency with the returns going to them.

There are two main ways through which illicit cryptominers get into people’s devices: 

#1. Binary-based – involves tricking the victims into clicking on a malicious link sent to their email or downloading and installing corrupted applications. These links and apps have cryptomining code that immediately embeds itself into the victim’s device as soon as they click on the link or install the app. 

#2. Browser-based – this is when hackers infect websites and ads with malicious JavaScript code. Once a victim visits the websites or clicks on ads, the code is almost immediately loaded in their computer, and the script automatically launches the crypto mining code. Once this code runs on the unsuspecting victims’ device, the hacker gains access to the computer to begin surreptitiously mining cryptocurrency.

Which Cryptocurrencies are Illicitly Mined?

While any cryptocurrency could be the subject of illicit cryptomining, Ethereum and Monero are the most targeted. The two cryptos possess certain features that make them attractive to illicit cryptominers instead of, let’s say, Bitcoin. 

For one, both cryptocurrencies can be mined with regular GPUs and CPUs. Second, the two cryptocurrencies, Monero especially, offer a relatively high level of transaction anonymity. 

Is Illicit Cryptomining a Victimless Crime?

While illicit crypto mining does not target any specific person, it’s by no means a victimless crime.

In most cases, victims are often oblivious to the mining software embedded in their devices. If they are not keen enough to, for instance, notice reduced performance in their devices, they will never know what they were exposed to. Also, this cryptomining malware may overwhelm a device, causing users to experience low performance. And in extreme cases, the malware can permanently damage the device’s hardware. 

What Factors are Enabling Illicit Cryptomining?

  • Cryptocurrencies have exponentially increased in value, making illicit mining an attractive trade to cybercrime perpetrators
  • Very few people and organizations invest in cybersecurity software, leaving a loophole for illicit crypto miners to exploit
  • With the introduction of cryptocurrencies that offer transaction anonymity, illicit miners funnel crypto directly to their wallets without being traced
  • Illegitimate mining tools are easily available on the dark web. In addition to this, the crypto mining malware is also a fairly simple code to write
  • The increased practice of pool mining

How Can You Avoid Falling Victim?

To avoid falling victim to these cyber-attacks, you can follow some basic security guidelines;

  • Download software only from reputable and authorized websites.
  • Avoid clicking on random and anonymous email links or attachments.
  • Install premium and legit antivirus software. Antivirus detects, removes, and protects your PC from any form of malware.
  • Refrain from using easy passwords. Avoid setting up a password with your name, pet name, or birth date, followed by numbers. Stronger passwords are made of more than 15 characters
  • Sharing or storing your login information on your device increases the risk of becoming a victim.
  • Be keen to notice any abnormal PC behavior. High fan usage is usually a good giveaway.
  • A downloadable browser extension such as NoCoin protects your PC against browser-based cryptocurrency mining. Ad-blocking extensions are equally important in preventing malware attacks since websites’ ads deliver some illicit mining malware. Such ad blockers can detect and stop cryptomining scripts.
  • Regularly update software and the operating system to lock out attackers from exploiting known loopholes in the old versions.
  • Check regularly to see if there are any changes in your computer’s sleep and hibernate functions. Any weird patterns might indicate interference with the cycle
  • If you’re more tech-savvy, you can check existing crypto mining command lines and put up a firewall to prevent underhanded connections to mining pools. You can find a list of malicious websites here
  • If you’re an organizational user, use the principle of ‘least privilege’. Users should have device accounts that allow them to perform only the necessary tasks. This lowers cryptomining risk by limiting the possibility of admins being duped into installing malicious software 
  • Use application controls that permit apps to run to a minimum. This measure would greatly curtail any cryptomining malware

Final Thoughts

Illicit crypto mining is one of the many scams used by people who want to earn cryptocurrency dishonestly. And while it may appear harmless, the fact is your programs are being slowed down, and your device is handling more than it was designed to do, potentially damaging it prematurely. And like any hacking trick, illicit crypto miners will continue finding new ways to carry out the attack. If you’re a device user, following the above simple guidelines should go a long way to protecting yourself. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Can Blockchain Help the Protection of Human Rights?

Blockchain was created with a new dawn of finance in mind. But more than ten years later, it’s proving to be the tech that could finally heal many ills of modern-day society. One of these is the violation of human rights all across the globe. 

Most of us take everyday common things like freedom of speech and movement for granted. It would be a shock to learn that for many people around the globe, many people do not have those rights. An Amnesty report recently revealed that in many countries, governments are denying citizens basic rights such as freedom from discrimination, freedom from slavery, freedom from torture, freedom of opinion, and so on. 

How are Human Rights Being Violated? 

In recent history, we’ve seen the most egregious of human rights in countries such as Venezuela, Yemen, Turkey, Russia.  In Yemen, as the country is embroiled in a civil war, millions lack access to basic rights like food and water. In Turkey, journalists pursuing the right to information are met with a hostile reception. In Russia, opposition leaders are routinely clamped down upon, and murders are commonplace. 

Most people would think human rights violations are a thing of developing countries and autocratic governments. But Amnesty has put countries like the EU and Australia on the spot for the “callous” treatment of refugees. US President Donald Trump has been called out for his administration’s border ban that violates the freedom of movement as well as his utterances that many perceive to be religious discrimination. 

So, let’s see how blockchain could help the cause for human rights all over the world. 

How Blockchain Can Help 

Blockchain could go a big way in helping the cause for human rights across the globe. Features of the tech like transparency, immutability, and decentralization could start with bringing more accountability to various processes that previously overlooked or undermined human rights. 

#1. The Right to an Acceptable Standard of Living

The right to an acceptable standard of living means that everyone should be able to access the very basic of human rights, such as having nutritious food to eat, nothing, and housing. It also means living in peace and without the fear of persecution or being forced to live in a conflict-affected country. The essence of this is that people can enjoy these rights without having to degrade themselves or being stripped of their dignity, such as through begging and/or forced labor. 

Some of the situations that could lead to the deprivation of these rights is hyperinflation in countries. Hyperinflation often leads to the loss of the average person’s life savings, putting them in danger of losing their basic rights. With blockchain-based cryptocurrency, hyperinflation could be avoided. For example, in Venezuela, residents turned to Bitcoin and Dash cryptocurrencies to cushion themselves against the hyperinflation of the nation’s currency. 

Cryptocurrency also makes micro-trading and micro-lending possible. Many cryptocurrencies are divisible to infinitesimal quantities. Bitcoin, for example, is divisible up to 8 decimal places. When you assign value to the tiniest of quantities, the size of a trade becomes smaller and hence very affordable. In the same way, people can sell their products at more affordable prices and make a profit. 

Blockchain could also support human rights through decentralized finance (DeFi). DeFi is the idea that anyone anywhere can participate in the global financial system as long as they have an internet connection. 

#2. The Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections

This right implies that everyone should be able to participate in decisions that impact their interests. This means that people should be able to defend their interests and to help create a society where those interests are upheld. The right to vote and participate in elections and the freedom of association translates into these rights. 

In many places across the world, these rights are denied to people. In these places, electoral fraud is rampant, distorting the true will of the people. Even in the United States – ‘the land of liberty,’ the 2016 presidential election is still mired in controversy. A Senate report released in August 2020 showed that Donald Trump’s election might have received help from foreign countries. 

In many parts of Africa, electoral malfeasance is often commonplace. The 2017 Kenyan election was rife with voter intimidation, allegations that the electoral commission was compromised, and chaos. The supreme court had to cancel the election, leading to a second one. However, the opposition party boycotted the second round, calling it a sham election. The result was the incumbent winning the election with 98% of the vote. 

But election fraud is not limited to politics. It happens too in private organizations. 

With blockchain, unfair election unfairness can be a thing of the past. Through blockchain, people can vote without fear of intimidation and in the privacy of their homes. And after votes go on immutable the blockchain, they cannot be interfered with. 

#3. The Right to Freedom of Opinion and Information 

The right to freedom of opinion and expression gives people the right to receive and also impart information of any kind and on any medium. 

All over the world, this right is often violated. This includes the clampdown on journalists. China, Turkey, and Egypt are three places with the dubious distinction of harassing and imprisoning journalists. The right to receive information is also violated when governments restrict information, such as by shutting down websites. For example, Wikipedia has been banned in countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Turkey. 

Blockchain can help address this by providing a platform where no one can censor, delete, or edit information. Decentralization also means no one party can shut down such platforms. 

Closing Thoughts

These examples are just a few of the many examples where blockchain could aid in the protection of human rights. Other scenarios include fighting modern-day slavery and human trafficking through blockchain-based identity management. Blockchain’s immutability could also help protect people’s right to property. In short, when it comes to blockchain and human rights, the possibilities are endless.

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Why Should You Pay with Bitcoin? 

Bitcoin has been around slightly over a decade now. In that span, it has undergone several stages to become the formidable currency we know today. We remember the infamous event when someone paid 10,000 bitcoins for pizzas. Back then, Bitcoin was worth $41 – a sharp contrast to today’s value of $11, 645.40. 

Today, Bitcoin is largely used as a store of value and as a speculative instrument. The reason for this Bitcoin’s volatility. Many people are shy to use Bitcoin for day to day payments because its value could dramatically change tomorrow or even the next hour. 

Still, the currency’s designer envisioned Bitcoin as an electronic means of payment that’s faster, safer, and more private than legacy systems. As a means of payment, Bitcoin holds several advantages over Fiat currencies. In this article, we’ll look at those. But before that, let’s do a recap of what Bitcoin is all about. 

What’s Bitcoin? 

Bitcoin is the first and most successful cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency is an electronic form of money that operates in a decentralized and peer-to-peer fashion. Decentralized means there’s no single-player holding sway over the network, such as in a bank. Peer-to-peer means participants can transact with each other directly – without the need for intermediaries. Bitcoin can be divided into the infinitesimal value of 0.00000001. These tiny bits are called Satoshis in honor of Bitcoin’s creator. 

Bitcoin was created in 2009 by the mysterious person(s) Satoshi Nakamoto. Today, it’s a whole force in the finance space, and it has even led cryptocurrencies to be the best performing assets in 2019. Speaking of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has spawned thousands of them. At the time of writing, there exists 6,500 of them, according to Coinmarketcap.

Why Bitcoin? 

The question “Why Bitcoin?” is highly welcome, especially since the existing money system appears to be functioning alright. People make transactions with Fiat currency every day. We send money all the time across borders – with myriad companies enabling this. 

But the decentralization of Bitcoin means that unlike Fiat currency, the government or bank does not control your money. This means a lot. It’s you and only you that’s in charge of your money. The state cannot freeze your funds at whim. It also means Bitcoins are not released by the government or central bank. Rather, you can acquire Bitcoin either through ‘mining’ or exchanging Fiat or another cryptocurrency for it. 

Bitcoin also operates on a distributed network. This network is maintained and secured by thousands of computers all over the globe. These computers are called ‘nodes.’ Anyone can be/run a node, as long they possess the massive computing power and storage space needed to do so. Every node holds a copy of a ledger, and they simultaneously update on the blockchain every new transaction. This distributedness is important since it ensures the network is standing at all times. Thus even if a few of the nodes were to go down, it wouldn’t affect the network at all. 

What are the benefits of paying with Bitcoin? 

1. Autonomy

Autonomy is one of the reasons Bitcoin was a hit from the beginning. Autonomy grants users control over their own money. No one can freeze your cash, and there’s no intermediaries or authority who might restrict how much money you can transact with at once. 

2. No taxes

This might be a bit controversial, especially with recent efforts by the IRS to tax Bitcoin. Still, Bitcoin’s pseudonymity means it can be hard to track who is making which transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain. 

3. Pseudonymity

Where Bitcoin is concerned, pseudonymity means everyone can see your public address on the Bitcoin blockchain. However, it also means your real-life identity is not revealed. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for someone to trace your history of transactions back to you. The thing is, Bitcoin provides more privacy compared to traditional modes of payment. 

4. Peer-to-peer transactions

Thanks to the purely peer-to-peer nature of Bitcoin, you don’t need approval from anyone to send or receive Bitcoin to or from anyone. Also, no one is limiting how much you can send or receive. 

5. No banking fees

Unlike Fiat, Bitcoin is not stored or managed by any bank. This means Bitcoin users escape the litany of banking fees associated with Fiat – from account maintenance fees to non-sufficient funds fees to minimum balance charges to inactivity fees to card fees. However, Bitcoin exchanges typically charge ‘maker’ and ‘taker’ fees for trades. 

6. Minimum transaction fees for cross-border payments 

The traditional way of sending money internationally is fraught with high fees and high exchange costs. Remittance services can charge up to 15% of the total amount, and exchange rates may be exorbitantly high. Since Bitcoin has no intermediaries, people sending money across the border can save a great deal. 

7. Fast payments

Again this has to do with Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer manner of making transactions. Old payment methods can take hours or even days. All the intermediaries involved, plus the clarification at every stage, massively bloat up the process. With Bitcoin, everything is faster, especially with scaling solutions such as the Lightning Network. 

8. Mobile payments

Anyone anywhere, as long as they have internet connectivity,  can transact with Bitcoin –  including on their mobile phone. This means you don’t have to physically go to a bank to pay for a product or service. And to put the cherry on top, you don’t have to provide your personal details to complete transactions. 

9. Accessibility

The existing payment setup is in such a way that it leaves out a lot of people. Requirements such as having an ID and a credit card means a lot of people still cannot use the traditional system to make it send and receive money, as well as make payments. With Bitcoin, anyone at any age can send and receive funds as long as they have an internet connection. Also, unlike banks that are closed on the weekends, you can send money anytime and any day of the week.

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Crypto Daily Topic

A Definitive Guide to Bitcoin Forks and How to Claim Them

A split in the Bitcoin network is referred to as a Bitcoin fork. A Bitcoin fork results from an alteration of some original Bitcoin rules resulting in a similar coin with slight changes.

What is a BTC Fork?

The rules of the game are always changing in the Bitcoin Network, and that’s what BTC forks are about. A Bitcoin fork is the change of the existing Bitcoin code or protocol.  

Let’s say there is a universal game with a set of globally accepted rules, and then someone decides to change part of the rules. Some people will disagree with the changes while others accept the change.

This means there will be two versions of the game- one with the new rules and another with the old rules. This means there will be a fork in the game.

That is exactly what happened with the Bitcoin Code. So the fork means there is ‘New Bitcoin’ and ‘Original Bitcoin.’

Forks that allow new rules to be applied alongside the old rules are called soft forks. But not all forks are created this way. Some lead to the formation of a different coin altogether. These are what we call hard folks.

Bitcoin Cash Fork

The Bitcoin Cash fork happened in August 2017 when Bitcoin Cash(BCH), a new coin, came into existence. Bitcoin Cash’s block size was 8MB compared to Bitcoin’s original size of 1MB. This was meant to increase the number of transactions for each block.

