Category Archives: Cryptocurrency
Missed Out on Ethereum? Buy This Cryptocurrency Now – The Motley Fool
Over the past seven years, Ethereum (ETH 2.72%) has been one of the best-performing cryptos in the world. Since its launch back in 2015, Ethereum is up an eye-popping 247,225%.
However, investors are unlikely to ever see those types of returns from Ethereum again. Ethereum has skyrocketed in value to become the No. 2 cryptocurrency in the world, with a total market capitalization of about $200 billion, making it much harder to duplicate those returns in the future.
So what should you do if you missed out on Ethereum? One option is to search out other Layer 1 blockchains that could eventually take over from Ethereum during the next crypto bull market. And surely one of the top prospects in this regard is Solana (SOL 290.43%). Even though Solana is now trading at a more than 85% less than its all-time-high back in 2021, it has the type of unlimited upside that could make it the next Ethereum.
Image source: Getty Images.
In terms of overall performance, Solana is already far superior to Ethereum. Take transaction processing speed, which is often considered to be one of the most important metrics for measuring the performance of a blockchain. Solana can theoretically process 65,000 transactions per second. Ethereum, on the other hand, can still only process 15 to 20 transactions per second.
Moreover, Ethereum is still plagued by high transaction fees, known as gas fees. Even after The Merge, a much-anticipated system upgrade scheduled for this week, it is unclear how much of a performance boost Ethereum will really get. Meanwhile, Solana continues to earn props as a potential Ethereum killer.
Performance metrics matter, because they are what can attract users, developers, and investors. In turn, this critical mass of users and developers is what leads to a strong, vibrant ecosystem. Simply stated, users migrate to a particular blockchain if it is cheaper and easier to use.
And developers will also move if it offers superior scalability and performance. For this reason, we are already starting to see a strong influx of developers into Solana.
In fact, Helium, one of the biggest blockchains in the world is now voting to migrate its entire technological infrastructure over to Solana.As a result, Solana's ecosystem is growing faster than Ethereum's, and this has important implications for growth projections we use to model Solana in the future.
In the last crypto bull market, Ethereum led the way, thanks to all of the innovations it introduced in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps). By nearly any metric, Ethereum is still the leader in overall blockchain activity. However, it's no longer necessarily the case that Ethereum has the most innovative blockchain ecosystem.
Just consider all of the innovation coming out of Solana over the past 12 months. There has been the launch of the Phantom digital wallet, the launch of the new Solana Pay payment network, the introduction of entirely new genres of blockchain gaming, and the launch of Saga, the world's first-ever "crypto phone." On top of that, Solana has now emerged as the primary rival to Ethereum in the NFT market, thanks to the success of projects such as the Magic Eden NFT marketplace.
There's reason to think that Solana has really only scratched the surface of what is possible with mobile crypto. Solana, for example, has already released a software development kit (SDK) for mobile crypto, so it clearly believes that this could be a future, high-growth category.What other blockchain has its own mobile phone and SDK?
And don't forget about the metaverse and blockchain gaming. Over the past 12 months, we've seen Solana announce major new future opportunities in these areas in major tech hubs like Dubai.
During the peak of the last crypto bull market, analysts were putting out some incredibly aggressive price targets for Solana. While those numbers now seem, in hindsight, to be remarkably optimistic, there is still a lot of upside potential to Solana.
Given that Solana is currently trading at about $35 right now, even if it just retraces its path back to an all-time high of $260 from almost 12 months ago, that would still be a sevenfold return on investment. But some analysts have suggested that Solana could eventually hit $1,000, creating even more upside potential for investors who get in now.
The really exciting part about Solana is that it is continuing to build during a down market. At the same time, the Solana brand is continuing to gain traction with young users.There are also a number of exciting catalysts coming in 2023, including the new Saga crypto phone.All of this leads me to think that Solana could be a no-brainer way to profit in the next crypto boom if you missed out on the initial stratospheric returns of Ethereum.
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Missed Out on Ethereum? Buy This Cryptocurrency Now - The Motley Fool
Changes coming to CMMC; The cryptocurrency threat landscape; Getting ready for a CR – FedScoop
Changes are coming to one of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certifications key documents. Eric Crusius, partner at Holland & Knight LLP, says what changes he thinks could benefit industry and what could benefit the Department of Defense.
