Tag: Crypto

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Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 31 – Cryptos Making Steady Gains Over the Weekend; ETC Hit By Third 51% Attack

The crypto market had a good weekend, with almost every single top cryptocurrency ending up in a net gain. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,664, which represents an increase of 0.66% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.42% on the day, while XRP gained 2.19%.

The crypto market had a good weekend, with almost every single top cryptocurrency ending up in a net gain. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,664, which represents an increase of 0.66% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.42% on the day, while XRP gained 2.19%.

The crypto market had a good weekend, with almost every single top cryptocurrency ending up in a net gain. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,664, which represents an increase of 0.66% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.42% on the day, while XRP gained 2.19%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, UMA gained 48.99% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Flexacoin (27.54%) and bZx Protocol (26.08%) also did great. On the other hand, DFI.Money lost 17.06%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Golem’s loss of 10.16% and NEM’s drop of 7.06%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has gone down quite a bit over the weekend and dropped below the 60% mark. Its value is currently at 59.24%, represents a 1.82% difference to the downside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The crypto market cap has increased significantly over the course of the weekend. Its current value is $372.72 billion, which represents an increase of $19.24 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

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Technical analysis

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin spent the weekend slowly rising in price on low volume. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap rose above $11,460 and $11,630 resistance levels, turning them into support. The $11,630 level is currently being retested, but it looks like Bitcoin will stay above it unless a large spike of sellers suddenly comes to the market.

Traders should take a look at Bitcoin’s confirmation of the $11,630 level. If BTC stays above it, traders can consider Bitcoin to be moving in within a range, bound by $11,630 and $12,000.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is above its 50-period EMA and 21-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its middle band
  • RSI is neutral but leaning towards overbought (57.95)
  • Volume is low
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $11,630                                1: $11,460

2: $12,015                                2: $11,090

3: $12,330                                 3: $10,855

Ethereum

After passing the descending trend and moving above it, Ethereum had a couple of days of steady gains. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap slowly gained ground and passed the $400 as well as $415 resistance levels along the way. The move stopped just above $430, before starting to retrace. There is a big possibility that the $415 level will be tested as a support level.

Ethereum traders should look for ETH’s reaction when the price reaches $415 again.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently above its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below the upper band
  • RSI is severely overbought (67.64)
  • Volume is average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $360

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP also had a great weekend, with its price consistently moving towards the upside after briefly breaking the $0.266 support level to the downside, which is where the bullish move on Aug 27 started. While it made some progress towards the upside, XRP did not reach past any significant resistance levels. In fact, it got stopped by the $0.285 level, which it most likely won’t pass.

Due to its RSI being close to overbought, low volume, and price rejection around the $0.285 level, XRP will most likely start a move towards the downside now.

XRP traders should trade it on its way down towards $0.266 or possibly look for a bounce off of the support XRP will find on its way down.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • The price is above its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below its upper band
  • RSI is nearly overbought but is moving towards neutral (58.17)
  • Volume is low and relatively stable
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.285                                   1: $0.266 

2: $0.31                                     2: $0.2454

3: $0.32                                    3:$0.235

 

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Crypto Daily Topic

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. 

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. 

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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Crypto Guides

Tokenized Bitcoin on Ethereum – Explained

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Bitcoin owns a stable use case and plays an active role in the industry as a public good. Although, it has limited features, leaving almost a very little space for future innovations encouraging Bitcoiners to explore what else can be done with Bitcoin. From this, an idea evolved that Bitcoin can be used on other blockchains. This is how we reached to tokenized Bitcoin on Ethereum. As the name suggests, Bitcoin is tokenized so that it can be used on other blockchains.   

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a reserved asset in the cryptocurrency world. It has the highest adoption rate, highest trading volume, best liquidity, and holding a superior position in the crypto capitalization market. In fact, entrepreneurs believe that Bitcoin can serve all required purposes in the market, so there is no need for any other cryptocurrency. Bitcoin with an uppercase b is a network whereas with a lowercase b is a unit of account. 

What is Bitcoin Tokenization?

The tokenization of Bitcoin means processing it to deliver a blockchain security token, specifically having real tradable value. Security tokens can refer to company shares, real estate ownership, or investment fund. These can be used as exchange units for trade in a secondary market. 

Why tokenize Bitcoin on Ethereum?

Bitcoin is designed to deal with a few things only and has inherent limitations, but we know that it is the most valuable crypto out there. Technically, we can execute smart contracts using Bitcoin, but it has limited opportunities as compared to Ethereum. Bitcoin is an amount we are holding, while Ethereum provides us with an opportunity to build something with it. 

Tokenising bitcoin in other networks can improve its utility. It can enable various functionality that the native Bitcoin doesn’t support. The security model and core functionalities of Bitcoin remain constant, with other advantages like the increased speed of transactions, high privacy, and tangibility.

DeFi was raised with a potential composability idea, which means the same public is executing the applications. It is an open-source platform with a permissionless base layer so that all the users can work together seamlessly. The composable layer of Bitcoin has introduced a new form of financial framework blocks that could enable is to implement Bitcoin in various types of applications.

You can tokenize Bitcoin on various blockchains like Ethereum. All are having different degrees of decentralization, various assumptions regarding risk factors, and trust issues. Transactions with the launch of Ethereum become cheaper and faster. But it’s quite dangerous also if the holder loses bitcoin due to any contract bug as there will be no alternative way to unlock those bitcoins on the blockchain. 

Conclusion

The prime reason behind tokenizing bitcoin on Ethereum is to enhance bitcoin’s utility. Ethereum has captured significant share in bitcoin transactions; there is an increase in the involvement of Ethereum in the global network for value transactions. Blockchain industries are developing to bridge the gap between the cryptocurrency networks.

The tokenization of bitcoin created a new financial scheme that is more efficient, vast, and democratic. Through tokenization, players in the traditional market are growing rapidly, and new contenders are showing interest in adopting the technology. 

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Crypto Daily Topic

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. 

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. 

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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Crypto Daily Topic Crypto Guides

OneCoin Scam – What Should You Know?

Introduction

Introduction

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. 

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Crypto Guides

What Should You Know About ERC-20 Tokens?

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

ERC-20 tokens are dedicatedly used on the Ethereum platform. These tokens represent a wide range of digital assets and feature value and can be used as a mode of transaction. Presently, there are over 200,000 ERC-20 tokens available on the Ethereum blockchain. It is an official protocol, which extends advancements in the Ethereum network. ERC is an abbreviation for Ethereum Request for Comment, and the 20 is referred to as the proposal identifier. 

The Core ERC-20 Standard

Creating a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain is quite simple. This allows users to create different forms of tokens. The standard basically offers core functionality to transfer and allow tokens to be authenticated so that other on-chain third parties can use them. The standard interface enables tokens on this platform to be used again by other applications.

The ERC-20 standard is basically a list of events and functions that each contract needs to integrate to adhere to the standard. The name, behaviour, supply, and ticker of the contract can differ from one another, but they need to execute the core functions of ERC-20.

Smart Contract and Ethereum

Smart contracts are leveraged to generate ERC-20 tokens. They are also used to execute transactions of these tokens and record token balance information. These contracts are written in the programming language centring on the “If-This-Then-That” approach. Once the tokens have been created, they can be traded, spent, or offered to other parties. These tokens are basically universal languages that are used by all the tokens present in the Ethereum network. The unified approach allows trading of one token with another.

How to Send and Receive ERC-20 Tokens?

When sending an ERC-20 token, you are indicating the token contract to initiate a transfer operation. To execute a contract on Ethereum blockchain will need a fraction of Gas (Ether). Considering that Ether is used during the process, it is vital to ensure that the users have sufficient Ethereum Balance. 

Moreover, people can receive ERC-20 tokens by sending their wallet address. Considering that these tokens only exist in Ethereum blockchain, users can only use Ethereum addresses. 

Benefits of ERC-20 Tokens 

There are tons of benefits that ERC-20 offer that we would not find in any other tokens. It envisions to optimise the usage of the accounts by making transactions more efficient and convenient. By amalgamating different sources, these tokens create an ideal zone for constant token creation. And when it comes to efficiency and speed, ERC-20 stands at the forefront. And this is the reason why tokens hold such a massive adoption.

Efficiency and speed are two important facets of cryptocurrency trading, and ERC20 tokens do not disappoint in this regard. Its core structure offers unparalleled speed and efficiency. This easy to use token makes it easier for traders to leverage most of the blockchain technology.

It is not challenging to acquire ERC20 tokens these days; we can even develop it ourselves. It is considered one of the best payment methods for businesses, and its streamlined process makes the transactions easier for both sender and receiver. Cheers! 

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Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 28 – Bitcoin Bearish as XRP Plummets

The crypto market was mostly bearish over the course of the day, with XRP losing the most out of the top cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,341, which represents a decrease of 0.5% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 0.44% on the day, while XRP lost 5%.

The crypto market was mostly bearish over the course of the day, with XRP losing the most out of the top cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,341, which represents a decrease of 0.5% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 0.44% on the day, while XRP lost 5%.

The crypto market was mostly bearish over the course of the day, with XRP losing the most out of the top cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,341, which represents a decrease of 0.5% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 0.44% on the day, while XRP lost 5%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, Numeraire gained 29.44% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Serum (23.05%) and Uma (21.68%) also did great. On the other hand, Aragon lost 17.67%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Kusama’s loss of 12.20% and Qtum’s drop of 11.12%.

 

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has gone up quite a bit from when our previous report, with its value currently at 61.06%. This value represents a 0.71% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap has decreased slightly over the course of the day. Its current value is $353.48 billion, which represents a decrease of $6.8 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

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_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin was extremely volatile in the past 24 hours, with its price ranging from $11,110 to $11,600. The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is still below the $11,460 resistance level and seems like its preparing a move (most likely to the downside).

The price of Bitcoin has declined by more than 6% in the last three days and that along with the fact that $700 million Bitcoin futures expiry is approaching, traders are nervous and have a bearish scenario in mind. Many technical analysts believe that Bitcoin has two paths ahead at the moment: $16,000 or $9,600.

Traders should take a look at Bitcoin’s movement around $11,460 before trading.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and 21-period EMA
  • Price is below its middle band
  • RSI is neutral but leaning towards oversold (41.82)
  • Volume is average (one-candle spike)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $11,460                                1: $11,090

2: $11,630                                2: $10,855

3: $12,015                                 3: $10,500

Ethereum

The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization continued its path above the descending trend line. While being above this line is a positive thing, Ethereum is still losing value as it’s gripping the line and following it down. If ETH decides to test the upside, it will encounter some turbulence way before its major resistance at $415.

If, however, Ethereum pushes towards the downside, it will fall back into the trend and possibly rush towards the bottom trend line.

Ethereum traders should look for Ethereum’s volume spike and push towards the upside.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently below its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below the middle band
  • RSI is neutral (45.39)
  • Volume is very low (With volume spike when the trend line was retested)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $360

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP had an incredibly bad day, as bears took over the market and pushed its price down. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap dropped under the $0.266 support, and then immediately tried to head back up (without any success). While the price is still near the $0.266 level, it is unlikely that XRP will confidently move above it unless Bitcoin pulls the whole crypto market up by a sudden move to the upside.

XRP traders should look for how the cryptocurrency reacts to the $0.266 level and trade-off of that info.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • The price is below its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its lower band
  • RSI is at the oversold line (30.19)
  • Volume is unstable and cycling between average (low) and extremely high volume candles
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.285                                   1: $0.266 

2: $0.31                                     2: $0.2454

3: $0.32                                    3:$0.235

 

Categories
Crypto Guides

What Should You Know About Bitcoin Options?

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Investing and trading cryptos is not just about buying and selling these currencies, there are other alternatives as well. Bitcoin options trading is a lucrative alternative for the same. It offers more flexibility and extensive strategies in comparison to trading on cryptocurrency exchanges. However, trading Bitcoin options is not as easy as buying Bitcoins on exchanges. In this article, let’s understand some of the basics of trading Bitcoin options. 

Bitcoin Options – An Overview 

Options are a form of derivative, which implies that they are centered on an underlying asset like cryptocurrencies, stocks, or commodities. Depending on the contract type, buyers will be provided with the opportunity to purchase or sell the asset at a particular value called the strike price within a particular time period. 

We will come across two forms of Bitcoin options, just like while trading the traditional options. And they are, Call & Put Options. Call Option holders get the chance to purchase assets at a fixed price within a specific window of time. Put Options offers the chance to sell at a particular price in a specific time frame. 

When purchasing Bitcoin options, traders have to pay a specific premium for the chance to sell or buy Bitcoin at a price set in the future. This provides a smart way to go short or long BTC, allowing investors to gain even when the market is declining, and multiply their profits.  

How Do Bitcoin Options Trading Work?

If the underlying investment is trading more than the strike price, it is considered to be in the money for a call. Investors have the right to buy Bitcoin at the lower strike price. They can later sell the same at a higher price and keep the difference. If there is a price that goes under the strike price beyond the expiration date, it will not be worth anything. But the loss investors incur is limited to the premium they have paid. 

In case of a put, the price must be under the strike price to be “in the money.” Traders have the right to sell the Bitcoin at a higher value than the strike price. To leverage it, investors need to purchase the asset at market price. In the future, they can sell them at a value higher than the strike price and keep the profit. 

Where Can Traders Bitcoin Options?

Bitcoin options are not available on the crypto exchanges. Presently, the three primary Bitcoin option trading platforms that include: 

Quedex in Gibraltar | LedgerX in New York | Deribit in Amsterdam

Why Trade with Bitcoin Options? 

The following are the reasons to trade with Bitcoin Options: 

  • They are better in comparison to futures as their loss is limited to the premium paid. 
  • Bitcoin options are extremely flexible as they can be leveraged to reflect the future pattern and use different types of strategies. 
  • You can harness volatility without bearing a directional position via delta hedging. 

It is important to understand that not all Bitcoin options work similarly. While traders can exercise the American Bitcoin option anytime they want, European options can only be exercised upon the expiry. When it comes to buying Bitcoin options, traders should select a credible platform with a proven track record.

Categories
Crypto Exchanges

Trezor Model T: Features, security, pros and cons

“Information stored online can be copied and stolen,” that’s Trezor’s unique selling point. 

“Information stored online can be copied and stolen,” that’s Trezor’s unique selling point. 

“Information stored online can be copied and stolen,” that’s Trezor’s unique selling point. 

Trezor is a hardware wallet – a car-key-sized device that you can use to store, send, and receive most of the major cryptocurrencies. If you’ve not used a hardware wallet before, you might be wondering how you are supposed to view your balances and even transact on such a mini dongle. Stick around to the end as we discuss this and much more.

For starters, a hardware wallet is a physical device that stores private keys used for signing cryptocurrency transactions. Contrary to potential misconception, it does not store the actual funds, just the keys. 

Trezor claims superior security and comes in a variety of flavors with different descriptive code names. For example, you will hear Trezor Model T, Trezor One Metallic, Trezor Ultimate Pack, and so on. Trezor Model T is the flagship wallet that was released by SatoshiLabs, the makers of this wallet. 

This review is all about Trezor. We will look at how to acquire one and get it up and running. We will also look at its security, ease of use, customer support, and other aspects that constitute a balanced cryptocurrency wallet evaluation. Stay tuned!

Key Features

  • Hardware wallet – You use a dedicated physical device for storing your private keys.
  • Multi-currency support – Trezor supports most of the major currencies.
  • Excellent customer support – The product is supported round the clock by a team of specialists.
  • U2F (universal second factor) account reinforcement – This feature works just like two-factor authentication, only that the second factor, in this case, is a hardware device you possess. Trezor’s U2F kicks in when authorizing transactions. This ensures that you never authorize an unknown transaction request.
  • Good reputation – Getting yourself a hardware wallet from a reputable vendor is critical. Imagine buying a cheap device only to find that it slowly siphons your coins to a secret address. Trezor’s reputation among its users will let you rest assured that your money is safe and will always be.

Security Features

Trezor is a hardware wallet, and for this, it boasts of unmatched security. Hardware wallets protect your funds with far greater security than their software counterparts, and it’s easy to understand why – when using these gadgets, your private keys and their associated data never have to see the internet. It’s technically impossible for cryptocurrency hackers to lay their hands on your private keys. 

“But software cold wallets do the same,” some will argue. Well, if you are operating a hot wallet and your computer is compromised by malware, you might be fast running out of luck.  But with a hardware wallet like Trezor, crypto-malware stands no chance.

However, like any other hardware wallet, it is important to take note of the following potential risks:

  • Hardware wallets are usually the target of high-value heists. It is believed that owners of these premium facilities need them because they have too much to store in ordinary software wallets. With more perceived value comes greater risks.
  • Possible product tampering during shipping – Since you are unlikely to fetch the gadget from the manufacturer, the risk that someone along the fulfillment line will alter the device lingers. That goes without saying that you should not purchase a used Trezor wallet, or would you?

Acquiring and Setting up the Wallet

The first step in setting up Trezor is purchasing one, of course! The Model T goes for €149 on trezor.io, its official store. You can also find it on Amazon, thecryptomerchant.com, and probably a few other online shops. Weigh your options then decide. 

Your order has arrived, and you can’t wait to set up your literally shiny new wallet. Follow this quick guide:

  • Unbox the product. You should see the dongle, a USB cable, and two sheets for storing your recovery seeds (this is what you will need to recover your account if you ever lose your Trezor).
  • Connect one end of the USB cable to Trezor and the other to your computer.
  • Once plugged in, the device’s display turns on, and it will ask you to visit trezor.io/start.
  • Visit the web link above. The page has simple instructions on configuring the device. One of the key tasks at this stage is updating the firmware. Click on the “done” button on the page and the “continue” button on the device. Wait for the update to finish, then remove the device and plug it back in. Meanwhile, don’t close the webpage.
  • You will see a “Welcome to TREZOR” message on the web page and an input box for configuring your device’s name. Add a name and save.
  • The next step is setting up your PIN. You will do this on the web page as well. However, the keypad on the web page is a little weird – it is a matrix of dots instead of numbers! The actual keys will be on your Trezor’s mini display. Please note that the keys are not arranged sequentially as you would find on a traditional keypad, and their arrangement changes every time you open it. To set the PIN, tap the dots on the web page – they correspond to the keys on the Trezor display.
  • Confirm your PIN. Note that the keypad arrangement has already changed!
  • Next, you need to set up your recovery seed – very important. This mysterious recovery tool is a set of 24 words that Trezor will display, one at a time and in a specific order. You need to write them down in the order they are presented. There were two sheets of paper in the original box, which are to be used for this purpose. Now, after writing down the words on the first sheet and duplicating, then on the second, you need to store the papers in different locations – that’s how disaster recovery works, different locations.

Just like that, Trezor is set up, and you’re ready to transact. So, let’s see if that too is easy.

Sending Funds

As you might be aware by now, you will be operating your Trezor mostly from your computer. To send funds, 

  • Go to trezor.io and click on the Wallet menu. It will ask you to plug in to continue. So, plug in your Trezor.
  • Enter your PIN on the keypad on the web page.
  • Confirm login on your Trezor.
  • Once you log in successfully, you will see your dashboard with a summary of your transactions.
  • Since Trezor supports different currencies, there’s an option to select which coins you want to send. The option for changing the currency is at the top right corner of the dashboard. Select the appropriate currency and click on the Send menu.
  • Provide the recipient’s address and amount to send in the screen that appears next.
  • Select the network fee. Typically, higher fees result in faster transaction completion. However, the network fee and amount of time it takes to complete a transaction depend on the coin you are sending.
  • Confirm the transaction on your device.

Receiving Funds

  • Go to trezor.io and log in as above.
  • Change to the appropriate currency if necessary and click on the Receive menu. Your deposit address will be generated. Right-click to copy the address and share it with the sender.

NB: Trezor provides immunity against address swapping (which may occur if you have crypto malware on your computer) by allowing you to confirm the address on its mini display.

Supported Currencies

You can deposit it send the following coins using Trezor:

  • Bitcoin
  • Bitcoin Cash
  • Litecoin
  • Dash
  • Zcash
  • Bitcoin Gold
  • Ethereum
  • Ethereum Classic

Customer Care

SatoshiLabs’ customer service is pretty much reliable. You can raise support issues through the contact form on the website, and they will contact you back.

Pros

  • Highly secure
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Reliable customer service

Cons

  • The initial cost is high considering software wallets are free

Final Thoughts 

Trezor is undoubtedly an outstanding hardware wallet. It looks good. It’s secure, it’s easy to use and is supported by reliable customer care. These benefits come at a cost – Trezor Model T is €149 more expensive than it’s free software counterparts. Nevertheless, you can bet that this small investment will be worth every cent in the long run.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

GateHub Wallet Review: Is It A Safe Cryptocurrency Wallet Or A Scam? 

Gatehub wallet started off in 2014 as a Ripple-specific web-based wallet. In the past five years, however, it has morphed into the more popular Gatehub platform we know today. It not only supports more coins and functionalities but also introduced the Gatehub mobile and desktop apps. 

Gatehub wallet started off in 2014 as a Ripple-specific web-based wallet. In the past five years, however, it has morphed into the more popular Gatehub platform we know today. It not only supports more coins and functionalities but also introduced the Gatehub mobile and desktop apps. 

Gatehub wallet started off in 2014 as a Ripple-specific web-based wallet. In the past five years, however, it has morphed into the more popular Gatehub platform we know today. It not only supports more coins and functionalities but also introduced the Gatehub mobile and desktop apps. 

Gatehub Limited, a UK-based fintech company, created the wallet on the XRP Ledger Protocol. And according to their website, the wallet is designed to provide crypto enthusiasts with true value. But how safe is the wallet? What are some of its key features? Is it easy to use, and what are its pros and cons?

We answer this and more in this Gatehub wallet review.

GateHub wallet key features: 

  • Highly versatile wallet: Also known as the No. 1 XRP Ledger wallet, Gatehub is highly versatile. It is currently available as a web wallet and desktop app. According to their website, however, the Gatehub mobile wallet app is coming soon. So is the revolutionary Gatehub card. 
  • In-built trading platform: The Gatehub wallet also integrates an inbuilt trading platform. It is highly intuitive and easy to use for both expert and beginner traders. Here, you get to trade all the supported currencies as well as over 100 IOUs hosted on the XRP ledger network. 
  • Diverse payment options: Gatehub wallet also supports a wide range of payment options. You can, for instance, fund your wallet using both Fiat or Crypto. You can also leverage such other payment methods as Web Monetization, PayID, SEPA, Wire transfer, and other blockchain-based payment options on XRP Ledger. 
  • Analytics: Analytics is one of the most unique operational features on the Gatehub wallet. It helps you monitor your portfolio and track your net worth in real-time. 
  • Cashflow monitor: Gatehub wallet also features the Cashflow monitor that lets you see track your expenses. It shows you when you spent and received funds into your account. This goes a long way in helping you make sound financial decisions. 

GateHub wallet security features: 

  • Password: You will be required to set a strong password to secure your Gatehub wallet when registering your user account. 
  • Two-factor authentication: All of Gatehub wallet accounts must have the two-factor authentication enabled. This provides additional protection and goes a long way in guarding against remote wallet access. 
  • Open-sourced: The Gatehub wallet is developed using open-sourced technology. This implies that blockchain experts and internet security experts have prodded the wallet for possible loopholes and found it safe to use. 
  • Enterprise-level encryption: Gatehub wallet employs AES encryption. This is enterprise-level encryption that Gatehub uses to encrypt all data stored within the wallet, from personal information to the private keys. 
  • Device verification: Gatehub wallet will also whitelist common devices used to access your wallet. Every time you use a new device or a login with a new IP address, the platform subjects you to additional verification procedures. 
  • Network forensics: The Gatehub platform, in conjunction with several other blockchain-based networks, maintains a list of all fraudulent crypto addresses. Gatehub wallets will, in effect, warn you every time you wish to send cash to these wallets. 
  • Ripple wallet Gatehub wallets are also multi-signature. Each transaction is three-prong and requires authorization from three sets of keys: the user key, Gatehub wallet key, and backup key. This ensures that no one party can initiate the transaction without involving the other.

GateHub Wallet Setup and activation

Step 1: On the official Gatehub Wallet website, click the “Sign Up” tab.

Step 2: Proceed to enter your registration details (email address and password) and agree to the wallet’s terms of use. 

Step 3: The site will then provide you with a 32-character recovery key that you can use to reset the wallet password. Write it down on a piece of paper and store it safely or choose to download the digital copy.

Step 4: You will then need to verify the email address provided and activate the wallet. Check your email and click on the “Activate Account” button.

Step 5: Log in to your wallet and decide on the type of account you wish to register (individual or company).

Step 6: Complete registration by providing additional personal details like your phone number, name, and uploading a photo of yourself. 

Step 7: The account is now active, and you can proceed to add/receive crypto.

How to add/receive crypto into GateHub wallet 

Step 1: Log in to your Gatehub wallet, and on the user dashboard, click on the “Wallet” icon.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Deposit/Receive’ icon to reveal the wallet address. 

Step 3: Copy the address and send it to the party, sending you cryptos.

Step 4: Wait for the cryptos to reflect on your wallet.

How to send crypto on GateHub wallet

Step 1: Log in to your Gatehub crypto vault account and click on the wallet.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Send Payment’ icon.

Step 3: Enter your password.

Step 4: Select the crypto you wish to send and the key in the recipient’s wallet address plus the amounts you wish to send.

Step 5: Ensure that these details are correct and click ‘Confirm.’

GateHub wallet ease of use:

Registering an account on Gatehub is easy and relatively straightforward. It is also highly intuitive and easy to use for both expert and beginner crypto enthusiasts. It also features some of the most important features that include the inbuilt trader, portfolio tracker, and personalized analytics. 

Supported cryptocurrencies and countries

While Gatehub started as an XRP-specific wallet, it has since expanded its scope and currently supports eight cryptocurrencies (Ripple, Bitcoin, Dash, Ethereum Classic, Ethreum, Xaurum, Augur, and Quantum). It also supports hundreds of fiat currencies. 

GateHub wallet cost and fees

Registering a user account on the Gatehub wallet is free. But Gatehub adopts a rather complex pricing structure, especially when it comes to the exchange of Ripple. For instance, when sending Ripple, you will be charged with 0.2%. On the other hand, Bitcoin-to-Ripple conversion attracts 0.2%, while all other conversions attract a 0.3% fee. 

Comparing GateHub wallet with other crypto wallets

GateHub wallet vs. Freewallet

Gatehub Wallet and Freewallet have several common features. They are both custodial wallets, they are free to acquire, and have some of the most intuitive interfaces. Nevertheless, unlike the Gatehub wallet that only supports eight cryptos, Freewallet supports more than 100 cryptocurrencies. Plus, Freewallet avails both single and multi-currency wallets.

One may also consider Gatehub wallet’s pricing model rather complex when compared to the dynamic fee structure adopted by Freewallet. Though custodial, Gatehub wallet, and Freewallet have different approaches to storing client private keys. While Freewallet holds user keys in their servers, Gatehub holds its user’s private keys in highly encrypted third-party servers. 

What are the pros and cons of GateHub wallet

Pros:

  • The highly intuitive nature of the Gatehub wallet makes it one of the most user-friendly crypto vaults.
  • Gatehub wallet supports both crypto and fiat currencies.
  • The wallet is highly versatile and available as a web interface, desktop, and mobile app.
  • It also employs a series of highly effective security features, including 2FA and network forensics.
  • Gatehub wallet features a wide range of features that include analytics, portfolio tracker, and in-built trader.

Cons:

  • Gatehub wallet will only support a few cryptos.
  • Gatehub wallet has had a low reputation after the 2017 hack.
  • While it supports multiple payment options, these don’t include debit and credit cards.
  • The wallet has a relatively complex pricing structure.

Verdict? Is it safe or a scam?

In 2017, Gatehub wallet was hacked, and more than 23.2 million Ripple coins ($9.5 million) were stolen. Since then, Gatehub Wallet has continually worked towards embracing more solid security measures. It has, for instance, embraced 2FA, open-sourced the wallet’s technology, partnered with anti-fraud organizations to identify fraudulent wallet addresses, and introduced device verification measures. These have gone a long way in making Gatehub one of the most secure wallets. But its reputation is still at its lowest, especially after it failed to compensate its clients for the coins lost. 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Litecoin Core Wallet Review: Features, Pros, Cons, Safety, And Ease Of Use

Litecoin Core is the primary Full node desktop client of the Litecoin network. It was launched in 2011 by the Singapore-based Litecoin Foundation under the stewardship of Charlie Lee, Richards Franklin, and Xinxi Wang. It is one of the few and most effective full-stack blockchain clients available. It will only support the Litecoin cryptocoins, and you need to download the entire blockchain before you can start using it to store the coins and transact.

Litecoin Core is the primary Full node desktop client of the Litecoin network. It was launched in 2011 by the Singapore-based Litecoin Foundation under the stewardship of Charlie Lee, Richards Franklin, and Xinxi Wang. It is one of the few and most effective full-stack blockchain clients available. It will only support the Litecoin cryptocoins, and you need to download the entire blockchain before you can start using it to store the coins and transact.

Litecoin Core is the primary Full node desktop client of the Litecoin network. It was launched in 2011 by the Singapore-based Litecoin Foundation under the stewardship of Charlie Lee, Richards Franklin, and Xinxi Wang. It is one of the few and most effective full-stack blockchain clients available. It will only support the Litecoin cryptocoins, and you need to download the entire blockchain before you can start using it to store the coins and transact.

The Litecoin Foundation is regularly updating the Litecoin Core Wallet and introducing more operational and security features. But how safe and easy to use is the desktop wallet? What are its key features? In this Litecoin Core review, we explain how it works and detail everything else you need to know about this wallet.

We start by looking at its key features:

Key Features:

Full node nature: Most other crypto wallets will only require you to download a light desktop or mobile app. When using Litecoin Core client, however, you have to download the entire blockchain onto your computer. And while this makes it more secure than apps, it is time-consuming and eats up most of your computer space.

Compatible with different OS: The desktop client is highly versatile and compatible with virtually all popular operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Faster transaction processing: The desktop Litecoin client integrates the SegWit protocol used on the Litecoin Blockchain. This integration makes Litecoin transactions initiated on the platform relatively faster and less expensive.

Supports multiple wallets: The most recent update to the Litecoin desktop client introduces multiple wallets. You can now open and host multiple Litecoin wallets on the same desktop wallet.

Security features:

Open source: One of Litecoin Core’s key strengths is that it is built on an open-sourced technology. This implies that it has been vetted and audited by crypto industry experts with possible security loopholes identified and patched. The regular updates provided by the Litecoin Foundation have also become great avenues through which patches to the client are provided.

Highly encrypted: When installing and activating the Litecoin Core wallet, you will be presented with the encryption option. You have the option of encrypting the desktop wallet with a strong multi-character password or not. However, note that you can never recover your private keys should you lose or forget the passphrase.

Physical wallet backup: Litecoin core client makes it possible to back up the entire wallet on an external drive. You are especially encouraged to backup your wallet every time you engage in a transaction that changes your digital asset balances.

Privacy and anonymity guarantee: Litecoin Core integrates a number of features that promote privacy and anonymous transactions. It, for instance, is VPN compatible, ensuring that it helps you mask your IP address when using the desktop wallet. Moreover, you can access the wallet via the highly anonymous Tor Browser.