A Step by Step Guide for Claiming BTC Forks

Claiming BTC forks is not a straightforward process. It entails enormous risks that only experienced traders can avoid. So before you proceed to claim them, you will require some safety tips and guidelines. Here are a few things you need to know.

Step 1- Safety Tips and Important Guidelines

Claiming these coins can put your privacy at risk because it exposes all the data on your BTC holdings to several networks. However, observing the guidelines below can help protect your financial information and reduce the risks considerably.

i) Guideline 1- Use a new wallet

Before you commence the claiming process, you must transfer the BTC fork coins to a new wallet with an entirely new seed recovery phrase.

As you may know, you’ll be required to share the private keys of your BTC wallet during the claiming process. This means you are giving the claiming tool access (keys) to your wallet. Some malicious software can capture this data and later access your active BTC wallet and drain the remaining BTC. So using a new wallet with different private keys from your main wallet will cushion you from any harm or possible Bitcoin theft.

ii) Guideline 2- Risk vs. Reward of Claiming

It should be clear by now that claiming BTC forks is a risky and complicated venture. So before claiming the coins, ask yourself if it’s worth the hassle. You should only proceed if you think the reward outweighs the risk.

But how can you tell if the reward is worth it? Well, this will require you to make a personal decision. For instance, if you own 0.5 and are eligible for 0.5 BTC Gold, then the profit may not be worth the risk. So check what you have against what you are eligible for to decide.

To make an informed risk-reward ratio decision, the following are some factors you should consider.

a) Fork Height

This refers to the time and date a fork occurred. Only the address in a Bitcoin that contains a value at the time of the fork will receive forkcoins. BTC addresses with no value at the time of the fork or those that receive the value after will not be eligible for forkcoin rewards.

b) Reward Ratio

Typically, the amount of forkcoins awarded is directly proportional to the bitcoin in the address. For example, if you have 1.582 BTC, you will be awarded 1.582 forkcoins. However, this ratio can vary, so be sure to check before claiming the forkcoins.

c) Market availability

Some forkcoins, particularly the major ones, have ready markets thanks to their rigorous advertisements and partnerships. This means you can trade your coins immediately after you claim them.

The small unknown forks, on the other hand, can be challenging to trade. Some are even untradeable. In the end, you remain with your forkcoins with nowhere to take them. So do the due diligence to check the available markets before claiming your forkcoins.

iii) Guideline 3- Select a Trusted Guide

There are many people out there who are after ripping you off your Bitcoin. To be on the safe side, only follow guides from the trusted and well-known wallets like Ledger.

Alternatively, you can use the information available in credited publications. While most of these publications are trustworthy, they will not be held responsible in case you lose your Bitcoin. Therefore, be sure to cross-check any information you get from publications before using it.

Step 2- Preparations

There are essential initial preparations to undertake when claiming your BTC forkcoins. They include;

i) Exporting your private keys

To claim your coins, you must export the private key in a compatible format with the import tool. To do this, you can follow the instructions available on your wallet’s documentation.

In cases where you cannot export the private keys, as is the case with hardware wallets, you may be required to input the wallet’s seed recovery phrase in another tool and run it offline. One such tool is Ian Coleman’s BIP39 Tool.

ii) Check and add only claimable keys

You don’t have to import all private keys for claiming. Some don’t have any value, and you will save time by excluding them. Tools like findmycoins.ninja can help you gauge the value of your Bitcoin addresses before claiming.

Step 3- Claiming Process

One way to claim your forkcoins involves downloading the authorized wallet of the forkcoins, then importing the private keys. This process has several downsides. First, it is time-consuming, and second, it may expose you to malware.

There are faster and safer DIY methods that you can use. The two commonly used methods are;

i) BitPie and Bither

These two wallets go hand in hand. You can use the Bither to extract your forkcoins and sell them through BitPie

The two wallets are reliable. For instance, Bither is available on Bitcoin.org site and can be used on Android smartphones and desktops. BitPie, on the other hand, is available for Android users. For users without android smartphones, you can operate the wallet on your desktop, but first, you should install the BlueStacks Android emulator.

ii) Ymgve’s fork claimer

Ymgve’s is another excellent DIY method to claim your forkcoins. Ymgve’s script is the most preferred method because besides having lower mining fees compared to BitPie/Bither, it also supports SegWit addresses and allows users to transfer coins to any address. This includes sending the coins directly to the account of the exchanging party.

While this method has many benefits, it isn’t very easy to operate. You will be required to use a command-line where you will input up to 180 characters for every address.

Conclusion

Bitcoin forks are slight changes made to the original bitcoin to get a coin with different rules. While these forks have made it easier for users to claim coins, it has also become even easier to get conned. It is advisable to do thorough research before claiming your BTC forkcoins.

Once you’ve decided it’s safe to claim your coins, there are two common DIY methods to use – which are BitPie and Bither or Ymgve’s fork claimer. While you get a ready market for using the former, it is cheaper to use the Ymgve’s fork claimer method.

With time, we should expect to see more forks coming up. This means we should be keener when choosing which forks to invest in to prevent issues when claiming for the coins as well as to avoid being scammed.

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Crypto Daily Topic

A Comparison of Decentralized Storage Services: Bluzelle vs. Filecoin

How you store your data is critical, now more than ever. With the Information Technology center becoming more significant and vital, more storage is required to scale up.

The technology industry is becoming even more robust. And we need to seriously reconsider if we should continue allowing centralized companies, the likes of Amazon and IBM, to continue holding our data.

At times when several social media platforms have been threatened with a closedown, people may have been questioning whether they can continue relying on certain firms when it comes to data security. Data storage decentralization and the adoption of Blockchain technology are two steps to help prevent private information from being compromised. At one point, there were businesses that have considered changing the data storage landscape.

Decentralized Data-storage Services

Bluezelle

Bluezelle, a.k.a the Airbnb of data storage, tops our list. It offers dApp developers a place where they can store their goods with the idea that storage space is sourced from the public, which will, in turn, act as network validators. The developers will pay for storage space to write and read from the storage.

While at decentralization, a lot needs to be reconsidered, especially when it comes to data storage. When you have a storage system that’s decentralized, security can always be improved since all things are spread across different nodes. It will mean that the whole system will not be compromised in case of a government shutdown or a hack. It also means that the data will not be in the third party’s hands. 

Filecoin

Filecoin is a file storage service. When you use this highly distributed IPFS technology, a peer-to-peer protocol for website hosting and file sharing runs across colossal computer networks.

Filecoin will provide its users with a place where they can store their files safely. It also aims to be a foundation to store essential humanity information.

In this article, we will be looking at how functional decentralized storage systems like the Filecoin and the Bluzele work while at the same time sharing some of the most similar and different qualities and how they can be incorporated for a decentralized experience. 

Airbnb of data storage gives its dApps developers a place where they can store data. Believe it. And there is lots of unused space. 

Bluzelle gets the same from members of the public, hence becoming the network validators. The main idea here is that you never lack storage space.

Differences between Bluzelle and Filecoin 

Bluzelle and Filecoin are different in many ways. One of the most notable variances is that the Filecoin is used for file storage, while Bluzelle data storage. 

Filecoin uses the IPFS for data storage. It offers no guarantee on the availability of data unless you will be hosting yourself. The IPFS system is more about transporting and addressing data. 

However, Bluzelle never uses IPFS. It views IPFS as vital, although it only banks on the thought that lots of the nodes it uses will voluntarily be interested in supporting the IPFS. 

Bluzelle offers decentralized and scalable database services that are ready to take on the world’s dApps. Bluzelle’s unique structure enables it to increase and handle lots of data since each shared data will always be replicated in a single swim. 

Their Similarities

Filecoin and Bluzelle share several features, just like they have several differences. They use the Blockchain technology. However, the Bluzelle achieves it by swarming, which means splitting and storing data on different computers using Blockchain technology. The filecoin uses Blockchain by maintaining transaction records between its users. Further, it uses IPFS with an architecture similar to that of Blockchain. 

Both the Filecoin the Bluzelle use decentralized storage. Hence, unlike Google Drive, for instance, there will be no entity that will control the network on its own. Both of them function by having many nodes that handle the storage work.

Filecoin and Bluzelle have lots of similarities and can complement each other. Hence, many people get confused about which option to take for specific roles.

How Bluzelle and Filecoin Compliment Each other 

File systems are quite hard to manage. The files could be large with unsearchable content. However, decentralized storage services like the Filecoin breaks and spread your work around a network. 

Whenever the developers create applications, they carry out data storage and management differently depending on the usage and size. Hence, storing the data on Filecoin alone will never be enough. The dApp creators will require something else to ensure you can easily search and retrieve your data.  

For example, you can store a large video file on Filecoin to enjoy faster uploads. However, you store the video links and the metadata on Bluzelle for easier retrieval.

The Bluzelle platform is available, and the database ensures file security, something Filecoin cannot offer. Filecoin is a handy tool, although it works together with Bluzelle and can offer a decentralized web storage solution. 

How Bluzelle and Filecoin work Hand in Hand 

Despite their similarities and differences, it is always advisable that you look at how the two can always complement each other. 

The file systems can be a bit difficult to manage since the files can be a bit large. There are times when it can be a bit difficult to search for file contents. When using a decentralized file storage service like Filecoin, the files are usually broken up and spread on the network, which makes it a bit complex to manage. 

The decentralized web could never be quick enough. The centralized platforms become the target of frequent criticism, be it security, privacy, or censorship. Platforms such as Bluzelle and Filecoin can be of great help. 

Conclusion 

When it is evident that one of the largest social media platforms is vulnerable to online attacks, it would be better to shift from centralized systems. With the ever-increasing number of hackers and online attacks on the internet, one must exercise maximum caution in terms of data protection. Another great reason why you need to consider switching over to decentralized platforms is government control. In the recent past, some platforms felt more pressure with governments exerting more and more control. This has made more people cautious with their data and personal details.

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Crypto Daily Topic

Mobile Devices Cryptocurrency Scams

 Cryptocurrency features, such as having no central regulating authority, being immutable, and having relative anonymity, makes it a high-profile target of hackers. And these days, more people own and spend time on mobile phones than they do on PCs. Crypto hackers are well aware of this and have mastered the art of targeting user funds using deceptive mobile apps. 

In this writeup, we’ll highlight the most prevalent ways crypto fraudsters are targeting mobile phone users. When you identify the red flags, it’s easier to protect yourself and your crypto. We’ll also list a few steps that you can follow to protect yourself against every type of scam. 

1. Fake Crypto Exchange Apps

Fake cryptocurrency exchange apps are one of the ways scammers can target crypto holders. Such apps, either on a dedicated website or app store, are designed to steal user data. Victims of such fraud will have their data compromised, and they could lose their funds as a result. 

A famous example of this scam is the several fake versions of the Poloniex exchange app that were released before the legitimate app’s release in July 2018. Many of these apps were listed on Google Play. People that downloaded these apps had their information massively compromised, and they lost money in the process. 

Below are ways in which you can protect yourself from a cryptocurrency exchange scam: 

  • Check the app’s official website to see if they have an app after all. If so, use the official link provided by the website to download the app.
  • Check reviews. Reviews can be a reliable way to identify a scam app. If the review section is full of negative reviews and ratings, you might want to steer clear. In the same vein, watch out for an app with nearly all-perfect reviews. A legitimate product will at least have some negative reviews.
  • Confirm whether the developer is legit by looking at their online presence. See if their information is related to a legitimate exchange.
  • Check how many times the app has been downloaded. A popular and legitimate app will likely have a substantial amount of downloads as opposed to a fake one.
  • Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts. It’s harder for a scammer to get past this.

2. Fake Wallet Apps

These are scam wallets that are designed to trick users into sharing personal information, send funds to attacker-specified addresses, and so on. Apps like these are created all the time. In the past, cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Neo have been targeted, causing users to lose funds. 

Below are tips to avoid this scam:

  • Apply the precautions for fake crypto exchange apps highlighted above
  • Ensure that completely new addresses are generated the first time you open the app and that both private keys and/or mnemonic phrases are in your hands
  • Check whether the app allows you to generate public addresses.

3. Cryptojacking Apps

Cryptojacking is when a malware uses your device’s processing power to mine cryptocurrency. Although mobile phones have way less computing power than computers, that hasn’t dissuaded cybercriminals from using them for cryptojacking.

A cryptojacking app will often be disguised as a legitimate app for gaming, educational, or other legit use. In reality, such an app will surreptitiously use your phone’s processing power to mine crypto in the background. Other prepaid checking apps will be advertised as legit mining apps, but any rewards will go to the developer and not the user. Usually, such an app will employ an extremely lightweight mining script to avoid detection.

Cryptojacking is harmful because it degrades your phone’s performance and causes it to wear and tear quicker. In some cases, cryptojacking apps can even be hiding Trojan horses for even more malicious software.

This is how to prevent against cryptojacking apps: 

  • Only download apps from legit sites like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Ensure the app is marked as ‘Verified.’
  • Check if your phone is draining the battery too quickly and remove any apps responsible.
  • Regularly update your apps, so any security bugs are fixed.
  • Use browsers that have anti-cryptojacking software in place. Also, use browser plugins such as MinerBlock and NoCoin.
  • Install and regularly update your anti-malware software

4. Fake Mining Apps

These are apps that purportedly mine crypto, but all they do is display ads. The apps trick users into keeping the app by a supposed increase in rewards that increase over time. However, these apps are not actually mining crypto. Instead, the developers are profiting from your watching of the ads. 

The best way to steer clear of this scam? Understand that for the majority of cryptocurrencies. Mining is done with specialized computers known as ASICs. Any mining proceeds from mobile mining are extremely trivial and not worth the effort. 

5. Clipper Apps

These are apps that hijack your transactions and replace your address with that of the hacker. With these apps, when you copy the right address, the one you paste is actually that of the attacker.

To avoid this scam, take these precautions when processing a transaction: 

  • Double-check the address before you hit ‘Send.’ 
  • Check not just portions of the address, but the whole thing. Some hackers are smart enough to use an address that resembles yours.

6. SIM Swapping 

This is one of the most serious threats. A SIM swap is a scam in which an attacker gains control of your phone number. They do this by convincing your service carrier that you want to transfer your phone number to a new SIM. Once the transfer is done, the attacker can now access all kinds of data that are related to your phone – from calls to text messages to various accounts’ details. It also means any personal and financial info tied to those accounts is in their possession. This includes crypto wallets and exchanges. 

Crypto entrepreneur Michael Terpin’s SIM swap saga should illustrate this very well. Terpin alleged that he lost over $20million worth of crypto as a result of AT&T’s recklessness with the handling of his phone number. 

Here’s how to avoid falling prey to a SIM swap scam.  