Federal government law enforcement agencies have clawed back more than 30 million dollars in crypto currency North Korean hackers stole earlier this year.
Brian Capra, director of strategic applications for Chainalysis, explains the threat landscape presented by cryptocurrency and how the federal government can defend against it. This interview is underwritten by Chainalysis.
The end of the fiscal year is about two weeks away now and the White House is prepping agencies to get ready for another continuing resolution.
Gerard Badorrek, former chief financial officer at the General Services Administration and founder of the Federal RPA Community of Practice, discusses how agencies can get ready for a CR and how CFOs can help other parts of the organization prepare.
The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every weekday afternoon. Listen more here.
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Changes coming to CMMC; The cryptocurrency threat landscape; Getting ready for a CR - FedScoop
How to fast-track the future of the African cryptocurrency market – Cryptopolitan
In recent years, Africa has been one of the most active regions in the cryptocurrency industry. The continent is home to several exchanges, startups, and initiatives pushing cryptocurrency innovation forward.
Most of sub-Saharan Africas population is relatively young, 70% under 30 years old, which is critical for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation in Africa. It makes Africa an ideal birthplace for innovative technologies, including cryptocurrencies. Africa has a history of embracing new technologies, with mobile money being used across the continent.
Even though Africa gets just 2% of the global cryptocurrency market, its rapid growth will revolutionize finance in a more digital and urban sub-Saharan continent. Africans received $105.6 billion in cryptocurrency during the one year from July 2020 through June 2021, according to Chainalysis, a blockchain data firm. According to Chainalysis, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria are among the top ten countries for cryptocurrency usage.
The beauty of cryptocurrency is that it permits decentralized P2P lending, allowing everyone from all economic strata to succeed by providing more financial alternatives to underserved consumer demographics. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to address several economic issues in developing countries, including expanding access to finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), making remittance sending easier, and providing an alternative currency.
According to Chainalysis, in 2020, $562 million worth of cryptocurrency was utilized for remittance payments in Sub-Saharan Africaor 14% of the overall $48 billion sent. Because cryptocurrencies have made low-cost mortgages feasible, people who couldnt get credit because of irregular income sources can now access it.
To accept Bitcoin as a viable currency, one must recognize its value worldwide, a truly decentralized asset that populations may utilize to move and store value securely. Because of a lack of regulation, trust, big regulatory agencies restricting digital currencies, and a scarcity of cryptocurrency education, many African nations are lagging behind, despite the aforementioned booming adoption rates in some others.
There is currently no formal educational institution for cryptocurrencies in Africa. A few key players, such as foundations and individuals, have emerged to offer training, but it isnt nearly enough to place Africa on the international map as a cryptocurrency leader.
Africans use popular social networking sites such as YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to learn about digital currencies like Bitcoin. They may also find helpful information on the subject from books, blog articles, or materials provided by crypto platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, and Coinmarketcap, which require an internet connection. Because of the threat of central bank regulation or bans, most African media firms have avoided promoting crypto awareness.
With the internet becoming a primary source of information for many individuals on the continent, the internet connection rate must improve dramatically if cryptocurrency businesses develop in Africa, which is far from true now. Only 22% of the continent has access to high-speed internet, which is a significant problem considering how much African countries rely on mobile towers. 91% of mobile users need to use 2G or 3G networks, which are outdated by todays standards. One blockchain startup, 3air, is working on a solution to the continents internet problem.
The African continent is home to many internet users who cannot access the web due to a lack of broadband connectivity. By leveraging blockchain technology, 3air has ambitious plans to provide fault-free connections in Africa.
In late 2021, 3air partnered with K3 Telecom to provide people in Africa with easy access to broadband. The partnership allows the telecommunications operator to expand its K3 Last Mile initiative, which provides internet connectivity for regions with low coverage. 3air promises a blockchain-based internet software interface. The physical infrastructure would include mobile base stations with the capacity to provide 15,000 users at super-speeds of 1Gbps per user, more than a hundred times faster than what current mobile internet providers offer.