How to set up a Litecoin Core wallet?

Step 1: Head over to the Litecoin core website. Search for wallets and click on the version that matches your computer’s operating system

Step 2: Download and click on install. Note that downloading and synchronizing the desktop client will take time – be patient.

Step 3: After installation, choose to encrypt the wallet using a strong and multi-character password.

Step 4: Finish the installation process by clicking ‘OK’ on the popup window, after which the wallet shuts down automatically.

Step 4: Reopen the wallet and back it up to a USB device.

Step 5: The desktop client is now set and ready to use.

How to add/receive crypto to your wallet

Step 1: Log in to the Crypto wallet and click on the receive icon.

Step 2: Copy your wallet address and send it to the person sending you Litecoins.

Step 3: You can also have them scan the QR Code address.

Alternatively: Use the request pay option:

Step 1: Click on the ‘Receive’ icon and select ‘Request Payment.’

Step 2: Enter the amounts you wish to receive, the message you wish to send, and the label. Here, the label refers to the name of the individual from whom you wish to receive the coins.

Step 3: Click ‘Receive Payment’ and wait for your coins to reflect in your wallet.

How to send crypto from your desktop client

Step 1: Log in to the Litecoin Core desktop wallet and click on the ‘Send’ icon.

Step 2: On the ‘Pay To’ section, enter the recipient’s wallet address.

Step 3: Enter the number of coins you wish to send.

Step 4: Confirm that these details are correct and hit ‘Send.’

Litecoin Core wallet ease of use

The Litecoin Core desktop client has relatively minimalistic features that make it quite easy to use. Downloading and installing the wallet, though slow, is quite easy and straightforward. Additionally, the wallet features a clean and highly intuitive dashboard that makes it easy to use for both expert crypto traders and beginners. The highly responsive customer support is also ready to walk you through the installation process and guide you on how to interact with the platform.

Litecoin core wallet cost and fees

The Litecoin Core wallet is free to download and install. You will, however, be charged a fee every time you send Litecoin from your wallet. Recent upgrades to the Litecoin Desktop client have introduced a dynamic pricing structure. This gives you the choice of determining the price and speeds at which your Litecoin transactions are fulfilled. Ideally, higher transaction fees translate to faster transaction processing while lower fees often equate to lower transaction speeds.

Plus, unlike most wallets that will automatically deduct the transaction fee from your balance, Litecoin Core desktop client gives you a choice. You can choose to have the fees deducted from either the account balance or the amounts being sent.

Litecoin Core wallet customer support

Litecoin has a readily available customer support team. You can easily connect with Litecoin developers and support teams on their different social media platforms. They regularly post important news and updates on these platforms.

You can also interact with these developers and get assistance from your peers on the Litecoin Core platform.

The website, desktop client, and user platforms are also multilingual. They currently support over 13 international languages, including German, Chinese, English, Russian, Dutch, Polish, and Greek.

What are the pros and cons of the Litecoin core wallet?

Pros:

  • The desktop wallet is relatively safe and embraces multiple security features.
  • Litecoin Core is free and employs a dynamic pricing structure.
  • Help is readily available from the wallet developers via email and social media, as well as from the Litecoin platform users on the platform.
  • Litecoin Core desktop client is also simplistic and easy to use for both beginners and expert crypto traders.
  • You can encrypt the Litecoin client with a passphrase and back it up in an external drive or USB.

Cons:

  • The desktop wallet only supports one digital currency – Litecoin.
  • You need to download the entire Litecoin core blockchain into your desktop if you wish to use the wallet.
  • The wallet has limited operational features.
  • It does not embrace such effective security features as two-factor authentication.

Comparing Litecoin Core desktop client to other crypto wallets

Litecoin Core vs. eToro

Some of the similarities between Litecoin Core desktop client and eToro crypto wallet app are their user-friendliness and inexpensive transaction fees. They, however, are different when it comes to the number of supported cryptocurrencies and integrated security features.

eToro carries the day with regards to the number of supported cryptos. Litecoin can, on the other hand, be said to be more secure as it employs more advanced security features like using open source technology and VPN access.

Bottom line: Is the Litecoin Core wallet safe?

Yes, Litecoin Core desktop client is relatively safe. Since its establishment in 2011, the wallet has been subjected to several technical upgrades, each introducing a new security feature. So far, the Litecoin desktop wallet has employed several highly effective security features. These include open-sourced technology, physical backup, password encryption, VPN/Tor Browser access for improved privacy and anonymity. We, however, observe that the wallet doesn’t employ such security features as two-factor authentication and multi-signature access.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Freewallet Review: Is It A Safe Cryptocurrency Wallet Or A Scam?

According to their website, Freewallet is specially designed to help you access, manage, and store crypto with ease. It comprises of both individual wallets for specific cryptocurrencies and Freewallet Lite – the multi-currency wallet. Single wallets are available as mobile apps, while the multi-currency wallet is available as a mobile app and a web interface. Some of Freewallet’s key features are its dynamic fee system, support for individual crypto wallets, and the fact that it is custodial.

Freewallet crypto vault

According to their website, Freewallet is specially designed to help you access, manage, and store crypto with ease. It comprises of both individual wallets for specific cryptocurrencies and Freewallet Lite – the multi-currency wallet. Single wallets are available as mobile apps, while the multi-currency wallet is available as a mobile app and a web interface. Some of Freewallet’s key features are its dynamic fee system, support for individual crypto wallets, and the fact that it is custodial.

According to their website, Freewallet is specially designed to help you access, manage, and store crypto with ease. It comprises of both individual wallets for specific cryptocurrencies and Freewallet Lite – the multi-currency wallet. Single wallets are available as mobile apps, while the multi-currency wallet is available as a mobile app and a web interface. Some of Freewallet’s key features are its dynamic fee system, support for individual crypto wallets, and the fact that it is custodial.

But what makes Freewallet unique? Does its custodial nature make it safer than the next wallet, or is it a scam? We answer these questions in this Freewallet review by detailing some of its key operational and security features. We will also look at its pros and cons and compare its effectiveness with similar crypto wallets.

Key features:

In-built exchange: Freewallet features an inbuilt exchange that supports the trade of 100+ cryptocurrencies. Note, however, that this exchange is only available to the multi-currency wallet users. Plus, it is only accessible via the web wallet.

Single and multi-currency wallets: Freewallet hosts two types of crypto wallets: the Individual crypto wallets that host a specific digital coin like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin and the multi-currency Freewallet Lite that supports 100+ cryptocurrencies.

Free in-app transfers: Freewallet embraces the sidechain crypto technology within the Freewallet network. You, therefore, will not be charged when you transfer crypto to other Freewallet users.

Buy with card: In addition to exchanging crypto for crypto within the Freewallet network, you can also buy crypto with a credit card. And you don’t even have to go through such third party currency conversion sites as Changelly or Simplex.

Highly versatile: Freewallet is also compatible with multiple operating systems. You can access this browser extension via all the popular browsers. Plus, it’s also available in both the Android and iOS app versions.

Intuitive user interface: Both the single currency apps and the multi-currency web interface are highly intuitive. The display is highly intuitive, which makes navigating through the app and initiating transactions relatively easy. It also integrates some of the leading crypto exchanges that allow you to monitor the price performance of different coins and monitor your portfolio on one screen.

Freewallet security features:

Password + Biometric support: Like most other cryptocurrency wallets, Freewallet is secured with a passcode. You get to set this four-digit pin-code when installing and activating the wallet. Its support for biometrics also gives you a choice of securing the wallet with a fingerprint.

Two-factor authentication: 2FA is an additional boost to the security of your wallet. And you can choose to attach either your phone number or email address to the wallet. It is critical in restricting remote access and hacks by ensuring that only email/phone owners can log in and initiate transactions.

Hierarchically deterministic: The Freewallet is hierarchically deterministic and will automatically create a new address for every new transaction. This limits the exposure of your real wallet address, and you, therefore, don’t have to worry about trackers monitoring and tracing your crypto transactions.

Custodial cold storages: Freewallet is a custodial crypto vault that stores private keys on your behalf. And according to their website, these keys are stored in cold storages away from hackers. You, therefore, don’t have to worry about keeping your investments safe.

Active sessions control: Freewallet gives you near-absolute control over your wallet. It lets you monitor all the users’ active sessions by viewing their devices. You can then whitelist or block any unauthorized wallet users.

Multi-signature: You can activate the multi-signature feature of the Freewallet by linking it to up to five email addresses. In such a case, the transaction will not be initiated before confirmation from all linked email addresses.

Transaction limits: Freewallet will also let you set the daily, weekly, and monthly transaction limits. This limit ensures that even if a hacker was to gain access to your wallet, there is only so much they can offload.

Freewallet Setup and activation

Step 1: Open the Freewallet.org website and click on the ‘Wallets’ section. Decide on the type of wallet you wish to download. This can be an individual wallet for a specific crypto coin or the multi-currency Freewallet Lite.

Step 2: Register a user account by linking your wallet with your Facebook profile, Google profile, or phone number.

Step 3: Set a PIN code for the account.

Step 4: Activate the two-factor Authentication feature using either email or the phone number.

Step 5: The account is now active, and you can start adding and sending crypto.

How to add/receive crypto into Freewallet

Step 1: Log in to your Multicurrency Freewallet Lite and click on “Smart Pay In.”

Step 2: Select the currency you wish to use in topping up your wallet. This reveals both the wallet address and the QR code.

Step 3: Send the address or the code to the individual/party, sending you the coins.

Step 4: Wait for the coins to reflect in your wallet.

How to send crypto out of Freewallet

Step 1: Log in to your Freewallet account. Tap on the + icon and click “Send.”

Step 2: Enter the recipient’s wallet address and the number of coins you wish to send.

Step 3: Confirm that the details are correct and hit ‘Send.’

Step 4: Decide on the network fees – from the list of four price ranges.

Freewallet ease of use:

Freewallet app and web interface are highly intuitive and very easy to use. And it starts with a straightforward and easy registration process. Unlike other wallets with complicated account creation processes, Freewallet only requires you to link the wallet with your Facebook or Google profiles or mobile phone number.

From its dashboard, you have easy access to all of Freewallet’s key features, including the send/receive icons. Moreover, you get to monitor your balances and portfolio as well as the real-time price movements for various coins.

The wallet is also multi-lingual and is currently available in over 13 international languages.

Supported cryptocurrencies and countries

According to the Freewallet website, Freewallet Lite multi-currency wallet can support 130+ cryptocurrencies and tokens. However, crypto-specific wallet apps will only host one digital currency.

Currently, Freewallet is available to individuals in over 100 countries across the world, including the U.S, UK, Germany, France, and Russia.

Freewallet cost and fees

You will not be charged to download and activate the Freewallet app or create a user account on their web interface. Sending crypto from one wallet to another within the Freewallet network is also free.

When sending crypto to other users, however, you will be charged blockchain network fees. Freewallet nonetheless embraces the highly dynamic Reduce by Fee protocol that gives you the freedom to determine these transaction charges. There are four pricing levels, and the higher the fees, the faster the transaction processing speed.

Comparing Freewallet with other crypto wallets

Freewallet vs. eToro

Freewallet and eToro have several things in common. Chief among them is the fact that they are both custodial and store private keys on behalf of their clients. These can also be said to have some of the most intuitive user interfaces.

But unlike eToro that only has one type of crypto wallet, Freewallet has both the crypto-specific and multi-currency wallets. And while both their wallets are free, Freewallet uses sidechain technology to make transactions within the network for free. It also embraces a dynamic transaction pricing structure that lets the user set an individualized transaction cost.

What are the pros and cons of Freewallet

Pros:

  •         Transactions within the Freewallet network are free. And you also get to set the transaction fee for external transfers.
  •         You can choose to install multiple crypto-specific wallets for the coins you wish to trade or the multi-currency wallet.
  •         The web interface of a Freewallet has an in-built exchange.
  •         The wallet supports a relatively wide range of cryptocurrencies.
  •         Freewallet has integrated several security measures, including support for biometrics, two-factor authentication, and cold storage.

Cons:

  •         Freewallet stores the private keys on behalf of their clients – providing hackers with a central target.
  •         The wallet is hosted online, and this exposes it to such risks and threats as hacks and malware attacks.
  •         It requires a phone or Facebook profile when registering a user account.
  •         The wallet is not regulated.

Verdict? Is it safe or a scam?

Freewallet adopts a unique approach to the storage and management of cryptocurrencies. These include cold storages, two-factor authentication, active session control, and transaction limits. Some serve to discourage unauthorized access to your wallet while the rest limit the extent of the damage. We, therefore, consider their app and web interface relatively safe. We nevertheless would have been able to give a more qualified verdict if Freewallet adopted even more stringent safety protocols like providing users with recovery seeds and decentralizing the storage of private keys.

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 27 – $700 Million of Bitcoin Options Expiring on Friday: Prepare for Volatility

The crypto market was split between cryptos that ended up in the green and in the red, with a bit more cryptocurrencies ending up gaining in the past 24 hours. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,374, which represents an increase of 0.14% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.77% on the day, while XRP lost 0.36%.

The crypto market was split between cryptos that ended up in the green and in the red, with a bit more cryptocurrencies ending up gaining in the past 24 hours. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,374, which represents an increase of 0.14% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.77% on the day, while XRP lost 0.36%.

The crypto market was split between cryptos that ended up in the green and in the red, with a bit more cryptocurrencies ending up gaining in the past 24 hours. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,374, which represents an increase of 0.14% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.77% on the day, while XRP lost 0.36%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, Celo gained 56.49% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Aragon (36.44%) and Siacoin (17.45%) also did great. On the other hand, The Midas Touch lost 20.75%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Kusama’s loss of 8.81% and Reserve Rights’ drop of 8.72%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has stayed at the same place as we reported yesterday, with its value currently at 60.35%. This value represents a 0.01% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap has increased significantly over the course of the day. Its current value is $360.28 billion, which represents an increase of $24.61 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

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Technical analysis

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin has had somewhat a slow day after bottoming out near $11,090. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap tried to break the $11,460 resistance level at one point, but it ended up unsuccessfully. Bitcoin will need to gather quite a strong bullish presence if it wants to reach $12,000 anytime soon, as the upside is guarded by way too many smaller and bigger resistance levels.

With $700 million of Bitcoin options expiring on Friday, we may see a nice spike in volume and volatility. Various analysts predict that the price at its current position would be a good buying opportunity for futures traders, while a price near $12,000 would be a good sell opportunity.

Traders should take a look at Bitcoin’s movement around $11,460.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and 21-period EMA
  • Price is between its lower and middle band
  • RSI is neutral but leaning towards oversold (41.02)
  • Volume is average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $11,460                                1: $11,090

2: $11,630                                2: $10,855

3: $12,015                                 3: $10,500

Ethereum

While it did not do much better than Bitcoin in terms of daily gains, Ethereum had a decent day. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap gathered a small bullish force to push through the descending trend. Not only did Ethereum push past it, but it also confirmed its position above it. With that being said, Ethereum needs a significant volume spike if it wants to reach past $400, or go any higher than that.

However, with DeFi booming and gathering interest from traders (and even creating new ones), Ethereum might be on the right track to show its true bullish nature in the mid-term.

Ethereum traders should look for Ethereum’s volume spikes and trade-off of that.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently below its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is between its lower and middle band
  • RSI is neutral (44.63)
  • Volume is very low
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $360

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP was the only cryptocurrency in the red in the past 24 hours out of the top3 cryptocurrencies by market cap. After bottoming out near $0.266 and recovering to around $0.28, XRP started dropping slightly again, reaching the current price of $0.275. The low volume and candles with small bodies and small wicks show almost no volatility in trading.

XRP traders should look for a volume spike before even considering a trade.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is between its lower and middle band
  • RSI stable and leaning towards the oversold area (38.69)
  • Volume is below average and stable
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.285                                   1: $0.266 

2: $0.31                                     2: $0.2454

3: $0.32                                    3:$0.235

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Polkadot: The Complete Guide

It’s the age of the internet. That means we can’t avoid using the web, even if we wanted to. But the problem is, by doing so, we have to entrust our data to a handful of powerful corporate entities – who cannot really be trusted to keep it safe. If you have to use an app, you have to agree to terms and conditions that you will probably never read, and even if you did, you’d have little choice than agreeing to. 

It’s the age of the internet. That means we can’t avoid using the web, even if we wanted to. But the problem is, by doing so, we have to entrust our data to a handful of powerful corporate entities – who cannot really be trusted to keep it safe. If you have to use an app, you have to agree to terms and conditions that you will probably never read, and even if you did, you’d have little choice than agreeing to. 

It’s the age of the internet. That means we can’t avoid using the web, even if we wanted to. But the problem is, by doing so, we have to entrust our data to a handful of powerful corporate entities – who cannot really be trusted to keep it safe. If you have to use an app, you have to agree to terms and conditions that you will probably never read, and even if you did, you’d have little choice than agreeing to. 

This effectively hands over control of our data to them – data that are so detailed as to create accurate psychographic profiles of us. And get this – in the modern advertising and marketing space, nothing is as valuable as this kind of data. 

When you think of the fact that we surrender this data for free and entrust these entities to keep it safe and not misuse it, you’ll realize what big of a gamble it is. 

Meanwhile, the advent of blockchain technology has proven that we can create systems that place this power in the hands of data owners only. But current blockchain systems are held back by factors such as low scalability and lack of interoperability. Issues like these are the reason why we’re yet to see the real-life deployment of blockchain on a wide scale. 

Polkadot is a blockchain effort that intends to solve these issues and, while at it, allow users to exercise complete control over their data – as it’s supposed to be. 

We look at how the project intends to achieve that in this article, as well as familiarize ourselves with DOT, the native Polkadot’s cryptocurrency. 

Understanding Polkadot

Polkadot is a blockchain-based and decentralized effort to create a network of interoperable, unified blockchains. It’s part of recent increasing efforts to create a decentralized web where users have the power, and not big and powerful internet companies such as Google and Facebook. 

Polkadot wants to achieve this by enabling various features that we’ll look at below.

Polkadot: Features

#1. Scale

If every blockchain is operating in isolation, then how much transactions it can process at any time will always be limited. Polkadot utilizes shards to process a heap of transactions across multiple chains in a parallel fashion. 

This removes the ‘walled garden’ type of transaction processing that is prevalent in the blockchain ecosystem. The parallel processing achieves dramatically more transactions per second (TPS) than a single blockchain would hope to. This creates the right environment for the growth and wide-scale adoption of blockchain. Polkadot’s sharded chains are known as ‘parachains’ because they process transactions in parallel.

#2. Specialize

Today’s blockchains have to sacrifice some features in order to optimize others. For instance, one blockchain might choose to optimize for privacy, while another optimizes for file sharing. Polkadot allows blockchains to come up with a ‘novel design’ optimized for specific features. This will allow blockchains to offer better and more efficient services to users. Polkadot utilizes what it calls a ‘Substrate Development Network’ where developers can create customized blockchains for faster and more efficient performance.

#3. Collaborate

Polkadot creates an environment where applications do not have to operate in silos. Instead, applications can share data and functionality – and that’s without banking on centralized entities whose handling of user data is questionable. The interoperability created is a beginning to the creation and sharing of innovative new products and applications, while allowing users to share data. For instance, a chain that specializes in identity management can communicate with one that provides financial services.

#4. Self-govern

Communities and fans of Polkadot blockchains have the autonomy to check the direction and future of the network any way they see fit. Whether it’s changing governance to meet their needs or overhauling existing modules for more efficient ones, teams on the Polkadot network can customize governance with varying needs and conditions.

#5. Easy Upgrading

Just like any technology needs to continuously upgrade, blockchains need to change with time to cater to the changing needs and preferences of users. The problem is, upgrading has traditionally constituted what’s called ‘hard forks’ – which are often contentious and split communities into factions. Besides, these forks usually take protracted periods – sometimes running into months and months. Polkadot facilitates blockchain upgrades that do not require forks, enabling them to adapt quicker and easier to new technologies and making for happier communities. 

Polkadot: Structure

Polkadot hopes to achieve these ambitious goals by relying on a structure of three components: relay chain, parachains, and bridge. 

  • Relay Chain – This is the core layer, so to speak, of the Polkadot network. It secures the network, runs the consensus protocol and facilitates the interoperability of chains
  • Parachains – These are parallel blockchains or networks on which blockchains can carry out highly scalable transactions
  • Bridges – These are blockchains on which shards of the Polkadot network can exchange info/data with external chains like, say, Bitcoin

Polkadot’s Governance Protocol and Network Participants

Polkadot will utilize proof of stake consensus mechanism. For network users to be chosen as blockchain validators, they need to stake in the network’s native token, DOT. 

The Polkadot network will feature ‘Collators,’ who will be responsible for operating parachains, which will involve aggregating transactions and relaying them for validation by the validators. 

Finally, we have Nominators and Fishermen. Nominators will be responsible for choosing good validators and staking in the native token and hence contributing to the overall security of the network. For their part, Fishermen will monitor the network and report any suspicious activity to validators. 

The DOT Token

DOT is the native token of Polkadot. This is how it fits in the equation: 

  • Governance: DOT holders have utter control over the network. They get to participate in events such as protocol upgrades and fixes, a privilege usually reserved for miners in other blockchain networks
  • Staking: DOT is used for staking so that a user can participate in the network’s consensus protocol
  • Bonding: This is the process through which new parachains are added. Old and outdated parachains are retired from the network by getting rid of bonded tokens

What’s Kusama? 

Kusama is a testnet of the Polkadot network. Here, parachain developers can experiment with various incentives and, of course, parachains in a ‘real’ environment. Currently, Kusama is maintained and secured by a base of supporters who also hold KSM tokens. Even after the Polkadot mainnet is launched, Kusama will continue existing as a decentralized and functional network.

Key Metrics

Despite being relatively new, Polkadot seems to be a hit with sections of the crypto community, which probably explains its $234.31 per-token value on August 8, 2020. The currency’s current market position is 2110, while its market cap is not known, according to Coinmarketcap. DOT’s 24-hour volume is $27, 047, 678, and it has a total supply of 10 million. Its highest and lowest price ever was $308.45 (March 8, 2020) and $69.03 (April 27, 2020), respectively. 

Where to Buy and Store DOT 

DOT can be found as a market pair of BTC, ETH, and USDT in various exchanges, including but not limited to: Huobi Global, HotBit, BigONE, xFutures, Binance, Gate.io, Bilaxy, BitForex, BitZ, TOKOK and MXC. 

Available storage options include Polkawallet (available for iOS and Android), Atomic Wallet, and Math Wallet. 

Closing Thoughts

Polkadot has a solid plan to provide much-needed interoperability of blockchains. If it’s successful, internet users can expect to finally have more control over their digital existence. Blockchain projects will also have more room for innovation and flexibility than is possible with today’s siloed blockchain networks. By creating an environment for specialized blockchains to operate, Polkadot paves the way for blockchain tech to go to the next level. 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Loaf Wallet Review: How Safe And Effective Is This Mobile-Only Crypto Wallet?

The Loaf wallet is often described as the official and standalone mobile wallet for Litecoin. It was created and introduced to the crypto industry by Charlie Lee and the Singapore based Litecoin Foundation. And according to the Loaf wallet website, it was established to help Litecoin enthusiasts store and trade Litecoins using their mobile devices. In 2019, however, this mobile-first Litecoin wallet app changed its name to LiteWallet app.

Loafwallet crypto vault

The Loaf wallet is often described as the official and standalone mobile wallet for Litecoin. It was created and introduced to the crypto industry by Charlie Lee and the Singapore based Litecoin Foundation. And according to the Loaf wallet website, it was established to help Litecoin enthusiasts store and trade Litecoins using their mobile devices. In 2019, however, this mobile-first Litecoin wallet app changed its name to LiteWallet app.

The Loaf wallet is often described as the official and standalone mobile wallet for Litecoin. It was created and introduced to the crypto industry by Charlie Lee and the Singapore based Litecoin Foundation. And according to the Loaf wallet website, it was established to help Litecoin enthusiasts store and trade Litecoins using their mobile devices. In 2019, however, this mobile-first Litecoin wallet app changed its name to LiteWallet app.

With the rebranding came about significant changes to the wallet that include the introduction of new operational and security features. In this Loaf wallet review, we will be vetting the effectiveness and the safety of this mobile crypto vault.

Let us start by looking at its operational features.

Loaf wallet key features:

Lightweight: Litecoin was initially designed to provide a faster alternative for the legacy digital coin, Bitcoin. Similarly, the Loaf wallet is specially designed to offer faster transaction processing speeds. To achieve this, the Loaf Wallet app is created using a highly simplified code and integrates the “Simplified Payment Verification” protocol that speeds up transactions by providing a direct link to the Litecoin Network.

Sleek design: Loaf wallet design is modern and features a clean user dashboard. It is easy to navigate and hosts an in-built price ticker that you can use to track your portfolio.

Mobile-specific: Unlike most other Litecoin wallets that are either web-based or desktop integrated, the Loaf wallet is mobile-first. It was designed to provide Android and iOS phone users with a secure vault that they could use to store, manage, and trade Litecoins.

Simplex integration: A recent update to the Loaf wallet has made it possible for individuals to buy crypto with fiat currency and credit cards. It integrates the all-popular Simplex payment service provider that facilitates fiat-to-crypto conversions.

Introduction of Loaf wallet debit card: According to the Loaf wallet website, the Litecoin Foundation is on the verge of launching the first Litecoin based Crypto debit card. The card will be Loaf wallet integrated and furthers the mobile wallet app’s versatility.

Reputation: Loaf wallet has the backing of the Litecoin Foundation and some of the most influential thought leaders in the crypto community. This makes the wallet one of the most reputable Litecoin-specific crypto mobile app.

Loaf wallet security features:

Password and Biometrics support: Like most other crypto mobile apps, the Loaf wallet is secured with a passphrase. This not only eliminates unauthorized access to the wallet but also serves as an encryption tool. Additionally, you can secure the crypto wallet app and set transaction authorization limits using the Touch ID biometrics.

Open sourced: Loaf wallet is built on an open-sourced technology. Anyone can view, audit, and submit recommendations on possible security loopholes. The wallet app has since been audited by numerous internet security experts who have found it to be safe and free of any bugs or malicious codes.

AES encryption: The Loaf wallet mobile app uses AES hardware encryption to encrypt the app data. Every piece of information stored in here, from the private keys to app passwords, is highly encrypted. The crypto wallet app’s communication with third party sites and apps is also highly encrypted.

Non-custodial: The non-custodial nature of the wallet implies that your private keys are stored in your mobile device and not Litecoin Foundation servers. You, therefore, have absolute control over your private keys.

Recovery seed: When installing the Loaf wallet mobile app, you will be provided with a 12-seed recovery phrase. Record these on a piece of paper and store them safely offline. You will need it to reset the app password and recover lost private keys.

How to set up Loaf wallet

Step 1: Go to the Loaf Wallet official website (now LiteWallet) and download the wallet app for your Android or iOS device

Step 2: Once installed, the app will ask if you wish to ‘Create a new Wallet’ or want to ‘Restore’ your private keys. Click on create a new wallet

Step 3: Set the app password. It needs to be unique, yet easy to remember

Step 4: The app will provide you with 12 random words that form the recovery seed. Write them down in their correct order

Step 5: Enable Fingerprint Authentication (optional and can be enabled or disabled on the settings section)

Step 6: Your Loaf wallet mobile app is now active. You can start adding Litecoins and initiating transactions

How to add/receive crypto into Loaf wallet

Step 1: Log in to the Loaf wallet and on your user dashboard click ‘Receive’ to reveal your receiving wallet address

Step 2: Copy the address and send it to the party sending you Litecoins

Step 3: Wait for the digital assets to reflect

How to send crypto from Loaf wallet

Step 1: Log in to your Loaf wallet mobile app and click on the ‘Send’ tab

Step 2: Paste the recipient wallet address, followed by the amount to be sent.

Step 3: Confirm that the transaction details are correct and hit send.

Loaf wallet ease of use

The process of installing and activating the Loaf wallet mobile app is quite straightforward. The app also employs a relatively simple design with a clean and highly intuitive user dashboard. These, plus the ease of initiating Litecon transactions, make Loaf Wallet easy to use for both expert and beginner crypto traders.

Loaf wallet cost and fees

The loaf wallet crypto mobile app is free. Additionally, the Litecoin Foundation will not charge you storage fees when you store private keys in the wallet.

A transaction fee charged by the Litecoin Network will, however, take effect every time you send Litecoins from your wallet. This fee will vary based on the transaction amounts and often starts from 0.002 LTC. The average transaction price on the LTC network currently stands at $0.206, while the Median fee is $0.06.

Loaf wallet customer support

There are two primary ways of seeking assistance when using the Loaf wallet. Start by joining the Litecoin Foundation community forum and have all your queries answered by both the wallet developers and more experienced wallet users. For more personalized queries, however, we recommend that you engage the wallet developers by messaging them on such social media channels as Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook.

What are the pros and cons of Loaf wallet

Pros:

  • Loaf wallet is highly intuitive and easy to use for most both expert and beginner Litecoin traders.
  • It has embraced multiple security features, including biometrics, open-sourced code, and a non-custodial approach that makes it extra safe.
  • The crypto wallet app integrates SPV technology and links with the Litecoin network directly for faster transaction processing.
  • Loaf wallet recently integrated Simplex for fiat-to-crypto conversions and is contemplating the launch of the Loaf wallet crypto debit card.
  • The mobile crypto app is free to use and charges relatively low transaction fees.

Cons:

  • The crypto wallet app will only support Litecoin.
  • The wallet app isn’t immune to the inherent risks associated with hot wallets.

Verdict? Is the Loaf wallet safe?

Well, the Loaf wallet has embraced some of the most popular security measures aimed at keeping the wallet and its contents safe. It combines the password with biometrics, backs up the wallet with a recovery seed, gives the user absolute control of their private keys, and uses AES technology to encrypt the wallet contents. These, plus the fact that the app was developed and is maintained by the Litecoin Foundation, make Loaf wallet one of the safest crypto mobile apps available today.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

MetaMask Wallet Review 2020: The Most Comprehensive MetaMask review

MetaMask is a web-based cryptocurrency wallet built on the Ethereum blockchain. The MetaMask website refers to it as a ‘crypto wallet & gateway to blockchain apps’ given that it provides users with an online storage vault as well as an interface to the Ethereum blockchain. However, unlike similar Eth blockchain gateways that require you to download the entire client node to your desktop, MetaMask is relatively lighter. It is a browser extension and does not need you to download the node or app.

MetaMask is a web-based cryptocurrency wallet built on the Ethereum blockchain. The MetaMask website refers to it as a ‘crypto wallet & gateway to blockchain apps’ given that it provides users with an online storage vault as well as an interface to the Ethereum blockchain. However, unlike similar Eth blockchain gateways that require you to download the entire client node to your desktop, MetaMask is relatively lighter. It is a browser extension and does not need you to download the node or app.

MetaMask is a web-based cryptocurrency wallet built on the Ethereum blockchain. The MetaMask website refers to it as a ‘crypto wallet & gateway to blockchain apps’ given that it provides users with an online storage vault as well as an interface to the Ethereum blockchain. However, unlike similar Eth blockchain gateways that require you to download the entire client node to your desktop, MetaMask is relatively lighter. It is a browser extension and does not need you to download the node or app.