  • Don’t use your mobile number for two-factor authentication. Instead, use an authenticator like Google’s Authenticator or Authy. Other alternatives are hardware authentication devices YubiKey or Titan Security Key by Google.
  • Never reveal your phone number in places like social media. Imposters will readily use such info to impersonate you.
  • Be discreet about your possession of cryptocurrency on social media. This can make you a target. And if folks already know you own crypto, don’t reveal info such as the exchange or wallet you use
  • Talk to your SIM service provider about adding an extra layer of protection, such as a PIN or password to your phone number.

7. Public WiFi

Public WiFi is another entry point for crypto scammers to gain access to your phone and steal funds. Public WiFi is usually open for everyone, and this makes any device using it vulnerable to hacking. For this reason, employ extra precautions every time you use public WiFi. Even better, avoid using public WiFi at all. 

Final Thoughts

Mobile phones are now involved in every aspect of our lives. From entertainment to work to finances, the mobile phone is nearly indispensable. But that everywhere presence is also a vulnerability. And this can’t be truer for crypto holders. Now that you’re aware of the loopholes that crypto swindlers can exploit, you’re better set to protecting yourself and your funds.

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Challenges Facing Decentralized Finance

Decentralized finance involves the use of public blockchains in the monetary systems. It is a new fiscal scheme, thus has a lot of hot debates surrounding it. The term ‘public’ is fundamental and is relatable to that of the Ethereum public blockchain. A public blockchain has no room for centralized authority. 

Decentralized finance is crucial because not everyone around the world can access financial services. They are not available to up to 1.7 billion people in the world. Financial institutions are also unable to set the essential infrastructure that would make people access more money. The current infrastructure is massive, but it is inadequate, and cannot reach everyone out there.  

With decentralization, the current failures on infrastructure are as good as over. It eliminates the failure spot and ensures that it is possible to store and share records among different joints across the network. There is a lot of dependency on the centralized system for the current infrastructure to function. 

Comparison of the traditional and decentralized finance

The main difference between the traditional and the decentralized finance is the mode of work.

Traditional financial systems use centralization and lead to ineffectiveness and insecurity.  Security risks are tenacious in the current conventional financial system. 

There is also an increase in cybercrime due to lack of upgrades in the technologies used by financial institutions. There is a risk of hacking for most transactions. They all lead to data and fiscal risks.

On the other hand, decentralized finance ensures there is a solution to a certain extent. Due to the utilization of public blockchain, there is no reliance on a centralized system.

A decentralized system can function without requiring proper infrastructure. In simple terms, it decentralizes the economy and provides the viability of the economic activity to everyone in the world.

Another crucial feature of decentralized finance is the dApps short for decentralized apps. Through them, financial institutions can develop functional apps on the public blockchain. They also allow anyone to work together with them with less cost per interaction. 

What DeFi brings to the table

 

i) Permissionless

 

Public blockchain won’t require permission from anyone else to access and interact. It is thus a top choice for implementation in the world.

 

ii) Decentralization

 

Since there is no central authority, data storage occurs amongst the different joints in a network. 

 

iii) Transparency

 

There is transparency in the public blockchain.

However, the decentralized system’s growth and proponents face several challenges that would entirely affect its adoption. 

Challenges facing the decentralized finance 

 

1. Hacking of smart contract

 

Decentralized finance projects depend on smart contracts that run on Ethereum. The programs’ code is usually public, and anyone with sufficient knowledge can examine and interact with it. Blockchain networks that run on smart contracts are attractive to hackers. 

There was a scenario in 2016 when a hack resulted in the loss of 3.6m ETH. The value was approximately 70 million USD. The hack was around 10 percent of the total supply of ETH at that time. 

The hacker could not access the funds for 28 days. During that period, the Ethereum group managed to reverse the transaction. However, there is a high likelihood that a similar solution may fail to work ever again. 

 

2. Manipulation of oracles

 

The decentralized finance ecosystem depends on data providers known as oracles to distribute market data that resolves smart fiscal contracts. Oracles are also essential to Maker’s smart contracts in understanding the current price of ETH that determines whether there is adherence to the collateralization ratio.

Decentralized finance applications use price data as the most common type of data provider. Does the oracle respond to queries such as “What is the price of token Y?” What happens if there is a manipulation of the information that an oracle provides? An oracle error on 24th June 2019 led to inaccurate price data, causing an irregular performance on the Sythentix protocol. The malfunction allowed KRW holders to buy ETH at a discount. 

 

3. Ethereum non-scalability

 

Decentralized finance is essentially a movement based on Ethereum. Innovation and liquidity primarily focus on them. There is the launch of new projects all the time that aims to lure new users with better returns and more effective token assortment management.

Although there is little on the front-end, the Ethereum public blockchain carries out a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. There is dependence on the collaborative building network of the separate nodes.  

Due to the challenges facing its scalability, Ethereum either fails or becomes too expensive to work together with dApps. On several occasions, there have been network congestion. The best solution to the scalability challenges would be a significant upgrade in the network. It is happening already, but it will take time for its benefits to materialize ultimately.  

 

5. Stablecoin Fail

 

Maker is an Ethereum project that started operations in 2014.  In 2017, it came up with a stable coin DAI, which pegs softly to the US dollars. Anybody can use BAT, ETH, and USDC as the security to create DAI while maintaining a minimum ratio of 1 to 5 to 1 and 1 to 25 to 1 for the USDC. 

If, for example, you have 200 USD in the form of ETH, you can create 100 USD in the form of DAI. DAI is, at the moment, the most extensively utilized stablecoin in decentralized finance. In case of a hack on the smart maker’s contracts and the criminal access the user’s security, DAI becomes worthless. Such a move would affect the entire decentralized finance space. 

 

6. Overcollaterization

 

Due to a lack of guarantees in volatile markets, lenders usually seek higher security for their loans. It reaches a point where most lenders and borrowers will only work when there is a significant amount of assets as collateral. 

The situation undermines the vital function of borrowing and thus fails to satisfy one of the main ideas of decentralized finance: reaching those without access to the banks. Besides, it leads to a significant slash in the profits from leverage trading.  

 

7. Composability

 

Composability is among the most marketed elements of decentralized systems. It relates to how they can flawlessly integrate, enabling rapid growth, service complexity, and even new financial products. However, composability creates essential dependencies between decentralized finance protocols that could develop into systemic risks. 

 

8. Accessibility of the users’ tokens

 

In decentralized finance, tokens are under the management of smart contracts, which are non-living bits of programming codes. It is a non-custodial finance service that is contrary to the centralized system that uses humans. Custodial services call for heavy regulations. However, when the project is non-custodial, the team saves a lot of cash by dodging burdensome legislation.

Admin keys help the developers behind the decentralized finance project control the smart contracts that handle user funds. The weakness is a lack of transparency on who possesses the keys. There is a possibility that an individual could have access to all of them.

Conclusion

Although most people have internet connections, there is little public awareness of decentralized finance. Very few people know about it, which can affect its use rate. Besides, the fact that it is still in its infant stage means there are relatively high risks.

There is a dire need to solve most of its challenges to increase its viability to different administrations and organizations. Decentralized finance focuses on creating financial services that are distinct from the traditional fiscal and political systems. It has the potential to prevent instances of censorship, discrimination across the world and allow for a more transparent financial system.  

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The Upsides and Downsides of Trading Forex with Bitcoin

Forex trading and cryptocurrency trading are the most popular investments for the modern investor. Forex trading, in particular, is the largest trading market in the globe – operating every single hour of every single day.  Cryptocurrencies, which have become uber-popular in less than a decade, have injected a very interesting dimension to the investment landscape. 

Now, forex brokers are embracing Bitcoin – the largest and most successful crypto, as a trading pair, as well as other cryptocurrencies. But before you decide to throw your hard-earned Bitcoin in the pool, let’s first find out what you need to know. 

The Upsides 

#1. No centralized control:  When you’re trading forex with Bitcoin, you know it’s not controlled by any single entity – state or otherwise. Cryptocurrency is free from any sort of centralized control, as well as macroeconomic factors such as inflation and interest rates. 

#2. High leverages: Most forex brokers now offer quite generous margins for bitcoin trades. If you’re an experienced trader, you can capitalize on such margins for potentially more lucrative trades. Bear in mind, though that with margin trading, the potential loss is of the same magnitude as the potential profit. This means you should exercise great caution with high margin trading. 

#3. Affordable deposit amounts: Some forex trading platforms allow you to deposit as little as $25 to start trading forex with Bitcoin. Other platforms even match your initial deposit amount. As a trader, you can take advantage of these offers. However, make sure the trading firm is legit before you deposit money.

#4. Low trading costs: In order to attract more crypto users to the fold, forex trading platforms are charging very tiny amounts of fees. 

#5. Security and privacy: Unlike with traditional money, when trading with Bitcoin, you can keep your financial info like debit/credit card details private. 

#6. No geopolitical boundaries: Bitcoin transactions transcend all boundaries. A trader in Nigeria can trade forex via a broker based in Australia – as long as both parties are willing to transact. 

The  Downsides

While trading forex with Bitcoin has several bright sides, it also has not-so-bright ones. 

#1. Varying exchange rates: Different exchanges feature different exchange rates for Bitcoin. Ensure that you know which Bitcoin exchange rate your would-be broker uses. 

#2. U.S. dollar exchange rate: Due to the volatility of Bitcoin, forex brokers usually exchange Bitcoin deposits for U.S. dollars immediately. Even if you don’t enter a trade as soon as you deposit Bitcoin, you’re still exposed to any losses that may occur from the exchange process. 

#3. Volatility: Bitcoin is infamously volatile. And due to the lack of regulation in the Bitcoin market, rogue forex brokers can manipulate this volatility to their advantage and to the trader’s disadvantage. 

#4. Security Risks: Bitcoin and other cryptos are usually high targets for sophisticated hackers. No single online storage is safe enough – and that includes exchanges and your broker’s Bitcoin wallet. For this reason, you want to use a forex broker that has insurance against theft/loss of funds. 

#5. Risk of Loss Through Leverage: The risk of losing money via leverage trading is always there. If you’re a beginner forex with Bitcoin trader, you ought to watch out for this risk.

Mixing Asset Types: Bitcoin belongs to a wildly disparate asset class from the ones traditionally found in Forex trading. How Bitcoin is assigned value is also different. Trading forex with Bitcoin introduces a new dynamic that could trigger both loss and profits in unexpected ways. 

Closing Thoughts

Bitcoin is gaining traction in entirely new frontiers. One of these is forex trading – which both brokers and traders seek to capitalize on Bitcoin’s best. This article should help you navigate the contours of trading forex with Bitcoin more successfully.

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How Blockchain Can Transform Social Impact Investing

The creation of purposeful change and innovation in communities is always at the center stage of social impact finance. Such impact investments make use of the most recent technological innovations and continuously challenge the status quo. 

With this, many initiatives like blockchain prove that they can act as a catalyst when it comes to data democratization. They can also open new possible worlds to stakeholders and users across the globe.

According to recent research by Harvard Business, blockchain is not only able to transform governments and businesses but also society.

Ethical and socially responsible investing isn’t a new endeavor; among the most popular social investment programs, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, was started in 1976. However, using digital, innovative, and app skills to try to solve these economic and social challenges underpins the fintech trend.  Fintech has had an exceptional digital take-on. According to the 2019’s adoption survey of Fintech, on average, up to 75% of the world is using fintech products. However, in India and China’s global markets, the figure is relatively high, up to 87%.

Ways In Which Blockchain Will Transform Social Impact Investing

1. Financial Inclusion

Access to banking is one of the areas where Fintech already has a tremendous social impact, mostly in India and other countries with limited access to banking facilities.

However, mobile technology uptake is relatively high.

Blockchain, which is a data chain that is held by the user community, has the capability of revolutionizing operational systems as well as record keeping. It serves as a ledger or journal of events occurring digitally and shared among its users.  Blockchain algorithm applications have lots of things to offer to the over two billion people who don’t have bank accounts. For instance, BitPesa, which is part of AZA, a group, a group focusing on converting the bitcoin to Tanzanian or Kenyan shillings. The number of people using BitPesa has been on the rise in the two countries, which signals that more and more people are starting to use bitcoin. 

2. Tracking

Blockchain has the potential to offer accessible, even real-time data tracking environmental or social needs. Its benefits are very clear; the distributable blockchain community nature makes it possible for the reconciliation of information that has been entered by different parties. When you use a shared infrastructure, the data will be time-stamped and is less vulnerable to fraud and manipulation.

3. Impact Prediction

What if the blockchain could be made to predict the trends and impact on new initiatives? With the predictive markets already existing, this is achievable.  This will enable people to choose outcomes on the application or other platforms and invest based on a specific approach that will ensure you achieve certain outcomes.  Those with accurate predictions will receive financial rewards. After some time, the model can be used in predicting the possibility of particular social needs and the best ways to improve them.

4. Increases Trust Between the Stakeholders and Users

The successful blockchain projects help increase trust since they have been designed as collaborative, protect with higher transparency levels, and decentralize the consensus process. They offer great rewards to people who contribute to the evolution of projects and integrity protection. They are successful due to the broad buy-in and support of community users and stakeholders.

An impact token that is well designed is made based on such principles. The Natural Capital Finance Alliance and Climate Chain Coalition are among the communities that have shown a commitment to the collaboration. However, there is still no impact token, which has been designed based on these principles.

5. Open Source and Transparent

The investment community impact exists within the broad stakeholder base impact. It will have to be accessible to all and responsive to the interest of the public. With this, any blockchain used for impact token management will have to be based on freely available and open-source code.

SolarCoin Foundation does set a positive example when it comes to transparency issues. Its source code has been published on GitHub while the SolarCoin browser offers access to every SLR transaction.

6. Helps In Keeping Consumption of Energy in Check

Environmental effects that come with creating and managing impact tokens should be addressed in a design process. There are currently several websites and studies that reveal the amount of energy used together with the GHG emissions, which are released by the Ethereum and bitcoin operation, which are the two leading cryptocurrencies. According to the new study published in the Joule magazine, the first to be taken through the rigorous peer review reasons that worldwide, mining of bitcoin consumes at least the amount of electricity consumed in Ireland in the whole year.

Even worse, it still contends that the use of energy is doubling after every six months and can get to the yearly consumption of the Czech Republic, which stands at 67 TWh before the end of 2018, which is about 0.3% of electricity consumption in the world.

7. Helps In Accelerating Impact Investments Flow

The current impact-related financial tools like development impact bonds are difficult to scale due to the difficulty in monitoring and verifying the progress of set milestones.

According to the UN principles for the Responsible Investment Initiative, different areas have already been listed, including a secure recording of the local schools’ educational certificates, energy trading systems, and medical data access. 

Blockchain is capable of accelerating the financial flow by making the systems simpler while noting that most of these areas have not been widely penetrated.