Cities will feature connected base stations, with at least one station linked to the internet. Users will connect via transceivers that may find in homes and structures. These transceivers are tiny, highly effective, sturdy, and simple to install, making them cost-effective and practical for citywide usage, according to 3air. Each base station consumes 500W of power, which wont affect the local environment.
With increased access to high-speed internet, 3air hopes more people will have the opportunity to learn about and adopt cryptocurrency. 3air hopes that increased access to the internet will close the digital divide and allow for a more level playing field regarding economic opportunities. Africans who are unbanked or underbanked have flocked to cryptocurrency since it is decentralized and can keep value. 3air aims to provide everyone in Africa with access to the internet so that they may take advantage of the benefits that digital currencies provide.
Africa presents a unique opportunity for new technologies and innovations, including cryptocurrencies. The continent has a young and growing population that is increasingly tech-savvy. With the proper infrastructure and education, there is excellent potential for cryptocurrency adoption in Africa.Cryptocurrencies would be enormously beneficial for Africans. They are decentralized and perfect for countries with unstable economies or currencies. In addition, cryptocurrency can be used to send money overseas with no fees.
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How to fast-track the future of the African cryptocurrency market - Cryptopolitan
Cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic Decreases More Than 12% Within 24 hours – Ethereum Classic (ETC/USD) – Benzinga
Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum Classic's ETC/USD price has fallen 12.88% to $33.56. This continues its negative trend over the past week where it has experienced a 13.0% loss, moving from $39.06 to its current price.
The chart below compares the price movement and volatility for Ethereum Classic over the past 24 hours (left) to its price movement over the past week (right). The gray bands are Bollinger Bands, measuring the volatility for both the daily and weekly price movements. The wider the bands are, or the larger the gray area is at any given moment, the larger the volatility.
The trading volume for the coin has decreased 2.0% over the past week, while the overall circulating supply of the coin has decreased 0.29% to over 136.91 million. This puts its current circulating supply at an estimated 64.98% of its max supply, which is 210.70 million. The current market cap ranking for ETC is #19 at $4.64 billion.
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This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.
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Cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic Decreases More Than 12% Within 24 hours - Ethereum Classic (ETC/USD) - Benzinga
Here’s My Top Cryptocurrency to Buy in September – The Motley Fool
The stock market has been on a downhill slide this year, and crypto prices have also taken a tumble.
While that can be discouraging for investors, there is a silver lining: It's one of the most affordable times to buy. Most cryptocurrencies are priced at a steep discount compared to their peaks late last year, and if you've been on the fence about investing, now may be a smart time to dive in.
Choosing the right investment is critical, however. While everyone's investing preferences will be different, there's one cryptocurrency I'm loading up on in September: Ethereum (ETH 2.47%).
Ethereum has long been one of the strongest players in the crypto space, but its upcoming update, "The Merge," has many investors feeling even more optimistic.
The Merge will move Ethereum from a proof-of-work (PoW) mining protocol to proof of stake (PoS). This is an enormous undertaking, and it will reduce Ethereum's energy usage by roughly 99%.
Not only will this update help Ethereum better compete with smaller networks like Cardano and Solana (which already use a PoS protocol), but it will also set the stage for future updates to improve Ethereum's speed and transaction costs.
The Merge is already underway, with developers kicking off the first step of the update, Bellatrix, on Sept. 6. It's unclear exactly how long it will take to complete, but it's expected to finish sometime between Sept. 13-16. Once The Merge is fully rolled out, it will be the start of a new chapter for Ethereum.
Ethereum has plenty of advantages. It's the most popular network for decentralized applications (dApps) such as non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects. It's also the second- most popular cryptocurrency, with a market cap of more than $200 billion.
The Merge is a step in the right direction, but Ethereum will still face challenges. For one, this update won't solve Ethereum's most pressing issues -- namely its sluggish transaction times and high gas fees.
There is another update in the works to solve these problems, but it's not expected to happen until 2023 or 2024. While that upgrade could take Ethereum to new heights, one to two years is a long time for competitors to catch up and gain market share.
With many users and developers already frustrated by Ethereum's drawbacks, it's uncertain how much longer investors will be able to tolerate the network's slow speeds and high costs before moving to a competitor.