The wallet was created by Aaron Davis and Dan Finlay and launched in 2016. Over the years, its development team has expanded, and so has its scope of use. What started as an online wallet has now morphed into a fully-fledged Ethereum platform. Now you can store your coins, trade, and interact with virtually every aspect of the Ethreum blockchain.

But has this expanded role compromised the wallet’s safety or efficiency? What are the MetaMask wallet’s critical operational and security features? We answer all these questions and tell you about everything you need to know about MetaMask web wallet in this review.

MetaMask wallet key features:

Browser compatibility: You can access your MetaMask web wallet using all the popular browsers. It is compatible with Opera, Firefox, Brave, and Chrome browsers.

Integrated exchanges: Though MetaMask doesn’t have a proprietary trading platform, it integrates Shapeshift and Coinbase exchanges. You no longer have to leave the wallet to purchase eth-based crypto and tokens or convert your fiat to digital coins. Simply click on Shapeshift or Coinbase exchange and start trading.

Intuitive design: MetaMask wallet adopts a modern design that provides a clean and easy-to-navigate dashboard that makes it friendly to both expert and beginner traders.

Ethereum based wallet: MetaMask wallet is built on the Ethereum blockchain. It, in effect, will only support Ethereum based cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Ethereum community: In addition to giving you access to the Ethereum blockchain and decentralized apps, MetaMask introduces you to the Ethetreum community. Here you get to interact with both Ethereum dAPPs developers and peers.

Security features:

Non-custodial: MetaMask wallet doesn’t store your private keys on the company servers. Rather, they are encrypted and stored within your device, which gives you absolute control over your keys.

Open sourced: MetaMask wallet is also built on an open-sourced technology. Any Ethereum blockchain developer and internet security experts can view and audit the wallet’s source code. It has been vetted to ensure that it is transparent and that it doesn’t contain any loopholes or malicious code.

Hierarchically deterministic: MetaMask is also a hierarchically deterministic wallet. It automatically generates new wallet addresses for new transactions, effectively keeping your wallets address private by making it impossible to track your online activity.

Recovery seed: The wallet is secured with a password. It also provides you with a recovery seed that you can use to reset this password and recover a lost wallet or private keys.

MetaMask mobile apps: Originally introduced as a pure web wallet, MetaMask recently launched its associated mobile wallet app. If you already have a web wallet, you can easily synchronize it with the wallet app. The synchronization also makes it possible to move coins from the web to the mobile app MetaMask wallet.

How to set up MetaMask wallet

Step 1: On the MetaMask official website, click on download and select the browser version extension you would like to use (Chrome, Brave, or Firefox)

Step 2: Once downloaded, the MetaMask icon will appear on your browser

Step 3: Click on the icon to the MetaMask browser extension

Step 4: Click on ‘Create New Vault’ and proceed to set a strong multi-character password for the wallet

Step 5: The wallet will provide you with 12 random phrases that form your recovery seed, write them down and keep them safe

Step 6: Acknowledge that you have copied the seed and kept safe.

Step7: Your browser extension app is now active and ready for use

How to add/receive crypto into MetaMask wallet

Step 1: Log in to your MetaMask wallet and click ‘Buy’ on the user dashboard.

Step 2: Select the exchange from which you wish to buy crypto – either Shapeshift or Coinbase.

Step 3: Proceed to make a purchase.

Alternatively:

Step 1: Log in to your wallet and click on the three dots on the far right of the user dashboard

Step 2: Click on either ‘Show QR Code’ (if using the MetaMask app) or ‘Copy Address to Clipboard’ icons to reveal your wallet address and its associated QR code.

Step 3: Send either of these to the party sending you the Ethereum digital currencies and tokens

Step 4: Wait for the coins to reflect on your wallet.

How to send crypto from MetaMask wallet

Step 1: Log in to your MetaMask wallet, and on the user dashboard, click ‘Send.’

Step 2: Enter the recipient’s wallet address and the amount of crypto you wish to send

Step 3: Chose the transaction fee.

Step 4: Check that the transaction details are correct and send

MetaMask wallet ease of use

One of the MetaMask wallet’s greatest strengths is its ease of use. The wallet installation and activation processes are straightforward, and so are the different crypto transaction processes. The wallet also features a clean and easy to navigate user dashboard. It is very user friendly and appeals to both expert and beginner crypto traders.

MetaMask wallet supported currencies

The fact that MetaMask is built on the Ethereum blockchain means that it only supports eth-based cryptos and tokens. These include Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and ERC-20 tokens.

MetaMask wallet cost and fees

The MetaMask crypto wallet is free to download and use. Crypto transactions, however, attract a network fee – Gas – that goes to the Ethereum network and not MetaMask.

Recently, MetaMask introduced the dynamic transaction-fee pricing model. This lets you control how much you spend on crypto transaction fees where higher fees translate to faster transaction processing and vice versa.

When buying crypto on the integrated third party exchanges, Coinbase and ShapeShift, you will also have to part with transaction fees. These are highly variable and largely dependent on the transaction amounts and type of altcoin involved.

MetaMask wallet customer support

Access to MetaMask wallet’s support starts with the elaborate FAQs section on their website. Here, they detail solutions to common challenges facing MetaMask Wallet users.

Additionally, the MetaMask website, web wallet, and mobile apps are multi-lingual and currently available in over 18 languages. Its developers are also quite vocal on the Ethereum network forums and their respective social media pages. Send them a direct message or them an email [email protected], for more sensitive wallet issues.

What are the pros and cons of MetaMask wallet

Pros:

  • MetaMask is highly Versatile and available as a web extension or mobile app.
  • The wallet is open-sourced and also embraces several other security features, including a recovery seed.
  • MetaMask has a smooth and straightforward onboarding process.
  • The eth-specific wallet integrates crypto exchanges that support fiat to crypto conversions.
  • The wallet will also grant you aces to Ethereum based apps and community where you can interact with developers and other Ethereum-based product users.
  • MetaMask wallet has a highly responsive customer support.

Cons:

  • It is an online wallet and thus exposed to inherent risks associated with a hot wallet.
  • It doesn’t have an inbuilt exchange and relies on third party forums that may charge exorbitantly.
  • The wallet will only support Ethereum cryptos and tokens.

Verdict? Is the MetaMask wallet safe?

Well, MetaMask wallet has put in place several security measures that are geared towards making it the safest web wallet around. These include open-sourcing its technology, encrypting user data with a password, and providing a recovery seed. Plus, it doesn’t collect any user data. We, nevertheless, observed several shortcomings that infringe on the wallet’s security claim. For instance, it is a hot wallet that stores your private keys on your device, exposing them to hacks and malicious malware. Additionally, while the wallet does not collect user data, there is no guarantee that the associated browsers, especially Chrome, and Firefox will not track and keep records of your online activity.

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 26 – Bitcoin in a Downtrend; Altcoins Following Bitcoin

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 ended up in the red today, as Bitcoin fell below $11,630. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,334, which represents a decrease of 2.34% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 3.84% on the day, while XRP lost 2.57%.

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 ended up in the red today, as Bitcoin fell below $11,630. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,334, which represents a decrease of 2.34% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 3.84% on the day, while XRP lost 2.57%.

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 ended up in the red today, as Bitcoin fell below $11,630. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,334, which represents a decrease of 2.34% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 3.84% on the day, while XRP lost 2.57%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, Kusama gained 35.49% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Aragon (18.33%) and The Reserve Rights (14.61%) also did great. On the other hand, Flexacoin lost 12.17%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Ocean Protocol’s loss of 10.15% and Verge’s drop of 9.60%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has increased slightly, with its value currently at 60.34%. This value represents a 0.3% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap decreased significantly over the course of the day. Its current value is $335.82 billion, which represents a decrease of $33.15 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

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Technical analysis

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin has experienced yet another price drop in the past 24 hours. As we mentioned in our previous article, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap was preparing a move to either side and that the direction of the move will decide BTC’s faith in the short-term. As we can see, Bitcoin decided to go towards the downside and quickly dropped below its $11,630 and $11,460 support levels. It got stopped, however, by both the $11,090 and the descending trend line, which Bitcoin created ten days ago.

Traders should take a look at how Bitcoin resolves its current position and trade after they get more info.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and its 21-period EMA
  • Price is at its lower band
  • RSI bounced off of the oversold line (32.84)
  • Volume has increased
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $11,460                                1: $11,090

2: $11,630                                2: $10,855

3: $12,015                                 3: $10,505

Ethereum

Ethereum also had a bad day, with bears dominating its price movements. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has, over the course of the day, dropped back into the descending trend it just briefly escaped the day before. Ethereum’s position within the descending trend was confirmed after a small price spike couldn’t get past the trend’s upper level.

Ethereum traders should look for how ETH handles being in the level, and how it exits it.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently below its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is at its lower band
  • RSI is leaning towards oversold (37.87)
  • Volume is normal (but the past 24h saw a surge in volume at one point)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $361

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP suffered from the same fate as BTC and ETH, with bears taking over the market and its price dropping in the past 24 hours. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap fell below $0.285 after not being able to properly confirm its position above it, and almost reached the $0.266 support in the process. XRP is now stabilizing at around $0.275 with low volume and volatility.

XRP traders should look for how the cryptocurrency reacts when it reaches its immediate support/resistance levels.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its lower band
  • RSI stable, but leaning towards the oversold area (38.10)
  • Volume is below average and stable (except a two-candle spike during the price drop)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.285                                   1: $0.266 

2: $0.31                                     2: $0.2454

3: $0.32                                    3:$0.235

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Tron (TRX)? Here Is The Definitive Guide

Tron is one of the most controversial projects in the blockchain and crypto space. Despite not offering anything radically different from its contemporaries, Tron has managed to stay ahead of the competition by creating a fanfare campaign that’s often drawn criticism and what’s a larger-than-life persona behind it – founder Justin Sun. 

Tron is one of the most controversial projects in the blockchain and crypto space. Despite not offering anything radically different from its contemporaries, Tron has managed to stay ahead of the competition by creating a fanfare campaign that’s often drawn criticism and what’s a larger-than-life persona behind it – founder Justin Sun. 

Tron is one of the most controversial projects in the blockchain and crypto space. Despite not offering anything radically different from its contemporaries, Tron has managed to stay ahead of the competition by creating a fanfare campaign that’s often drawn criticism and what’s a larger-than-life persona behind it – founder Justin Sun. 

Sun has taken an unabashed approach to marketing the project – from publicly scheduling dinners with American investor Warren Buffett to associating with high-profile figures such as Jack Ma, and promoting ad campaigns that often come under fire.

The project’s popularity increased in 2018 when the Tron foundation acquired peer-to-peer content sharing platform BitTorrent, a platform that many in the crypto community grew up using.

Setting aside the clout, does Tron have much to offer? Let’s find out in this guide. We’ll also explore the platform’s native token, Tronix, and how it fits in the larger ecosystem. 

Understanding Tron

Tron is a blockchain-based effort that wants to create a cost-effective, decentralized, and peer-to-peer content sharing system. The Tron team envisioned a world in which content creators could share content (and hence earn revenue) directly with consumers, wrestling the power from centralized and powerful entities like Apple store and Google Play Store. In short, Tron wants to place the power back to content creators’ hands. It’s also a smart contract and decentralized applications (DApps) platform. Tron initially ran in the Ethereum blockchain but moved to its own mainnet in 2018.

How Tron Works

Tron wants to decentralize the web through the following:

  • Facilitating free data for everyone
  • Create a system where content creators can interact with users directly
  • Create a system where people can create and obtain digital assets

How Does Tron Work?

The Tron architecture lies upon three layers of foundation: 

Core Layer: This layer computes instructions (which are either in Java or Ethereum’s Solidity) and sends them to the Tron virtual machine for execution. There are plans to support other programming languages such as Python in the future. 

Application Layer: this is the lawyer for developers to create DApps powered by Tron’s native token Tronix (TRX)

Storage Layer: This layer keeps the blockchain’s history and in doing that, preserves the value of smart contracts

Delegated Proof of Stake 

Tron uses the delegated proof of stake mechanism to reach a consensus on blocks. It relies on 27 “super representatives (SRs)” to verify transactions’ authenticity and add records on the blockchain. The super representatives’ cast is chosen every six hours. After being chosen, members earn the right to receive new TRX coins as rewards for maintaining the network. New blocks are added to the blockchain every 3 seconds. 

In addition to the super representatives, the Tron network also hosts three other types of nodes: witness, full, and Solidity nodes. 

In addition to super representatives, users can operate three types of nodes on the Tron blockchain – witness nodes, full nodes, and Solidity nodes. You can take part in the network by operating a witness node (creating proposals and voting on them), a full node (providing application programming interfaces and broadcasting transactions), or a Solidity node (synchronizing blocks from full nodes). 

Staking in Tron 

Users on Tron can vote on SRs using ‘Tron Power.’ Tron Power is a resource on the network that’s acquired when a user chooses to ‘freeze’ TRX in a way that they can’t use the coins in any way. (If a user unfreezes the coins, they no longer have Tron Power or the ability to vote.) Unlike TRX, Tron Power is not tradable. 

Who is Behind Tron? 

Tron was founded by Justin Sun, a Chinese national who’s already racked up several impressive accomplishments at his young age. Sun is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and is an awardee of 2015 Forbes China 30 under 30 and 2017 Forbes Asia 30 under 30. He also founded Peiwo, the Chinese equivalent of Snapchat, and is also notably a graduate of Hupan University founder and billionaire Jack Ma. 

Other core team members include Maorong Lin and Xiadong Xie, both of whom have experience in e-commerce and the entertainment industry. 

The project also enjoys the support of various heavyweights across several industries, including business, mobile games, venture capital, and finance, including Hitters Xu, Xue Manzi, Tang Bisen, Dai Wei, and Chaoyong Wang. 

Tron: Controversies

Despite its success as a project, Tron has been embroiled in a few controversies since its launch. The most notable is the accusations that its whitepaper was plagiarized from the IPFS (interPlanetary File System) and Filecoin’s whitepapers.

Juan Benet, CEO of the firm that developed IFPS, took to Twitter in January 2018, saying that the Tron white paper was “mostly copied” from projects that came before it. The text was not copied word for word, but it was clear that the delivery and the content itself was heavily borrowed from the IPFS project. In particular, anyone could see the Bitswap strategy in IPFS was just reworded in the Tron whitepaper. And this was without Tron acknowledging the original source. 

Tron’s founder Justin Sun responded to this and other plagiarism accusations by alleging that the English translation had many missing details that were in the original Chinese version. Despite this claim of innocence, the original white paper has since been deleted from the internet. 

The Tron Token (TRX)

The native token of the Tron network is known as Tronix (TRX). The token plays various roles in the ecosystem, including the following:

  • As payment for services by Tron service providers
  • As payment for fees and by developers
  • As payment for fees by smart contract creators
  • As a staking mechanism to participate in the election of super representatives

That said, let’s get a picture of TRX’s performance in the crypto market. As of August 8, 2020, TRX was trading at $0.019874, and it had a market cap of 1.42 billion that placed it at #16. TRX’s 24-hour volume was $799, 242, 420, while its circulating and portal supply was $71, 659, 657, 359, and 100, 850, 743, 812, respectively. The coin’s all-time high was $0.300363 (Jan 05, 2018), while its all-time low was $0.001091 (Sep 15, 2017). 

Where to Buy TRX

You can find TRX as a market pair with BTC, USDT, ETH, KRW in several exchanges such as Bitrue, DigiFinex, BitZ, Poloniex, MXC, CoinTiger, Gate.io, Kraken and so on. 

For storing TRX tokens, Tron provides its official wallet for Android, iOS, and Web. Other third-party options include Guarda Wallet, Atomic Wallet, Ledger Nano, Eidoo, Cobo, and Tronscan. 

Closing Thoughts

For a project that has almost endlessly been mired in controversy and offers nothing new to the blockchain space, Tron has done quite well. As well, its promise of low cost-sharing of digital content is something worth writing home about. But the cryptocurrency space is extremely competitive, so it remains to be seen whether a huge social media following and the support of high-profile figures will be enough to keep the Tron boat floating. 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s a Bitcoin ATM? 

Bitcoin has proved to be a major force to reckon with in the world of finance. It’s no surprise, therefore, that thousands of businesses have cropped up all over the world to support it. One of these is the rather unexpected Bitcoin ATMs. Unexpected because Bitcoin is supposed to be a digital-only currency, and also the massive security concerns usually associated with it. 

Bitcoin has proved to be a major force to reckon with in the world of finance. It’s no surprise, therefore, that thousands of businesses have cropped up all over the world to support it. One of these is the rather unexpected Bitcoin ATMs. Unexpected because Bitcoin is supposed to be a digital-only currency, and also the massive security concerns usually associated with it. 

Bitcoin has proved to be a major force to reckon with in the world of finance. It’s no surprise, therefore, that thousands of businesses have cropped up all over the world to support it. One of these is the rather unexpected Bitcoin ATMs. Unexpected because Bitcoin is supposed to be a digital-only currency, and also the massive security concerns usually associated with it. 

In this post, we’ll discuss Bitcoin ATMs and answer those burning questions you’re dying to know. 

Understanding a Bitcoin ATM

At its simplest definition, a Bitcoin ATM is a machine that allows individuals to buy and sell bitcoins. ‘ATM’ here is rather a misnomer, because while it might resemble a traditional ATM, a Bitcoin ATM is not backed by banks, and neither does it dispense cash as a traditional ATM. On the contrary, Bitcoin ATMs are connected to the internet and are mostly backed by crypto exchanges. 

Here are all the main facts you need to know about Bitcoin ATMs. 

How Does a Bitcoin ATM work? 

This is the most obvious question that comes to one’s mind. After all, Bitcoin has no physical existence, so how could a Bitcoin ATM possibly work?

First thing, Bitcoin ATMs are connected to crypto exchanges. It’s these exchanges that facilitate the trade and see to it that you receive your Bitcoin quickly and safely. Since you’re transacting directly with the exchange, there’s no need for middlemen, escrow accounts, lawyers, and so on. This combination of convenience and safety eventually reflects on the transaction fee. It’s not unusual to pay up to $50 in transaction fees. However, the fee is mostly calculated based on the volume of the trade, as opposed to a fixed fee as in legacy ATMs. 

Just like with exchanges, you need to register an account or use an existing one to conduct a transaction. While some Bitcoin ATMs facilitate anonymous transactions, these are on the less common side. 

Depending on the ATM, you may receive a physical copy of your transaction receipt, or you may just receive a digital one only. Also, depending on the ATM, you may need to link your wallet in order to complete the transaction. 

Most of the time, a Bitcoin ATM will set a minimum and maximum amount of money that you can deposit in order to purchase Bitcoin. If you cannot afford 1 Bitcoin ( which is likely to be several thousands of Dollars), you can usually still buy Bitcoin fractions. Remember, one Bitcoin token can be divided into eight decimal places (0.00000001). 

Most ATM kiosks require the user to complete some basic security checks, such as two-factor authentication. This may involve having to submit your phone number, through which you will be sent a secret code that will give you access to the ATM. Other ATMs will require you to submit some form of official identification, such as a national ID, passport, or driver’s license.

How to use a Bitcoin ATM 

Every bitcoin ATM will be unique in terms of quality, processing time, and other features, depending on the manufacturer. However, when it comes down to how they actually work, they’re pretty much the same. This is how to use a Bitcoin ATM. 

  • Indicate how much bitcoins you want to buy
  • Enter the receiving crypto address (Most ATMs will conveniently scan the QR code of your wallet)
  • Insert the Fiat currency equivalent of the crypto you’d like to purchase
  • Print out the receipt of the transaction (optional)

Some Bitcoin ATMs also allow you to sell crypto for cash. The procedure will be as follows: 

  • Indicate how much Fiat currency you want the machine to put out. 
  • Send crypto to the public address produced by the machine.
  • Depending on the kiosk, you’ll either receive cash immediately or undergo several confirmation steps before you get it

Note that almost invariably, a Bitcoin ATM will have a CCTV camera due to the safety concerns surrounding crypto. For individuals unfamiliar with how to operate one, or in the case of a problem, there’ll likely be an attendant nearby to offer help. 

Is Using a Bitcoin ATM Risky? 

It’s natural to have concerns about the safety of using a Bitcoin ATM. Questions like “What if the machine is compromised during my transaction?” What if there’s a power outage?” “What if the machine is a clone and can steal my money?” 

Well, you can avoid some of the risks by just being extra careful. It’s no secret that Bitcoin ATMs can be a high target for nefarious activities. And some of the safety responsibility lies squarely on your shoulders. For instance, more shady parts of town can be riskier than the upscale areas. If you must visit such an ATM, then stay on extremely high alert. Also, as much as possible, avoid carrying large amounts of cash. 

Also, make sure to go for an ATM in a well-lit area. The appearance of the machine also matters. Skip the dirty, poorly-maintained, graffiti-covered machine for the well-kept, clean one. 

Then there’s the other aspect that’s behind your control – the cybersecurity one. Bitcoin ATMs may be the target of ransomware or hacking attacks. As such, these potential risks are not far-fetched: the machine being hijacked so that you lose your bitcoins, a hacker transferring your funds to their account, and so on. One way to mitigate the chances of this happening is to use an ATM whose exchange account you already have. This way, the funds will be sent directly to your wallet address, which is safer than generating a new account entirely. 

How to Find a Bitcoin ATM near You 

Are you looking to find a Bitcoin ATM near your location? The easiest way to do so is to use a tracking tool. One of these is Coinatmradar, which is the most referred to so far. At the time of writing, it has listed 8998 crypto ATMs worldwide. Coinatmradar is pretty useful just for the important features it supports, which include buy and sell options, ability to locate the closest machine, the directions to that machine, available cryptos, how to buy and sell Bitcoin, and available ATM installations by country. 

Coinatmradar lets you choose between eleven popular cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, DASH, Monero, Tether, ZCash, Dogecoin, and Ripple. When you search Bitcoin ATM by country, the website will take you to a page with location, contact, address, supported coins, daily limits, and info on whether to buy and sell options are both supported.

Other options include sites that track Bitcoin ATMs in a specific region. An example is Findbitcoinatm.com.au, which lets you trace Bitcoin ATMs in Australia, or Cryptocoinmap.ru which lets you identify crypto teller machines in Russia. Other services, such as Google Maps or Yelp might also prove useful.

Closing Thoughts

So there you go. You can acquire Bitcoin faster than you thought in a Bitcoin ATM. And if you want to sell, confirm whether the particular ATM in question supports that function. And, of course, exercise common sense and extreme caution when transacting Bitcoin via an ATM. 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Opendime Hardware Wallet Review 2020: Is This The Safest Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Yet?

On their website, Opendime is referred to as the “World’s First Bitcoin Credit stick wallet.” The highly innovative and minimalistic USB stick allows users to load Bitcoins onto the wallet and physically pass them to other users multiple times. It deviates from the traditional security protocols used by both software and hardware wallets.

Opendime Bitcoin hardware wallet

On their website, Opendime is referred to as the “World’s First Bitcoin Credit stick wallet.” The highly innovative and minimalistic USB stick allows users to load Bitcoins onto the wallet and physically pass them to other users multiple times. It deviates from the traditional security protocols used by both software and hardware wallets.

On their website, Opendime is referred to as the “World’s First Bitcoin Credit stick wallet.” The highly innovative and minimalistic USB stick allows users to load Bitcoins onto the wallet and physically pass them to other users multiple times. It deviates from the traditional security protocols used by both software and hardware wallets.

For instance, it does not need to be secured with a PIN, and neither does its contents need to be encrypted. And unlike most other crypto hardware wallets, Opendime doesn’t have a screen or transaction confirmation buttons. Rather, you have to connect it to your computer to check crypto balances.

In this review, we want to determine if the Opendime hardware wallet is indeed the most secure Bitcoin vault yet. And to answer this, we explore different aspects of the wallet, including its ease of use, set up process, pros, and cons, and also compare it with other hardware wallets.

But first, we look at how Opndime works.

How Opendime hardware wallet works

Like most other hardware wallets, Opendime is a USB-like device that’s specially designed to store Bitcoins. Every time you order Opendime, you will receive a set of three single-use wallets. Single-use here implies that you can only draw coins from the wallet once. After receiving the wallet, you can add as many bitcoins for as long as possible. But to access these coins, you need to break the special seal on the device.

Opendime key features:

Highly versatile wallet: Opendime is a highly versatile and easy to use hardware wallet. It is compatible with a computer, laptop, or even a phone. Simply plug it into either of these devices to initiate the setup process, check balances, or withdraw the bitcoins stored therein.

Free to use: When using the standard hardware or software wallet, you are often required to send bitcoins over the blockchain network. The process isn’t just time-consuming, but you also have to pay network fees for the online transaction. When using Opendime, you can copy coins from one wallet and transfer them to another, physically, without incurring the Bitcoin network fees. You also don’t have to wait for hours on end to have your transactions processed.

Bitcoin-specific: This implies that unlike most other hardware wallets like Trezor or Ledger Nano S that host thousands of cryptocurrencies and tokens, Opendime can only support Bitcoins.

Opendime security features:

Keys are generated by the device: Your Opendime wallet will automatically generate the private and public wallet keys as well as your address QR code. These unique wallet identifiers are created as soon as you plug your device into a computer and are highly randomized to eliminate duplicity.

No access to private keys: After the private wallet address is generated, it is stored within the device. Not even the wallet owner can view the private address without having to break the wallet’s seal.

Tamper proof: According to Opendime creators, Coinkike.inc, it is impossible to tamper or duplicate these hardware wallets. They argue that the wallet is designed using proprietary technology, where each chip contains a unique factory key that is impossible to peel or replace.

How to set up the Opendime bitcoin wallet

Step 1: After receiving the three Opendime wallets, connect the one you wish to use immediately to a computer. Red and green lights will flash on the device.

Step 2: On your preferred browser search for Index.htm. You will receive a notification stating that the ‘wallet has never been used.’

Step 3: Agree to the Opendime wallet manufacturer’s terms and conditions to start the wallet activation process.

Step 4: On your computer, open the index file associated with the hardware wallet (found under /Volumes/OPENDIME) and upload a photo or any file of at least 256kb.

Step 5: Once the wallet detects the file, the flashing light will turn green

Step 6: Now reload the Index.htm page on your browser to generate and reveal your wallet’s public address

Step 7: The new Opendime wallet page will reveal the ‘Check Balance,’ ‘Verify,’ and ‘Your Bitcoin Receiving Address’ tabs.

How to add/receive Bitcoins to the Opendime hardware wallet

Step 1: Plug in the Opendime wallet into a computer and open the index.htm page on a browser.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Your Bitcoin Receiving Address’ tab to reveal your wallet addresses.

Step 3: Copy the address and send it to the individual sending you Bitcoins.

Step 4: Wait for the coins to reflect on your Opendime wallet.

How to send funds from Opendime wallet

Step 1: Plugin Opendime wallet into your computer and open Index.htm page.

Step 2: Break the wallets seal after which the private wallet address will display on the browser page

Step 3: Click on the ‘Send to any Address’ icon to initiate the transfer.

Step 4: Key in the recipient’s wallet address and hit send

Opendime wallet ease of use

Opendime has a straightforward setup process. Plugin the wallet device into a computer/laptop/phone and initiate the wallet activation process by opening the Index.htm URL page on your browser. This gives you access to the device’s public wallet address.

Both the wallet and its website are also multi-lingual, supporting over seven international languages.

Opendime cost and fees

Opendime wallets are available in a pack of three and are currently sold for $49.94 (approximately $17 per wallet).

Given that Opendime is not a transactional wallet, you will not have to worry about the transaction fees. The wallet’s portability also means that you can bypass the bitcoin blockchain fees altogether by moving the physical keys on the wallet as opposed to sending them over the network.

What are the pros and cons of using Opendime bitcoin hardware wallet?

Pros:

  • It may be considered tamper-proof as you have to break the seal to access the private keys.
  • The hardware wallet gives you absolute control over your Bitcoins as they are stored in the physical device.
  • There is no limit to the number of Bitcoins you can hold on the Opendime wallet.
  • It is cheaper than all other hardware wallets available today.
  • It allows for wholly anonymous Bitcoin transactions where you can move a huge number of Bitcoins without leaving a digital footprint.
  • You can move an unlimited number of Bitcoins from one wallet to another for free.
  • Opendime has a straightforward onboarding process.

Cons:

  • One may consider it expensive, especially since it is not reusable.
  • It is not foolproof as it can be stolen or lost.
  • Unlike more sturdy hardware wallets like Cobo Vault that are indestructible, Opendime is highly fragile.
  • It only supports one digital currency – Bitcoin.
  • One may consider it expensive, especially when you consider that the wallet isn’t reusable.
  • There are no PIN or passwords to protect your funds and no recovery seed.

Comparing Opendime to other hardware wallets

Opendime vs. Ledger Nano S

The only similarity between Opendime and Ledger Nano S is the fact that they are both crypto hardware wallets that support Bitcoin. Other than that, they adopt highly diverse security approaches to keeping your private keys they hold safe.

While Opendime only has one layer of protection over a client’s private keys, Ledger Nano S embraces a multi-layered security approach. Opendime keeps the coins safe by hiding the private keys from everyone, including the owner, while Ledger Nano S encrypts these keys before burying them under a password and recovery seed.

Verdict: Is it the safest hardware wallet yet?

Opendime hardware wallet is tamper-proof, it stores your private keys offline, and doesn’t reveal your private wallet address. These make it one of the most secure physical bitcoin vaults. There nonetheless, are several drawbacks to using the crypto wallet. For instance, it is not password-protected, and it does not have a backup or recovery option. Therefore, should the wallet be lost, misplaced, or destroyed, you have no way of recovering your digital assets.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Balancer (BAL) All About? 

DeFi is currently the hottest thing in the crypto space, thanks to DeFi protocols that challenge everything we know about money. Smart cryptocurrency investors are rushing to DeFi platforms to passively earn money, trade with the best prices, and find ways to multiply their portfolio. 

DeFi is currently the hottest thing in the crypto space, thanks to DeFi protocols that challenge everything we know about money. Smart cryptocurrency investors are rushing to DeFi platforms to passively earn money, trade with the best prices, and find ways to multiply their portfolio. 

DeFi is currently the hottest thing in the crypto space, thanks to DeFi protocols that challenge everything we know about money. Smart cryptocurrency investors are rushing to DeFi platforms to passively earn money, trade with the best prices, and find ways to multiply their portfolio. 

Balancer is one such DeFi protocol. The project is making waves in the space with its cutting edge ideas like customizable liquidity pools, the ability to acquire BAL tokens by simply staking in pools, and a smart order routing protocol that finds traders the best prices. 

Let’s examine Balancer more closely and see how exactly you can start benefiting from the protocol! 

Understanding Balancer 

Launched in September 2019, Balancer is an automated market maker (AMM), a portfolio manager, exchange, and liquidity provider that runs on top of Ethereum. Balancer enables traders to exchange various cryptocurrencies with minimal cost and slippage. It aims to replace centralized market makers with peer-to-peer and non-custodial trading and exchange services. 

Decentralized trading platforms can use the Balancer protocol to determine the best exchange rates and trading prices. The protocol provides liquidity for the trades, using the funds deposited by stakers/investors in the platform’s various liquidity pools. 