The most common ‘Blockchain for good’ application is the use of Building Blocks platform by the World Food Program to help make payments to the refugees that have so far resulted in millions of dollars being saved.  Blockchain technology is used to provide a unique digital identity to the eligible beneficiaries. In most cases, they can scan the retina or fingerprint to reveal their identity and make the transfer of regular cash with no transaction costs.

Conclusion

Blockchain is a game-changer. It contributes to the impact investment scale by offering transparency, trust, and low transaction costs.  It is still early days for the impact tokens, and the impact investment community will have to be prepared for an error and trial approach. As it has been demonstrated by the establishment of a complex carbon market that makes one of the first large scape payments for impact schemes in the world with the priority, have to be in trust development that will lead to building consensus around processes and procedures in the community. In the future years, it is anticipated that the use of blockchain will lead to a great transformation in social impact investing worldwide. 

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The Reality of a Cashless Society 

As the world economy transitions to a digital paradigm, there has been a steep decline in cash use. The shift in payment model was a long time coming since the invention of debit cards and electronic payments platforms a few decades ago. With the advent of online retail stores and fintech payment apps, the use of cash has declined even more, bringing the convenience of making secure transactions from anywhere in the world. Banks have also stepped up their operations by offering online banking services, thereby creating a sustainable cashless ecosystem for seamless transactions. 

While a recent report suggests that cash has maintained its sovereignty in the economy, especially in smaller value transactions, the current Coronavirus pandemic gives an impetus to avoiding unnecessary physical transactions. Countries like France, Japan, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates are already exploring the feasibility of using a central bank-issued digital currency. Even the People’s Bank of China made a recent bold claim saying that physical cash may one day become obsolete. That said, it is a no brainer that China is spearheading the transition to a cashless economy through its Digital Currency/Electronic Payment (DC/EP) program. 

Advantages of a Cashless Economy 

The radical shift to a cashless economy is set to benefit both the state and the consumers. Some of the most pronounced benefits include: 

i) Efficient transactions

Paying for an item using fiat currency usually takes time since the transactions are processed manually. Consumers have to stuff their pockets with messy banknotes and clunky coins which are exchanged for goods or services. The retailer will then have to take the cash, calculate the goods worth against the amount paid, and then give spare change. For a time-sensitive business, the extended time spent processing transactions manually is detrimental to its overall operations. 

In a cashless economy setting, however, a retailer spends less time processing payments. Through payment solutions such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, users pay the exact amount of their goods worth, thus alleviating retailers the hassle of computing payments. 

ii) Reduced financial crimes

The current fiat currency economy has numerous loopholes that are often exploited to perpetrate financial crimes. This explains why illegal transactions such as money laundering and tax evasion malpractices are common despite governments putting measures to curb these menaces. Similarly, corruption and organized crimes are facilitated by the cash economy model, which lacks a transparent paper trail. 

Transactions made using digital payments are easily traceable since they are recorded in a ledger model. This allows central banks to monitor all transactions and ensure monetary policies are respected. As such, the newfound transparency of a cashless economy is a powerful tool for fighting corruption, tax evasion, and other financial crimes. Actually, one of the main reasons why China is aggressively pushing the development of its DC/EP is to protect its capital borders by tracking illicit cash flow into the country using the digital payment models. From a consumer’s view, a cashless society also means that there is no tangible money for criminals to steal. 

iii) Reduced cost of cash infrastructure

The infrastructure supporting the cash economy framework tends to be expensive for financial institutions and retailers who are the key recipient of all the cash in circulation. Think of ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) machines and other secondary infrastructure that need upgrades and regular maintenance to keep them functional. All payments in a cashless economy are transacted in a digital model, eliminating the need for cash infrastructure. Overall, the cost of processing payments reduces saving banks and retailers’ resources that can be channeled into other administrative areas. 

Hidden Dangers of a cashless economy 

Sure, a cashless economy has its perks, but much like any other great leap forward, there are issues to be wary of. 

i) Financial inclusion is undermined

As the World Bank works to promote financial inclusion, the sprouting digital economy that forms the basis of a cashless economy may counter efforts to raise the public’s access to financial services. For starters, certain members of society aren’t tech-savvy, particularly the older generation. This group of people prefers paying in cash as they aren’t familiar with navigating the electronic payments to make a purchase. Moreover, cashless payments are reliant on supporting infrastructures such as internet-enabled devices and electricity. In underdeveloped areas where these infrastructures aren’t available, the population there risks being frozen out of financial services. 

ii) Security and privacy concerns

There is a general concern that the incoming cashless economy will be used as a surveillance tool. Keeping in mind that all digital payments are transparent and offer a traceable paper trail, it is easy to see why a cashless economy is a potential threat to personal privacy and security. 

In China, where the central bank (PBoC) is working on digitizing the national currency, it is feared that the government will have absolute control of citizens’ economic freedom. 

Think of the numerous times big tech companies such as Facebook and Google have been found guilty of misusing users’ data. Now, imagine what an authoritarian government can do with citizens’ data sourced from a cashless economy! 

iii) The high cost of infrastructure

As mentioned earlier, a cashless economy saves banks and retailers the cost of infrastructure required to process fiat cash payments. At the same time, setting up the infrastructure to support the cashless economy isn’t cheap either. For the well-established business, the transition to a cashless economy won’t be a big deal as they can afford the required infrastructure. However, small business owners will have to bear the initial cost of investing in the new infrastructure. Although it’s a one-time investment, businesses with limited cash flow may struggle to transition to the cashless economy model. 

iv)Loss of jobs

There has always been the fear of professionals losing jobs to automated processes. Unfortunately, the case isn’t different in a cashless economy where digital payment processors will take over the role of cashiers and bank tellers. Accountants and auditors are also at risk of losing their jobs as the reconciliation of invoices and tracking of transactions will become streamlined, thus requiring less effort from these two professionals. 

Setting the stage for a cashless economy 

The cashless economy is an inevitable revolution in the world of finance. While it comes with unique benefits, it raises worrying concerns that cannot be ignored. Therefore for this economic model to work, the benefits should be balanced with the drawbacks. This will help create a viable cashless economic framework that satisfies its purpose without jeopardizing the convenience of the existing cash economy. Here are some few recommendations to achieve a viable cashless economy: 

Make cashless payments optional

Keeping in mind that cashless payments may lock the less tech-savvy population out of financial services, cash payments shouldn’t be abolished entirely. As such, the two models, cash and cashless economies, need to co-exist to ensure everyone has access to guarantee maximum financial inclusion. 

Collaboration with key stakeholders

Innovative fintech start-ups have largely promoted the growth of a cashless economy. However, there hasn’t been much collaboration between fintech companies and banks who play a crucial role in the circulation of money. Most governments have also been less involved in fintech developments. As such, the cashless economy has grown slower than the anticipated rate due to the lack of collaboration between these entities.

The challenge here is that fintech companies have failed to win users’ trust as far as data privacy is concerned. On the other hand, banks and governments have won a relatively high level of trust from the public. In this case, the three entities must work together to leverage each other’s contributions. The fintech companies have the innovations and tools to design cashless payment solutions, while the banks and governments have the public’s trust and money required to fund the solutions. 

Conclusion

As tech solutions intersect all spheres of life, it makes sense that the payment systems evolve into digital solutions. That’s why it’s exciting to learn that central banks are working to develop digital currencies in line with the incoming cashless economy. The existing digital payment model can be used as a benchmark for addressing the concerns of a cashless economy while also anticipating the innovation demands of new customers. 

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How Blockchain Technology Can Empower Influencers and Content Creators

Every advertising model in the history of marketing has experienced a plateau effect after a period of massive success. From the era of billboards, audio-visual mediums, to print media, advertising agencies have learned not to be fixated on one advertising model if indeed they want to keep up with the dynamic consumers’ behavior and connect with the target audience. This explains why digital advertising, as a new marketing strategy, has become increasingly popular among advertising agencies. By 2021, statistics show that the digital advertising budget will grow to more than $330 billion

Within the digital advertising space, influencer marketing is fast-rising as a new marketing tool. The model capitalizes on social media users with a huge following to whom they recommend products or services. Similarly, brands are also aligning themselves with digital content creators whose craft is used on social media platforms as a marketing tool. As such, hiring the right content creators and influencers is considered an effective way of reaching customers as it can shift a brand’s image from obscurity into the limelight. 

Obstacles in Influencer Marketing and Content Creation 

Despite the success of influencer marketing, various hurdles are threatening the effective operation of this advertising model. They include:

1. Fraudulent influencers

With brands expected to increase their influencer marketing budget, it’s unfortunate that not all of them will get appealing results from influencer campaigns. The poor results can be blamed on fraudulent influencers who have created bogus followings and engagements using bots. When a brand hires such an influencer, it’s likely that their marketing campaign won’t be as effective as expected. 

While there are tools to scrutinize influencer campaigns’ effectiveness, the data collected is highly questionable since influencers can manipulate the engagements and even buy fake followers. That said, there is a need for a trusted tool that can evaluate influencers’ success and validate their engagements. 

2. Unreliable settlement systems

Usually, influencers and content creators are paid a one-time fee for their craft. On the other hand, brands and marketers use this craft to earn more engagement and impressions, which translates to more sales. However, there are huge discrepancies between profits from the increased sales and the one-time fee paid to influencers and content creators. Brands end up making more money than the initial amount they pay influencers and content creators for their marketing services. Similarly, brands may also pay way too much for influencer marketing, yet fail to achieve the marketing campaigns’ desired results. 

An ideal payment system would evaluate the impressions, engagements, and successful sales from influencer marketing and compensate them accordingly. This way, influencers will be fairly paid, while brands will be assured of getting value for their marketing budget. 

3. Third-party agencies

Brands spend a significant amount of money and time when hiring an influencer or content creator to market their product. From the actual budget for paying an influencer to the amount paid to marketing agencies who outsource influencers, the cumulative cost of influencer marketing is quite high, especially for small businesses. Moreover, the platforms on which influencers use to market the products tend to take a huge chunk off the marketing budget, which in turn reduces eats into the amount paid to an influencer. 

Blockchain as a solution

Blockchain is already known as the technology driving cryptocurrencies, but its application exceeds the digital assets space. In the influencer marketing niche, this technology can be used to overcome obstacles and streamline processes in the following ways: 

1. Guarantee authenticity of influencers

Blockchain can be used as a distributed ledger to create a system that logs influencers’ data such as previous works, number of followers and engagements, and reviews. The data is recorded in real-time, which allows brands to evaluate genuine comments and engagements, thereby ascertaining an influencer’s authenticity. Moreover, the system can also verify an influencer’s followers’ identities, mitigating the fraudulent influencer menace. 

2. Efficient payment systems

To ensure that influencers are fairly compensated, a blockchain-powered payment system can be built to include marketing data such as reach, clicks, impressions, and conversions. These datasets detail the value generated from the marketing campaign, which means that an influencer will be paid based on their craft’s success. Also, Brands will be guaranteed of marketing return on investment (ROI) as it is possible to track marketing goals and pay influencers depending on whether these goals have been achieved or not. 

Additionally, the use of smart contracts in these payment systems will help avoid settlement delays experienced in the traditional payment processes. As such, influencers and content creators will no longer have to wait long before they’re paid their dues. Payments are automatically disbursed once the marketing team approves the content. 

3. Decentralize marketing

By implementing a blockchain-driven influencer marketing platform, third-parties such as marketing agencies become obsolete. Therefore, brands and businesses can interact directly with influencers and content creators without incurring outsourcing fees charged by marketing agencies. Influencers are also freed from the conventional centralized platforms, the likes of Instagram and YouTube that charge a substantial amount of money for running ads. With the monopoly of centralized platforms out of the way, micro-influencers will have an equal opportunity to showcase their craft without facing unnecessary stiff competition from macro-influencers. 

At the moment, there is little hope, if any, that blockchain-based influencer marketing tools will fulfill their promises to content creators and marketers working on influencer campaigns. This is because developers tasked with building these tools have no experience in influencer marketing; thus, they may fail to address the fundamental issues ailing the industry. Nonetheless, there are some noteworthy tools with a feasible work plan that makes them likely to succeed in offering solutions to the influencer market. These include: 

i) Steemit

Steemit is a decentralized microblogging and social media platform where users are rewarded with the native STEEM cryptocurrency for creating and curating content. Similar to Reddit, Steemit has upvotes and downvotes functions that measure the value of the content. 

ii) Boosto

Boosto takes a unique approach in empowering influencers in that it enables them to build their online stores on the Ethereum blockchain. This way, influencers, who also double up as content creators, have absolute control of their crafts and thus can choose who views it. The craft can be digitized or rather converted to digital tokens, which can be auctioned to followers. 

Boosto has also partnered with dApps developers to build sales tracking tools that monitor genuine engagements. This goes a long way into ensuring that influencers on the platform are genuine and have real followers, unlike traditional social media platforms. 

iii) Creator coin

Creator coin is a digital currency launched by Rally, a startup company committed to promoting interactions between content creators and their fans. Using this digital currency, influencers can recreate their customized cryptocurrency, which they can use to reward their followers and build engagements. For instance, an online streamer can create a cryptocoin and award it to fans who spend time watching their live streams. In turn, the fans could use the custom-branded crypto to buy virtual items from the same streamer or another one who shares the same platform. Influencers can also sell their services and products to fans who pay for them using Creative coin. 

Conclusion 

Influencer marketing, being a relatively new model of advertising, is faced with unprecedented obstacles that existing technologies have failed to address adequately. Emerging technologies, particularly blockchain, can be deployed to offer solutions that mitigate these challenges and build a virtual economy that supports the growth of content creators. As influencer marketing grows, it, therefore, becomes necessary for stakeholders to utilize blockchain technology to increase the effectiveness of this new marketing model. 

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How Blockchain Can Transform the Tourism Industry 

Since the introduction of online flight booking, the global tourism industry has grown exponentially – thanks to the convenience of making flight reservations from a mobile device. Despite the efficiency brought by such technologies, the travel industry is populated by a myriad of intermediary companies that make traveling quite a hassle. From flight companies, travel agents, tour operators, to destination management companies, all of which defeat the purpose of using travel solutions for convenience. Additionally, throughout the travel, customers’ data is exchanged numerous times, which ends up compromising their privacy, especially if the systems used aren’t secure enough. 

Just as Bitcoin was conceived as a method of bypassing financial intermediaries, its underlying technology – blockchain, can also be used in the tourism industry. The technology will enable customers to interact directly with service providers making traveling less of a hassle while also safeguarding their privacy. 