Balancer is not the first AMM in the DeFi space. What makes it special is that it supports up to eight assets, including ETH, DAI, and USDC per market. 

Balancer Pools

Balancer Pools are liquidity pools, in which anyone can stake crypto and hence inject liquidity into the protocol. Unlike other liquidity pools in the DeFi space, Balancer Pools don’t require you to split between just two tokens. Instead, you have at your disposal up to eight tokens. For instance, a pool could have 30% DAI, 30% LINK, 30% MKR, and 10% WETH, while other pools can only support, let’s say, 60% USDC and 40% MKR. 

Balancer employs smart order routing (SOR) to provide the best rates and trading prices possible. Balancer pools are like index funds; only this time, instead of being charged for portfolio management services, you’re the one that actually gets paid for contributing liquidity.

Balancer pools are also customizable, meaning users can optimize them for different needs. For instance, we have Liquidity Bootstrapping Pools (LBPs) in which you can create deep liquidity for your token. There’s also stablecoin pools that support zero impermanent loss.

How can You Use the Balancer Pools? 

You can use balancer pools for two purposes: providing liquidity and trading. 

#1. Providing liquidity: you can deposit any of the eight supported tokens into pools, providing liquidity to traders of that particular pool. Liquidity providers stand to earn a fee (paid by the traders). However, volatility and other market factors can sometimes cause liquidity providers to lose part of their investment. Studying market patterns keenly and not investing more money than you can afford to lose are some of the ways to mitigate potential losses.

#2. Trading: Users can trade tokens in a safe and peer-to-peer manner. Balancer’s SOR protocol works to ensure the best prices.

How to Provide Liquidity to Balancer

The process of providing liquidity to Balancer is pretty straightforward.

  • Visit Balancer pools and connect MetaMask, WalletConnect, Portis or Coinbase wallets
  • Take a look at the listed pools and choose which one you would like to go inject liquidity to
  • Click Add Liquidity
  • Click Unlock to view the tokens you chose in the previous step. This step authorizes the Balancer protocol to use your deposited tokens
  • Indicate how many tokens you want to deposit
  • Confirm/Complete the transaction on your wallet

Before you get started, ensure that you have a sufficient balance of the tokens you want to deposit. 

Liquidity Mining

Balancer announced that it will be supporting liquidity mining starting from June. To this end, the protocol will be distributing 145,000 BAL tokens (roughly 7.5M per year). 

All you need to do to earn the token is to provide liquidity to the pools. Rewards will be paid out every week. The process is enabled for all pools on the platform, but with this condition: “a USD price can be extracted from CoinGecko for at least two tokens present in the liquidity pools.” 

Staking in Balancer doesn’t just earn you BAL. It gives you an opportunity to make your voice heard in the direction of the protocol. 

The BAL Token

BAL is the native cryptocurrency of the Balancer platform. The team introduced the token to make the platform decentralized by “diversifying governance.” Announcing the move, the team said: “We believe BAL tokens are the vehicle to drive alignment and participation in the protocol. BAL tokens are not an investment; BAL token holders should be people that interface with the protocols in some way, are committed to its future development, and want a seat at the governance table.” 

BAL token holders will help the platform achieve its highest potential. The team gives the following examples as to how: deploy the platform on other blockchains apart from Ethereum, implement scaling solutions, and the introduction of fees to start generating revenue. BAL holders can be at the front seat in actualizing these and more. 

The Hack That Shook Balancer

The world of DeFi and indeed crypto, in general, are constantly targeted by hackers, phishers, and all manner of bad actors. Balancer was the victim of such an attack on June 29 this year that led to the pool losing about $500,000 worth of crypto. Since Balancer is decentralized, anyone can create an asset pool with whatever parameters they wish. Let’s go through what happened: 

A hacker took a flash loan of $23million worth of Wrapped Ethereum (WETH) tokens from dYdX then proceeded to trade the WETH with Statera (STA) tokens against themselves, back and forth, 24 times. This almost completely drained the STA liquidity pool. By the time the hacker was done, STA balance was one weiSTA (one billionth of a coin). 

The Balancer protocol was tricked into releasing WETH equivalent to the original balance, granting the hacker a bigger margin for every trade. The attacker didn’t stop with WETH – they did the same thing with WBTC, LINK, and SNX, all against STA. 

Analysts at 1inch exchange said, “The person behind this attack was a very sophisticated smart contract engineer with extensive knowledge and understanding of the leading DeFi protocols.” The attacker’s address was not identified because they used an Ethereum mixer to cover their tracks. 

BAL’s Token Distribution

The Balancer token’s total supply is 100 million. So far, just 35.4 million of that has been minted, with its distribution being as follows: 

  • 22.5M went to the developing team, and stock options, advisors and investors 5.65M, or 25% of this  is currently locked, with the remaining 75% subject to 3 year vesting period
  • 2.5M was reserved for future team members stock options
  • 5M was reserved for the Balancer Ecosystem Fund
  • 0.435M was reserved for liquidity miners
  • Out of the remaining token’s supply, only 1.74 BAL is set to be released each year.

Key Metrics

At the time of writing, BAL trades at 16.01 with a market cap of $111, 162, 211, that places it at #87 in the market. BAL’s 24-hour volume is $10, 665, 976, and it has a circulating supply of 6, 943, 831. The coin’s highest price was  $23.73 (June 24, 2020), while its lowest was $7.88 (July 15, 2020). 

Buying and Storing BAL

If you wish to acquire some BAL tokens, the platform’s in-house exchange, Balancer Exchange, is the best place to do so. Alternatively, you can grab some BAL from any of several exchanges, including Binance, Huobi, BKEx, OKEx, Hoo, Poloniex, FTX, Bibox, Switcheo Network, BiKi, Bitribe, Uniswap, Bamboo Relay and dex.blue. You’ll find the token as a pair with LEND, DAI, ETH, BTC, USDT, BNB, WETH, MKR, and so on. 

BAL is an ERC20 token, meaning it can be stored in any wallet that supports Ethereum. Great choices include MyEtherWallet, MetaMask ethaddress Parity, Guarda, Trust Wallet, Atomic Wallet, Parity, Ledger, and Trezor. 

Closing Thoughts

Balancer is not the average automatic market maker. It supports an impressive number of tokens so users can stake in a wide variety of them. Traders can also get the best possible deal, thanks to the platform’s SOR protocol. And even better, staking in BAL gives holders the ability to shape the Balancer protocol into what best shape they envision it to be. The Balancer protocol is only beginning to wow DeFi investors with greatness. 

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 25 – Bitcoin Whales List Reaches All-Time High; DeFi Projects Still Booming

Cryptocurrencies had a steady day, with most of them being in the slight green. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,768, which represents an increase of 1.22% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.32% on the day, while XRP gained 1.85%.

Cryptocurrencies had a steady day, with most of them being in the slight green. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,768, which represents an increase of 1.22% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.32% on the day, while XRP gained 1.85%.

Cryptocurrencies had a steady day, with most of them being in the slight green. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,768, which represents an increase of 1.22% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 4.32% on the day, while XRP gained 1.85%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, Aave gained 33.55% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Kusama (26.13%) and The JUST (17.30%) also did great. On the other hand, Nervos Network lost 7.95%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by OMG Network’s loss of 7.59% and Siacoin’s drop of 7.53%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has decreased slightly, with its value currently at 60.04%. This value represents a 0.16% difference to the downside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap increased in value over the course of the day. Its current value is $368.97 billion, which represents an increase of $6.26 billion when compared to our previous report.

_______________________________________________________________________

What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is at an important crossroad that will decide its short-term future. While it is currently stuck between $11,630 and $12,000, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap will soon have to decide on its direction. Even though a retest of the $11,630 support seems much more plausible, that does not mean that BTC will make a sharp move towards the downside. If the level holds, Bitcoin might have a good chance of bouncing towards $12,000 yet again.

The low volume also shows that a bigger move is on the horizon.

Traders should look for what BTC will do after it hits one of its support/resistance levels before making a trade.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and below its 21-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its middle band
  • RSI is neutral (50.15)
  • Volume is below average and stagnant
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,015                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

3: $12,900                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Unlike Bitcoin that’s preparing for a move and trading with reduced volume and volatility, Ethereum had a great day and ended up making good gains. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap had a small volume spike, which was significant enough to push the price up and past the descending trend it was in for a couple of days.

Ethereum is now stabilizing at around $400, while its volume is decreasing.

Ethereum traders should look for Bitcoin’s next move, which ETH will most likely follow.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently above its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is at its upper band
  • RSI is neutral (52.30)
  • Volume is slightly increased from the previous days
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $361

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP spent the day consolidating above $0.285 level, which is regained the previous day. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap focused on stabilizing above $0.285, but without much success. While it is still technically above it, XRP would need a small move towards the upside (or some other sort of a decisive move) to confirm its position.

XRP traders should be careful around the $.285 level and pick their trade carefully based on where XRP will go.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is above its 21-period and below its 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above the middle band
  • RSI is neutral (48.63)
  • Volume is below average and stable
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.31                                     1: $0.285 

2: $0.32                                     2: $0.266

3: $0.332                                  3:$0.2454

 

Categories
Crypto Guides

Decentralized File Sharing – An Efficient Approach To File Transfers?

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

An efficient file storage method, decentralized file-sharing uses multiple nodes to store files instead of using a single centralized server. With the growing complexities on the internet due to the increasing rate of web data and files communicating through HTTP, it has become highly essential to use an efficient method to store data. When the online traffic is increased, the volume of information to be transferred mounts up automatically. As a result, if we want to transfer large files, we will need more bandwidth.

What Are The Issues And How Decentralized File Sharing Helps?

Addressing all these issues, decentralized file sharing emerged as a robust solution. Torrenting was the best solution for sharing available to the general public. It is used to transfer larger audio or video files over the internet without getting hampered by the challenges of HTTP. However, there were some drawbacks to the file-sharing protocols wherein the volunteers can restrict the services and disable the nodes that can limit the transfer.

With the help of blockchain technology, the decentralized file-sharing networks can be made robust. With this file-sharing network, users are provided with incentives for their contribution. This helps in ensuring that there are enough nodes to fuel the network.

The Potentials of MultiChain File Sharing

Multichain refers to an open-source structure, which enables users to deploy private blockchain for any enterprise. MultiChain supports Mac, Linux, and Window servers and offers a streamlined API as well as Command Line Interface.

This framework addresses the issues of privacy, openness, and mining through integrated user permission management. MultiChain is essentially a permission-based private blockchain that allows nodes to join and form a network. By enabling teams to create a well-integrated and secure network, MultiChain facilitates an efficient way of file-sharing.

Security Levels of Blockchain File Sharing

In the blockchain, we get enhanced security in file sharing. This technology offers multiple levels of security, including:

  • AES key encryption with RSA enables file access to merely by the receiver. Even if the files are accessible at all blocks, only specific receivers will have access to the file.
  • Files of equal size are divided and encoded through Hex encoding, which proves to be a potential way of sending files in the streams (blocks).
  • This is the most vital, powerful, and the highest level of security. Blockchain network offers the highest level of security by ensuring the fact that a file transfer occurs when all the nodes approve it within the network.
  • All nodes can certainly see when a transaction is happening between the senders and receivers without interfering with the process. The security level offers a guarantee that merely legitimate files can be transferred via the network.

The Bottom Line

By harnessing the full potentials of decentralized file sharing, we can enjoy stress-less and efficient file transferring that is not dependent on the nodes. Blockchain technology is an emerging technology that can make the file sharing process streamlined and more efficient. The above mentioned were some key highlights of decentralized file-sharing that we need to understand.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

LiteVault Wallet Review 2020: Features, Pros, Cons, and Fees

LiteValut is a Litecoin-specific web wallet. It was developed and introduced to the crypto industry by an anonymous crypto developer referred to as ‘Someguy123.’ Apart from its close association with the Litecoin blockchain, Litevault hosts unique operational and security features. Questions are, however, abound with regards to the safety of the web wallet given that it is not regulated, it is developed and maintained by anonymous entities, and stores its client’s private keys in company servers.

LiteVault crypto wallet

LiteValut is a Litecoin-specific web wallet. It was developed and introduced to the crypto industry by an anonymous crypto developer referred to as ‘Someguy123.’ Apart from its close association with the Litecoin blockchain, Litevault hosts unique operational and security features. Questions are, however, abound with regards to the safety of the web wallet given that it is not regulated, it is developed and maintained by anonymous entities, and stores its client’s private keys in company servers.

LiteValut is a Litecoin-specific web wallet. It was developed and introduced to the crypto industry by an anonymous crypto developer referred to as ‘Someguy123.’ Apart from its close association with the Litecoin blockchain, Litevault hosts unique operational and security features. Questions are, however, abound with regards to the safety of the web wallet given that it is not regulated, it is developed and maintained by anonymous entities, and stores its client’s private keys in company servers.

In this review, we will be explaining everything you need to know about the LiteVault web wallet. We will be examining factors such as its key operational features, security measures in place, ease of use, and the number of supported currencies before comparing it to equally popular web wallets.

Key Features:

Fast transaction processing: Litevault is extremely light. Unlike most other full-stack wallets and apps that require you to download the entire blockchain, Litevault is web-based. Private keys are stored online, and all the crypto-transactions are hosted on the company servers. This not only saves your computer space but also guarantees faster execution of Litecoin transactions.

Highly intuitive: Litevault also has a highly decongested user interface that makes it easy to use for both expert and beginner traders.

Single currency wallet: Litevault web wallet is Litecoin-specific. This implies that it will only support the Litecoin digital currency.

Integrates with payment processors: Ideally, the single currency nature of the web wallet means that you can only deposit Litecoin into the wallet. Litevault has, nevertheless, partnered with several payment-processing companies like Changelly that facilitate fiat-to-Litecoin conversions.

Custodial web wallet: Unlike most crypto wallet apps that give you absolute control over your wallet, Litevault is custodial. Instead of storing your private keys in your computer or mobile device, LiteVault stores your private keys on the company servers.

Multiple wallets: There is no limit to the number of Litecoin wallets you can attach to your Litevault crypto wallet.

Security features:

Password: Like any other web wallet or crypto wallet app, Litevault is password protected. You get to set a strong password during account registration. The password serves both the purposes of encrypting the wallet and restricting unauthorized access.

Two-factor authentication: In addition to password protection, Litevault adds a security layer through two-factor authentication. But unlike other wallets that use your phone number to activate 2FA, Litevault uses your email address.

Litevault encryption: Litevault uses in-browser cryptography to encrypt all the client-server communications. According to Litevault, the data is encrypted right after it leaves your browser, and before it reaches the Litevault servers. This ensures that the company employees never have access to your private keys or any other sensitive user data.

Open sourced: Litevault crypto wallet is built on an open-sourced technology that is vetted and approved by the crypto industry experts. The open-sourced nature of the platform ensures that virtually anyone can view and audit its source code.

Back up your keys in a physical device: While Litevault doesn’t store your private keys on your device, you can still backup and export your digital assets. You can export the decrypted version of the private keys as a JSON file and store it in a USB drive or another wallet.

How to set up Litevault wallet

Step 1: Head over to the official Litevault website and click ‘Register.’

Step 2: On the account registration page, enter your email address (optional), and click on ‘Create Account.’

Step 3: The Litevault site will provide you with a unique identifier that you can use as your username

Step 4: Your account is set, and you can now start adding and transacting in Litecoins.

(Note: While the email address is not mandatory, you are advised to add it to your account if you intend to activate two-factor authentication)

How to add/receive crypto into Litevault wallet

Step 1: Log in to your Litevault web wallet and on the dashboard, click on “Receive (manage address)”

Step 2: Copy the wallet address and send it to the parties sending you Litecoins.

Step 3: Wait for these Litecoins to reflect on your Litevault wallet.

How to send crypto from Litevault wallet

Step 1: Log in to your Litevault web wallet and on the user dashboard, click on the “Send” tab

Step 2: If you created multiple wallets, select the address from which you would like to send the crypto

Step 3: Enter the recipient’s wallet address and the number of Litecoins you would like to transfer

Step 4: Confirm that these details are okay and hit send.

Litevault wallet ease of use

The Litevault web wallet user dashboard is clean and easy to use. It is highly intuitive and only features the most important tabs, plus it recently introduced the colorism aspect where different color tags are used for easier in-wallet navigation.

Litevault wallet cost and fees

Creating a Litevault web wallet account is free. Further, you won’t be charged for storing your Litecoins in this wallet.

You, however, will be charged network fees in the name of transaction fees every time you send Litecoins to another wallet or exchange. This transaction fee is highly variable and largely depends on the transaction amounts. These are charged by the Litecoin network administrators and not Litevault.

You will also include currency conversion fees if you buy crypto using fiat through fiat-to-crypto conversion sites like Changelly. This amount includes the transaction charge imposed by your credit/debit card provider and the conversion fees by Changelly.

Litevault wallet customer support

There are two primary ways of getting assistance when using the Litevault web wallet. First, you can rely on their very elaborative FAQs section. Here they address some of the most common challenges LiteVault wallet users face. These may include missing transactions, incorrect balances, the send button not working, or the transaction fee tab that fails to capture the entire amount. The page explains how you can solve each of these changes.

If any of these problems persist, you can reach out to the LiteVault support team via email or directly message them on Twitter.

What are the pros and cons of LiteVault wallet

Pros:

  • Litevault web wallet is easy to use and has a straightforward registration process.
  • You can create multiple Litcoin addresses on one LiteVault web wallet.
  • Litevault has employed several security features that include open-sourcing its technology.
  • LiteVault makes it possible to backup and export it to a USB drive or another wallet.

Cons:

  • It is prone to inherent security limitations associated with hot wallets.
  • It is not regulated.
  • It stores your private keys on the company’s servers, and this increases the risk of loss.
  • It only supports one digital currency – Litecoin.

Comparing Litevault to other desktop Litecoin wallets.

LiteVault vs. Litecoin Core desktop client

LiteVault web wallet and the Litecoin Core desktop client have just but one significant similarity – they both are Litecoin-specific wallets. Their key differences include the fact that LiteVault is web-based and holds coins on behalf of its clients while Litecoin Core is a full-stack desktop client that hosts client private keys within their device. Registering on LiteVault is quite straightforward, as it doesn’t require you to download an app while LiteCoin Core demands that you download the entire blockchain.

Verdict? Is LiteVault wallet safe?

The web wallet has placed several security features aimed at making it the most secure web wallet. It has open-sourced the technology used to create the wallet, it is possible to backup and import your private keys, and uses in-browser cryptography to encrypt all user data. These play a key role in improving the wallet’s security. However, we must observe that while these make the wallet relatively safe, it is still exposed to the inherent problems associated with any hot crypto wallet.

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 24 – YFI The Youngest DeFi Billionaire; IOTA Going Bankrupt

Cryptocurrencies spent most of the weekend recovering from the bearish move, which occurred late Friday and early Saturday. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,731, which represents an increase of 1.11% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.8% on the day, while XRP gained 1.71%.

Cryptocurrencies spent most of the weekend recovering from the bearish move, which occurred late Friday and early Saturday. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,731, which represents an increase of 1.11% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.8% on the day, while XRP gained 1.71%.

Cryptocurrencies spent most of the weekend recovering from the bearish move, which occurred late Friday and early Saturday. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,731, which represents an increase of 1.11% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 0.8% on the day, while XRP gained 1.71%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, Cosmos gained 29.48% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. IRISnet (21.33%) and The Midas Touch (18.49%) also did great. On the other hand, yearn.finance lost 8.32%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Ren’s loss of 7.36% and Komodo’s drop of 6.67%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has increased slightly and passed the 60% mark to the upside, with its value currently at 60.20%. This value represents a 0.46% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a decrease in value over the course of the weekend. Its current value is $362.71 billion, which represents a decrease of $10.46 billion when compared to our previous report.

_______________________________________________________________________

What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

After a failed breakout of the ascending triangle, Bitcoin’s price started moving down until it reached $11,460 on Saturday. After reaching that level and not being able to pass it to the downside, Bitcoin bounced and started moving up slowly. The whole weekend was rather slow in terms of volatility, but extremely important in terms of where Bitcoin will end up. The fight for $11,630 was successful, and BTC is now above it, with the potential of going further up. However, the move to the upside will not go far with this volume, as it is way too low for any significant movement.

BTC traders should look for a trade near the $11,900 level, which might act as resistance.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is above its 50-period EMA as well as its 21-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its middle band
  • RSI is neutral (54.45)
  • Volume is below average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,015                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

3: $12,900                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Ethereum’s weekend was also spent in recovering from the bearish moves that occurred in the previous week. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap managed to stabilize at below-$400 levels, which it is now trying to pass to the upside. However, the moves which occurred in the past week created a downward-facing trend, which is creating resistance towards the upside, which Ethereum is struggling to pass with low volume, which it now has.

Ethereum traders can look for a trade after Ethereum breaks the trend (to any side).

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently above its 21-period and below its 50-period EMA
  • Price is at its middle band
  • RSI is neutral (49.72)
  • Volume is below average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $361

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP’s chart looks no different than Bitcoin’s and Ethereum’s chart. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap spent the weekend recovering from what was lost during the bearish moves that occurred throughout the week. XRP stabilized at $0.28 and then gathered the strength to push past it. While the price is currently above the $0.285 level, it is not certain that it will stay that way. XRP would need a confirmation move in order to turn $0.285 into true support.

XRP traders can look for after XRP confirms its position, or after it drops below $0.285.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently above the 21-period and below the 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above the middle band
  • RSI is neutral (51.50)
  • Volume is stable and below average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.31                                     1: $0.285 

2: $0.32                                     2: $0.266

3: $0.332                                  3:$0.2454

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Introducing THORChain (RUNE)

-The idea of crypto is for it to be a decentralized and trustless currency. But since crypto became an idea, users have never been able to exchange it in a decentralized and trustless manner. Today’s cryptocurrency exchanges are just like legacy financial exchanges: centralized, custodial, and prone to regulatory interference. If the means through which users exchange cryptocurrency is centralized, then cryptocurrency is far from reaching its ideal status. 

-The idea of crypto is for it to be a decentralized and trustless currency. But since crypto became an idea, users have never been able to exchange it in a decentralized and trustless manner. Today’s cryptocurrency exchanges are just like legacy financial exchanges: centralized, custodial, and prone to regulatory interference. If the means through which users exchange cryptocurrency is centralized, then cryptocurrency is far from reaching its ideal status. 

-The idea of crypto is for it to be a decentralized and trustless currency. But since crypto became an idea, users have never been able to exchange it in a decentralized and trustless manner. Today’s cryptocurrency exchanges are just like legacy financial exchanges: centralized, custodial, and prone to regulatory interference. If the means through which users exchange cryptocurrency is centralized, then cryptocurrency is far from reaching its ideal status. 

What the crypto world needs is the ability to exchange value in a decentralized manner, and in a way that’s free from the arbitrary decisions of powerful entities. 

THORChain is a network that not only does this but is also chain-agnostic, meaning it does not favor or discriminate on any blockchain. This means users can connect to and interact with any blockchain in a cross-chain fashion. On THORChain, you can even earn passive income by simply staking the network’s native currency: RUNE.

THORChain network allows you to do the following: stake money and earn rewards, seamlessly transfer value across chains, and run a validator node, and get paid for it. 

THORchain Features

The THORChain protocol has the following key features. 

#1. Cross-chain Asset Swaps

THORChain allows you to swap any supported asset in a peer-to-peer fashion. All you need to do is connect your wallet and follow the prompts for swapping various tokens. Token swaps are carried out instantly at a minimal and transparent fee. 

#2. Provide liquidity

Users can stake crypto assets on THORChain and earn fees. Staking assets also gets you paid in block rewards.

#3. Earn Rewards for Running a Node

THORChain users can run nodes (and hence maintain and secure the network) and get rewarded with two-thirds of the collected network fees. Nodes are refreshed every three days to promote the dynamicness and inclusivity of the network. Nodes can also leave at any time after submitting a request. Such a request is processed within a few hours. 

Who Created THORChain?

The THORChain team is intentionally pseudonymous in order to “protect the project.” They believe that “figureheads, personalities, and founders undermine the project’s ability to decentralize.” Instead, the team believes that transparency and other facets, such as handling of funds, research, and the THORChain code, are enough to prove the authenticity of the project. 

With that, the THOR Chain team began researching the project in June 2018, going on to launch the first testnet in the fourth quarter of that year. After the testnet, the team continued researching and went on to launch the first bridge in the second quarter of 2019. The network went live in the first quarter of 2020. 

The project’s native token, RUNE, was launched on the Binance blockchain in June 2019. 500 million tokens were issued, after which the token was listed on Binance’s decentralized exchange. The token was also distributed for free community members who promoted the project in various ways. 

Where does RUNE fit in the THORChain Ecosystem?

The RUNE plays various key roles in the THORChain ecosystem. From staking to covering transaction fees to providing liquidity, RUNE is essential to the running of the system. 

  • Staking – Network participants who wish to become nodes must first stake RUNE tokens. Staking is required for a certain period of time to prevent nothing-at-stake attacks.
  • Payments – Users engaging with the THORChain network pay fees in RUNE – whether it’s a transaction, trading, bridging or liquidity fees
  • Backing liquidity – When you add liquidity to the THORChain network, that liquidity is backed by RUNE in what’s known as ‘Continuous Liquidity Pools.’ In this way, RUNE acts as a settlement currency for the network
  • Block Rewards – Block validators are rewarded in RUNE for protecting the network.
  • RUNE is required as liquidity to join Liquidity Hubs

Products by THORChain 

THORChain supports a few powerful products, which include the following: 

#1. BEP Swap

This is an application powered by THORChain that allows Binance coin (BNB) BEP2 token holders to swap assets or deposit them for liquidity and earn commissions from trades. It also enables traders to stay on top of pool prices and trade them more profitably. 

#2. Flash Network

Flash Network is a layer-2 network that supports instant asset swaps on the THORChain network. It supports exchanges across multiple tokens and liquidity pools. Also, Flash Network is compatible with other layer-2 solutions such as Lightning Network, Raiden, and Bolt. 

#3. RUNEVault

This is a staking interface that allows THORChain users to stake in and earn more RUNE. The team created RUNEVault to observe user behavior interactions and learn how to make an improved project for THORChain’s mainnet launch. When the mainnet launches, the platform will be retired. 

#4. Bitfröst Protocol

The Bitfröst Protocol is a cross-chain protocol that facilitates connectivity between disparate blockchains. It solves one of blockchain’s most persistent problems: interoperability. This way, THORChain users can seamlessly trade assets across any blockchain.

THORChain Nodes

These are individuals who maintain and secure the network by verifying the authenticity of transactions. Other duties include monitoring transactions on external chains, approving outgoing transactions, and operating the network protocol. 

To run a validator node, you need to have high-performance software and hardware, as well as stake a minimum of 1 million RUNE. Though that’s a bit on the high end, RUNE validators are compensated in RUNE for their work. They receive what’s known as ‘bond rewards’ – which is 67% of the system’s revenue, while liquidity providers get 33% of the share. 

If node operators do not perform any of their duties the right way or attempt to defraud the network, they will be penalized. 

How to Earn RUNE

You can earn RUNE in two ways: running a validator node and staking in RUNE. RUNE holders can currently stake the token in RUNEVault and earn a share of 1 million RUNE that’s being distributed weekly. 

You can also earn RUNE by running a validator node. Validator nodes maintain the blockchain and earn in the form of liquidity fees and block rewards. 

Where to Buy and Store RUNE

The safest way to acquire summer RUNE would be through a cryptocurrency exchange. You’ll find RUNE paired with either BTC, BNB, USDT, ETH, EUR, and BUSD at any of the following exchanges: Binance, FTX, Hoo, Bilaxy, Eterbase, BitMax, and Binance DEX. 

RUNE is a BEP-2 compliant token, which means you can store it in any Binance supported wallet. Popular options include Trust Wallet, Guarda, Atomic Wallet, Binance Chain Web Wallet, Ledger, and RUNEVault (which allows you to stake and earn more RUNE).

Key Metrics of RUNE

At the time of writing, RUNE is trading at $0.682046, with a market cap of $108, 058, 013 that places it at position 89 in the market. The token has a 24-hour volume of $5, 077, 431, a circulating supply of 158, 432, 088, and a total supply of 500 million. RUNE’s highest and lowest price ever was $0.719599 (July 24, 2020), and 0.007939 (Sep 27, 2019). 

Closing Thoughts

The THORChain team has made a product that truly works – and benefits the DeFi space. Few protocols have what DeFi has – an in-house DEX, the ability to swap assets cross-chain safely and securely, as well as enabling users to earn by simply staking their idle funds. THORChain has already carved out space for itself in the DeFi world, and if it keeps the same level of innovation, it will even be a bigger force to reckon with. 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Kava.io (KAVA)?

In a fast-developing DeFi landscape, new projects are being launched that defy the very concepts of traditional finance. After all, that’s what decentralized finance is all about – the idea that the rules can be made by the average people and not just by the government and powerful entities.

In a fast-developing DeFi landscape, new projects are being launched that defy the very concepts of traditional finance. After all, that’s what decentralized finance is all about – the idea that the rules can be made by the average people and not just by the government and powerful entities.

In a fast-developing DeFi landscape, new projects are being launched that defy the very concepts of traditional finance. After all, that’s what decentralized finance is all about – the idea that the rules can be made by the average people and not just by the government and powerful entities.

Kava.io is a DeFi platform that empowers users to earn crypto just from staking and locking up collateral. Users stand to earn yields that are way more exciting and superior than traditional savings accounts that offer meager returns. 

In this guide, we dive deep into how the Kava ecosystem works and get a closer look at its two tokens: KAVA and USDX.

Understanding Kava.io

Kava is a DeFi and blockchain platform offering services like collateralized loans to crypto users. The platform has its own stablecoin, USDX, which users receive when they collateralize their assets. It also features a native cryptocurrency known as KAVA, which facilitates staking and governance of the protocol.  

Specifically, KAVA supports the following: 

  • Collateralized loans: Crypto users have an open and decentralized interaction with loans, stablecoin, and hedging services
  • Hedging with interest: Users can hedge USDX, the platform’s stablecoin and earn yields in return 
  • A variety of derivatives: Kava intends to integrate a wide variety of innovative synthetics and crypto derivative products

Use Cases of Kava

The Kava platform aims to provide the following use cases, with the plan to roll out more in the future in the works: 

  • Users can earn USDX simply by locking in collateral
  • Users can stake USDX and earn more of it
  • Users can take collateralized loans and create leverage positions for supported cryptos

Features of the Kava Platform

#1. Auction 

This is a module that oversees the creation and implementation of various auction types that are necessary for the platform to function. This could include forward auction, debt auction, forward reverse auction, surplus auction, and surplus reverse auctions

#2. BEP3

This is a module that oversees the functioning of the BEP3 protocol. BEP3 is a cross-chain asset transfer protocol that facilitates swaps between Kava and BEP3 standard-compliant tokens

#3. CDP

CDP is a module that creates collateralized debt positions (CDP). It allows users to create stable assets pegged against a real-life asset, such as the US Dollar. It also implements the governance parameters of the system, which can be changed at any time through a vote. Such parameters could be the amount of debt that’s allowed to be in circulation, the debt limits, and collateralization ratio for collaterals.