Potential use cases of blockchain in travel 

Blockchain technology is lauded for its high data security, immutability, and decentralization. These are the fundamental properties most industries seek to leverage. Here’s how the tourism industry can make use of this revolutionary technology: 

1. Decentralized booking marketplaces

Although intermediaries in the tourism industry aim to make traveling less hectic, their services make traveling expensive. For instance, online travel agencies (OTAs), despite helping customers book flights and accommodation, usually charge a service fee, which adds to the overall cost of traveling. 

With the employment of blockchain technology, a decentralized booking marketplace is created where intermediaries become obsolete. Travelers are connected directly to flight companies, hotels, and other service providers, making traveling more affordable. Moreover, without intermediaries, customers’ experience is enhanced as they can make seamless transactions with minimal delays. 

Smart contracts could serve as automated intermediaries that utilize data oracles to source a range of relevant services like traditional OTAs. Smart contracts will hold funds in escrow as remotely executable agreements and release them when and if services are properly offered. 

2. Secure payment systems

The traveling process is characterized by numerous payments right from flight booking to accommodation and everything in between. Unfortunately, customers’ privacy of their financial details isn’t guaranteed, which means they are at risk of identity theft or even losing their funds to hackers. Also, to make these payments, travelers must carry debit cards or fiat cash, which can be cumbersome, not to mention the risk of theft. 

If the tourism industry was to integrate blockchain technology into their payment model, all transactions would be done using cryptocurrencies. As such, travelers’ financial details will be secured, protecting their privacy while minimizing fraud. What’s even better is that paying using cryptocurrencies eliminates the need to carry cash or use third-party payment processors such as Visa and MasterCard. With the intermediaries out of the way, payment transactions become more affordable, especially cross-border payments. 

Since blockchain technology can create a seamless inventory tracking mechanism, it can also be used to track payments. This will ensure flights are booked to a maximum capacity only, preventing overbooking, which can ruin an airline’s publicity. 

3. Identity management

Identification services play a crucial role in the tourism industry as it helps promote security. Immigration officials are always keen when verifying travelers’ identities in compliance with national security guidelines. However, identity verifications tend to be time-consuming and repetitive, resulting in long queues at airports and hotel check-ins. 

Blockchain can transform the current identity verification process by creating an immutable database containing the necessary details of a traveler. This way, identity verification will be reduced to a simple fingerprint or iris scan instead of the traditional document verification. As a result, there will be fewer check-in times and shorter or no queues in airports, facilitating a time-efficient experience. 

Relevant authorities can also share the necessary data required for identity verification without compromising travelers’ privacy. This is enabled by blockchain’s zero-knowledge protocol that allows parties in a peer-to-peer network to verify specific data’s accuracy without revealing it to each other. 

Also, if all governments were to use blockchain in identity verification, passports would be rendered obsolete. This would, in turn, reduce verification time and unite all nations in providing digital passports for efficient traveling experience. 

4. Baggage management

It is estimated that airlines lose about two bags for every 1,000 passengers. While the odds may seem almost negligible, it’s disappointing to lose your luggage, especially if it contains essential business documents or other valuables. In most cases, baggage mishandling and loss is as a result of human error since multiple parties are involved in the handling process throughout one’s journey.

Moreover, each of the involved entities in the baggage handling process, from the airline, security personnel to ground staff, all have different baggage tracking infrastructures that operate in isolation. As such, when reconciling their databases, discrepancies may occur, resulting in loss of luggage. 

In collaboration with AI and sensor technologies, blockchain can be used to monitor and track travelers’ luggage. Also, tracking data is recorded on a distributed database that can be shared among entities responsible for handling baggage, eliminating the baggage loss menace facing the tourism industry. 

5. Customer reward system

Airlines, travel agencies, and even hotels offer customer reward systems to win new customers and incentivize loyal ones. However, there have been complaints that these programs are too restrictive and limited to a small set of rewards. 

Moving the reward system to a blockchain network means that rewards will be issued in the form of digital tokens. This enhances transparency in the way rewards are issued, which then improves customers’ trust. The tokens can be exchanged or rather redeemed for a variety of products from different providers, unlike traditional loyalty programs, where the rewards are restricted to specific rewards. Various entities within the travel industry can also collaborate in offering digital token as rewards. This way, the tokens can be exchanged easily between the entities, allowing customers to compare the relative value of schemes and rewards they offer. 

6. Transparent business rating

Before traveling to new destinations, it’s common for one to read reviews of either the hotel or airline one will be using. There are even dedicated platforms where users share their experiences and rate destinations, airlines, and accommodation hotels. Although some of the reviews may be genuine, others are outright fake and fabricated by the service providers to attract more customers. These fraudulent activities have become rampant due to increased competition among service providers. If a user’s experience is different from what they read in online reviews, it breeds mistrust and ruins the reputation of the service provider. 

The transparency offered by blockchain technology could go a long way into ensuring that online reviews are genuine, therefore, restoring consumer trust. In this case, the reviews of customers are made public in a secure blockchain platform, ensuring everyone sees and verifies its accuracy. 

7. Travel insurance

Blockchain is best suited for application in travel insurance to ensure data integrity for fair compensation of claims. For instance, say, an insured customer loses their bag and makes a claim to the insurance company. A smart contract using data oracles within a decentralized network could validate a claim and ascertain if the agreed thresholds have been met. Upon verification, the claim is automatically settled through cash deposits or refunds in delayed flights. 

Conclusion 

The travel industry is a fertile ground for blockchain technology to thrive, given the wide network of intermediaries that create a tangled web of interaction in a travelers’ journey. That said, only the established industry players can lead to the adoption of blockchain in tourism. This is because they hold the resources needed to materialize proof of concept of blockchain solutions and advocate for their use. 

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What does Blockchain technology have in store for the Insurance Industry 

The insurance industry has had a tough time trying to adapt to maturing markets, economic turbulence, and dynamic customer preferences. This has forced insurers to seek a “winning formula” that will ensure profitability and sustainable long-term growth in an industry overwhelmed by constant disruptions. Part of the ‘winning formula’ for most insurance firms is integrating newer technologies and business-model innovations into their legacy environments. 

Blockchain technology can potentially disrupt the insurance industry by improving operational efficiency and mitigating the obstacles facing the insurance sector. As such, insurers are becoming increasingly open to embracing this disruptive technology. Here is how Blockchain is being used in the insurance industry.

1. Fraud detection and claim processing

Insurance firms have for long grappled with fraudulent claims, which accounts for $80 billion in losses per year. Even after investing in anti-fraud technologies, insurers have not been successful in curbing fraud, which eventually robs them off. What’s worse is that consumers are equally affected by fraudulent claims as they are forced to pay more for insurance premiums. 

Most of the fraud cases stem from data fragmentation in the insurance industry. It’s, therefore, possible for fraudulent claims to slip through traditional anti-fraud technologies leading to losses. Besides, claims processing is mainly paper-dependent, which creates room for criminals to modify information and hence make fraudulent claims. 

Blockchain helps insurers solve the fraud problem by providing a transparent and decentralized platform on which data is recorded. In turn, this eliminates the paperwork required in claim processing, meaning that the data can’t be modified. Most importantly, the data can be shared among the involved parties, making it easy to validate a claim.

For example, in travel insurance, an airline company can share flight cancellation data with an insurance firm to ascertain that indeed the flight has been canceled. The insurers will then compensate the consumer who is insured against flight cancellation. Moreover, blockchain is tamper-proof, meaning fraudsters can’t modify the recorded data. 

2. Data management

In the insurance industry, data is essential in the formulation of more customer-based insurance policies rather than just mere products. For example, the automotive insurance sector can draw valuable insights from such data as driving time, behavioral statistics, acceleration, distance covered, and breaking patterns. With these insights, an insurance firm can develop accurate actuarial models and user-based insurance policies. 

For most insurance firms, collecting this type of data has been easy, especially with the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, the problem comes with managing the collected data and storing it in an accessible fashion. With the existing infrastructure, insurance firms store their data in centralized data centers, making them prone to breaches. Even worse, these databases work in isolation, which jeopardizes the collaboration of different departments within a firm. 

Blockchain can be used to manage the large volumes of data collected by insurance firms. Instead of expensive data centers, the technology offers a decentralized and secure network to store and process data. In turn, this promotes collaboration within a firm and even with other entities such as police departments, which also results in efficient claim processing. 

3. Streamlining reinsurance

Reinsurance is a cover for insurers. Simply put, it is when an insurance firm buys an insurance policy from another firm to protect itself against certain risks. For example, a firm can take an insurance cover from another firm to protect itself against the increased cost of claim settlements resulting from mass health epidemics or natural disasters. 

Inefficiencies plague the current model used in reinsurance. First off, the operations are manually processed and determined by a one-off contract. As such, a single contract is explicitly written to cover a  specific event. This results in a single policy being divided between numerous insurers creating data silos that take lots of time to process. Also, an insurer doesn’t just negotiate with one reinsurer but with several of them, which further complicates the whole process. Each of these involved parties uses different data infrastructure resulting in slow data exchange, making the process costly and time-consuming. 

Price Waterhouse Coopers estimates that if the reinsurance industry improves operational efficiency, then they can save up to $10 billion. The primary way to achieve this is by using a blockchain consortium network, which will allow the insurers and reinsurers to communicate and efficiently share data about policies. Besides, considering the fragmentation of a single policy, unified record-keeping in reinsurance is particularly essential. 

4. On-demand insurance

As the name suggests, This is a flexible insurance model where policyholders easily turn their insurance policies on and off. Currently, the on-demand insurance market requires humans to pass a policy from quote, underwriting, to eventually issuance, which costs significant amounts of time and money while also exposing a policy buyer to risk. 

On-demand insurance providers can trade blockchain technology for structured record-keeping from the policy’s inception to disposal. This would eliminate the clerical errors experienced in the current manual model. Built-in Smart contracts can also be deployed to initiate and terminate policies based on predetermined criteria automatically. This would mean fast policy formulation as well as quicker claim processing. 

5. Micro-insurance

Micro-insurance is a policy that covers specific risks for regular premiums. The policy is designed for low-income families and individuals who, in most cases, are unbanked. As such, insurers rely on third-parties such as banks to link them with the policy clientele base.

To make reasonable profits from micro-insurance policies, an insurer needs high volumes of policies. However, the increased distribution cost may sometimes beat the low-profit margin despite a ready market for the policy. 

Blockchain can be used to link insurers directly to the market, thereby eliminating the third-parties, thus reducing the cost of distribution. Digital tokens can be used to make insurance payments, making the policy even more affordable due to the reduced cost of transactions that come with digital assets. 

Achieving widespread adoption of blockchain technology in the insurance industry 

Like any other technology, it will take time before the insurance industry fully integrates blockchain into its systems. But, it doesn’t mean the industry can’t achieve widespread adoption of the technology. For that to happen, the following criteria must be met:

Internal proof of concept

The first step towards adoption is for insurance firms to start in-house projects experimenting with blockchain. This will help them first solve their unique problems affecting efficiency in the firm before trying to solve the challenges facing the wider insurance industry. At the same time, experimenting with blockchain allows firms to learn how blockchain works, which then opens their understanding of how this technology can be applied in the industry. 

Design customer-centric solutions

Blockchain solutions in the insurance industry should be designed with the needs of the customers in mind. Designing solutions-focused entirely on helping a firm may lock out customers since their needs are not met, or rather they are sidelined. 

Conclusion 

The need for blockchain is becoming more apparent in industries seeking to improve operational efficiencies for sustainable long-term growth. With this in mind, the insurance industry needs to embrace blockchain technology to solve the industry’s challenges and, consequently, improve customers’ experience. 

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6 Blockchain can Transform Human Resources Management 

In a world where the talent pool is in a constant influx of professionals, hiring the right person for an open position is quite overwhelming for any human resources (HR) department. Recruiters often have to go through numerous résumés, conduct interviews, and chase down references to find the right candidate for a job position. Even with the advent of career networking sites such as LinkedIn and Google jobs, finding qualified professionals is far from seamless. 

It gets even worse considering that millennials, who make up the largest percentage of the job market, are constantly changing their employers after every 2.8 years. In recent years, career paths have evolved in such a way that professionals rarely work their way up to retire as CEOs. Career ladders have become career webs fuelled by globalization, which has empowered professionals to change jobs quite often. 

Given the tedious hiring process and the detrimental consequences of hiring an ill-fitting candidate, HR departments need to upgrade their existing framework by leveraging newer technologies. Blockchain is one such technology though known for disrupting the financial industry; it has the power to transform the way HR interacts with the growing talent pool. 

Most promising Blockchain use cases in HR 

The HR departments being the storage of loads of employees data, blockchain finds various use cases in helping recruiters manage this data. These includes: 

1. Verification of employees

It is estimated that more than 60% of job seekers misrepresent themselves on their résumés. This lack of honesty has breached the trust between job seekers and HR departments, promoting the latter to rely on third-parties such as recruitment agencies who conduct background checks on potential candidates. Unfortunately, traditional verification processes used by these third parties aren’t effective and often resource-draining in terms of time and money. 

Blockchain has the power to transform employees’ verification process by creating a distributed database containing a candidate’s credentials and background data. Universities and colleges can publish an employee’s academic credentials, which are then shared with future employers. The database can also contain an employee’s previous position in another company with additional details such as performance indicators and general workplace conduct, which can be used to determine if a candidate is a good fit. 

All the data logged in this blockchain system is immutable, meaning that job seekers can’t alter nor falsify their credentials. As a result, résumés will become obsolete as recruitment agencies’ role diminishes, saving organizations time and money spent verifying employees’ data. 

2. Enhance data security

Human resources management involves dealing with voluminous data from financial transactions of an organization to sensitive employees’ data related to pay, healthcare, disciplinary records, and banking. This places HR departments at risk of data breaches in the face of rising cybercrimes. 

By implementing a blockchain-based database, HR data is secured, making it almost impossible for cybercriminals to gains access to employees’ and organizations’ records. Moreover, access to data on a blockchain network is limited and controlled, meaning that even those with access can’t arbitrarily make changes to the records. This protects organizations from both internal and external data breaches. 

Adding to its high-security standards, blockchain effectively decentralizes data as a key defense strategy against hacks. Unlike storing data in centralized silos, decentralization of data spreads across a large network of computer nodes, mitigating the risk of data being wiped in a single hacking event. 

3. Streamline payrolls and contractor payments

Most HR’s payment processing is done manually, resulting in time lags as invoices have to be reviewed. Also, banks that process an employee’s payment tend to charge extra fees cumulatively, eating into the overall salary. 

Blockchain payment systems can replace many manual processes, thereby eliminating time lags within the current payroll systems. As such, payments will be reconciled faster with less paperwork ensuring employees get their salary in time. Unlike bank transactions that charge expensive transaction fees, payment processed through blockchain systems charge almost zero transaction fees. This makes them ideal for sending cross-border payments in organizations that hire a remote workforce. 