#4.Committee

This is a governance mechanism that allows platform users to make their voices heard as far as the direction of the platform is concerned. Users can vote on and implement proposals, including in emergency situations. The makeup of the committee is decided through a traditional vote, in which coin holders ‘elect,’ remove and update committee members if and when necessary.

#5. Incentive

This is an incentivization mechanism to reward users who open CDPs. The committee defines the collateral awards as well as the period in which users can claim them. It also could change the type of award at any time. 

#6. Kavadist

This is a ‘factory’ that mints coins for the platform. Each minting period has a specified annual percentage rate. Kavadist only creates coins. It’s not involved in their distribution or spending.

#7. Pricefeed

A module responsible for posting various markets’ prices. The median price is stored on the blockchain after each block

The Tokens

The Kava platform features two tokens: KAVA and USDX. KAVA is the native cryptocurrency of the Kava platform, and it plays the following roles in the ecosystem: 

  • Security – A 100 nodes are responsible for verifying the authenticity of blocks and adding them to the blockchain. By doing this, they maintain and secure the network. They are then rewarded with KAVA tokens in the form of block rewards and transaction fees. The nodes face losing these rewards if they fail to uphold any of their duties, such as not preventing the double signing of transactions
  • Governance – KAVA token holders can vote on and enact proposals within certain parameters of the CDP system
  • Lender of last resort – In the event, the Kava system runs out of collateral or is undercollateralized, KAVA token steps in as a reserve currency

In the same way, USDX has its own uses: 

  • Providing leverage – Platform users can use USDX tokens to leverage many other cryptoassets
  • Hedging – Traders can use USDX as a stable asset to cushion against the volatility of other cryptocurrencies 
  • Payments – USDX token is used to settle various forms of payments on the Kava network

 Distribution of KAVA

KAVA’s Distribution was as follows: 

  • 30.05% for the first private sale that took place between Jun 15 to Jun 30, 2019
  • 5.02% for the second private sale conducted between Jul 15 and Jul 31, 2019
  • 4.93% for the third private sale conducted between Aug 15 and Aug 31, 2019
  • 6.52% for the Binance Launchpad sale conducted on October 2019
  • 25% 4 Kava Labs shareholders
  • 28.48% was reserved for the Token Treasury

At the time of writing, Kava.io traded at $4.30, and it had a market cap of $144,014, 710, which placed it at #70. It had a 24-hour volume of $80, 817, 704, a circulating supply of 33, 485, 395, and a total supply of 106, 274, 714. KAVA’s highest and lowest price ever was $4.46 (Aug 08, 2020) and $0. 299967, (Mar 13, 2020).

Where to Buy and Store KAVA

You can grab some KAVA from a variety of legit exchanges, including Binance, Upbit, Bilaxy, Kraken, BitMax, Gate.io, Hoo, BiKi, HitBTC, Bitsonic, Bitrue, Coinone, CoinDCX, and HotBit. The token is paired with either USDT, ETH, USD, BTC, and BNB. 

You can store KAVA tokens in Trust Wallet and Ledger. 

Closing Thoughts

Kava.io is an exciting investment alternative for the modern investor. Instead of depositing your money to a lifeless savings account offering minuscule returns, you could consider a not just more dynamic investment platform, but also a decentralized one where you get to contribute to the rules. Kava.io is a strong contender for such a platform. 

Categories
Forex Videos

Forex Options Part 7 – Market Timing!

https://youtu.be/OljLcfqO5bw

https://youtu.be/OljLcfqO5bw

Forex Options VII – Market Timing

As we have seen in our previous videos, many elements play essential roles in the success ( or failure) of options trading. Another important factor in deciding which options strategy to choose is the market action. Thus, market timing plays a crucial role in the success of the options trader. Timing the market when directly investing in an asset, especially in intraday trading, is essential. That is true also for option strategies that rely on the movement of the underlying security.

When trading options, the usual market situations to analyze are

  1. The underlying asset is expected to move in a particular direction within an assumed period.
  2. The asset is likely to go in a determined direction but without a specified period.
  3. The security is expected to experience a large movement but without a known path.
  4. The security is likely to move in a range.

Under the preceding scenarios, an options trader can be profitable if:

  1. He is right about the scenario
  2. He uses the precise strategy for the market and current volatility.

Usually, the first factor (being right) makes you money, whereas the second one determines the amount won, and the maximum loss when wrong.

The underlying asset is expected to move in a particular direction within an assumed period

Market timing is essential when planning to buy puts or calls because if we buy a call and the market drops, we will lose money. When developing a short-term strategy, the best test for the entry rules is to measure the profit after a certain number of days. such as in

Profit = Price [x] – Price[0],

being x the number of days after entry and testing it for different values of x. The advantage of using a time window is that it allows the trader to focus on a strategy with determined expectations.
If the trader’s time frame is one month or more, he should care about volatility. If it is exceptionally high, he will pay more time premium, which will decline over time, but if he intends to sell it in five days, he will not need to be concerned about it, as decay will be minimal. The disadvantage of trading in a reduced time frame is that the asset must move within the period, or the strategy will lose money.


The asset is likely to go in a determined direction but without a specified period

Often, traders expect an asset to rise or fall but don’t have clues about when that will happen. Options can be used under this scenario, although, in this case, volatility should be monitored and considered. When there is no specified time frame, the trader must usually keep the option near to its expiration; thus, time decay or volatility decline will eat part or all the expected profits.

The security is expected to experience a large movement but without a known path

Profiting from this scenario is unique to options trading, as options allow the possibility to profit indistinctly from rises or falls in the price of the underlying asset. The most usual strategy is buying straddles, the combination of a call and a put. Since this strategy is relatively expensive, it is best for low volatility periods ( the market is in a range) where you expect a sudden movement. If right, the combination of implied volatility increment, and price movement will pay the initial cost. Indicators that may help with this strategy are ADX, RSI, historical volatility, ATR, and Percent R.


The security is likely to move in a range

This is another scenario only profitable using options. In the case of the asset moving in ranges, which happens two-thirds of the time, the options trader may profit in several ways. Indicators such as Percent R or support/resistance assessment can determine overbought and oversold levels and use these timing techniques to options. For example, sell out of the money calls in overbought markets to profit from the premium at expiration. Other option strategies that profit from ranges are buying calendar spreads, vertical spread selling, selling puts at support levels, and advanced combinations, such as Butterfly spreads.

 

Recommended reading:
THE OPTION TRADER’S GUIDE TO PROBABILITY, VOLATILITY, AND TIMING , by Jay Kaeppel

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Elrond Blockchain About?

Blockchain is a brilliant idea. It gives people the reins to be in charge of their own finance because it’s peer-to-peer and, refreshingly, no authority is calling the shots. This is enormously important because unlike traditional money, the state/bank cannot freeze your funds at will.

Blockchain is a brilliant idea. It gives people the reins to be in charge of their own finance because it’s peer-to-peer and, refreshingly, no authority is calling the shots. This is enormously important because unlike traditional money, the state/bank cannot freeze your funds at will.

Blockchain is a brilliant idea. It gives people the reins to be in charge of their own finance because it’s peer-to-peer and, refreshingly, no authority is calling the shots. This is enormously important because unlike traditional money, the state/bank cannot freeze your funds at will.

But the pioneer of blockchain and crypto, Bitcoin, is remiss in that it’s not sufficiently scalable, and it exists on its own (preventing interaction with other blockchains). These factors, and others such as the questionable decentralization of the network compromise, in a way, the promise of blockchain.

Elrond is a network that seeks to remedy some of these shortcomings. In this guide, we explore exactly how, as well as look at the platform’s token and how it fits in the picture. 

Understanding Elrond

Elrond is an open-source blockchain network that wants to solve persistent problems in blockchain, including security, scalability, and interoperability. It wants to enable near-instant transaction speed, high throughput, and low-cost transactions. With these features, Elrond wants to prepare for the IoT economy. The platform’s Adaptive State Sharding and Secure Proof of Stake consensus will help accomplish these goals. 

Challenges Faced By Blockchain Today

The Elrond team believes for blockchain to break into the real-world economy, it must meet the following criteria:

  • Complete decentralization: a blockchain should have full decentralization such that there are no central party influencing operations. It also should have no use for a trusted third party. These qualities eliminate the chance of whimsical decisions and a single point of failure
  • Robust security: a blockchain network should be able to keep potential attacks at bay – especially those from already known possible attack vectors
  • High scalability: a blockchain should be able to achieve a high throughput equivalent to or exceeding that of established legacy systems
  • Efficiency: The ability to meet every network obligation with as minimal computing power as possible
  • Bootstrapping and storage: a blockchain should be able to support efficient data storage at a competitive cost
  • Cross-chain interoperability: the ability to support unlimited connections with external blockchains as well as services

In view of these, the Elrond team has rethought the entire blockchain concept as we know it. It implements the SPoS consensus and state sharding, as previously mentioned, to meet the criteria. State sharding partitions the distributed network state into multiple shards. The SPoS mechanism is an improved version of Proof of Stake. It facilitates high-level security and true decentralization while avoiding the resource-intensive Proof of Work mechanism. 

Features of the Elrond Network

Both Adaptive State Sharding and SPoS are two of the backbones of the Elrond network. These and the Elrond Virtual Machine make up the main features of the platform. 

Let’s look at each more closely below:

#1. Adaptive State Sharding

By now, you already know that sharding is the process of dividing the data on the blockchain into multiple shards. The idea is to enable data to be more manageable. Sharding is usually in three variations: state, transactions, and network sharding. Elrond combines these three together to form ‘Adaptive State Sharding.’ This dramatically improves transaction throughput and overall performance. Adaptive State Sharding is able to achieve the following: 

  • Scalability without sacrificing availability: this means even if the number of shards was to be increased or decreased, or network state was being updated, this would not affect, or it would affect the overall performance very negligibly
  • Quick dispatching and near-instantaneous traceability: this means the computing of shards is in such a manner that communication rounds are eliminated
  • Efficiency and adaptability: this means the distribution of shards is as balanced as possible at any time
#2. Secure Proof of Stake

This is a unique rendition by Elrond of the Proof of Stake consensus. SPoS eliminates resource wastage, as is typical with Bitcoin’s Proof of Work. SPoS combines staking with random validator selection. SPoS maintains a high level of security through not just random sampling, but also the constant reshuffling of nodes. In the end, we have ‘unbiasable randomness,’ which promotes both security and integrity as well as promotes decentralization. 

#3. Elrond Virtual Machine

The Elrond Virtual Machine is a ‘factory’ for creating and executing smart contracts based on the WASM standard. The virtual machine supports more languages for developers to experiment with smart contracts, including Rust, C/C++, C#, and Typescript. This is good news for developers who can now develop smart contracts in whatever programming language they’re familiar with. 

Elrond’s Network Structure

The network structure comprises shards, metachain, and nodes. 

Shards, which we’ve already discussed, are more manageable divisions or chunks of the network. Each shard handles just a fraction of the network state – whether it’s transaction processing, accounts, payments, storage, and so on. This makes things quicker and more scalable. 

Metachain is a ‘special’ blockchain that runs on a separate shard. Its responsibilities include verifying block headers, relaying info across shards, handling the registry of validators, solving any issues faced by fishermen (more on that later), and rewarding validators. Metachains also oversee the slashing of rewards for the validators who misbehave.

Nodes are participants that run the Elrond client. Nodes are distributed all over the world – it could be a computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or whatever kind of server. A node can play any role: validator, observer, or fisherman. These participants provide various levels of support and earn rewards. 

Who are the Participants of the Elrond network? 

Elrond hosts three types of participants: and these include validators, observers, and fishermen. 

#1. Validators

Validators process transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. They take part in the consensus mechanism, which facilitates the continuation of the network while securing it. Validators are compensated with Elrond tokens and part of transaction fees. To qualify as a validator, one must stake in ERD tokens. This is to help keep the activities of the validators in line with the goals on the network. If a validator’s activities cause disruption within the network, they could lose their stake. 

#2. Observers

These are passive members who function as a read and relay interface. An observer can either be Full or Light. A Full observer maintains the entire transaction history of the blockchain. A Light observer keeps only two epochs of this history. Observers needn’t stake in ERD, and neither are they rewarded for their participation.

#3. Fishermen

Fishermen are nodes that verify the authenticity of the proposed blocks. They detect and challenge any invalid blocks that would result from bad actors. Fishermen are rewarded for their participation. Both validators and observers can act as fishermen. For validators to play as fishermen, they have to be not part of the current round of consensus. 

Elrond’s Token and Monetary Policy

Elrond has a utility token known as ERD. ERD is essential for the running of the network, and it fulfills the following roles: 

  • as payment for processed transactions
  • as payment for deploying smart contracts and DApps on Elrond
  • as a reward for participating in various roles in the network
  • for participating in-network governance 

When a transaction happens, the Elrond protocol emits ERD. The biggest percentage of this goes to validators, another percentage is burned, and another percentage is allocated to the Elrond Community Fund or also burned. 

The token’s distribution was as follows: 

  • 25% for the launchpad sale
  • 19% for the private sale
  • 19% went to the team
  • 17% went to the reserve treasury
  • 2.5% was reserved for advisors
  • 7.5% was reserved for ecosystem rewards
  • 8.5% went to marketing
  • 2% was reserved for the community

Key Figures

According to CoinGecko, Elrond trades at $0.02163702, with a market cap of $292, 746, 731 that makes it the 47th largest cryptocurrency in the world. It has a 24-hour trading volume of $21, 654, 993, with a 24-hour low of $0.02106083 and a high of $0.02225527. ERD’s circulating supply is 13.5 billion out of the maximum supply of 20 billion.

Buying and Storing ERD

You can exchange BTC, ETH, USDT, BNB, and BUSD for ERD at Binance, Binance DEX, Bilaxy, Huobi, BitMax, CoinDCX, and WazirX. 

You can keep ERD in Coinomi, Ledger, Trezor, and KeepKey wallet. 

Closing Thoughts

Elrond is doing what many blockchain projects are attempting to do, solving the security and scalability issues of the first and second-generation blockchains. Its approach towards this is quite innovative, with its new twist to the concept of sharding and intriguing participant types overseeing the network. It will be exciting to see how the network grows from here.

Categories
Crypto Videos

Pompliano on Goldman Sachs Interest In Blockchain

https://youtu.be/GkGDIYWIKEw

https://youtu.be/GkGDIYWIKEw

 

Pompliano on Goldman Sachs’ Interest In Blockchain

With Mathew McDermott assuming the role of global head of digital assets for Goldman Sachs, the market can expect this banking giant to be quite involved in cryptocurrencies very soon.
“In the next five to ten years, we could see a financial system where all assets and liabilities will be native to a blockchain, and all transactions natively happening on-chain,” McDermott in a CNBC article on Aug 6.
Tweeting out this quote on Aug 6, Anthony Pompliano, Morgan Creek Digital co-founder, responded:
“Wall Street companies are about to learn why technologists often say innovate or die.”

McDermott’s plans include expansion

Taking over for Justin Schmidt, which was Goldman’s previous head of digital assets, McDermott plans to hire new Asia-based as well as Europe-based team members, with the goal of ultimately growing his lineup by 100%.
Additionally, the new Goldman executive mentioned a potential future native asset that they might develop. “We are exploring the viability of creating Golman’s own fiat digital token,” said McDermott for CNBC.

The era of digital money

Among many advantages of a blockchain-based digital system, McDermott specifically mentioned efficiency, describing how the new ecosystem could essentially have the same activities, except they would all be digital instead of physical.
“That includes debt issuances, loan origination, securitization; essentially, you’ll have a digital market ecosystem, and the options are pretty vast,” he explained.

Oli Harris, former head of digital assets strategy for JPMorgan Chase, who assisted with the outline of the JPM Coin, also took a position at Goldman thanks to McDermott.
McDermott, in his interview, also noted increased institutional attention, which is something the crypto industry has been wishing for over the past several years. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in interest across some of our institutional clients as they are exploring how they can participate in the crypto space,” he explained.

Categories
Crypto Videos

ETC Price Stable After Two 51% Attacks – Why?

https://youtu.be/RHEy8317eTw

https://youtu.be/RHEy8317eTw

https://youtu.be/RHEy8317eTw

 

ETC Price Stable After Two 51% Attacks – Why?

After suffering two major 51% attacks over the past week, Ethereum Classic has seen its hash rate go down considerably – all due to people being scared of another such attack.
As a consequence of Ethereum Classic’s miner capitulation, the estimated cost of performing a 51% attack targeting Ethereum Classic using hash power simply rented from NiceHash went down from $12,000 per hour to less than $4,000 per hour.

Despite this, the market price has been unaffected by the fragility of the network, with ETC actually gaining more than 2% since news of the second 51% attack broke. ETC is currently trading for $6.95.

Exchange volume report 

With the 24-hour trade volume being up roughly 10% from the level posted a few days before the first 51% attack, orders are continuing to execute across most of the top exchanges, including Coinbase Pro, Binance, Bitfinex, as well as KuCoin.
The increase in trade activity is occurring despite the suspension of withdrawals, deposits, and margin funding services among a number of leading cryptocurrency exchanges.

ETC and its market signals

The strength of ETC’s markets is quite high despite exchange’s having disabled wallet activity. This raises a question regarding whether algorithmic bots may be driving the trading activity at the moment.
A 2019 report published by Blockchain Transparency Institute made an estimate that Ethereum Classic was one of the three assets traded the most by the bots, with more than 80% of the volume being flagged as suspicious.

Ethereum Classic miners capitulation

After hovering between five and six terahashes per second through July, ETC’s hash power dropped to somewhere around four terahashes per second over the past seven days.
The second attack saw hash power spike up to 9 terahashes per second, just before plummeting to less than 2.5 terahashes per second afterward.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Waltonchain (WTC) All About?

Waltonchain is a project that wants to “serve the real economy with blockchain technology.” It cleverly combines the immutability and transparency of blockchain with RFID tech to create effective and modern solutions for the supply chain industry. 

Waltonchain is a project that wants to “serve the real economy with blockchain technology.” It cleverly combines the immutability and transparency of blockchain with RFID tech to create effective and modern solutions for the supply chain industry. 

Waltonchain is a project that wants to “serve the real economy with blockchain technology.” It cleverly combines the immutability and transparency of blockchain with RFID tech to create effective and modern solutions for the supply chain industry. 

In this guide, we’ll prod further how the Waltonchain team intends to achieve this. Also, we’ll get a closer look at the platform’s token and how exactly it fits in.

Understanding Waltonchain

Waltonchain is a project that wants to combine blockchain and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to create fast, traceable and transparent management of supply chains. The project is named in honor of the inventor of RFID tech, Charlie Walton.  

Logistics systems are already incredibly complex, and this is not helped by the different moving parts that are mostly siloed. You find there’s no unified way to share data and information, and every part has its own processes. This makes for a not just expensive, but also a frictional supply chain. 

Waltonchain proposes a more seamless system that can track products at each stage of the production and transportation process. The info concerning each product is entered into the immutable blockchain so that all parties involved can track it, no matter what stage it is.

How Waltonchain Works 

Before we get down to the intricacies of how Waltonchain works, we need to point out that apart from being a tribute to Charlie Walton, WALTON apparently stands for Wisdom Alters Label, Trade, Organization, and Network. This doesn’t make any actual sense, but since the team made it up, the rest of us will just ride along. 

Value Internet of Things (VIoT)

Value Internet of Things is a concept introduced by the Waltonchain team to describe the integration of blockchain and RFID tech. Using RFID, Waltonchain wants to create representations of physical devices on the blockchain. This is done by using RFID tags – which can help in, say, tracking inventories by using electromagnetic fields. 

Waltonchain wants to create a platform where users only need to scan an RFID tag, which will then reveal all the info behind the tag instantaneously. Think: what’s the product, what’s its origin, who handled it, any alteration along the way, and pretty much any important detail. This also eliminates the need for trust. 

Applying VIoT to logistics management has a number of benefits, including the following: 

  • Enhanced security
  • Accurate and transparent tracking of items from source to end destination
  • Stamping out counterfeits
  • Decentralization, such that there’s no overruling authority over other parties
  • Reduced costs across the board

Subchains on the Waltonchain Network

Waltonchain employs subchains to achieve high-level scalability. Waltonchain is the main chain, and it manages the subchains, handles smart contracts, and more. Users/developers on Waltonchain can come up with their own sub-chains, along with accompanying tokens. They can also use a totally different consensus mechanism from that of the main chain.

Having the ability to create sub-chains is important for two reasons. First, it allows each user (both individuals and entities) to customize their blockchain according to their needs. Second, it helps make sure the network maintains scalability even when it scales. This way, no activity or app will bog down the network. 

The Ethereum CryptoKitties saga illustrates why subchains matter. Ethereum does not employ subchains (at least not yet), so every DApp deployed on the platform impacts it. The game became too popular that it threatened to bring down the network. If the Ethereum blockchain had sub-chains, this phenomenon would have been avoided. 

Waltonchain Token (WTC)

WTC is the native currency of the Waltonchain ecosystem. At launch, 100 million WTC were issued. There will be no further issuance of the token. Out of the 100 million, 70 million are currently the total supply. At the time of writing, almost all those tokens are circulating. WTC plays various roles on Waltonchain, such as facilitating the creation of sub-chains, as a voting mechanism, facilitating cross-subchain communication and rewarding nodes which keep the network going. 

Consensus Mechanisms

The Waltonchain team originally intended to create a proprietary consensus mechanism known as Proof of Stake and Trust (PoST) for their network. PoST would work as proof of stake in that ‘elected’ participants would verify and validate transactions. But it would also integrate a reputation mechanism that would reward the most honest nodes. 

However, Waltonchain seems to have taken a different turn. They now intend to implement Waltonchain Proof of Contribution (WPoC) consensus. WPoC combines Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Labor (PoL), and Proof of Stake (PoS). PoL facilitates the exchange of data between various chains. 

Who’s on the Team?

The Waltonchain team has a load of experience where the supply chain is concerned. Co-founder Do Sanghyuk is former Director of the Korean Standard Products Association. Xu Fangcheng, who was Supply Chain Management Director of Septwolves, is the other co-founder.

Key Metrics of WTC

WTC is trading at $0.496156, with a market cap of $34, 559, 308, while ranking at #175 in market cap. It has a24-hour volume of $9, 607, 797, a circulating supply of 69, 654, 138, and a total and maximum supply of 70 million and 100 million, respectively. Similarly, WTC’s highest and lowest ever price was $45.96 (Jan 28, 2018) and $0.142135 (Mar 13, 2020), respectively.

Where to Buy and Store WTC

You can exchange BTC, USDT, USD, ETH, EUR for BTC for WTC in either Binance, HitBTC, Alterdice, CoinDCX, Bitfinex, Bitrue, LATOKEN, KuCoin, BitHumb, and Bitvavo. 

You can store WTC in the platform’s official wallet. It’s available for Windows, Android, and iOS. Other options include Atomic Wallet, Trust Wallet, and Ledger. 

Final Words

Supply chain, blockchain, decentralization – this is a subject that has been explored many times over. But Waltonchain adds a fresh twist to it by utilizing RFID tech and subchains – two innovations that improve scalability efficiency. Individuals, companies, and even governments can capitalize on this to dramatically improve their processes. The project is one to keep an eye on. 

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 21 – OMG Network Token Up Over 100% Today; Tether Moving 1 Billion USDT From Tron to Ethereum Blockchain

While most of the top cryptocurrencies took the day to consolidate or advance slightly, Ethereum tokens were the most volatile and moved up or down with much more intensity. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,0835, which represents an increase of 0.56% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.39% on the day, while XRP gained 1.01%.

While most of the top cryptocurrencies took the day to consolidate or advance slightly, Ethereum tokens were the most volatile and moved up or down with much more intensity. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,0835, which represents an increase of 0.56% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.39% on the day, while XRP gained 1.01%.

While most of the top cryptocurrencies took the day to consolidate or advance slightly, Ethereum tokens were the most volatile and moved up or down with much more intensity. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,835, which represents an increase of 0.56% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.39% on the day, while XRP gained 1.01%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, OMG Network gained 106.88% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. 0x (48.58%) and Flexacoin (42.15%) also did great. On the other hand, Ren lost 14.05%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Reserve Rights’ loss of 7.07% and Waves’ drop of 6.93%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has decreased slightly and went under the 60% mark yet again, with its value currently at 59.74%. This value represents a 0.7% difference to the downside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a sharp increase in value over the course of the day. Its current value is $373.17 billion, which represents an increase of $9.41 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

After a failed breakout of the ascending triangle, Bitcoin’s price started moving down sharply towards $11,630. The move, as we noted in our previous articles, stopped there. Bitcoin spent the past 24 hours mostly consolidating after a brief moment of bullish presence, which brought its price above $11,800 levels.

This move towards the upside, no matter how small it is, shows that Bitcoin is in a great spot at the moment, and it would take a lot to shake it out of this extremely bearish mid-term position.

BTC traders should be looking for a trade above $12,000, or after the push towards it fails.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is at its 50-period EMA and below its 21-period EMA
  • Price slightly below its middle band
  • RSI is neutral (48.45)
  • Volume is average (descending)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,015                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

3: $12,900                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Ethereum spent the day struggling at the $415 level, as the fight for whether it will end up above or below the level is still continuing. The second-largest crypto by market cap recovered from its drop to $395 after hitting a semi-descending line, which acted as support/resistance since Aug 5.

This fight for $415 clearly shows the fight between two mindsets: bulls who are extremely bullish when it comes to DeFi and everything related, and bears which are scared of the skyrocketing ETH transaction fees as well as of the ICO scenario that happened around 2017.

Ethereum traders should wait for ETH to establish itself above or below $415 before trading.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently at its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is at its middle band
  • RSI is neutral (47.15)
  • Volume is slightly below average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $361

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP’s chart looks a lot like BTC’s chart in the past couple of days. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap stopped moving towards the downside after hitting $0.285, which held up quite nicely. XRP then got a small boost towards the $0.29, where it is now consolidating.

With both 21-period and 50-period moving averages right above the price, XRP would require a strong bullish initiative in order to move towards $0.31, which (at the moment) seems unlikely.

Traders can look for an entry within the range between $0.285 and $0.31.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently below the 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below the middle band
  • RSI is neutral (46.15)
  • Volume is descending (approaching average)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.31                                     1: $0.285 

2: $0.32                                     2: $0.266

3: $0.332                                  3:$0.2454

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Powerledger (POWR) All About? 

Electricity all over the world is controlled by big powerful entities who make all the rules. From distribution to pricing, to availability, the average person never had a say on how much they are billed, what time power goes on/off, and whether their area is connected to the national grid, to begin with. In other words, worldwide power today is heavily centralized, and that’s not worked for the good of the consumer in any way.

Electricity all over the world is controlled by big powerful entities who make all the rules. From distribution to pricing, to availability, the average person never had a say on how much they are billed, what time power goes on/off, and whether their area is connected to the national grid, to begin with. In other words, worldwide power today is heavily centralized, and that’s not worked for the good of the consumer in any way.

Electricity all over the world is controlled by big powerful entities who make all the rules. From distribution to pricing, to availability, the average person never had a say on how much they are billed, what time power goes on/off, and whether their area is connected to the national grid, to begin with. In other words, worldwide power today is heavily centralized, and that’s not worked for the good of the consumer in any way.

What if you could have more control over how and when you get power? What if you could make money off your rooftop by selling energy? This is now possible thanks to Power Ledger, a platform that “allows devices and humans to trade the power they need when they need it” in a trustless, decentralized and scalable manner. 

In this guide, we’ll take a deeper look into the offerings of Power Ledger and how exactly it reimagines the concept of energy ownership and distribution. We’ll also examine the platforms’ two tokens and how exactly they fit into the ecosystem.

Understanding Power Ledger

Formed in 2016, Power Ledger is an Ethereum-based, peer-to-peer platform that employs blockchain tech to facilitate energy trading between buyers and sellers without the need for intermediaries. 

Power Ledger wants to democratize power and free populations all over the world from reliance on centralized utility companies that usually make arbitrary decisions unfavorable to users. 

Its use of the blockchain eliminates a single point of failure. How many times has the power gone off in your area, with no recourse, because the national grid is controlled by a single powerful entity? Power ledger wants to distribute energy in such a way that even if one source fails, the other sources can still supply energy. 

Network Features

The Power Ledger platform is driven by several functions which we’ll explore in detail below. 

#1. µGrid

µGrid is a platform that enables Power Ledger users to trade energy with each other, whether it’s in marketplaces, office complexes, and villages. Through the platform, residents can monetize their roof space. Everything is handled transparently through the blockchain, and anyone can log in and view the transactions. 

#2. xGrid

xGrid is a platform through which customers connected to the same energy grid can sell energy to each other. It handles everything from generation to consumption and settles all the transactions between parties in a transparent and peer-to-peer (P2P) fashion. xGrid supports quite a wide variety of this type of P2P transactions: whether it’s loyalty P2P (e.g, shoppers rewarding their favorite brands), gifted P2P (customers gifting their friends, neighbors, the community) or cross store P2P (commercial customers selling rooftop electricity to each other). 

#3. VPP

This is a virtual network through which households and businesses can sell their excess solar energy during price peaks, making a profit or earning passive income. 

#4. Vision

Through the Vision platform, consumers can choose the preferred type of energy, whether it’s solar or wind, based on their location and the quantity they consume. People are becoming increasingly conscious about the type of energy they consume. Power Ledger facilitates complete transparency so that consumers can know and verify the source and origin of their energy. 

#5. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Vision

This is a management and settlement system that allows energy owners to manage output and billing of transactions. If, for example, a local business is entering into a power purchase agreement with an energy operator, they can utilize the transaction software so that every involved party can see updates in real-time. 

#6. Trace 

This a digital registry on which owners or operators of renewable energy can track, record, and issue assets such as energy certificates and carbon credits. It’s a way to streamline such existing processes and make them more secure. 

#7. TraceX

This a digital marketplace on which energy operators can trade and settle renewable energy certificates anywhere in the world. Users can connect to already existing platforms, or they can start a new one with it. It’s a way to settle transactions faster, more affordably, and efficiently. 

Dual-token System

Power Ledger operates on a dual-token system. These tokens are SPARKZ and POWR. What role does each play? Let’s find out below: 

The SPARKZ Token

SPARKZ token is how the platform monitors the movement of energy between trading participants. SPARKZ is added or removed from the seller and buyer, respectively. What this means is everyone gets their end of the bargain almost instantaneously. The buyer receives energy, and the seller receives payment. SPARKZ is pegged against the local Fiat currency for each jurisdiction. 

The POWR Token

POWR tokens are the fuel that keeps the ecosystem going. POWR tokens are necessary for the generation and trading of SPARKZ tokens. POWR tokens also act as some sort of value guarantee for SPARKZ tokens, and can also be converted into SPARKZ tokens

All in all, POWR tokens play these roles in the Power Ledger ecosystem: 

  • Platform users can vote on major changes/direction of the platform
  • Opening up access to the platform
  • Acts as loyalty reward points to participants
  • Facilitates contribution to renewable energy organizations
  • Helps to protect platform users via Smart Bond technology

Who is Behind Power Ledger? 