The introduction of smart contracts can further improve blockchain payment systems by automating payouts ensuring employees are paid quickly without delays. For instance, say, a company hires a contractor and pays them on an hourly basis. Once an agreed number of work hours has been completed, the smart contracts automatically pay the contractor by executing the agreed terms of payment. 

For seamless transactions, smart contracts are linked to the company’s bank account and that of a contractor. As such, the HR department doesn’t need to regularly do a payment run since transactions are recorded in real-time, keeping track of invoices. 

4. Automate taxes and mitigate audit bottlenecks

HR is constantly grappling with evolving tax laws, which are further complicated by other factors such as bonuses, commissions, overtime pay, accumulated paid leaves, and other additional payments. Accounting for all these payments when filing taxes has proven to be daunting, given that the current systems are majorly paper-dependent making them prone to clerical errors. 

Blockchain’s ability to accurately record payment transactions can be deployed to streamline the taxation processes for HR. Therefore, it will become easier for auditors to trace all cashflows within a shorter time, freeing up organizations to concentrate on core business goals. 

Additionally, an organization’s in-house auditors can securely share the cashflow records with the relevant authorities to maintain compliance with tax laws. In the spirit of promoting transparency, all data entries in the blockchain network are protected from manipulation. So, organizations can have peace of mind knowing that they won’t get in the wrong books of the law for fraud or any other accounts manipulation crimes. 

5. Record employee attendance

Along the same line of accurate record-keeping, blockchain offers an ideal way of keeping employees’ attendance data. This is necessary in processing payments based on the number of working hours where disputes may arise in case of inaccurate data. 

ID 2020 is already using blockchain technology to store and verify biometric data such as fingerprint and iris scan. Similarly, human resources can use blockchain solutions to record employees working hours with accurate details of the exact time an employee reported and left the workplace. This data can be used to track attendance and payment systems to ensure fair compensation for wages and claims. 

6. Monitor employees’ professional life

It is possible to record the entire professional life of an employee in a blockchain network. Right from internship to various roles, an employee was assigned, including promotions, which all form a clear picture of the nature of an employee, thus taking subjectivity out of the hiring process. 

Additional data like whether an employee was promoted or the reason they were fired/left a company can also be recorded to help document their successes and failures. This way, employees will be encouraged to embrace their failures and learn from them rather than acting oblivious to them. Most importantly, the data will help companies make better decisions and allow strong performers to rise to the top. Additionally, an employee’s professional data can be shared among employees for efficient referencing. 

Conclusion

Embracing blockchain in human resources management goes beyond streamlining an organization’s operations. Employees are the ones set to benefit immensely from the adoption of blockchain in HR, as it means an organization has the best interest of its workers at heart. This is evident from timely and fair payments, meritocratic hiring process, and other benefits of HR blockchain solutions. Therefore, it important for all organizations to consider experimenting with blockchain to promote a good relationship with their workforce.

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OneCoin Scam – What Should You Know?

Introduction

OneCoin was promoted as a blockchain-based cryptocurrency through an offshore company OneCoin Ltd. registered in Dubai and founded by Ruja Ignatova, a Bulgarian national. According to the claims made by the company, OneCoin is a cryptocurrency that works like any other digital currency system whose coins can be made through a mining process, and the coins can be used for making payments anywhere in the world.

But there is no specific clarity of the working blockchain model of OneCoin. OneCoin is also known for selling educational materials and courses for cryptocurrencies, investments, trading, and other subjects related to financial analysis. However, OneCoin has been labelled as a global Ponzi Scheme and the biggest cryptocurrency scam ever. Let’s navigate the details.

What is a Ponzi Scheme?

A Ponzi scheme is a type of financial fraud or investment scam where the investors are promised high rates of returns and profits with minimum risk. The scheme traps the investors into a false belief that the returns are generating from the sales of a product or any other means; however, they remain unaware of the fact that the source of funds is other investors. The returns for the early investors are generated by collecting the funds from the new investors. 

OneCoin: A Cryptocurrency Scam

OneCoin is an international Ponzi scheme and was created as a fake online cryptocurrency by its founders to deceive the investors. The company used the terminologies of real digital currencies to reflect a genuine and authentic impression of its business model. The target audience of OneCoin included all those people who were not aware of the cryptocurrency and technology mechanism. Even the education material and packages sold were plagiarized. 

The worst part of the entire scam is the company never had a blockchain, to begin with. The concept of ‘mining’ was fake, and the new miners were told to wait for at least three to six months before their currency can be mined. The transactions were observed without the use of blockchain technology. It was believed that they were using a centralized database to run OneCoin. Eventually, the company also revealed that the SQL database that was put into use was not capable of operating a blockchain.

OneCoin had an organizational structure similar to a pyramid scheme where everybody was actually paying to the individual above. So, there were two sections of the company. The first section was OneCoin itself responsible for marketing and spreading the platform.

In contrast, the other section of the company was composed of affiliates who were bringing in people for earning a commission. Local promoters would organize meetups to spread OneCoin, and even the webinars were also hosted. They had gathered maximum growth in Asia, particularly China, and that’s why the country was hit the hardest. OneCoin was successful in running a $2 billion cryptocurrency pyramid scheme in China. 

Conclusion

The founders of OneCoin and many other associated executives were formally charged, and the US Authorities had declared OneCoin to be a fraud. It is crucial for us to know the basics and fundamental concepts of crypto and blockchain to avoid getting affected by such scams. We should be able to identify the scams by analyzing and understanding the platforms properly before investing our money. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

What’s Yield Farming?

The newest and hottest DeFi trend in town is ‘yield farming.’ And no, it has nothing to do with rain and crops and granaries. Instead, ‘DeFiers’, or DeFi fans, have latched onto the metaphor to describe interest or ‘yield’ that’s achieved when they put to use crypto assets such as Dai, USDC, and USDT into DeFi platforms such as Compound. 

The DeFi scene had already exploded in 2020 before yield farming became the next big thing. But in June, things went notches higher after DeFi platform Compound started distributing its governance token, COMP, just this June. In other words, Compound started rewarding users with the COMP token. The platform has taken on a near-celebrity credential in the DeFi world, thanks to the distribution. Hordes of investors and traders have flocked to the network to “farm” COMP. 

So, how does yield farming work? Let’s demystify this trend as we explore any risks that you need to look out for. 

How Yield Farming Works

At its core, yield farming, a.ka liquidity harvesting, is when you lend cryptocurrency, such as USDC or Tether, using a platform such as Compound. Compound will, in return, lend the funds to borrowers who want to use them for speculating in the market. Interest rates will vary with market movements as well as demand. However, just by participating in the Compound platform, you start to earn COMP tokens and interest. Other miscellaneous fees may also make part of the final equation. If the COMP tokens increase in value, your returns will also see a massive jump. 

What kind of cryptocurrencies are involved? 

Currently, Compound, only launched in June, is the biggest such service. Other major coins include Balancer, Ren, Curve, and Synthetix. Synthetix is the one that came up with the idea. As we speak, these projects have $1 billion in user funds locked up for lending. Most of the users are speculators seeking to earn triple-digit returns.

What are the Risks? 

Well, for one, theft. The crypto scams and frauds you hear about are not far off just because this is a new type of investment. Remember, the funds you lend out are stored in software. And hackers always seem to have a knack of discovering new ways of compromising even the most seemingly foolproof code and stealing funds. 

There’s also the risk of deposited coins losing value – a phenomenon that could cause the entire system to crash and burn. Moreover, there’s the whale effect. This is when investors with significant holdings go short, a move that could potentially shake the market. 

On the whale point, still, there’s concern that they could manipulate prices. If a whale lends to a platform like Compound and then borrows the money back, it effectively creates artificial demand for the currency, creating inflation. Traders with modest holdings need to know that yield farming “has become a game for whales who are capturing the vast majority of rewards,” as pointed out by crypto research firm Messari. 

Why is Yield Farming Suddenly Hot? 

The reason is twofold. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, cryptocurrencies, generally viewed as independent of system controls, have witnessed a surge of interest as Fiat currencies experience volatility due to overall economic uncertainties. There’s also the fact that these yield-harvesting products only just recently debuted, and are backed by high-profile entities like Andreessen Horowitz and Polychain. 

What’s the Future of Yield Farming?

Jesse Walden, the founder of venture fund Variant, has said that while yield farming can promote growth for the sector right now, for it to succeed in the long-term, users have to have a reason to continue staying in the platforms. 

“Yield hacking in DeFi is a short-term incentive to drive user growth, but the bigger game is the long-term wealth creation that comes from building (and owning!) a piece of the products and services that billions of people will use every day.” 

Yield Farming Tips

Here’s how the most successful yield farmers are getting, well, profitable harvests. 

A DeFi investor by the name Degen Spartan says the strategy of investing stablecoins in the sUSD Curve pool and depositing  LinkPool tokens on the Synthetix forum has yielded him an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 20%  since he started investing this way in 2019. Spartan thinks that the increased investor interest in COMP  has allowed the less explored investing strategies to thrive, increasing the overall yield in the DeFi space.

CoinFund founder and managing director Jake Brukhman believes there’s a lot of potential in the niche. He says he has witnessed APYs of anything from a few points to several hundred points, but that this hinges a lot on what assets you hold and your risk tolerance. Brukhman believes this success is a result of either the overzealousness of these protocols (some are offering capital at incredibly low rates) or inefficiencies in their systems (still a young niche). 

Another investor going by the name SNX Professor recommends monitoring your trades daily, and only switch between lending protocols only when it makes sense. This is because yield farming, like any type of investment, takes time. Remember, you’ve invested in things such as transaction and slippage fees. As such, it’s better to wait it out in one platform until your investment can truly yield results. 

And lastly, 1kx founding partner Lasse Clausen believes investing in these up and coming protocols is way more promising than investing in platforms that are already highly valued.

Closing ThoughtsYield farming is disrupting the DeFi scene and capturing the attention of investors and traders. For fear of missing out (FOMO), it’s easy to jump in the bandwagon rather blindly. However, this new type of crypto investing might be flashy and promising, but that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind. Take highly measured steps and don’t put in more money than you’re willing to lose. 

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

Best Security Token Issuance Platforms 

Thanks to blockchain, asset tokenization is now a possibility. This is the process of converting the ownership rights of real-world assets into digital rights on the blockchain. Assets are tokenized to improve their market liquidity, and also to open up your asset to a global market through the power of blockchain. 

Several tokenization platforms are scrambling for the spotlight in a bid to become the go-to place for tokenizing assets. Let’s look at some that are hacking the game right now. 

#1. Securrency 

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in the US, Securrency is a one-stop token issuance platform. It supports token issuing, post-issuance support, and the interoperability of tokens across several blockchain networks.

The platform also came up with the CAT-20 and CAT-721 token standards. Tokens created with this standard can be transferred across blockchain networks (including Stellar, EOS, and Ethereum) and legacy financial systems. This interoperability with several blockchain platforms gives it an edge over other platforms that are only compatible with Ethereum. 

Securrency has also embedded customer management applications that customers can utilize to manage investors and token buyers without having to rely on external applications. 

The platform has entered into partnerships with fintech companies SharesPost, AX Trading, Entoro, Vertalo, OpenFinance, and SeriesOne.

#2. Securitize

Securitize is a token issuance platform founded in 2017 and based in Tel Aviv. The company raised $12.75 million from Blockchain Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Xpring (Ripple), NXTP, and Global Brain Corporation. Securitize has also partnered with fintech companies Tzero, Blocktrade, OpenFinance, Airswap, ShareSpost, Hyperion, and Bnk to the Future. The platform offers the tokenization of equity, funds, and real estate, and plans to add debt in the future. 

The company created the DS Protocol, which generates “DS tokens” that can run on top of the ERC-20 token standard. This means the tokens are only compatible with Ethereum. There’s no mention of compatibility with other blockchain networks. 

Securitize tokens can be traded on crypto exchanges as well as be hosted on clientele systems. The platform has a record registry that supports KYC details, a regulations compliance layer, and a communication protocol that notifies investors of industry trends.

Some of Securitize’s clients have been Blockchain Capital, SpiceVC, Augmate, 22x Fund, and Science Blockchain. 

#3. TokenSoft 

TokenSoft is another trusted token issuance platform that features a ton of functionalities. It’s been funded by investors such as eVentures, Base10, Coinbase Ventures, and Fidelity Ventures. The company has partnered with several other platforms, both in blockchain and fintech, such as OpenFinance, Stellar, Hyperledger, R3 Corda, and Tierion, to enhance its service delivery capabilities to customers. 

Services offered include token issuance and distribution, payment of dividends, trading of issued tokens, post-token issuance support, and digital asset custody solutions. 

TokenSoft developed the ERC-104 standard that enables token issuers to manage investor whitelists and investor limits, and issue tokens globally. Some of the clients that have used TokenSoft for token issuance include Andra Capital, Hedera Hashgraph, and the Tezos Foundation. 

#5. Polymath 

Polymath is a security token issuance platform based out of Toronto and founded in 2017. The platform has partnered with various industry players in finance, legal, custody, and escrow such as SelfKey, IdentityMind, OpenFinance, Pegasus Fintech, Vertalo, Blocktrade, Prime Trust, Monarch Wallet, Netcoins, Genesis Block, Tokenizo, Athena Blockchain, Blocktrade, Prime Trust, Glyph, Cassels Brock, Aird & Berlis, and Messner Reeves LLP to provide the highest level of customer experience to users. 

Polymath features a token marketplace, a token studio for token creation and issuance, and token compatibility with the Ethereum network. On the Polymath Token Studio, token issuers can customize and launch their own security token offering (STOs), and still be able to select a Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) service provider of their choice.

Examples of companies that have issued security tokens via Polymath include Corl, 7PASS, MintHealth, IPwe, and BlockEstate. 

#6. Harbor 

Founded in 2017, Harbor is a tokenization platform based in San Francisco. The company is led by individuals with a ton of experience, including former PayPal COO David Sacks, who is also the founder of Yammer, Craft Ventures, and Zenefits. The company managed to raise over $38 million from VC firms Founders Fund, Pantera Capital, Fifth Wall, Kindred Spirits, Andreessen Horowitz, Valor Capital Ventures, Future Perfect, and more. 

Through integration with BitGo, Harbor facilitates investor onboarding through KYC/AML procedures, accreditation, tax forms, e.t.c. 

Harbor supports an ERC-20 token known as R-Token that ensures supported ERC-20 wallets or exchanges are compatible with the necessary requirements for trading. It also uses an Oracle feature to act as the go-between for peer-to-peer token transfers and exchanges.

#7. Swarm 

Swarm is an ”open infrastructure for digital securities.” The company has partnered with several companies such as OpenFinance, Maker, Tron, Security Token Network, Jaxx, Mercury, Copper, MVP Workshop, Monarch, Standard Consensus, Glyph, Blockpass and STOCheck to avail the best services to clients and other platform users. 