The Power Ledger core team is made of sustainability and blockchain experts. Executive Chairperson and Co-founder Jemma Green has a Ph.D. in electricity market disruption and has sat on the boards of sustainability companies such as Water Corporation, Carbon Tracker, and Climate-KIC in Australia. 

Technical Director and Co-founder John Bulich is the co-founder of Ledger Assets, a blockchain company that provides provenance of evidence photography, medical records management, etc. 

Head of Business Development Vinod Tiwari brings a wealth of energy experience to the table, having worked in the Australian energy sector for years. He was the chief operating officer of Regen Power, general manager of sales at Perth Energy and senior adviser to Future Effect.

Tokenomics of POWR

As of August 5th, 2020, POWR traded at $0.097355, and it had a market cap of $41, 108, 687, which placed it at #153 amongst all cryptocurrencies. The token has a 24-hour volume of $2, 637, 999, a circulating supply of 422, 257, 509, and a total supply of 999, 506, 123. POWR’s all-time high was $2.01 (Jan 04, 2018), and its all-time low was $0.031830 (Mar 13, 2020). 

Where to Buy and Store POWR

You can find POWR as a market pair with ETH, BTC AUD, EUR, and BNT at several popular exchanges, including Huobi Global, Huobi Russia, LATOKEN, Binance, UpBit, BitHumb, Bitkub, Folgory, P2PB2B, CoinEx, Bitvavo, DigiFinex, Alterdice, Kyber Network, and Bancor Network. 

POWR is an Ethereum-based token, and that means it can be stored at any wallet that supports Ethereum. Popular options include MyEtherWallet, Parity, Trust Wallet, Coinomi, Atomic Wallet, and user faves Ledger Nano and Trezor. 

Closing Thoughts

Power Ledger allows us to imagine a future where the ordinary user like you and me has control over the power they consume, and even sell excess energy and make money. It’s helping usher in the sustainable energy revolution, as well as making clean energy affordable more than ever before. If it succeeds, Power Ledger could very well upset legacy energy systems and take back the power, literally, to the people. The project is one to keep an eye on. 

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 20 – ETH Plummets Due To Skyrocketing Transaction Fees; $12,000 Level Too Strong For Bitcoin

While most of the top cryptos had a slightly red day, Ethereum tokens mostly did great. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,732, which represents a decrease of 0.25% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.26% on the day, while XRP lost 1.24%.

While most of the top cryptos had a slightly red day, Ethereum tokens mostly did great. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,732, which represents a decrease of 0.25% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.26% on the day, while XRP lost 1.24%.

While most of the top cryptos had a slightly red day, Ethereum tokens mostly did great. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,732, which represents a decrease of 0.25% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.26% on the day, while XRP lost 1.24%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When taking a look at top100 cryptocurrencies, OMG Network gained 26.67% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. yearn.finance (20.13%) and Qtum (10.04%) also did great. On the other hand, Balancer lost 19.84%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Compound’s loss of 9.50% and Waves’ drop of 8,97%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has increased slightly and passed the 60% mark, with its value currently at 60.44%. This value represents a 0.77% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a slight increase in value over the course of the day. Its current value is $364.76 billion, which represents an increase of $0.56 billion when compared to our previous report.

_______________________________________________________________________

What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

After a brief break of the $12,000 level, Bitcoin fell down and is controlled by BTC bears for the second day in a row. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap has moved towards the $11,630 support level (as we said in our previous article) and tried to test its strength. The level held up, and Bitcoin is now consolidating right above it.

This bear push was caused by several factors, but mostly because of the immense resistance at around $12,000 and the challenges Ethereum faces with its incredibly high transaction fees (Bitcoin acts as a “representative” to all the cryptos, so it affects others, but is also affected by others).

BTC traders should be looking for a trade when Bitcoin breaks $11,630 to the downside or pushes towards $12,000 again.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and its 21-period EMA
  • Price is between its lower and middle band
  • RSI is slightly tilted towards the oversold area (41.97)
  • Volume is average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,015                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

3: $12,900                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Even though Ethereum’s social sentiment is still extremely high due to the craze over DeFi, it is a fact that ETH’s transaction fees have been skyrocketing as the demand for DeFi increased. This fact, along with Bitcoin not being able to break the $12,000 mark, caused the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap to drop below its $415 support level (now resistance). The drop stopped around $400 and changed direction, trying to retake its previous highs. However, the $415 resistance level confirmed its strength, leaving ETH below it.

Ethereum traders should look for a trade when ETH breaks $415 to the upside.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently below its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above its lower band
  • RSI is descending (39.54) and approaching oversold levels
  • Volume is average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $415                                     1: $400

2: $445                                     2: $361

3: $496                                      3: $340

Ripple

XRP has had quite a bad day, as it essentially nullified any previous moves towards the upside. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap dropped to $0.285 levels (and even below it at one point). While the level held up and secured XRP’s position above it, for the time being, XRP does not look like it will make another move towards the upside soon.

Traders can look for a trade when XRP breaks $0.285 to the downside.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently below the 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly above the lower band
  • RSI is neutral (40.49)
  • Volume is descending (though it is slightly elevated)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.31                                     1: $0.285 

2: $0.32                                     2: $0.266

3: $0.332                                  3:$0.2454

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Algorand: Here Is a Detailed Guide

Most blockchain projects today excel at one thing and go half at others. Look at Bitcoin, which performs well at security but not so much at scalability. At a transaction throughput of 7 per second, the Bitcoin network cannot currently possibly compete with legacy payment systems. And users deserve a system that’s quicker than that. 

Most blockchain projects today excel at one thing and go half at others. Look at Bitcoin, which performs well at security but not so much at scalability. At a transaction throughput of 7 per second, the Bitcoin network cannot currently possibly compete with legacy payment systems. And users deserve a system that’s quicker than that. 

Most blockchain projects today excel at one thing and go half at others. Look at Bitcoin, which performs well at security but not so much at scalability. At a transaction throughput of 7 per second, the Bitcoin network cannot currently possibly compete with legacy payment systems. And users deserve a system that’s quicker than that. 

Algorand is a new blockchain and crypto project that’s trying to bring the full promise of blockchain to everyone. It’s the first blockchain to solve the blockchain trilemma – the accepted notion that a blockchain network cannot have complete decentralization, scalability, and security all at the same time. 

Algorand promises to create “full transparency, protection, and speed within a truly decentralized network.” It’s impressive that despite being launched only in June of 2019, it’s already rocketed into the top 50. So what’s Algorand all about? And how exactly does it propose to solve the blockchain trilemma? Let’s dig in!

Understanding Algorand

Algorand is a blockchain effort dedicated to realizing the promise of a blockchain-powered borderless economy through secure, decentralized, peer-to-peer, and frictionless finance. The Algorand core belief is that an open and permissionless blockchain can facilitate a truly global ecosystem that gives everyone the chance to benefit from the potential of an inclusive and borderless economy. 

It aims to do this through its unique permissionless and pure proof of stake (PPoS) protocol that ensures full participation for anyone who wishes to. The Algorand team wants to solve the blockchain trilemma of decentralization, scale, and security. 

Algorand: Highlights

Some of the main defining characteristics of Algorand include the following: 

Pure proof of stake (PPoS): Algorand utilizes a PPoS consensus algorithm in which a network participant’s influence on the addition of new blocks is based on how much stake they own.

Immediate transaction finality: This means that once a transaction is processed, there’s no possibility for it to be reversed. This is in contrast with probabilistic finality found in blockchains such as Bitcoin. In the Bitcoin blockchain, a 51-percent attack would cause transactions to be potentially reversed. 

Self-selection: This is a concept invented by Algorand. It allows for the random and secretive selection of users to participate in block production. According to the Algorand website, “neither a few delegated users nor a fixed committee is responsible for proposing blocks in Algorand. Instead, all users are randomly, secretly, and continuously selected to participate in the Algorand consensus protocol.” 

User replaceability: Algorand implements a protocol in which participants for block production change every round. This is to protect the network from attacks. Every new round consists of new and random participants completely independent of the preceding participants. 

Algorand’s Value Proposition

The Algorand project has two unique value propositions: decentralization and permissionlessness. 

Decentralization: the Algorand network is entirely and truly decentralized, with block producers randomly and anonymously selected. Nodes or computers maintaining and securing the network represent diverse origins from across the globe. 

Permissionless: Algorand’s network has no gatekeepers. Anyone, as long they hold ALGO tokens, can join the network and start validating transactions. Also, there are no expensive mining resources required to participate in the network. 

Algorand: Solving the Blockchain Trilemma

Algorand attempts to solve the blockchain trilemma. The blockchain trilemma is the notion that blockchains need to have three important properties: decentralization, security, and scalability, but can only have two of those at any time. To have two, blockchains have to sacrifice the other. The blockchain trilemma was first described by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. 

A decentralized blockchain network that has achieved high-security levels would struggle with scalability. A network that is both secure and scalable would have to somehow sacrifice complete decentralization. Likewise, a network that is both decentralized and scalable would compromise security. Blockchains are currently known to have low transaction throughputs due to this conundrum. 

Algorand wants to solve this problem. How? By utilizing the PPoS consensus mechanism. In PPoS, block producers are not required to stake a certain amount of ALGO in order to qualify to do so. They just need to possess it, no matter the amount. By not having staking requirements, Algorand money is where it’s supposed to be: in users’ wallets, in financial instruments provided by the project, and so on. 

In this system, the idea is based on the assumption that the majority of people in any society are good and honest. As such, with the money distributed across a large user base, only a minority would try and harm the system, which would be impossible. On the other hand, it would be impossible for the majority to harm the system because they would not wish to devalue their own holdings. 

How to Participate in the Algorand Network

To participate in Algorand as a block producer, all you need to do is to switch your address online. This is done through the Algoexplorer. This activity does not depend on how much ALGO tokens you own, it solely depends on whether you own any in the first place.

The Algorand network features two types of nodes: relay and participation. Relay nodes have strong and high-bandwidth connections to multiple other nodes. Their job is to facilitate high-performance communication paths to achieve a seamless network. Participation nodes, on their part, are connected to much fewer nodes, mostly relay nodes. These nodes represent the user in the system. They propose and vote on blocks on the behalf of the user. 

Participation Keys

Like we’ve mentioned several times before, anyone who holds ALGO tokens gets to participate in running the network by approving blocks. For safety reasons, users spend a ‘participation key’ instead of their spending key to participate in the consensus mechanism. If a user wishes to participate, they first have to generate and register the participation key. The rationale behind this is to ensure users’ funds are secure in the event that their participating node is attacked.

Algorand Team 

Algorand is the brainchild of Silvio Micali, a recipient of the Turing Award, the Godel Prize (for outstanding work in the area of computer science), and the RSA prize (for outstanding contributions to cryptography). 

The other two core members of the team include CEO Steve Kokinos, former CEO of communication firm Fuze, and COO W. Sean Ford, former CMO at LogMeln. 

Token Supply and Distribution

The ALGO token’s supply was distributed as follows: 

  • 25% to the team, investors and the Algorand Foundation
  • 30% to the public sale
  • 25% to node running grants
  • 17.5% to participation rewards
  • 2.5% to the end-user grants

So, how’s the token holding up in the market? Let’s see.

At the time of writing, the token was trading at $0.369 062 and it had a market cap of $284, 848, 477, which made it the 42nd biggest cryptocurrency in the world. The token’s 24-hour volume was $75, 787, 430, and it had a circulating supply of 771, 817, 007, and a total supply of 3, 303, 088, 850. ALGO’s all-time high was $3.28 (June 21, 2019), and its all-time low was $0.102403 (March 13, 2020). 

Buying and Storing ALGO

If you’re interested in grabbing some ALGO tokens, there’s no shortage of exchanges to do that. ALGO can be found as a market pair with USDT, BUSD, EUR, BTC, USD, TUSD, BCH, ETH and so on at any of several exchanges such as Bibox, Binance, Coinbase Pro, Huobi Global, BitHumb, Kraken, BitMax, MXC, KuCoin, HBTC, Bitfinex, Hoo and so on. 

For storage, Algorand team provides the Algorand Wallet that includes a raft of key features and integration with hardware wallet Ledger Nano X. Other great options include MyALGO Wallet (Web) designed by Rand Labs, Atomic Wallet, and Coinomi.  

Closing Thoughts 

Algorand joined a crowded field of crypto projects only a year ago and managed to inject something new and useful. The blockchain trilemma has been a thorny issue for blockchain for so long, and it’s interesting that Algorand has been able to solve it with a simple yet innovative approach. Is the project one to watch? We definitely think so.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Bluzelle All About? 

Blockchain tech is set to completely change how internet users interact with all manner of products and services. Decentralization will grant users more control over their own data while removing costly intermediaries from the equation. Decentralized apps, which will define the new web, will manage tons of data that will need secure management and storage. 

Blockchain tech is set to completely change how internet users interact with all manner of products and services. Decentralization will grant users more control over their own data while removing costly intermediaries from the equation. Decentralized apps, which will define the new web, will manage tons of data that will need secure management and storage. 

Blockchain tech is set to completely change how internet users interact with all manner of products and services. Decentralization will grant users more control over their own data while removing costly intermediaries from the equation. Decentralized apps, which will define the new web, will manage tons of data that will need secure management and storage. 

However, existing blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are not optimized to handle such massive volumes of data. The Cryptokitties game, which became so popular as to nearly bring the Ethereum network to a halt, is a perfect testament to this. 

Bluzelle is a project that wants to securely, effectively, and scalably manage the next generation of the internet by providing the perfect environment for decentralized data management and storage. Through its unique ‘swarm’ technology, Bluzelle is well set to accomplish this. 

What’s Bluzelle all about? We find that out, as well as take a look at the network’s two tokens and how they fit in in the picture. 

Understanding Bluzelle 

Bluzelle is an Ethereum-based blockchain effort that wants to change how data storage and management is conducted. On the Bluzelle platform, developers, entities, and single users can store data safely and securely on a decentralized network that’s more flexible than centralized services.

The Bluezelle team believes that as projects like Storj provide decentralized solutions for file storage and management, there should be decentralized solutions to fill in the gap for data storage and management. The idea, thus, is to complement programs such as iExec, Siacoin, and Golem to complete the puzzle of a decentralized internet. 

How Does Bluzelle Work?

The basic functioning of the Bluezelle ecosystem is to connect consumers who want database space with providers who have extra computing space. DApp developers can utilize this data storage to optimize their applications, thanks to a fast, safe, and reliable platform. For this service, providers are rewarded with the two tokens of the Bluzelle ecosystem: BLZ and BNT. 

Nodes on the network are known as ‘swarms,’ and they are the cornerstones of the entire ecosystem. ‘Singleton metaswarm’ refers to the entire swarm framework, while a ‘virtualized metaswarm’ denotes a large grouping of ‘leaf swarms.’ Leaf swarms are another name for the individual groups of swarms in the network. Leaf swarms store data and share it with the metaswarm. When a data owner sends over data, it’s split into smaller chunks (shards), which are then distributed across all the leaf swarms.

Sharding is important to ensure the security and safety of the data. It replicates it and distributes it across the entire network so that in the event a node or a few nodes go down data will not be lost. This also means that even if a few nodes are compromised, the safety of the data will not. When a data owner wants to retrieve their data, they must produce the private key that matches its value hash. All data and info on the network are encrypted, and no one, including providers, can access it unless they provide its private key. 

Features of Bluzelle

Bluzelle implements ‘swarming’ technology to achieve high levels of scalability, reliability, and performance. In the Bluzelle universe, a swarm refers to a massive group of nodes that work alongside each other. Even if a few nodes were to go down, the rest of the nodes in the network would continue managing and storing data. The Bluzelle network is a ‘meta-swarm’ made up of swarms upon swarms. These swarms work to realize the following features: 

#1. Performance

Bluzelle’s proprietary swarming concept has been designed to achieve high-level performance. Bluzelle avoids latency this way: the Bluzelle protocol retrieves data from the nearest nodes, multiplying the speed of doing so by retrieving the data in parallel. 

#2. Reliability

The Bluzelle network is distributed across the globe, with every single chunk of data duplicated across swarms. This means that data owners can access their data fast and at any time. A single point of failure is eliminated, meaning that any outages caused by human or non-human factors would not affect the running of the network.

#3. Scalability

The Bluzelle protocol facilitates both high horizontal and vertical scalability. Every swarm is responsible for horizontal scaling at the state level. And inside every swarm, each node is designed to automatically accomplish horizontal scaling. 

#4. Privacy

Bluzelle employs state-of-the-art cryptography and sharding to protect user data. Also, thanks to a distributed network, it would be impossible for a bad actor to take down the network, compromising user data.

#5. Immutability

Bluzelle deploys blockchain tech to ensure immutability. This means once records go on the network, they cannot be altered. 

#6. No Intruders

Bluzelle uses a consensus protocol, which is the only source of truth in the network. All records can only be updated on the distributed ledger this way. This eliminates fraud.

Participants in the Bluzelle Network

The Bluzelle network has two main participants: consumer and producer. 

  • Consumers – these are participants who ‘consume’ Bluzelle tokens to store and retrieve data.
  • Producer – these are parties that provide computing resources to the network and earn Bluezelle tokens (BLZ) in return. Producers must first stake in BLZ to show their commitment. Bluzelle encourages a competitive environment whereby producers who provide good quality of services can charge more. 

Both consumers and producers are required to create an Ethereum account and be responsible for their own private key. The private key gives access to both ETH and BLZ tokens. It also encrypts data before it’s stored on the network.

Karma and Governance of Bluzelle

Bluzelle uses a ‘Karma Index’ to ensure integrity on the network. A high Karma Index denotes a favorable reputation, and the opposite is true. If a network participant behaves poorly, their Karma Index will be lowered. If your Karma Index is lowered, you’ll be penalized, restricted from privileges, and given reduced responsibilities. Note that operators can run more than one node. A lowered Karma Index applies to every node run by a single individual. 

On the other hand, node operators with consistently good behavior are rewarded with high Karma. A high Karma Index comes with benefits such as the opportunity to lead your swarm. 

Bluzelle Tokens

Bluzelle runs a bi-token ecosystem. The BLZ token runs on the Ethereum network, while BNT is the network’s token. The role of the BLZ token is to bridge the Bluzelle and Ethereum protocols. BNT is used for payments on the network. The Bluzelle team wanted to avoid the congestion issues of the Ethereum network, which is why they did not make BLZ – an ERC20 token – to be the payment token. 

BLZ is also used for staking on the network. Node operators must stake BLZ according to how many nodes they control. Operators with a high Karma Index can charge more, but they also must stake more BLZ. BLZ staking acts as some sort of collateral. By staking in the network, operators are incentivized to secure the network at all costs in order to protect the stake. 

Key Metrics of BLZ 

As of August 8, 2020, Bluzelle traded at 0.113986, and it had a market cap of $27, 192, 756, which placed it at #196 in the market. The token’s 24-hour volume was $5, 135, 145, and it had a circulating supply of 238, 562,278, and a total supply of 500 million. BLZ’s highest and lowest price ever was $0. 913922 (Feb 07, 2018) and $. 0.006067 (Mar 13, 2020). 

Where to Buy and Store Bluzelle

You can find Bluzelle for ETC, ETH, USDT, and BNB at a variety of trusted exchanges, including Binance, Huobi, Gate.io, WazirX, MXC, HitBTC, Kyber Network, BiKi, Balancer, IDEX, and Fatbtc. 

BLZ is an Ethereum-based token, meaning you can store it in any wallet that supports Ethereum. Great choices would include MyEtherWallet, Parity, Atomic Wallet, Trust Wallet, MetaMask, Ledger Nano, and Trezor.

Closing Thoughts

Bluzelle doesn’t offer any new solution to the world of blockchain. However, there’s something to be said about its swarm technology that ensures high levels of scalability, security, and performance. Its decision to not use the Ethereum network for transactions is also a smart one – many an Ethereum-based project would offer better scalability if they took this route. Here’s to watching how Bluzelle evolves in the future. 

Categories
Crypto Exchanges

Samourai Wallet Review 2020: Is This The Safest Bitcoin Software Wallet?

Samourai is a bitcoin-only crypto wallet app for android smartphones. It takes pride in incorporating the broadest range of security and privacy features on its mobile app. On their website, Samourai is described as a “modern wallet hand forged to keep your transactions private and identity masked.” It was created by privacy activists who describe it as the “Bitcoin wallet for the streets.” They also hail it as the wallet that “Bitcoin deserves.”

Samourai is a bitcoin-only crypto wallet app for android smartphones. It takes pride in incorporating the broadest range of security and privacy features on its mobile app. On their website, Samourai is described as a “modern wallet hand forged to keep your transactions private and identity masked.” It was created by privacy activists who describe it as the “Bitcoin wallet for the streets.” They also hail it as the wallet that “Bitcoin deserves.”

Samourai is a bitcoin-only crypto wallet app for android smartphones. It takes pride in incorporating the broadest range of security and privacy features on its mobile app. On their website, Samourai is described as a “modern wallet hand forged to keep your transactions private and identity masked.” It was created by privacy activists who describe it as the “Bitcoin wallet for the streets.” They also hail it as the wallet that “Bitcoin deserves.”

The wallet integrates more security and privacy features than the average Bitcoin storage app. But have these translated to making Samourai the safest Bitcoin wallet? Importantly, how have they impacted its effectiveness? In this Samourai review, we highlight and detail the wallet’s key operational, security, and privacy features before telling you if it really is the safest bitcoin wallet out there.

Samourai wallet key features:

  • Segwit support: Samourai was one of the earliest Bitcoin wallet apps to embrace the SegWit Bitcoin blockchain upgrade. The protocol upgrade has played a key role in pushing down the blockchain network transaction fees and speeding up transaction speeds.
  • SMS commands: You can also control the app remotely with SMS commands. Send SMS codes to the wallet to retrieve either the public address or wipe the data therein.
  • Android-based: Samourai wallet app is only available for smartphones that use the Android operating system. The app developers claim that Apple iOS doesn’t welcome most of the customizable privacy and anonymity features of the Samourai wallet.
  • Multi-account support: Samourai wallet will only host Bitcoins. Though it is not multi-sig, there is no limit to the number of user accounts you can create.
  • Bitcoin health monitoring: The Samourai wallet is regularly monitoring the blockchain network. It will alert you when transaction processing speeds are relatively low and inform you of the current miner fees.
  • Batch processing: You can aggregate multiple crypto transactions and send them out as one. This, plus the reduce-by-fee feature, play a key role in pushing down the bitcoin transaction fees.

Samourai wallet security features:

  • Passcode: A 5 to 8 digit passcode secures the mobile wallet app. To evade keyloggers and screen recording spy apps, its PIN screen is randomized during every login.
  • Open source: The Samourai wallet app technology is also open-sourced. Anyone can view and audit its transparency.
  • AES-256 encryption: Samourai wallet app uses the AES 256 encryption tool to encrypt all its data. This military-grade encryption applies to all data held within the app, especially your private keys and password. Interestingly, you can also encrypt your email communications with the Samourai customer support to avoid possible man-in-the-middle attacks.
  • Recovery seed: You will also be furnished with 12 random phrases when installing the wallet app. These form your wallet’s recovery seed and are needed to recover your private keys.
  • Tor and VPN support: You can also access your wallet app using an anonymous IP not tied to your location or phone. Similarly, you can also open the app while masking your IP Address with a VPN or Tor.
  • No address reuse: The Samourai bitcoin wallet app is hierarchically deterministic and will not use the same address twice. It auto-generates a new wallet address for each transaction. It also randomizes change outputs, making it impossible for crypto transaction trackers to link a crypto activity to your wallet.

How to set up a Samourai software wallet

Step 1: Search for the Samourai bitcoin wallet on your Google Play Store. Download and install the app. Alternatively, use the F-Droid repository to download the Samourai wallet APK if you don’t want Google to keep a record of the download.

Step 2: On launching the app, click on ‘Create Account,’

Step 3: You will be required to set up a 5 to 8 digit to secure the wallet.

Step 4: The app will provide you with the recovery seed. Write it down and keep it safe.

Step 5: The app installation process is now complete and you can now start using the Samourai wallet

How to add/receive bitcoins to your Samourai wallet

Step 1: Launch the wallet app and click on the ‘Receive’ tab

Step 2: Copy the wallet address and send it to the party sending you Bitcoins

Step 3: Wait for the Bitcoins to reflect on your app

How to send Bitcoin from your Samourai wallet

Step 1: Launch the wallet and click on the ‘Send’ tab

Step 2: Enter the recipient’s wallet address as well as the number of Bitcoins you want to send

Step 3: Chose the transaction fee level you would like to use in funding the transaction

Step 4: Confirm that the transaction details are correct and hit send

Samourai wallet ease of use

Setting up the Samourai Bitcoin wallet app is quick and straightforward. The wallet can also be considered simplistic and features a highly intuitive user interface. These make it easy to use for both expert and beginner bitcoin traders.

Supported cryptocurrencies

Samourai crypto wallet app is Bitcoin-specific and will only support the legacy cryptocurrency.

Samourai wallet cost and fees

Samourai Bitcoin wallet app is free to download. Further, you wouldn’t be charged to receive or store your bitcoins in the wallet.

Transfers out will, however, be subjected to both the bitcoin blockchain network fee that goes to miners and an additional transaction fee charged by Samourai. It, however, employs the reduce-by-fee protocol to help you customize the wallet transaction fees. This supports three fee levels: AUTO uses the smart fee detection algorithm to determine the best transaction charge. PRIORITY translates to higher fees for faster transaction processing while CUSTOM lets you set your own fee.

Some premium security and privacy features available on the platform are only available on a subscription basis. If you, for instance, wish to use the app’s Ricochet service, you will have to pay an additional $2.50. Similar privacy features like staggered delivery or opening a private payment channel will also attract additional charges. 

Samourai wallet customer support

Samourai has an elaborate FAQ page that addresses all the most common challenges faced by the app users. It also features guides on how to use and interact with the Bitcoin-first wallet app.

More personalized support can, however, be sought via live chat on the Samourai website. You can also contact the Samourai wallet customer support team by messaging them on their different social media platforms, including Twitter, Reddit, and Telegram.

What are the pros and cons of the Samourai Wallet?

Pros:

  • The Bitcoin wallet app integrates a wide range of both standard and premium security and privacy features
  • Samourai supports anonymous user registration and can also be accessed via VPN or TOR
  • The app is free and supports a dynamic transaction fee processing that allows for the customization of the blockchain network fees
  • Setting up the wallet app is easy and it also features a friendly interface
  • It is now possible to initiate private or offline bitcoin transaction when using Samourai wallet
  • Samourai has a highly responsive customer support team

Cons:

  • The wallet app will only support the blockchain cryptocurrency
  • Samourai is a hot wallet app and therefore exposed to inherent risks associated with a mobile app
  • The app charges extra fees every time you use premium security and privacy features
  • The app doesn’t have an inbuilt exchange and neither does it integrate third-party exchanges

Verdict: Is Samourai the safest Bitcoin wallet app?

Well, the Samourai bitcoin wallet app has embraced more security and privacy features than most other crypto wallet apps. It, for instance, is one of the few crypto wallet apps that support offline transactions. The app will also help you establish private channels that you can use to send Bitcoins outside the trackable blockchain network.

It also lives true to bitcoins primary goal of anonymity by supporting anonymous wallet use and access via VPN and TOR. These make it one of the most secure and most private bitcoin wallet app. The only downside to using the Samourai wallet app is that it is a hot wallet. 

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 19 – Cryptos Heavily in the Red, YFI Token Breaks $11,000 and Approaches BTC’s Price Level

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 was in the red today after Bitcoin broke $12,000 to the downside. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,685, which represents a decrease of 4.7% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 5.56% on the day, while XRP lost 9.4%.

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 was in the red today after Bitcoin broke $12,000 to the downside. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,685, which represents a decrease of 4.7% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 5.56% on the day, while XRP lost 9.4%.

Almost every single cryptocurrency in the top100 was in the red today after Bitcoin broke $12,000 to the downside. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,685, which represents a decrease of 4.7% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 5.56% on the day, while XRP lost 9.4%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When talking about top100 cryptocurrencies, yearn.finance gained 19.51% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. THETA (17.62%) and Swipe (17.28%) also did great. On the other hand, Numeraire lost 10.95%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by BitTorrent’s loss of 10.14% and Fetch.ai’s drop of 9.94%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has increased slightly (even though it is still under the 60% mark), with its value currently at 59.77%. This value represents a 0.13% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a decrease in value over the course of the day. Its current value is $364.20 billion, which represents a decrease of $20 billion when compared to our previous report.

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What happened in the past 24 hours?

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Technical analysis

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Bitcoin

After finally breaking $12,000 with confidence, Bitcoin is now falling hard below it (click on the arrow of the image). The largest cryptocurrency by market cap is dropping below $11,700 at the moment on bearish momentum. If the cryptocurrency manages to break below the 11,600 level, the next target will be 11,087. Right now, it is heavily oversold, so we can also expect a bounce back to near $12,000.

BTC traders should look for a trade after the cryptocurrency decides on whether it will end up above or below $11,600, as this is a strong support level.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is below its 50-period EMA and below its 21-period EMA
  • Price is below its lower band.
  • RSI is dropping (34) and approaching the oversold area
  • Volume is above average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,015                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

3: $12,900                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Ethereum’s social sentiment is still on the rise with the increased interest in DeFi. Even though the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap is losing heavily in the past 24 hours, the $400 support level should hold, and ETH is (for the time being) safe above it. The next move Ethereum makes will most likely be caused by Bitcoin’s move, as the largest cryptocurrency by market cap is preparing an explosive move towards (most likely) the upside. That, though, should wait a bit, since cryptos are still under selling pressure.

Traders should look for a trade when ETH regains a higher and steady volume.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently below its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is below its lower B.B.
  • RSI is descending (36) approaching oversold levels
  • Volume is average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $445                                      1: $415

2: $496                                     2: $400

                                                  3: $361

Ripple

XRP’s bold move towards the upside, which came after announcing that its company (Ripple) will focus its business model on the XRP token rather than using it as a side solution, got nullified. The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap dropped below the $0.31 level and as low as $0.29 (which is where it is at now).

Traders can look for a trade after XRP moves above or below its immediate support/resistance levels, or within the current trading level.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently below the 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is below the lower B.B.
  • RSI is dropping (38.6)
  • Volume increased in the last hours
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.32                                     1: $0.31  

2: $0.332                                   2: $0.285

                                                3:$0.266

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Stellar (XLM): A Beginner’s Guide

The current financial infrastructure comprises siloed systems with huge gaps between each other. This means financial organizations cannot share data freely with each other, making for time wastage and high transaction costs. It means that money moves slowly across borders, leaving people stranded. This system has led to the exclusion of millions of people from the global financial system. 

The current financial infrastructure comprises siloed systems with huge gaps between each other. This means financial organizations cannot share data freely with each other, making for time wastage and high transaction costs. It means that money moves slowly across borders, leaving people stranded. This system has led to the exclusion of millions of people from the global financial system. 

The current financial infrastructure comprises siloed systems with huge gaps between each other. This means financial organizations cannot share data freely with each other, making for time wastage and high transaction costs. It means that money moves slowly across borders, leaving people stranded. This system has led to the exclusion of millions of people from the global financial system. 