It uses the SEC20 protocol that facilitates the creation and issuance of security tokens. Swarm allows users to tokenize all manner of assets, including real estate, renewable energy, agriculture, tech companies, cryptocurrency hedge funds, and so on. Swarm makes it easy to manage, transfer, and trade tokens. 

Other supported functions include STO fundraising and post-issuance and support such as token redemption and the issuing of dividends to clients. Swarm features the Market Access Protocol (MAP), a protocol that supports token interoperability between various players, including issuers, investors, exchanges, and qualification providers. 

Swarm allows users to purchase security tokens with either of several supported cryptocurrencies, which include a native token called Swarm (SWM), BTC, ETH, BNB, DAI, MKR, XLM, XRP, TRX, ADA and DASH. 

#8. Tokeny

Tokeny is a Europe-based tokenization platform founded in 2017. The company serves over 180 jurisdictions and has had $27 billion worth of assets tokenized so far. 

Tokeny allows for the issuance, management, and transfer of tokens. Properties such as individual, company and government assets, business equity, investment funds, and even goods and services can all be tokenized on the platform. 

The platform features a cloud-based T-REX (Tokens for Regulated Exchanges) that allows investors to manage securitized assets such as by paying and receiving dividends and carrying out audits. T-REX also offers interoperability with crypto wallets, exchanges, and identity providers. It also allows clients to issue and transfer assets globally. 

Some of Tokeny’s past clients include Black Manta, Property Token, Lition, Bakari, Mash, Vivo Play, Key Pasco, Neovate, Block Port, and b40Lux. 

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Crypto Daily Topic Crypto Guides

Here’s What You Need To Know About ChainLink Cryptocurrency

Introduction

Blockchain has revolutionized the digital industry with its amazing benefits. It has secured the payment methods and has provided people with a brand-new way to trade digitally. There are plenty of crypto platforms that are working on blockchain right now. ChainLink is one such decentralized network that offers real-world data to smart contracts. Link is the cryptocurrency or the digital token of the ChainLink platform, which you can use to pay for the services they offer.

What’s The Issue With Smart Contracts?

Smart contracts are indeed an integral part of the blockchain system, which are basically agreements to evaluate the information entered and execute the conditions. These Smart contracts help in establishing a sense of trust among the traders. The only limitation that smart contracts have right now is the ability to connect with blockchain in a language that both can easily understand. If that limitation has been addressed, the use of smart contracts can be widely enhanced.

Oracle As The Much Needed Solution

Oracle is the ideal solution to all these problems. It is basically a middle software that works as a translator for converting data from the real world to smart contracts and vice versa. Oracles are the recent additions into the blockchain and crypto ecosystem with an aim to bring together off-chain data and on-chain smart contracts. However, there is a loophole that makes oracles less efficient. Centralized oracles will decrease the efficiency of on-chain smart contracts due to the faulty and untrustworthy nature.

How ChainLink Makes a Difference?

ChainLink emerges as a savior in the situation. It is a decentralized oracle network that sources data and information off blockchain and transfers it to blockchain smart contracts. The primary purpose of ChainLink is to minimize the reliability issue with oracles. In a nutshell, ChainLink has found a reliable way to take the information from and for the blockchain in the safest manner.

How Does It Work To Provide More Security?

The ChainLink works by providing data to the purchase in return of the data in a secure way. Purchasers have to select the data, and the providers have to bid on that data. Providers will make a stake of LINK tokens during the bid.

With a view to improving the oracles and data security, ChainLink bought a startup, i.e., TownCrier. The technology of TownCrier helped ChainLink to enhance security with a trusted execution environment.

The Bottom Line

Blockchains are a popular way of securing digital transactions because it uses cryptography to establish security and trust. It is important to understand that each set of blockchain is a universe that needs to be explored. The information transfer in and out of the blockchain can make it vulnerable. To restrict the blockchain from compromising, ChainLink entered the crypto ecosystem as a decentralized oracle network.

Bridging the gap between real-world data and on-chain smart contracts, ChainLink was able to address the pain point. It acts as the middleware between off-chain data and an on-chain smart contract. Today, ChainLink is the most successful and powerful blockchain network that still has the potential to outgrow itself.

Categories
Crypto Daily Topic Cryptocurrencies

A Guide to DeFi Investing

DeFi. The newest buzzword in blockchain and crypto. What is it, and why should you pay attention? You should because it’s an exciting new way to interact with and make money out of crypto if you play your cards right. 

The crypto world has been taken by DeFi because it represents a bold new departure from the world of centralized finance. It also has perks, like instantaneous transactions and anonymity. Bain Capital Ventures partner Salil Deshpande believes DeFi has caught on fire because people have in them “a libertarian streak.” 

But what does DeFi investing entail and what should you know before you join the bandwagon? 

What Does it Mean to Invest in DeFi?

Still an entirely new field, many people may be at a loss at what it actually means to invest in DeFi. You probably hear terms like ‘staking’ and ‘decentralized lending’ being thrown around, or wonder what type cryptocurrencies make the rounds in the world of DeFi. If that’s you, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll cover the basics of investing in DeFi and then examine the do’s and don’t’s of the same. Remember DeFi is based on crypto, and so the inherent risks haven’t gone anywhere. 

DeFi Investment Opportunities

Now, investment in DeFi isn’t a lot different from traditional investment, but a few unique aspects make it stand out. 

For instance, traditional lending involves the lender giving money to the borrower – with them (the borrower) making the promise to return the money with interest.  

This is how decentralized lending works as well, except this time, blockchain-based smart contracts lock in collateral from the borrower and automatically delivers interest to the lender periodically according to the terms of the contract. 

Then there’s staking. In traditional finance, individuals usually deposit money to institutions such as banks and credit unions and these institutions use this money to maintain liquidity and sufficient cash reserves. In DeFi, this process of buying and depositing digital assets into a platform’s account is known as staking. Such platforms need the funds to lend out to other users (borrowers), and to help maintain and secure the network.

The Do’s of Depositing in DeFi

DeFi Investing can be incredibly lucrative, but you can also potentially lose everything especially if you go in blindly. Here’s what you should definitely do before putting your money up.

#1. Do Your Own Research (DYOR)

The decentralized finance world is rife with scams and frauds. Scammers usually take advantage of the novelty of the tech to rip off unsuspecting investors. But that doesn’t mean there’s no way you can identify a scam. 

The quickest way to do so is to type the name of the project on Google along with the word ‘scam.’ The reason for this? If the project is a scam, chances are other people have already pointed that out. Whether it’s on cryptocurrency forums, Reddit, Twitter, or even Quora, it’s most likely certain the thought has been floated. And often in crypto, if it walks like a duck…

Also, DeFi protocols are based on open-source code. That means anyone can check ‘under the hood’ and identify anything that’s off. If you’re a programmer who’s familiar with smart contracts, then you can definitely examine the assemblage of what’s underneath. 

#2. Look at Reviews 

This is another way to establish the credibility of a DeFi project, and it involves looking at what other people are saying. This starts by looking at audit reports. Any DeFi project worth its salt will invite industry auditors such as ChainSecurity, Quantstamp, Trail of Bits OpenZeppelin, e.t.c. to conduct a manual audit of the project. 

The next thing to check out is what everyone else is saying, including the developers themselves, on their website and other forums. Look at the project’s social media handles and see the comments on posts. And if a project is lacking a social media presence, that right there is a big flashing red sign. 

Other helpful places to look at websites that cover the world of DeFi: DeFi Prime, DeFi Pulse, and DeFi Market Cap. These websites can provide valuable insight into a project’s cred. The key here is to rely more on independent sources, rather than on info touted by the project’s team. 

#3. Check Etherscan

EtherScan is a blockchain explorer that allows you to explore Ethereum blockchain and ‘scan’ for transactions, prices, tokens, and pretty much all activity happening on Ethereum. Remember that just because a smart contract/token is verified by Etherscan doesn’t mean it has no vulnerabilities or is not a scam. It means that the contract is available for public evaluation and is not in danger of being dishonestly altered. In other words, the code that you see (and have examined) is the code that you get when using the smart contract. 

Besides, Etherscan has recently implemented Every Transaction Hash Protect (ETHProtect), a service through which users can report any suspicious or fraudulent activity on Ethereum. Through ETHProtect, it’s easier for users to recognize tainted incoming funds, and the system can usually trace such funds to the origin. Usually, tainted funds would originate from phishing, hacks, scams, exploits and suspicions, and fraudulent activities. 

Such reports will be analyzed by the in-built Taint Inference Analysis Engine, and if confirmed to be indeed fraudulent, the address page will receive a flashing ‘Red Shield’ icon that allows users to avoid the sources of such funds. 

If you start coming across tainted addresses when investigating a smart contract, then you know there’s a problem. As such, avoid going to the project’s website or interacting with their products. 

#4. Look out For Fakes 

The majority of DeFi tokens use Ethereum-based tokens to carry out their operations. However, an unsuspecting newcomer might not be able to check the difference between a legit token and a fake one. Scammers will usually create a project with a genuine-sounding name such as DeFi token or DeFi coin. A name like that would likely raise eyebrows in an experienced investor, since ‘DeFi’ is a general word, and it’s unlikely for any project to brand themselves as such. But what would a newcomer know? 

A few simple steps may be all it takes to establish whether it’s a legit thing or not. Search the project on GitHub and see whether there are any meaningful discussions surrounding the project. Also, where do the project’s links lead to? If it’s a dead link, then that should have you scurrying in the opposite direction. Another way to tell a token’s standing is to check the kind of exchanges it’s listed on. If a token is listed on a few nondescript exchanges, that’s a red alert. Also, fake tokens will usually be listed on decentralized exchanges because there’s no regulation going on there. Stay on the lookout for these kinds of things. 

The Don’t’s

Now that we have examined what you should definitely do, let’s take a look at what you shouldn’t. 

#1. Don’t Invest Money that You Can’t Afford to Lose

This is the number one commandment of crypto and DeFi investing. The ‘why’ is obvious: crypto markets are highly volatile. You can gain or lose massively within an hour. The hype and allure surrounding DeFi protocols can trick you into thinking it’s all rains of cash, rainbows, and unicorns. 

This isn’t to scare you off from investing in DeFi. DeFi can be a great way to multiply your portfolio and secure your financial future. But you need to proceed with caution, that’s all. 

#2. Don’t Be Careless

Decentralized finance is all about being your own bank. This has several implications. One of these? The security and safety of your funds are solely on you. And since you are in total control of your assets, you need to protect them every way you can. 

This starts with choosing the wallet carefully where to store your funds. Choose a reputable wallet. Reputable wallets are those with good reviews on crypto and social forums. Also, check what reputable review sites (even YouTube videos) have said about the wallet. 

It also helps to know the types of wallets. There are two main types of wallets: software and hardware wallets. Software wallets are exclusively based online. Due to this, they are highly susceptible to online vulnerabilities such as hacking, phishing, social engineering, and malware. Hardware wallets are offline-based and constitute what’s known as cold storage. Without question, hardware wallets are safer since they can’t be hacked. Some great options include KeepKey, Ledger Nano, and Trezor. 

Also, where you buy your wallet matters. Always buy your wallet directly from the manufacturer’s web page. Wallets listed on online stores such as Amazon could very likely be fake. 

Final Thoughts

So, there. Welcome to the exciting world of DeFi. Following these guidelines could make the difference between you profiting from the field, as it should be, and you falling for a scam. Always do your due diligence before you put your money somewhere. Good luck! 

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Crypto Daily Topic

Why the United States Senate is Mulling over Digitizing the Dollar

About two years ago, the concept of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), particularly in the United States, seemed far away in the future. Sure, there have been several studies exploring the implementation and use cases of CBDCs, but to the average person, the concept was still unclear. Fast forward two years, the Senate Banking Committee tabled a bill known as “Banking For all Act” that seeks to digitize the U.S.U.S. dollar. 

Led by Senator Sherrod Brown, the bill came at the height of a global pandemic – the Coronavirus outbreak – which has prompted the U.S.U.S. government to offer taxpayers a stimulus check to help them weather the economic recession caused by the epidemic. In a press release, Senator Brown laid out the details of this bill by saying that if implemented, the legislation would allow Americans to access their stimulus funds without relying on expensive check cashers. Unfortunately, the proposed legislation didn’t make the final draft of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As a result, the distribution of the first $1200 stimulus check was riddled with issuance glitches since the existing infrastructure doesn’t support the nationwide disbursement of funds. In fact, it is reported that more than 35 million Americans are yet to receive their first stimulus check. 

The digital dollar debate Gets a second chance.

Under the current system, Americans have to wait for direct cash deposits or physical checks from the U.S. Treasury Department. As such, those without a bank account filed with the Internet Revenue Service (IRS) cannot receive the stimulus check. At the same time, with respect to the spread of Coronavirus, physical cash/checks can increase the spread of the disease, countering the government’s efforts of flattening the curve. This created a new momentum for the reintroduction of the digital dollar proposal as an efficient way of distributing funds. 

Building on this momentum, congresswomen Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced a proposal to have the federal government issue a $2,000 stimulus check through the Automatic BOOST to Communities Act (ABC Act). Under this act, Congress will authorize the Federal Reserve to create ‘FedsAccounts,’ which are, basically, digital dollar account wallets. This way, U.S. residents and businesses will be able to access funds through an app on their phone. 

Following up on ABC Act, the Senate Banking Committee recently held a virtual meeting to discuss the digitization of the dollar, chaired by Senator Mike Crapo. In attendance were four ‘witnesses,’ among them being the former chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Christopher Giancarlo. He is also the brainchild of a non-profit think tank known as the Digital Dollar Foundation (DDF), which seeks to advance the cause of government-issued digital currency. Recently, the foundation partnered with Accenture – a global leader in CBDC advancement – to form the Digital Dollar Project. Under this merger, a whitepaper was released explaining a “Champion Model” for what should be the essential technical designs of a digital dollar. 

The Champion Model 

As outlined in the whitepaper, the digital dollar doesn’t seek to replace its fiat counterpart, but rather act as a third form of the national currency. As such, the Federal Reserve will maintain its control over the monetary policy and distribution of the digital dollar. 

The only difference between the proposed digital dollar and the fiat currency is that the former will be distributed in the form of tokens instead of an account-based model used by the latter. Through tokenization, all transactions will be managed by a digital ledger that records and authenticates digital dollar tokens to ensure that they are genuine and not double spent. 

To kick-start, the distribution of the digital dollar, commercial banks, and payment processors will exchange their fiat currency reserves for digital dollars, and subsequently distribute them to customers via apps or debit cards. 