To remedy this, the world needs a global, and affordable financial infrastructure that’s not only innovative but also safe. Such a system would be open to anyone as long as they have an internet connection. Organizations everywhere can take advantage of such a system to provide low cost and more inclusive financial services. 

Stellar is a network that wants to help achieve this. It utilizes blockchain tech to provide a decentralized system where all this is possible. Decentralization eliminates a single point of failure such that such a network wouldn’t go down even if some computers malfunctioned or came under attack. It also means that there’s no single authority controlling transactions, removing the possibility of financial censorship or arbitrary decision-making. It also ensures the integrity of transactions because network participants together decide the authenticity of transactions. 

Let’s explore the inner workings of Stellar and how exactly it achieves this. We’ll also get a look at the platform’s native cryptocurrency – Stellar Lumens.

Understanding Stellar

Stellar is a blockchain-based and decentralized network that brings together various players of the finance ecosystem to provide affordable, safe, and timely transfer of value. From the Nigerian naira to the Peso to the Australian Dollar and every currency in between. The Stellar team says its goal is to help even small companies have “the power and reach of an international bank.”

How Does Stellar Work?

Like any distributed network, the Stellar network is run and secured by thousands of computers across the globe. Behind these computers are both individuals and organizations that keep track of all network activity. 

Stellar relies on several components to execute its goals. Let’s take a look at some of the most important ones below.

1.  Anchors

Anchors are entities on the Stellar network that serves as a bridge between various currencies and Stellar. It’s a swap of sorts through which you convert your money into a form compatible with the Stellar blockchain. Anchors facilitate the near-instant transfer of funds, meaning you do not have to wait for hours of days like it is with traditional systems like Banks and PayPal. It also removes the friction associated with old school cross-border transfers.

2.  Distributed Exchange

In addition to facilitating the movement of value, the network also supports a distributed exchange that gives users the option to exchange various currencies. Stellar does not control the exchange rates – these have already been determined by the party initiating the transaction. 

Let’s say you wanted to exchange AUD for USD. You would place that order in the network’s order book, which would then enter the global pool of such orders. You’d then check how your order compares to similar orders. All types of currencies go – whether it’s Fiat, crypto, or Fiat trading pairs.

3.  Multi-currency Transactions

Like we mentioned before, the Stellar network supports the cross-border transfer of assets without the friction prevalent with old school payment systems. It achieves this through either of the following ways: 

Stellar matches the order with an existing offer in the order book and automatically executes the transaction

Stellar utilizes Lumens as the go-between the two currencies. Let’s say you’re converting the South African Rand to the New Zealand dollar. Stellar will convert the Rand to Lumens, and then convert the Lumens to the New Zealand dollar 

If there’s no matching pair for the two currencies, the protocol will scour the network for any offer that will facilitate a chain conversion that will finally yield the currency you want (e.g., AUD to JPY, JPY to KRW, KRW to USD, USD to CHF). 

This automated process creates a fast, affordable, and seamless process through which you can easily swap from virtually any currency to another on a global scale.

Stellar’s Federated Byzantine Agreement

Stellar utilizes a consensus mechanism known as the Federated Byzantine Agreement. Unlike with proof of work or proof of stake, this mechanism does not rely on mining or chosen participants to validate transactions. Rather, it utilizes ‘quorum slices’ (a subset of nodes) to complete transactions. 

Each node on the network chooses, individually, which other nodes to trust. This will then create a subset of nodes that trust each other. When a transaction is approved by all nodes in a subset, it’s added to the blockchain. This protocol allows for near-instantaneous transactions – Stellar is said to handle up to 1,000 TPS. 

Who is Using Stellar?

Stellar has racked up impressive achievements in the partnerships department. In 2017, the project entered into a partnership with IBM to create remittance corridors in the South Pacific region. 

The project has also partnered with Norway-based fintech company Saldo to facilitate quick and cheap remittances. Another platform is East Africa-based Clickpesa, which facilitates automated and low-cost payments for products and services. 

This is just a snapshot of the tens of varied partnerships between Stellar and Fintech companies all over the world. 

Lumens (XLM), Stellar’s Native Token

The native token of the Stellar network is known as Lumens, with ‘XLM’ as the ticker. 100 billion Lumens were created at the beginning, and their distribution was as follows: 

  • 5% for operational costs
  • 50% for the direct signup program
  • 25% for the partnership program
  • 20% was allocated for the Bitcoin program

As of August 8, 2020, XLM traded at $0.102267 with a market cap of 2.01 billion which made it the 14th largest cryptocurrency in the world. It has a 24-hour volume of $418, 941, 195, a circulating supply of 20, 525, 399, 964, and a total supply of 50, 001, 803, 785. The coin’s ever highest and lowest price was $0.938144 (Jan 04, 2018) and $0. 001227 ( Nov 18, 2014) respectively. 

Buying and Storing XLM

You can purchase XLM from a variety of trusted exchanges such as Binance, Huobi, Coinbase Pro, OKEx, HitBTC, Bitrue, BitHumb, OKEx, Kraken, HotBit, BitZ, Bitfinex, CoinHe, and BitForex. In most of these exchanges, you’ll find the coin paired with BTC, ETH, USDT, and USD and BNB. 

For storage, the Stellar team recommends the following wallets: Curv, Tangem, Lobstr, Ledger Nano, StellarX, Lumenshine, Stellaport, OwnBit, StellarTerm, and Blockchain.com. 

Closing Thoughts

Stellar has a simple yet powerful approach to the decentralization of finance. It’s not just versatile, but also supports a variety of innovative use cases. Individuals and entities alike can make payments, send money across borders, and exchange currencies in real-time. The Stellar blockchain is built for the common people, and it’s gratifying to see its rack of partnerships – a signal that its product is working. It will be interesting to watch the growth of Stellar. 

Categories
Crypto Videos

Monero Is Going To Be Huge Because of It’s Real World Applications!

 

 

 

Monero’s Hashrate Skyrocketing – Biggest Daily Gain Ever Recorded

Monero has experienced the biggest daily increase in its hashrate since the network’s creation in 2014 on Aug 6.
The Monero hashrate managed to increase from 1.67 Gigahashes per second on Aug 5 to 2.2 Gigahashes per second on Aug 6. The 0.52 Gigahashes per second single-day gain represents the highest increase in the project’s history. Prior to this, the most significant daily percentage gains came in Monero’s early days.


Banks should embrace privacy coins 

On Aug 3, Coin Center submitted various comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Federal Savings Association and National Bank Digital Activities. The submitted comments suggested that banks should be embracing privacy coins rather than fighting them.
“We argue that Banks shouldn’t only be able to use trustless mixing technology or privacy-enhanced crypto such as Z-cash or Monero, but that they may be obligated to do so so they could protect the privacy of their customers.” – was written in one part of the submission.

Monero is a unique value proposition

It is unclear what made Monero’s hashing power explode in such a way. In a world where many people feel that they are becoming watched and tracked by the governments more and more, Monero may simply present a unique value proposition.
Various reports have indicated that Monero is currently the best major privacy-preserving cryptocurrency. While other privacy coins like Dash and Zcash can be traced with relative ease, Monero proves to be quite a challenge. The sheer fact that it is hard to track has led to several centralized exchanges delisting it.

Monero trails only Bitcoin in its adoption rate amongst Dark Web users and dealers, for whom the privacy-preserving features of cryptocurrencies are sometimes quite literally a matter of life and death.

Categories
Crypto Videos

Bitcoin Is As Big As The Bank of America!

https://youtu.be/T2E9-979uLk

https://youtu.be/T2E9-979uLk

 

Bitcoin as Big as Bank of America

All the capital invested in Bitcoin at the moment totals to a few billion dollars less than Bank of America’s market valuation.
Bitcoin’s current market cap currently sits just over $217 billion, while Yahoo Finance’s data shows Bank of America’s market cap at just over $226 billion.

Bitcoin’s market cap is still climbing 

Although it has endured a lot of dramatic price fluctuations, Bitcoin’s price managed to grow substantially in 2020, rising past several wealth comparisons along the way.
The United States Central Bank injected $168 billion into the economy back in March, just before COVID-19 measures. At that point in time, Bitcoin’s market cap was nearing $145 billion.
If we take a look at April, Jeff Bezos’ net worth came out at approximately $140 billion, while Bitcoin’s market cap neared $130 billion.
Since then, Bezos’ net worth managed to reach a staggering $193 billion, while Bitcoin’s valuation went even higher, to the point it is at currently, at $217 billion.

Bitcoin could reach astronomical heights

Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony Pompliano forecasted a future Bitcoin market cap of over $80 or $90 trillion at some point. This forecast happened during an Aug 4 crossover podcast episode featuring Peter McCormack.

Pompliano, however, expressed his uncertainty on whether Bitcoin would reach such a market cap within his lifetime.
As a long-time Bitcoin advocate, Pompliano has stated his position on Bitcoin as well as crypto, in general, many times.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

What’s Curve Finance (Curve.fi)?

Curve Finance is one of the projects making waves in the DeFi space right now. The project is not a day older than one year, yet it’s already giving older projects like Uniswap a run for their money. 

Curve Finance is one of the projects making waves in the DeFi space right now. The project is not a day older than one year, yet it’s already giving older projects like Uniswap a run for their money. 

Curve Finance is one of the projects making waves in the DeFi space right now. The project is not a day older than one year, yet it’s already giving older projects like Uniswap a run for their money. 

DeFi is the idea that the masses can have control over their own finances, as opposed to this being done by centralized entities such as governments and banks. Curve is giving opportunities to stablecoins holders to provide liquidity and earn from it, as well as traders to swap coins in a secure and safe environ. 

What’s Curve.fi?

Launched in Jan 2020, Curve is a blockchain-based platform for exchanging Ether-based stablecoins safely and securely. Michael Egorov, the founder of the protocol, recently told DeFi Prime that Curve is “an exchange expressly designed for stablecoins and Bitcoin tokens on Ethereum.”

The idea of such an exchange is not new. For instance, Uniswap has been doing this for years. So what sets Curve apart? Well, the answer to that is a bit complicated, but we’ll break it all down. 

What Curve Does Differently

For one, Curve utilizes a market-making algorithm known as an automated market maker (AMM). A market maker is a software that buys and sells securities on behalf of a particular market, providing liquidity. At the same time, a market maker usually profits from the difference between bid-ask prices. 

By employing a market-maker, Curve facilitates a faster order-matching process in its platform. This allows traders of all types (including large-volume traders) to easily swap their crypto at a very little fee and with minimal slippage.

Curve and Stablecoins

Curve specializes in stablecoin swapping. It currently supports DAI, USDC, USDT, TUSD, BUSD, and sUSD. Also, it supports the BTC pairs of these coins. Exchanging between these coins is easy, efficient, and fast. 

Impermanent Loss 

Using AMM protocols presents its own challenges. One of these is what’s known as impermanent loss (IL). IL is the loss you can incur when you hold crypto in an AMM instead of a wallet. An IL will occur if the price of such assets diverges in any direction. The bigger the divergence, the bigger the IL.

While these losses can be impermanent, they can become permanent when the liquidity pool is rebalanced to more accurately reflect the prices in other exchanges.

On the Curve platform, though, the likelihood of either impermanent or permanent loss is effectively reduced. This is because Curve specializes in stablecoin trading. Stablecoins are less prone to the price divergence that would trigger such losses. 

Why Has Curve Grown so Fast? 

The growth and rise in popularity of stablecoins is responsible for Curve.fi’s rapid growth in just a few months. Users are flocking to stablecoins because of their stability when compared to regular cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins provide the security and anonymity of cryptocurrency while providing the stability of Fiat. 

Then, centralized exchanges such as Coinbase are characterized by high fees and a great likelihood of slippage. Curve.fi solves these problems by providing a decentralized, peer-to-peer, and safe exchange platform with minimal fees and slippage. 

What’s Curve’s CRV Token?

CRV token is the planned native token for the Curve protocol. In the beginning, the protocol was centralized, thanks to founder Michael Egorov being at the helm and controlling nearly all aspects of the platform. With the launch of CRV, the network aspires to become a completely decentralized platform. This launch is expected to happen sometime in early September. 

How Can You Get CRV?

There’s no planned public or private sale for CRV, or an ICO for that matter. Rather, CRV will be awarded to liquidity providers based on how long and how much liquidity they’ve provided for the last months. 

CRV Supply

The total supply of CRV is 3.03 billion. The distribution of the supply will be as follows: 

61% (1.85 billion) for liquidity providers

31% (939 million) for shareholders (2 to 4 year vesting period)

3% (90 million) for employees (2 year vesting period)

5% (150 million) for a burnable reserve to be used in the case of emergencies

What’s the Role of CRV?

CRV will play the following roles in the Curve.fi ecosystem: 

  • For users to participate in the governance of the protocol via a time-weighted voting mechanism.
  • To promote various liquidity pools through a value capture mechanism.
  • As a locking mechanism for liquidity providers to earn value over time.
  • For transaction fee burning to reduce inflation. 

Getting Started on Curve

To get started with Curve, visit its website here. You need to connect the Ledger hardware wallet in order to continue. To start trading, proceed to the ‘Buy and Sell’ tab and indicate how many tokens you’re trading for the particular token pair. Click Sell. 

To deposit funds, go to the ‘Deposit’ page and indicate the amount of that particular stablecoin you wish to deposit. Click Submit. 

Get Involved with Curve

Curve is one of the most interesting DeFi products to enter the space. With its groundbreaking approaches like the AMM algorithm to provide liquidity, and it’s successful avoidance of the impermanent loss problem, Curve is a project set for greater heights. To keep abreast of new developments, follow the project on Twitter or join their Telegram group. If you’re one for investigating under the hood, consider checking them out on GitHub. 

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 18 – Crypto Fundamentals Booming: Bitcoin Above $12,000; XRP Skyrocketing to $0.315

The cryptocurrency market made gains over the course of the day as Bitcoin broke the $12,000 mark. Bitcoin is currently trading for $12,247, which represents an increase of 3.61% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.12% on the day, while XRP gained 5.14%.

The cryptocurrency market made gains over the course of the day as Bitcoin broke the $12,000 mark. Bitcoin is currently trading for $12,247, which represents an increase of 3.61% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.12% on the day, while XRP gained 5.14%.

The cryptocurrency market made gains over the course of the day as Bitcoin broke the $12,000 mark. Bitcoin is currently trading for $12,247, which represents an increase of 3.61% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum gained 1.12% on the day, while XRP gained 5.14%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When talking about top100 cryptocurrencies, Flexacoin gained 27.98% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. yearn.finance (26.80%) and Fetch.ai (25.97%) also did great. On the other hand, Algorand lost 14.78%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Chainlink’s loss of 12.26% and THORChain’s drop of 10.18%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has increased slightly (though it is still under the 60% mark), with its value currently at 59.64%. This value represents a 0.47% difference to the upside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a solid increase in value over the course of the day. Its current value is $384.43 billion, which represents an increase of $11.03 billion when compared to our previous report.

_______________________________________________________________________

What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

Bitcoin finally broke $12,000 with confidence, after a couple of days slowly preparing for this move. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap broke out from a large ascending triangle formation and pushed up to $12,470 before falling back down slightly. However, for now, Bitcoin is safe above $12,000 even though it is moving towards the downside. It will most likely test the closest support level in the short term.

This (relatively) sudden break above $12,000 came as a result of many things, but mostly increased interest in DeFi which is making people enter the crypto space (which they do through Bitcoin) and because of institutional investors such as Pantera capital (which just recently announced raising $165 million)

BTC traders should look for a trade after Bitcoin retests its support level.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is above its 50-period EMA and its 21-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below its top B.B.
  • RSI is elevated (63.83)
  • Volume is decreasing (one-candle spike)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,000                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

                                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Ethereum’s social sentiment was booming as more and more people started investing in DeFi tokens. As this happened, more and more institutional investors grabbed ETH. This made the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap establish its place above $415 with no signs of going below it in the short future.

When talking about the past 24 hours, Ethereum made a push towards $450 (accompanied by skyrocketing volume), which it did not have the strength to complete. The move died down, and Ethereum is now consolidating at the $430 level.

Traders should look for a trade when ETH regains steady volume.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently above its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is at its middle B.B.
  • RSI is neutral (52.68)
  • Volume is average (one-candle spike)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $445                                      1: $415

2: $496                                     2: $400

                                                  3: $361

Ripple

XRP made a bold move towards the upside after announcing that its company (Ripple) will focus its business model on the XRP token. As more emphasis was put on developing XRP as the main solution rather than a side solution, more investors flocked and bought XRP.

The third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap pushed past $0.31 and even $0.32, ultimately reaching $0.3275 as the top of the move. As it could not sustain itself above the $0.32 level, XRP fell below it and started a consolidation/confirmation period right between $0.31 and $0.32.

Traders can look for a trade after XRP moves towards $0.32 to break it or towards $0.31 to test the support level.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently above the 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is slightly below the top B.B.
  • RSI is elevated (63.26)
  • Average volume (two-candle spike)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.32                                     1: $0.31  

2: $0.332                                   2: $0.285

                                                3:$0.266

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Abra Wallet Review: Here is Everything You Need To Know About Abra Crypto Wallet

Abra Wallet is a leading virtual service company specializing in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. On their website, the Abra crypto wallet is hailed for its simplicity, accessibility, and flexibility. It is a versatile app that is compatible with most operating systems. The crypto wallet is also highly intuitive and simplifies the process of storing and trading cryptos for its users. Launched in 2014 in Silicon Valley and headquartered in The Philippines, Abra supports over 54 world currencies.

Abra Wallet is a leading virtual service company specializing in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. On their website, the Abra crypto wallet is hailed for its simplicity, accessibility, and flexibility. It is a versatile app that is compatible with most operating systems. The crypto wallet is also highly intuitive and simplifies the process of storing and trading cryptos for its users. Launched in 2014 in Silicon Valley and headquartered in The Philippines, Abra supports over 54 world currencies.

Abra Wallet is a leading virtual service company specializing in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. On their website, the Abra crypto wallet is hailed for its simplicity, accessibility, and flexibility. It is a versatile app that is compatible with most operating systems. The crypto wallet is also highly intuitive and simplifies the process of storing and trading cryptos for its users. Launched in 2014 in Silicon Valley and headquartered in The Philippines, Abra supports over 54 world currencies.

But how does it work, how secure is the wallet, how many cryptos can it hold, and what key features make it rise above the competition?

We have tried Abra Crypto Wallet and interacted with its different features. In this review, we tell you how it works, its security features, its usability, and everything else you need to know before downloading and installing the crypto app.

Abra wallet key features:

Simple to use: The Abra crypto wallet app is quite user-friendly and accessible to virtually everyone. It has a simplistic and highly customizable design that makes it easy to use for both beginners and expert traders.

In-built exchange: The Abra crypto wallet app also features an in-built exchange. Here, you can engage in both fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-crypto conversions. The exchange is quite straightforward and relatively easy to use.

Highly versatile: The Abra crypto wallet app is highly versatile and compatible with both the Android and iOS operating systems. Moreover, it supports a wide range of both crypto and fiat currencies.

Portfolio creation tools: Abra wallet is more than a crypto storage app; it is a crypto investment app. In addition to storing your digital assets securely, the app will also let you invest in leading stocks from different international markets. It especially lets international crypto traders invest in U.S stocks.

Supports fiat-to-crypto purchases: Abra crypto wallet app features an in-built exchange. This tool lets you convert fiat to crypto and engage in crypto-to-crypto exchanges.

Support cash deposits: Unlike most other crypto wallet apps, Abra makes it possible for you to purchase crypto directly via different forms of cash payments. These include credit/debit card purchases and direct bank wire transfers.

Abra wallet users in the Philippines can also pay for their crypto using the Teller Payment System. Note, however, that all your funds in Abra are by default held as Bitcoin (except for Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin), but you can choose to denominate them in the form of any other currency.

Abra wallet security features:

Passcode: Your Abra wallet app has to be secured with a four-digit passcode. You get to set this PIN code when installing and activating the app.

Recovery seed: When installing the crypto wallet app, and after setting the passcode, you will be provided with a recovery seed. Record on a hardy piece of paper and keep it in a highly secure place. You will need it when resetting your app password or when recovering lost private keys.

Two-factor authentication: The Abra crypto wallet app also integrates the two-step verification security feature. This allows you to link your app with your phone number and ensures that you receive an SMS verification code when logging into the wallet and when transferring coins out.

Military-grade encryption: According to Abra wallet developers Bill Barhydt and Pete Kelly, this app collects as little sensitive information of their clients as possible. Additionally, the user data stored within the app – including passwords and private keys – is highly encrypted. All of the app’s interactions with third-party apps and websites, including payment systems, are also highly encrypted.

Non-custodial wallets: Abra wallet developers don’t store your private keys or their copies within the company servers. All the private keys are stored in individual wallets within the wallet of the owner’s devices. This effectively gives you near-absolute control over your private keys.

Hierarchically deterministic: The Abra crypto is also hierarchically deterministic, implying that it automatically generates new wallet addresses for different crypto transactions. This promotes anonymity as it makes it impossible for third parties to track your crypto transactions.

How to set up and activate the Abra Crypto wallet app:

Step 1: Start by downloading the Abra cryptocurrency app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store. You can also download these apps from the Abra’s official website.

Step 2: Initiate the installation process and proceed with creating a user account. Here, you are required to fill in your personal details, including your name, email address, physical address, and your mobile phone number.

Step 3: Activate the two-factor authentication protocol by using the code sent to your mobile number.

Step 4: Proceed to set the four-digit PIN code that secures your Abra crypto wallet.

Step 5: The app will now provide you with recovery phrases. Write them down and keep them safe.

Step 6: The installation is now complete, and the crypto mobile wallet app activated. You can start adding funds, converting/exchanging different currencies, and investing.

How to receive funds/add crypto into your Abra crypto wallet:

Step 1: Start by launching the Abra crypto wallet app and clicking on Portfolio.

Step 2: Click on ‘Add Money’ and choose the cryptocurrency you wish to add/receive into your wallet. This reveals the coin’s wallet address and its corresponding QR Code.

Step 3: Send the address to the parties sending you cash or have them scan the QR code

Step 4: Wait for the cryptocurrency to reflect on your wallet.

How to send crypto out of Abra wallet:

Step 1: Start by launching your Abra Crypto wallet app and clicking on ‘Portfolio.’

Step 2: Click on ‘Send Money’ and choose the cryptocurrency you wish to transfer.

Step 3: Key in the recipient’s wallet address or scan their wallet’s QR code and enter the amount of crypto you wish to send.

Step 4: Confirm that the wallet address and amounts entered are correct and hit send.

Abra Wallet’s ease of use

Abra crypto wallet is very user friendly. The registration process, for instance, is rather quick and straightforward. The fact that the crypto wallet app handles fiat transactions, plus its registration as a Financial Services Provider, means that you will be subjected to the different KYC and AML protocols. It also means that your crypto transactions won’t be wholly anonymous.

Unlike most other crypto apps that require you to pass through third party currency conversion systems like Simplex or Changelly, Abra processes direct fiat deposits. Here, you can make crypto purchases directly using your debit or credit cards, direct bank wire transfers, or the Teller Payment System.

One of the most unique aspects of the Abra Crypto wallet app is that your deposits into the wallet app are held as Bitcoins By default. This implies that if you deposited $10,000 into the wallet, this amount is automatically converted into its Bitcoin equivalent (say 1 BTC). Therefore, if Bitcoin’s value surges by 25%, your balances increase by a similar margin and vice versa. The account can, however, be denominated by any currency and you are free to change the default BTC base currency into any other currency at any time.

Abra wallet supported currencies and countries.

According to the Abra wallet website, the crypto vault is now accessible to residents of over 150 countries – including the U.S.

Abra users in the United States can interact with over 30 of the most popular cryptocurrencies and as much as 50 fiat currencies.

Abra crypto wallet users outside the U.S however, have access to a wider range of currencies as they get to interact with over 200 crypto+fiat currencies.

Abra wallet’s inbuilt exchange is nonetheless highly versatile and there is no limit of either crypto-to-crypto or fiat-to-crypto pairs.

Abra wallet cost and fees:

You will not be charged to download and install the Abra crypto wallet app. And neither will you be charged to activate or for storing your digital assets on your Abra Crypto wallet.

A variable transaction processing fee will, however, apply and debited from your Abra cryptocurrency wallet every time you send cryptocurrencies out of the wallet. These fees are collected by the blockchain miners or network administrators and not Abra wallets and are largely dependent on such factors as the type of cryptocurrency and the transaction amounts involved.

Within the app, you will also incur currency conversion fees in the form of spreads. And this markup price for the different cryptos is set by Abra.

Note that while Abra wallet doesn’t impose withdrawal fees, your payment processor will often charge transaction fees when you deposit into Abra.

Cash Deposit and Withdrawal limits

The app has set limits on the amount of cash you can deposit or withdraw from your Abra crypto wallet app. For instance, U.S residents can only transfer a maximum of $30,000 per wire daily. Additionally, you can only make a bank deposit or withdrawal of a maximum $2,000 daily, up to $4,000 weekly, and $8,000 monthly, while daily credit card deposits/withdrawals have a daily and monthly limit of $200 and $1,000 respectively.

While there is no limit to the number of BTC or LTC conversions you can make, non-BTC/LTC conversions have a daily limit of 5 BTC.

Abra wallet customer support

Abra Wallet’s customer support starts with the wallet’s highly elaborate FAQs page featured on the Abra website. The wallet also features a highly informative blog and the two are key towards addressing some common challenges experienced by Abra Users.

For more personalized queries, consider contacting Abra’s customer support team on their different social media pages like Telegram, Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook. You may also contact them by raising a support ticket on the Abra website.

What are the pros and cons of the Abra crypto wallet app?

Pros:

  • Abra is an all-in-one wallet that doesn’t just let you store your cryptocurrencies but also lets you invest in the stock exchange.
  • The mobile crypto app also features an in-built exchange.
  • Abra wallet supports both fiat and cryptocurrencies.
  • It allows you to change the base currency of your wallet from the highly volatile Bitcoin to Fiat, effectively guarding your assets against possible crypto falls.
  • Installing the app and storing coins therein is free.

Cons:

  • One may consider the currency conversion rates for the wallet’s inbuilt exchange rather high.
  • By holding your cash deposits into the app in the form of Bitcoin, the wallet subjects your cash to volatility risks.
  • The app subjects you to both KYC and AML procedures, which defeats the purpose of Blockchain and cryptos anonymity.

How does Abra Crypto wallet compare to other popular cryptocurrency wallets

When compared to such other crypto wallet apps as eToro, Abra carries the day because of its ease of use and the number of features included. For instance, unlike eToro’s inbuilt exchange that has a limited number of trading/exchange pairs, the Abra Crypto wallet is highly versatile and has an unlimited number of trading pairs. It also supports a wider range of deposit and withdrawal methods that include Teller payment systems. eToro, however, supports a wider range of cryptocurrencies and tokens and can also be considered more secure.

Abra crypto wallet, however, pales in the face of leading Crypto hardware wallets in terms of security and number of supported currencies. Ledger Nano S, for instance, supports more than 1000 cryptocurrencies and tokens and also stores these digital assets offline. The Abra Crypto app can, however, be considered more convenient and easier to access.

Bottom line: Is Abra wallet safe?

Abra has made significant strides towards creating the most sophisticated, versatile, and easy to use trading platform. Their app is not only freely available to all crypto enthusiasts but also integrates some of the most advanced trading and analysis tools.

It also gives its users access to direct crypto market data, including crypto prices and the blockchain industry event calendar. But more importantly, it has put in place several sophisticated security features that make its wallet highly secure while giving you absolute control over your private keys.

Categories
Crypto Market Analysis

Daily Crypto Review, August 17 – DeFi Craze Continues: More BTC Tokenized Than Mined

The cryptocurrency market spent most of its weekend consolidating, with only a couple of cryptocurrencies moving significantly. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,817, which represents a decrease of 0.64% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.27% on the day, while XRP lost 0.47%.

The cryptocurrency market spent most of its weekend consolidating, with only a couple of cryptocurrencies moving significantly. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,817, which represents a decrease of 0.64% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.27% on the day, while XRP lost 0.47%.

The cryptocurrency market spent most of its weekend consolidating, with only a couple of cryptocurrencies moving significantly. Bitcoin is currently trading for $11,817, which represents a decrease of 0.64% on the day. Meanwhile, Ethereum lost 1.27% on the day, while XRP lost 0.47%.

 Daily Crypto Sector Heat Map

When talking about top100 cryptocurrencies, OMG Network gained 50.69% on the day, making it the most prominent daily gainer. Waves (26.69%) and Ren (24.74%) also did great. On the other hand, Quant lost 6.55%, making it the most prominent daily loser. It is followed by Divi’s loss of 5.80% and Ampleforth’s drop of 5.08%.

Top 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bottom 10 24-hour Performers (Click to enlarge)

Bitcoin’s dominance level has decreased slightly and dropped under the 60% mark, with its value currently at 59.17%. This value represents a 0.91% difference to the downside when compared to our last report.

Daily Crypto Market Cap Chart

The cryptocurrency market cap experienced a slight increase in value over the weekend. Its current value is $373.40 billion, which represents an increase of $5.33 billion when compared to our previous report.

_______________________________________________________________________

What happened in the past 24 hours?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical analysis

_______________________________________________________________________

Bitcoin

Bitcoin was on a slightly upward slope over the course of the weekend, trying to reach $12,000 before attempting a strong push. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap saw good support in the 21-period moving average, which kept it on its path. The descending RSI and incredibly low volume indicate that the cryptocurrency will move very soon. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s hashrate reached its new all-time high of 129 EH/s.

BTC traders should look for a trade when a volume spike happens.

BTC/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is above its 50-period EMA and its 21-period EMA
  • Price is at its middle B.B
  • RSI is neutral (52.88)
  • Volume is decreasing (Low)
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $12,000                                1: $11,630

2: $12,300                                2: $11,460

                                                 3: $11,090

Ethereum

Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum was not moving slow throughout the weekend. After breaking the $415 mark, Ethereum needed to consolidate above it and show strength, which it did. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap retested its support (successfully) and is now safely at the $425 mark.

Traders should look for a trade when ETH regains volume.

ETH/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical Factors:
  • Price is currently above its 21-period and its 50-period EMA
  • Price is above its top B.B.
  • RSI is neutral (52.85)
  • Volume is below average
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $445                                      1: $415

2: $496                                     2: $400

                                                  3: $361

Ripple

XRP spent its weekend consolidating between the $0.285 and $0.31 support and resistance levels. Low volatility, as well as volume, made XRP virtually untradeable over the course of the weekend. However, as much as XRP doesn’t seem like it doesn’t have the strength to push through $0.31 by itself (without Bitcoin moving first), the state it is currently in is still more bullish than bearish.

Traders can look for a trade after XRP increases its volume and heads towards $0.31.

XRP/USD 4-hour Chart

Technical factors:
  • Price is currently above the 21-period and 50-period EMA
  • Price is between its middle and top B.B.
  • RSI is neutral (55.30)
  • Low volume
Key levels to the upside          Key levels to the downside

1: $0.31                                     1: $0.285  

2: $0.32                                     2: $0.266

3: $0.245

 

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Armory Wallet – A Review of Features plus Pros and Cons

Armory is a cold wallet for storing Bitcoins. It is among the earliest Bitcoin cold wallets. In fact, the idea of cold wallets was first implemented in Armory. Its main advantage is security while setup difficulty and the lack of a mobile option are its major downfalls.