Pros and cons of a digital dollar 

The main advantage of a federal issued digital dollar is that it will enhance financial inclusion. This is especially important with the ongoing issuance of stimulus checks whereby the unbanked population missed out on the first disbursement due to a lack of access to financial services. Even for the banked population, the current payment processors are inherently slow and costly to send money. However, the blockchain architecture supporting the digital dollar can facilitate efficient transactions at a more affordable rate than the existing infrastructure. 

Besides the advantages, there are various concerns about the use of tokenized dollars. Most of these concerns are centered around the privacy and centralization of users’ data. The CBDC will be issued by the Federal Reserve, meaning that the government will gain absolute control of users’ financial data. Also, with the government’s reputation for running mass surveillance programs, the incoming digital dollar may be a new system of monitoring the masses. 

Beyond payments

The digital dollar proposal is yet to get a green light from Congress. But, having sparked the attention of legislators, it conveys an overwhelming sense of urgency that the government should work on a CBDC sooner than later. Moreover, the Digital Dollar Project whitepaper emphasizes the need for digitizing the dollar by laying out that other national governments have already started pilot programs for their native CBDC. 

China, in particular, is testing its native digital currency, which will be included in payment systems of various multinational companies such as Starbucks and McDonald. Of particular concern is China’s potential to push its digital Yuan in emerging markets and international trade. If successful, the digital Yuan has the potential to unseat the U.S. dollar as the ideal reserve currency. 

Facebook’s plan to launch its digital currency – Libra – has also had a hand in spiking the government’s interest in designing a digital dollar. Even more recently, the Libra association modified its whitepaper to include a series of fiat-pegged stablecoins rather than just one multi-currency backed token as initially planned. 

Conclusion 

It remains unclear how soon the digital dollar will come into existence. However, given the economic pressure from the Coronavirus outbreak as well as competition from China’s digital Yuan, the digital dollar debate will continue to linger in the minds of policymakers for long. Ultimately, it is great to see legislative attention on digitizing the dollar using blockchain technology, as this promotes the acceptance of cryptocurrencies. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

Gold Vs Bitcoin: Which one is a Better Long-term Investment?

The most striking difference between gold and Bitcoin is that the former is a tangible asset. At the same time, the latter is an intangible digital asset that is created by computers crunching complex equations. From an investment perspective, gold is regarded as a ‘safe haven’ asset given its long history as an alternative investment for hedging against stock market volatility. Also, the increasing ownership of gold by central banks and governments further validates its ‘safe haven’ status as a reliable store of value. 

Bitcoin, on the other hand, is a new entry into the asset market. It made headlines in 2017 when it traded at an all-time high price of $20,000. Since then, it’s the market price has been swinging violently, which explains why it’s considered a speculative investment. Although Bitcoin’s outsized volatility usually scares off investors, it has contributed to the increase in the value of the digital asset in the long haul. 

That said, in a digital economy, hoarding piles of gold bars as a store of value can be overly cumbersome. As such, many investors are concerned about their long-term wealth and are mulling over investing in Bitcoin – a virtual currency whose future looks promising in the era of the digital economy. 

Fundamental differences between Gold and Bitcoin 

Besides the physical-digital difference, other key distinguishing features need to be examined before investing in either gold or Bitcoin. These include: 

i) Supply and demand

As with most assets, the value of gold and Bitcoin is tied to their supply and demand. The higher the supply, the lower the demand, leading to lower market prices/value. 

For starters, it’s hard to know the exact supply of all the gold in the world. However, if one were to draw a graphical representation of gold’s supply, one would notice a gradual increase in gold’s market supply over the years. With this in mind, we can deduce that gold’s price will decline at some point due to low demand. Also, owing to its unknown supply, the price of gold is prone to sneaky inflations. With Bitcoin, it’s a different case. 

A well-known characteristic of Bitcoin is that its supply is capped at a known value – 21 million Bitcoins. So far, there are about 17 million Bitcoins in the market. This is to say that its supply will decrease over time, driving up its demand. Consequently, Bitcoin’s price will increase. Also, a fixed supply means that Bitcoin can’t bend to inflationary pressures associated with overproduction. Additionally, as modern commerce becomes more digitized, Bitcoin users will increase in equal measure, further increasing its value.

ii) Liquidity

When investing in an asset for the long-term, it implies that you won’t liquidate it anytime soon. However, it would be best if you considered the asset’s market liquidity. This is especially true when you need to raise a high amount of cash, and the only way is to sell part of your entire investment. 

For gold, it’s easy to exchange it for fiat cash by selling it to a local buyer. How fast and easy you exchange it depends on the amount of gold you have. Liquidating a few gold bars/jewelry is easier compared to liquidating a sizeable amount of gold, not to mention the risk of theft.  

Bitcoin, on the other hand, has a relatively high liquid market, making it easier to exchange any amount of Bitcoin for cash. The high liquidity is due to an increased number of exchanges with high trading volumes, in addition to other intermediary solutions such as Bitcoin ATMs and stablecoins. What’s better, Bitcoin can be liquidated in smaller amounts, of up to 8th decimal place, making it easy to liquidate just the right amount. Unfortunately, gold isn’t divisible into smaller amounts as those of Bitcoin’s magnitude. 

iii) Reliability

Suppose there’s one area that gold triumphs over Bitcoin, is in reliability. For more 2,000+ years, gold was used as a medium of exchange. Even after the advent of money, it has managed to maintain a relatively stable value.

At one point in the long history of gold, the US government, under President Franklin Roosevelt, implemented measures to prohibit and criminalize the possession of gold. Even though the gold prices plunged following these drastic measures, trading and possession of gold increased significantly in subsequent years. If the same crackdown were placed on Bitcoin usage, it would put the digital currency at the end of the bench. Even worse, a change in consumer preferences or the advent of a new technological disruption has the potential to stunt the growth of Bitcoin ultimately. As such, gold being a natural resource will consistently hold its value for more years compared to Bitcoin, which is a dynamic human-made system. 

Additionally, gold investment has proper regulation, while investment in Bitcoin is not regulated. This gives gold added legitimacy making it a preferred investment option. 

iv) Utility 

Gold has several uses besides being a store of value. It can be used on luxury items like jewelry and even in electronic devices where it acts as a conductor. In some cases, gold coins are also used in place of fiat cash. Due to these real-world use cases, it has a more readily available market, which adds to its liquidity. 

Bitcoin, having been in the market for just 11 years, is making quite plausible efforts to gain real-world use cases besides its position as a speculative investment. Infrastructures such as Merklized Abstract Syntax Trees ( MASTs), Taproot, and Schnoor signatures are pushing Bitcoin in the direction of real-world functionality in which it’ll contribute to the development of smart contracts. Moreover, it is anticipated that as Bitcoin usage increases in the incoming digital economy, its demand will rise relative to its mathematically metered supply. This will increase Bitcoin’s price and liquidity. 

Conclusion: which one is Better? 

Gold has been around for quite a long time and doesn’t show any clear sign of fading away from the market anytime soon. Its value will likely increase as various governments use it as a monetary reserve. The same can’t be said about Bitcoin since it’s still in its infancy stages. As we approach the digital economy, Bitcoin investors are bound to reap hugely. So, asking whether Bitcoin is a better long-term investment compared to gold isn’t entirely appropriate, as it is possible that the two can, and will, exist as complementary assets. As such, both Bitcoin and gold can fit in an investor’s long-term portfolio for diversification purposes. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

 Who is Vitalik Buterin?

The name Vitalik Buterin is perhaps the most recognized in the blockchain and cryptocurrency world, after Bitcoin’s pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. Buterin, 26, is one of the people who has made groundbreaking contributions to this space. He pretty much changed the face of cryptocurrency and blockchain by introducing Ethereum – a tour de force that unleashed the true power of blockchain. 

Countless revolutionary projects now run on top of Ethereum, ranging from identity to entertainment to cryptocurrency wallets to crowdfunding. Vitalik first described Ethereum  in November 2013, calling it “a culmination of months of thought and often frustrating work into…” cryptocurrency 2.0″ – in short, using the Bitcoin blockchain for more than just money.” 

So, what’s the story of Buterin? Let’s explore his journey through childhood, through Ethereum’s creation, and now. 

A Background

Vitalik Buterin is known to the tech world as the crypto wunderkind who created the blockbuster blockchain and cryptocurrency project Ethereum at only 21 years old. A Russian-Canadian programmer, Vitalik has been active in the Bitcoin and crypto community since 2011. His involvement began as a writer for Bitcoin Magazine, which he co-founded. 

At the time of writing, Vitalik’s Ethereum is the world’s second most successful and recognized cryptocurrency after Bitcoin. It has a market cap of 35.6 billion – which makes up more than 90% of the altcoin market. 

Vitalik’s Early Life

Vitalik was born on Jan 31, 1994, in the small town of Kolomna, Russia. He lived in Russia until age 6 when his parents moved to Canada in search of better work opportunities. By the time he was in third grade, his teachers had noticed that he possessed some remarkable talents. He was then quickly moved to the program of gifted kids. 

Once in the program, Vitalik began to realize that his particular sets of talents made him a bit of an oddity among his peers. These talents included a natural predisposition for math and programming, an early interest in economics, and the uncanny ability to add three-digit numbers in his head twice as fast as the average person. 

As he told Wired, “I remember knowing, for a while, for a long time, that I was kind of abnormal in some sense,” adding “When I was in grade five or six, I just remember quite a lot of people were always talking about me like I was some kind of math genius. And there were just so many moments when I realized, like okay, why can’t I just be like some normal person and go have a 75% average like everyone else.” 

Cryptocurrency Beginnings

Vitalik’s involvement in cryptocurrency can be pointed to two events: his being introduced to Bitcoin by his father and his own realization that centralized systems were plain horrible. He was a longtime fan of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, until, he says, the company “removed the damage component from my beloved warlock’s Siphon Life spell. I cried myself to sleep, and on that day, I realized what horrors centralized services can bring.” Even as a kid, Vitalik always had a ‘cartoon mentality’ of centralized institutions ‘just being plain evil.’ 

But Vitalik didn’t take up Bitcoin immediately. After hearing about it from his father, he first dismissed it was a fad with no intrinsic value. But he chanced upon it a second time, after which he began to develop more interest. After reading up about it, he wanted to grab some so that he could participate in this experimental currency. But he neither had the money to buy it nor the computing power to mine it himself. So he scoured online Bitcoin forums and found someone willing to pay him 5 Bitcoins for contributing to a blog. 

This work caught the attention of Romania-based Bitcoin enthusiast Mihai Alisie, whom he would later co-found Bitcoin Magazine with. Vitalik would soon be juggling the role of head writer at the magazine, his computer science lessons at Waterloo University, and as a research assistant for cryptographer Ian Goldberg.

As he continued researching Bitcoin, he decided to attend related real-world events. In May of 2013, Vitalik traveled to San Jose for a Bitcoin conference that completely changed his view on crypto. There were attendees from every corner of the globe, booths everywhere showcasing hardware wallets, payment gateways, Bitcoin ATMs, and so on. Being present in this living, breathing moment impressed on him that the Bitcoin and crypto movement, in general, was real after all. “That moment really crystallized it for me. it really convinced me that, hey, this thing’s real and it’s worth taking a risk and jumping into.” 

That very semester, he ended his classes at Waterloo. Instead, he hunkered down to look for a substantial way to contribute to this burgeoning, exciting movement. After further research, he realized that many people were going about “Cryptocurrency 2.0”, or the next stage for blockchain tech, the wrong way. All projects were trying to improve on Bitcoin by adding new layers of application. “I discovered that they were doing this sort of Swiss army knife approach of supporting 15 different features and doing it in a very limited way,” he told Wired. 

How Ethereum Came to Be

Vitalik soon discovered that the blockchain could be designed to support every kind of imaginable digital service. On the blockchain, these services would interact with each other frictionlessly. This is how the idea of Ethereum was born. As for why the name Ethereum, Vitalik explains, “I was browsing a list of elements from science fiction on Wikipedia when I came across the name. I immediately realized that I liked it better than all of the alternatives that I had seen; I suppose it was the fact that it sounded nice and it had the word “ether” referring to the hypothetical invisible medium that permeates the universe and allows light to travel.” 

Vitalik would go on to sketch his idea out into a whitepaper, which he then sent to several of his friends. Those friends then sent it to their friends, and soon, many people reached out to him with unexpectedly positive reviews of the idea. “When I came up with Ethereum, my first thought was, okay, this thing is too good to be true and I’m going to have five professional cryptographers raining down on me telling me how stupid I am for not seeing how stupid I am for not seeing a bunch of very obvious flaws,” he narrated. As it turned out, however, his idea was perfectly sound. 

Two months later, he attended another Bitcoin conference in Miami, where he met some of the people who really liked the idea. (Some of these were crypto enthusiast Stephan Tual, entrepreneur Anthony Di Iorio, Bitcoin investor Joseph Lubin, and programmers Gavin Wood and Charles Hoskinson). There, he described Ethereum to the conference, receiving a standing ovation and having a horde of investors lining up to talk to him after the speech. Around the same time, Vitalik received a Thiel Fellowship grant of $100,000. 

In the following months, Vitalik and his group of friends decided to raise money for the projects via a crowd sale of Ether, from which they managed to raise 31,000+ Bitcoins (worth around $18 million at the time). (However, the team made the mistake of storing the money in Bitcoin. Soon after, the price of Bitcoin tumbled, causing the team to lose a lot of money). Still, they had enough money to set up the Ethereum Foundation, which up to today oversees the development of Ethereum. 

Ethereum Comes to Being

The foundation then got busy working on Ethereum. Before the official launch of the network, the team test ran several prototypes of the network, the last of these being ‘Olympic.’ Multiple bug tests were also run to help identify any vulnerabilities in the system. In July of 2015, Ethereum went live. 

Vitalik’s Other Blockchain Ventures

Vitalik has also been involved in a few other crypto-related ventures such as pybitcointools, multisig.info, Dark Wallet and KryptoKit, and Egora. 

Awards and Recognition

Buterin is the recipient of several high-profile awards, including Forbes’ 2018 30 under 30, Fortune’s 40 under 40, World Technology Award in the IT Software Category, 2014. 

Quotes By Vitalik on Ethereum and Blockchain

“The concept of smart contracts is so complex, that understanding how to make them safer comes only with experience…We can only wait and allow people to do projects, some of which succeed. The same as cars and airplanes were becoming safer with time, through experience we will be also realizing how to make smart contracts with an acceptable level of risk.” Source

“The thing that I often ask startups on top of Ethereum is, ‘Can you please tell me why using the Ethereum blockchain is better than using Excel?’ And if they can come up with a good answer, that’s when you know you’ve got something really interesting.” Source

“The main advantage of blockchain technology is supposed to be that it’s more secure, but new technologies are generally hard for people to trust, and this paradox can’t really be avoided.” Source

“The idea that we can separate this economy where we micro-tokenize and let people have their own micro-ownership, I think that is definitely a very interesting and promising idea.” Source