Armory is a cold wallet for storing Bitcoins. It is among the earliest Bitcoin cold wallets. In fact, the idea of cold wallets was first implemented in Armory. Its main advantage is security while setup difficulty and the lack of a mobile option are its major downfalls.

Armory is a cold wallet for storing Bitcoins. It is among the earliest Bitcoin cold wallets. In fact, the idea of cold wallets was first implemented in Armory. Its main advantage is security while setup difficulty and the lack of a mobile option are its major downfalls.

Armory is arguably one of the best cold wallets. As a cold wallet, it offers offline transaction signing which enhances the security of a user’s private key, and thus, their precious coins. 

In this review, we will look at Armory’s key features, how to create a wallet, it’s security, and transactions Bitcoins. We will also look at the pros and cons of the wallet.

Key Features

  • It supports both hot and cold wallets, thus both online and offline transaction signing is enabled 
  • It supports multiple wallets e.g. personal, business, etc.
  • It runs on multiple desktop platforms, that is, Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
  • It supports lockboxes and multi-signature. These will be explained later.
  • It has an intuitive user interface – Armory’s user interface is beautiful, by crypto-wallet standards, and it’s easy to use too.
  • It supports “watching wallets” – These are hot wallets but do not contain private keys. You can use them to quickly generate addresses and confirm payments without exposing your private key data to the Internet.
  • It supports paper backup – This is the most basic form of backing up your wallet. If you lose your device, you can use the paper backup to restore your account the next time you set up Armory.
  • It offers configuration versatility. You can set up as a standard user, advanced, or expert. 

Security

By now, it should be evident that the security of the wallet is what makes Armory stand above its peers. Armory achieves this praiseworthy feat through its genius key storage mechanism. Unlike the majority of Bitcoin wallets which store users’ private keys on internet-connected devices, Amory keeps these gems offline – away from the prying eyes of crypto cyberpunks. 

This is why offline key storage is such a big deal – to complete a transaction, you need both a private key and a public key. Assume the public key is your wallet’s address and the private key is your access code. Unlike hot wallets that are connected to the internet during transactions, Armory initiates transactions online but goes offline when signing them. This is a simplistic explanation, but what Armory does is it protects your private key data from hackers when authorizing transactions. That way, anyone trying to steal your Bitcoins must first have physical access to your computer.

Armory also adds multi-signature support to its security portfolio. Multisignature (you might hear multi-sig more often) allows multiple devices to sign a transaction jointly for it to be processed. It is akin to having multiple account signatories in traditional banking. That said, multisignature capability further reduces the risk of fraudulent transactions in case someone somehow accesses your private key.

Despite all the security advances integrated into the wallet, you should keep in mind that the security of your account remains your responsibility. If a cryptocurrency-stealing malware replaces the destination address you are about to copy-paste with a hacker’s wallet address, you really cannot blame Armory, can you?

Creating an Amory Address/ Account

Opening an account with Armory is quite cumbersome. Please note that this wallet is only available as a desktop application. Anyway, the following steps should help you set up:

  1. Download Armory installer from bitcoinarmory.com. Never download a wallet from a non-official website, it could be laced with coin-stealing malware. 
  2. Install the software. 
  3. Now, you need the Bitcoin core blockchain to use the software. Download it from bitcoin.org. You need lots of patience as it usually takes several hours.
  4. Open the Armory wallet and let it sync with the downloaded blockchain. 
  5. If you have an existing wallet, Armory will load it up. Otherwise, you can import your existing wallet if the application does not automatically detect it.
  6. If you don’t have an account or don’t want to restore your previous one, you need to select the “Create Wallet” option and fill in the details.
  7. In the next step, you will create a passphrase. Armory will then present you with a QR code, which you should keep safe – you’ll need it to restore your wallet if you lose your device.
  8. Lastly, it’s important to create a backup of your wallet. You can choose to create a paper or digital backup.

As you see, it takes some effort and patience to get your Armory wallet up and running. 

Armory Lockboxes

You’ve probably heard of multisig capabilities. Let’s take a moment to look at this special feature included in Armory’s arsenal.

The wallet provides multisig capabilities through lockboxes. A lockbox in Armory is a container for funds whose signing authority is split among several devices. Funds held in a lockbox cannot be transferred until a predetermined number of devices sign. This feature can be useful where huge sums need to be transferred and there are security concerns regarding authorization. 

To create a lockbox, click on the “Lockboxes (Multi-Sig) button on the application’s main screen. A pop-up screen will appear. You need to set the number of authorized signatures and the minimum number required to approve a transaction. Then, simply add the public keys of the signatories. 

The following YouTube video can guide you further on creating multisignature lockboxes https://youtu.be/B5E3WQjSB6w.

Sending and Receiving Bitcoins

Now that your wallet is ready, it’s time to transact! Although Armory facilitates offline transactions, you can also make online transactions, which are slightly faster.

To send coins in online mode:

  • Select “Send Bitcoin”
  • Select source wallet 
  • Enter the recipient’s address (copy and paste to avoid typing errors)
  • Enter amount to send and click on the send button

To send coins offline:

  • Select “Offline Transactions”
  • Create a new offline transaction
  • Send BTC

Receiving Bitcoins is equally straight-forward:

  • Select “Receive BTC”
  • Select receiving wallet
  • Armory will generate a receiving address which you can share with the sender. You will be notified once some coins hit your wallet. Bitcoin creates a new block in about every ten minutes, and that’s approximately how long you should wait for the notification

Please note that received coins are registered on Bitcoin’s blockchain using your public key. Thus, there is no need to receive them in offline mode. 

As you have seen above, sending and receiving Bitcoins with Armory is pretty simple.

Fees

Downloading armory and creating a wallet will not cost you anything. However, you will be charged some fees when transacting on the Bitcoin network. Armory plays no role in determining this fee. Fees are decided by the Bitcoin network and are charged to discourage users from spamming the network with unnecessary transactions and reward miners for confirming transactions.

Supported Currencies

Armory supports only Bitcoins, and support for other currencies in the future is unlikely. Apparently, the developers of the wallet want to focus on creating the best security and user experience for its users, and not adding more capabilities. So far, they have delivered to this end.

Customer Care

Believe it or not, Armory has a 24/7 support phone line. If this does not surprise you, please note that the majority of cryptocurrency wallets do not even have email support. If you experience issues with your wallet, you can dial the toll-free number, +1-844-625-2686, and their team of experts will be waiting on the other end to work on your issue.

Talking of issues, some of the common ones you are likely to experience include password errors, you are unable to withdraw coins, there is an unexplained delay during withdrawal, your wallet has refused to generate a password, and so on. Again, phone support should be your first option for getting help for urgent issues.

You can also find answers to some of these concerns by browsing the FAQ section of their website. 

General inquiries can be channeled to [email protected]. Emails to this address may not be personally answered due to the magnitude of Armory implementations. Follow the team on Twitter @armory, mostly for updates and the latest news regarding the wallet.

Pros and Cons

Before we evaluate Amory’s pros and cons, let us agree on the factors that you will be typically looking for in a crypto wallet.

  • It should be secure 
  • It should be easy to set up and use
  • It should be free or low cost
  • If it supports multiple currencies, that’s an added advantage 

Having these factors in mind, we can have a fair evaluation of Amory’s pros and cons. So, let’s look at them!

Armory’s Pros

  • Top-notch security
  • You can recover your wallet in case you lose your primary machine. For this, you will need the paper or digital backup
  • It supports hierarchical deterministic address generation for extra security
  • It gives you full control over the generation and storage of your private keys
  • It is open-source, which means that the wallet can outlive the company that is currently maintaining it

Amory’s Cons

  • Setting up the wallet is cumbersome. You need to download the entire Bitcoin blockchain, which takes a lot of time
  • It does not have a mobile application, you need to install the application on a personal computer
  • It supports Bitcoins only

FAQs

What would happen if the company shuts its operations?

The Armory Wallet is maintained by Armory Technologies. If the company halts operations, your coins will still be safe because they exist in the Bitcoin network and not the wallet itself. The wallet only keeps the keys you need to access your funds. You can always restore access using the paper or digital backup you created during set up.

Does Armory charge fees at a flat rate or it depends on the amount transferred?

Armory itself does not charge any fee. The amount you are charged is determined by the Bitcoin network and depends on the size of the transaction in bytes and the age of the funds (the period between when funds were received and the time of the current transaction).

Do I need to download the whole Bitcoin blockchain to my local storage?

Unfortunately, yes. Since the Bitcoin network is distributed, Armory needs a copy of what other nodes on the network have. 

Does Armory have any security concerns?

A lot has been said about how secure the wallet is. However, the lack of multifactor authentication remains a concern. If someone has physical access to your device and they have your passphrase, they can transact on your account.

Can my wallet be hacked?

While, theoretically, anything can be hacked, Armory has advanced security features including hierarchical deterministic address generation and multisignature capabilities, which make it less prone to common cryptocurrency wallet attacks. 

The wallet is also immune to GPU-accelerated brute force attacks. This means if someone steals the computer that runs your wallet, they cannot crack Armory to get your keys, at least according to the technical team’s claim.

Final Remarks

Armory Wallet has so many features that cannot be exhausted in one post. Luckily, there are a lot of online tutorials that can guide you on exploring its full potential.

If you are concerned about the safety of your coins, consider Armory as it provides highly-sophisticated security features. Its cold storage feature allows you to retain your private key keeping it away from potential hackers. You can also restore your wallet on another device if you lose your primary device. Sending and receiving bitcoins using Armory is also fairly simple. However one of the biggest challenges with the wallet is the difficulty in setting it up. Also, it’s limited in that you can only transact bitcoins. All in all, once you learn how to use the wallet, you will find it a secure and convenient option for making your BTC transactions.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Verge Tor QT Wallet (Verge QT)

Verge QT can be described as a full-featured, full-node Verge wallet. A full-node wallet requires you to download the entire blockchain. But, don’t let that discourage you, Verge QT easily compensates this with its range of features and attractive interface that will encourage you to play around with its capabilities.

Verge QT can be described as a full-featured, full-node Verge wallet. A full-node wallet requires you to download the entire blockchain. But, don’t let that discourage you, Verge QT easily compensates this with its range of features and attractive interface that will encourage you to play around with its capabilities.

Verge QT can be described as a full-featured, full-node Verge wallet. A full-node wallet requires you to download the entire blockchain. But, don’t let that discourage you, Verge QT easily compensates this with its range of features and attractive interface that will encourage you to play around with its capabilities.

This is also not your usual wallet – it boasts of SSL encryption, Tor network encryption, and a host of other security features. It supports the Verge currency and is available on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and a paper wallet.

In this review, we will look at the key features of the wallet, its security, how to set it up and transact, and its pros and cons. Happy reading!

Key Features

Verge QT has most of the basic features you will expect to find in a cryptocurrency wallet – the ability to store coins, sending and receiving coins, configuring your wallet to your liking, and so on. 

However, the following aspects seem to stand out:

  • Simple and beautiful interface that will encourage you to explore the application’s features
  • Secure – Verge QT benefits from SSL encryption that secures its communication with the Verge network. Additionally, it encrypts IP addresses using the Tor network so that transactions remain truly anonymous
  • Full-node wallet – The entire blockchain is downloaded onto your local machine. This means you can say goodbye to invalid transactions
  • Supports remote procedure call (RPC) commands. If you are an advanced user, you can use this feature to achieve fine control over the Verge blockchain and any activity thereon
  • It has multi-platform support. You can run the wallet on Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X. 

Security

The security of your Verge QT wallet is guaranteed in many ways. Let’s start with the most outstanding.

Tor Network

Communication from the wallet travels through the Tor network – a network built for privacy and anonymity. The use of Tor in Verge QT ensures that your IP address is never revealed to the Verge network. This is especially important for users who price anonymity over every other aspect. 

SSL encryption

Verge QT also implements SSL encryption. Since it’s a hot wallet, the encryption comes in handy during transaction signing. Transaction signing is a delicate process. Private key data can leak out of the network and into the hands of crypto cyberpunks, who can then use this information to generate a user’s private key and possibly hack their wallet. 

Open-source code

Lastly, the wallet runs open-source code. Well, this is controversial, but open-source software is, in many ways, more trustworthy than proprietary software. It’s developed by the community for the community. Being open-source also means it’s subjected to scrutiny by different parties and that reduces the chance of security bugs breeding in the application.

Setting up an Account

Before we set up an account, let’s first see how to download the application. Are you using an iPhone, or MacBook, or Windows PC? Or perhaps you are the advanced user running a Linux machine? It really doesn’t matter because Verge QT is available on all these platforms and more. 

On the iOS AppStore or the Android PlayStore, Verge QT should be downloaded like any other app. However, setup varies slightly between these two platforms.

iOS Setup

  • After installation, open the app and select “Create a new wallet”
  • Set up your PIN. Fancy a long PIN? No problem. You can configure your desired PIN length, between 4 and 8 digits, from the settings button at the top right corner of the screen
  • After setting the PIN, you will be prompted to write down your paper key. Do it. Verge QT will need this information to generate your public and private keys later on
  • Next, set up your passphrase, and you’re pretty much done.

The wallet is ready. You can use it as it is at this point. However, if you desire the anonymity provided by Tor, select “Proceed with Tor” in the window that will follow. 

Android Setup

The setup process in Android is a bit lengthier particularly for those who want to use the app with Tor capabilities. The following general guideline should be sufficient:

  • Install Orbot – the Android Tor client – from PlayStore.
  • Install Verge Tor Wallet for Android, that’s how the name appears on PlayStore, but don’t open it yet
  • Open Orbot and turn on “VPN” mode
  • Next, go to  “Tor enabled apps” settings on Orbot and select Verge. In the future, this will channel all of Verge’s traffic through the Tor network
  • Go to “Bridges” setting on Orbot and select “Connect directly to Tor network”
  • Now, you can go to Verge and set up your account. You can either create a new wallet or restore an existing one. If creating a new wallet, you will be presented with a random set of words, which you should hide away somewhere safe
  • Next, Verge will allow you to create a passphrase, PIN code, and fingerprint access 
  • Your account is ready and you can use any of the factors above to access your wallet or send funds

Mac OS X Setup

Many will find the process of getting the Verge QT wallet to run on Mac OS quite challenging. However, the following general guide should be useful (Steps are customized for Mac High Sierra).

Python can be fussy if it’s not your area of strength. If you’ve never used it before, you’d be better off using the other versions of the wallet. 

Still, you might be determined to make it work on your MacBook, the risk of getting frustrated, achieving nothing at the end of the day, and feeling like a loser notwithstanding. This detailed guide might be your consolation in that endeavor https://verge.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007364291-Verge-Qt-Wallet-Installation-Guide-for-Mac 

Windows Setup

Installing and configuring this wallet on Windows is a little less challenging, but still not a task you’ll want to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

  • On your favorite web browser, go to https://github.com/vergecurrency/VERGE/releases
  • You will see a link to “release_windows.zip,” that’s the one you’ll be looking for. Open it and download VERGE-qt.exe and VERGEd.exe. Then save these two in a convenient directory anywhere on your hard drive.
  • The next step is dreadful – downloading the entire Verge blockchain! Luckily, this download completes faster than for other major blockchains. Also, you can skip this download for now.
  • To run the wallet, no fancy command-line tricks are necessary, simply run verge_qt.exe, the one you downloaded earlier. On average, it takes half an hour to load the block index
  • Finally, and after a long wait, your hard work and patience pay off – you meet the beautiful dashboard of your wallet, but it says “out of sync!” If you successfully downloaded the Verge blockchain earlier, it’s just a matter of unzipping the files and copying them to c:\users\%currentuser%\AppData\Roaming\Verge. Verge created this directory during the infamous half-hour wait. 

Paper Wallet Setup

Setting up the paper wallet is a truly unique experience. It is recommended to generate the wallet offline for security reasons. So, you need to download the generator here https://github.com/vergecurrency/vergecurrency.com/raw/master/pages/paper-wallet/xvg-paperwallet.zip. You also need a printer for this exercise. Once you are ready, proceed as follows:

  • Calibrate the printer using the zoom and horizontal shift adjustments. This step ensures your printer and browser work in harmony 
  • Print the front of your wallet. You can either supply your key by rolling a dice or let Verge create the keys for you
  • Print the back of the wallet. You should do this on the flip side of the paper. The backside encodes some tamper-resistant information
  • Cut, fold and seal the paper with opaque tape, and the wallet is ready!

Whichever platform you were configuring your account, all is set and you can start transacting as soon as immediately. So, go ahead and send some funds!

Sending Funds

To send funds, you must have some, go to the “Send” window. The wallet’s interface is very intuitive. Regardless of the platform you are using, you will see a box for inputting the destination address and amount. Provide this information and the application will give you a chance to confirm if everything looks good before you send the coins. If you are satisfied with the summary, press the colorful “Send XVG” button and the funds should be on their way to the recipient.

Receiving Funds

You need to share your wallet’s address to receive funds. To do this, go to the “Receive” window. This will generate an address that you can share with the sender.  Double-tap on the address to copy it. You can also share the QR code generated instead of the address.

Supported Currencies

Verge QT supports only the Verge currency. 

Customer Care

The Verge QT wallet does not have dedicated customer support. However, technical help and general inquiries can be addressed through the various channels provided by the team.

Perhaps the best place to get support is on community forums. Verge has a Telegram channel where community members discuss various matters concerning Verge and crypto in general. It’s not moderated and, if you are easily annoyed, avoid the platform as you may get not-so-sensitive responses for asking awkward questions.

Their Twitter account @vergecurrency mostly posts news and notifications. Occasionally, you may get a direct response to your query. You need to get used to the modus operandi of open-source projects – the community is everything.

There are other forums including Reddit, Facebook, GitHub, Discord, and others, where you may find both technical and usage-related assistance. You might want to check them out.

Pros and Cons of Verge QT Wallet

Pros

  • It supports Face ID on iPhone which allows greater convenience, both in accessing your wallet and performing transactions
  • It supports fingerprint unlocking and transaction authorization in place of PINs, which means more convenience
  • It has a beautiful interface. Verge QT’s interface, across all platforms, is eye-catching on the mean-end and charming from a fair judgment 
  • Configurations are highly customizable – you can set your preferred PIN length, choose your preferred fiat currency and so on
  • The wallet is very stable, and you are less likely to experience technical issues while using it compored with most other wallets. However, Tor misconfiguration is a leading cause of frustration among Verge QT users. If your Tor network is not properly set up, wait for the “no connections” error
  • It is available on most platforms, including iOS! While most wallets shy away from iOS versions, Verge QT developers took this challenge head-on, and the outcome was impressive

Cons

One can be easily be tempted to think that this wallet is perfect, and that’s understandable. But, there are a few issues that could still bother some users. These include:

  • No dedicated customer support – if you experience issues and you can’t find solutions in the community forums, you are on your own
  • Supports only the Verge currency. Well, many wallets are built for a single currency, but that’s still no consolation 
  • It is a full node wallet which means you have to download the entire Verge blockchain

Final Remarks

The Verge QT wallet performs impressively on many factors. It is relatively easy to install and set up on most platforms, it gives a range of configuration options, it is stable, it is secure and looks good. The lack of customer support, inability to transact other currencies, and the need to download the whole Verge blockchain may set some back. But all in all, this wallet efficiently serves its purpose.

Categories
Crypto Videos

Pantera Capital Founder Foresees Bitcoins $100K+ Rise!

https://youtu.be/1uFkNrTDpws

https://youtu.be/1uFkNrTDpws

 

Pantera Capital’s Founder Foresees $100K+ Bitcoin

Pantera Capital is the oldest crypto investment company in the United States. When Dan Morehead, the company’s founder, was asked to make a Bitcoin price prediction during his recent interview, he mentioned an investment letter published by Pantera Capital. This letter contained, based on the stock-to-flow model, a bold prediction that Bitcoin will reach $115,000 by August 2021.

Morehead expects Bitcoin to grow

Morehead thinks that the prediction is still possible, despite the fact that in just one year, Bitcoin’s price would have to increase around ten times its current value. Still, his personal prediction is a bit more modest, though not modest at all in an absolute sense. He said:
“My common response is that it’s been growing at a rate of 209% for nine years and that I think it’s going to grow at least 209% for the next couple of years. That puts you at around $100 000, probably in the next two years, and I do think that will happen.”

If Bitcoin grows 209% annually as it did up until now, it will reach the $100,000 mark in 1.92 years. However, if it were to reach $115,000 in just one year, than Bitcoin would need a 900% annual growth rate.
Morehead noted that he is tired of skeptics that constantly pose questions such as “What is Bitcoin’s killer app?”. In his personal opinion, Bitcoin itself is the killer app with the primary use case as a store of value. Bitcoin does it better than gold, which now has a market capitalization of $9 trillion, said Morehead.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Enjin Wallet In-Depth Review: Key Features, Security, Pros andCons

Enjin smart wallet comes off as one of the safest and most convenient mobile-app based crypto wallet. It is easy to use on both Android and iOS devices and incorporates a wide range of operational and security features, including a secure keyboard, a built-in exchange, and two layers of cryptography (rule-of-two-encryption). What’s more, it supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Enjin smart wallet comes off as one of the safest and most convenient mobile-app based crypto wallet. It is easy to use on both Android and iOS devices and incorporates a wide range of operational and security features, including a secure keyboard, a built-in exchange, and two layers of cryptography (rule-of-two-encryption). What’s more, it supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Enjin smart wallet comes off as one of the safest and most convenient mobile-app based crypto wallet. It is easy to use on both Android and iOS devices and incorporates a wide range of operational and security features, including a secure keyboard, a built-in exchange, and two layers of cryptography (rule-of-two-encryption). What’s more, it supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies and tokens.

In this Enjin Smart wallet review, we detail everything you need to know about the mobile-based wallet. We highlight its most prominent operational features and look into details of the factors making it one of the most secure wallets. We’ll also tell you of the supported cryptocurrencies and tokens, its pros and cons, and provide you with a step by step guide on how it works.

We start by looking at its key features:

Key Features

Secure Keyboard:

Enjin Smart wallet features a proprietary keyboard that is specially designed to shield your data from sniffers and keyboard keyloggers. It has the key randomization option that provides you with the ultimate level of input protection.

QR Scanner:

In addition to the randomized and highly secure inbuilt keyboard, you can use the QR Scanner to communicate with different exchanges and wallets when sending and receiving digital assets.

Crypto wallet trackers:

The crypto wallet mobile app gives you the ability to monitor your Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin addresses. This allows you to monitor their transactions in real-time.

Add custom tokens:

Enjin smart wallet doesn’t just support the ERC-20, ERC-721, and ERC-1125 tokens. It also gives you the ability to create and launch your custom tokens.

Create multiple wallet addresses:

There is no limit to the number of wallet addresses you can create on this platform, and neither is there a limit to the number of coins you can store in these wallets. The coin, therefore, gives you the ability to create multiple wallet addresses for different coins and tokens.

Budget for your crypto assets:

Unlike most crypto wallets that only have one vault for all your digital assets, Enjin Smart wallet lets you create multiple vaults. You can, for instance, create a Savings, Business, and Trading vault and split your crypto assets into these different allotments.

Samsung Blockchain Keystore support:

Enjin is specially designed to support the Samsung Blockchain feature for private keys protection.

Custom libraries:

Its libraries are designed with a feature that enables the removal of private keys from the device immediately after use. 

Enjin wallet security features:

i) One-touch fingerprint login: Enjin Smart Wallet can be secured by a unique multi-character password or a fingerprint. The fingerprint protection especially comes in handy in further eliminating possible password leaks and giving the wallet user absolute control over their wallet.

ii) Two-layer encryption: The mobile crypto wallet employs two layers of encryption in protecting the data stored within the wallet and keep your private keys confidential. 256 AES encryption covers the hardware while software encryption techniques are applied to the wallet’s application layer.

iii) Recovery phrase: When installing and activating the Enjin Smart wallet, it will provide you with a 12-word recovery seed. Record these phrases on a piece of paper and keep it safe. You will need it to regain access to your wallet should you forget the password and also recover private keys should you lose access to your mobile phone.

iv) RAM encryption: According to Enjin smart wallet developers, all of the important data is processed by and stored on a secure RAM. They further state that this RAM limits the amount of sensitive data stored in here and that this data is highly encrypted.

How to set up the Enjin crypto wallet app

Setting up your Enjin wallet on your mobile device is easy and straightforward. Here is a detailed insight on how to go about it:

Step 1: Download and install the Enjin Smart Wallet app: Depending on the type of operating system you are using, the first step is to search the Enjin wallet on Play Store or iTunes. Download the application and click on the “install” button. Once the installation is complete, click on the “open” button to launch the app.

Step 2: Create a new wallet: You will be provided with two options. You can either create a new wallet or restore your previously backed up wallet.

Since we are creating a new wallet, choose on the ‘Create New’ and click the “next step” button.

Step 3: Create and confirm password: Create a unique multi-character website for your wallet app.

Step 4: Recovery phrase backup: You will then be provided with a 12-word recovery phrase that will be used to restore your wallet when you lose or forget your password. The best way to backup these phrases is to write them on a piece of paper and keep them in a safe or any other highly secure environment.

Step 5: Create wallet addresses: The wallet is now set and you can proceed to create wallet addresses for the different crypto assets. You can also create different vaults and allocate them pieces of your digital assets for different purposes.

Step 6: Start trading: Your Enjin wallet is set and you can now start receiving, exchanging, and sending cryptocurrencies or customizing your own tokens.

How to send cash using an Enjin smart wallet

Step 1: Start by launching your Enjin crypto wallet

Step 2: Click on the cryptocurrency or token you wish to send. The app will display a wallet address input section as well as the option for scanning the receiver’s wallet QR Code. Chose one.

Step 3: Enter the amount of coins/tokens you wish to send

Step 4: Confirm that the details entered (wallet address and crypto amounts) are correct and hit send

How to receive funds into your Enjin smart wallet

Step 1: Start by launching the Enjin Smart crypto wallet app

Step 2: Tap on the ‘Receive’ icon and proceed to click on the cryptocurrency/token you wish to receive. The app will display the crypto’s wallet address as well as its QR code.

Step 3: Copy the wallet address and forward it to the parties from whom you wish to receive the coins or have them scan your QR Code.

Step 4: Wait for the cryptos to reflect on your wallet

Enjin wallet’s supported currencies

The Enjin smart crypto wallet is highly versatile and currently supports over 700 cryptocurrencies and tokens. These include the all-popular crypto coins like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and the Enjin Coin.

The wallet also holds multiple variations of the Ethereum based tokens including all the ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-233, and ERC-1155 tokens. Its also one of the few crypto wallets that lets you leverage their inbuilt-exchange and support for Ethereum based tokens to help you customize and launch your own token.

Enjin smart wallet cost and fees

Enjin smart crypto wallet doesn’t charge you when you download, install, or store cryptocurrencies/tokens on their wallet. You will, however, be charged variable transaction fees when you send/receive funds into your wallet. These charges are usually imposed by blockchain networks and are collected by miners and network administrators, not the Enjin wallet developers.

How much you pay per transaction is largely dependent on such factors as your preferred crypto as well as the number of coins transferred.

Enjin Crypto wallet ease of use

Enjin crypto wallet app features a smart user interface that makes it one of the most user-friendly wallet apps. According to Enjin, the smart UI features turns your phone into a hardware-like wallet by giving you full control over your private keys while offering a number of important security features.

Enjin smart wallet app customer support

Enjin wallet has an elaborative and readily available customer support team. Their multi-lingual website (currently available in four international languages) is, for instance, awash with different resource materials aimed at helping address common user concerns. The wallet maintains a regularly updated blog that not only covers hot financial and crypto industry news but also updates about the wallet.

This is, also the Enjin forum where wallet users get to interact with the developers and other users. Here they can have their challenges and queries addressed by either the Enjin wallet developers or expert wallet users.

More sensitive queries can be addressed directly to the Enjin customer support team by raising a support ticket on their ‘Contact Us’ page. You can also send them an email via [email protected] or engage them on their official social media handles on such platforms as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Reddit, and LinkedIn.

Comparing the Enjin crypto wallet app with other wallets

Compared to other crypto wallet apps like Mycelium, Enjin smart crypto wallet carries the day when it comes to the employed security measures. It, for instance, combines military-grade encryption with biometrics in further boosting the confidentiality of your private keys. It also has more operational features like the inbuilt exchange/marketplace, support for decentralized apps and browsers, and the integration of the ERC-1155 protocol that lets the user create and issue customized tokens.

Enjin smart wallet app security features, however, are pale in the face of the more secure hardware wallets. For instance, while the data contained therein may be highly encrypted, it still is a hot wallet and this exposes it to possible hacking and malicious malware threats. Unlike most hardware wallets that can hold thousands of cryptocurrencies and tokens, Enjin can only hold a maximum of 700 cryptos. The only advantage Enjin crypto has over such hardware wallets Trezor or Ledger Nano is that it is free.

Everything else you need to know about Enjin smart crypto wallet

Enjin is also more than a wallet as it also features an easy to use inbuilt-exchange and a crypto marketplace. The wallet integrates the all-popular Enjin social gaming network and the Enjin marketplace where players can buy or exchange different video games and in-game items for crypto and tokens.

The Enjin wallet also features one of the most interesting and easy to use Decentralized App web browsers. It has a friendly and easy-to-interact-with user-interface. It allows you access to leading crypto exchanges, financial news, online games, and even social media.

In addition to supporting the popular ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens, Enjin developers introduced the ERC-1155 protocol. This allows you to create highly customized tokens and token collectibles that you can trade on the Enjin exchange, store on the Enjin wallet, and exchange for online games or in-game items within the Enjin Marketplace.  All these are accessible via the Enjin smart wallet app.

Enjin does not store fiat currencies and neither does it support fiat-to-crypto conversions. The smart crypto wallet has, however, partnered with some of the most popular fiat-to-crypto conversion platforms like Changelly, Simplex, Bancor, and Kyber. These make it possible for you to swap cash for cryptocurrencies and tokens that you can then use to trade or exchange via the Enjin smart crypto wallet.

What are the pros and cons of the Enjin crypto wallet

Pros

  • Employs a wide range of security features – including encryption and Biometric access
  • Both the crypto wallet app and Enjin website are multi-lingual
  • High user ratings on both Android and iOS app stores
  • Supports a relatively wide range of cryptocurrencies and tokens
  • The Enjin wallet app features a highly intuitive user interface

Cons

  • Mobile wallets are prone to online attacks as compared to hardware wallets
  • It is not open source and, therefore, not adequately vetted
  • Doesn’t support fiat-to-crypto conversions

Final Verdict: Is the Enjin wallet app safe?

Well, Enjin smart wallet app has embraced several security protocols that make it one of the safest crypto apps around. It, for instance, employs the two-layer encryption for the private keys and personal data stored within the app and uses a multi-character password and biometrics to secure the wallet.

Other factors that make Enjin smart wallet app the most effective mobile wallet include the fact that it integrates such features as an inbuilt-exchange and marketplace, decentralized apps, and browsers, supports 700+ cryptocoins and tokens and makes it possible for you to create and launch a custom ERC-1155 token.