Whether the rewards outweigh the risks will depend largely on your personal investing preferences. Like all cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is a risky investment, and there are no guarantees that it will succeed over the long term.
Before you buy, consider how much risk you're able to tolerate, as well as how long you're willing to hold your investment. Ethereum is a long-term investment, and it will take years for it to reach its full potential. If you're willing to stick it out through the inevitable periods of volatility, it could pay off big time.
There's not necessarily a right or wrong answer as to where you should invest. Ethereum isn't perfect, but it remains one of the strongest cryptocurrencies in the field. If you believe in its long-term potential, it could be a fantastic buy right now.
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Here's My Top Cryptocurrency to Buy in September - The Motley Fool
Meme Coin Big Eyes Ready To Follow The Second Biggest Cryptocurrency Ethereum | Mint – Mint
The primary objective of decentralised finance (DeFi) has been to simplify the exchange and trading of digital assets. This occasionally can be too technical for the average user, and it doesn't offer anything else that makes it appealing. Crypto fans are currently looking for alternatives that can provide significant gains in the future due to the current bear market. A lot of support and a quick increase in value is anticipated for cryptocurrencies in the presale stage. Although new to the market, Big Eyes Coin has had one of the most successful presales in the crypto market.
Addresses owning Ethereum (ETH) will receive an equivalent amount of ETHW on the branched blockchain after the cryptocurrency is forked.
Although miners are preparing a Proof-of-Work fork, Ethereum is transitioning to Proof-of-Stake. After the Merge next week, a group of anonymous developers with the backing of numerous significant Ethereum miners is anticipated to hard fork the Ethereum blockchain, maintaining a portion of the network using the current Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism while the main blockchain switches to Proof-of-Stake (PoS).
The ETHPoW fork, which has the same transaction history as the main Ethereum network, will produce its own blocks upon activating the Merge update.
The pre-Merge state of the Ethereum network will be used as the starting point for the PoW split, meaning all token balances and smart contracts will also be carried over. As a result, everyone who now has ETH on-chain will end up with an identical amount of ETHW on the ETHPoW chain. Only the PoW fork will have native ETHW, which will be a distinct asset from the original ETH on Ethereum.
The PoS chain is now almost universally supported by DeFi, NFT, and network infrastructure protocols, which puts the PoW fork in a vulnerable position. Decentralised exchanges on the fork will probably stop operating when it launches, and centralised stablecoins like USDC and USDT will lose all of their value. This might lead to widespread liquidations and disrupt numerous DeFi protocols.
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Big Eyes Coin (BIG) wants to enter what it sees as a "billion-dollar market" by developing a unique mascot. The project team is fully aware of how crucial tangible evidence is to guaranteeing the project achieves a favourable response rate. BIG has had a very successful presale raising $1 million in the first week.
Big Eyes Coin (BIG) is a community-driven currency that will redistribute wealth within the decentralised financial ecosystem. Big Eyes intends to donate 5% of its profits to a non-profit organisation to safeguard sea life and its ecosystems.
One of Big Eyes Coin's most important advantages is the end of taxes! As the platform acquires more popularity, the capability will unquestionably attract more market future investors. The taxation system will initiate various automated changes, including purchasing the liquidity pool, the auto burn, and the marketing wallet. Big Eyes Coin (BIG) wants to provide an environment where its user base is actively encouraged to participate in daily activities.
Goals for its marketing strategy include the creation of a green, organic community and major contributions to the DeFi environment.
If interested, you can instantly buy the BIG Token online with a debit or credit card. Users can also use the USDT or ETH tokens from Tether or Ethereum to pay for it.
A MetaMask wallet must be installed on your browser, or you must use one of the wallets that Wallet Connect supports to proceed. When the public presale closes, users can claim the BIG Tokens on the claims website.
Learn more about BIG down below:
Website: https://bigeyes.space/
Telegram: https://t.me/BIGEYESOFFICIAL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigEyesCoin
Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein.
The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.
Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice.
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Meme Coin Big Eyes Ready To Follow The Second Biggest Cryptocurrency Ethereum | Mint - Mint
This cryptocurrency exchange becomes the latest to set up shop in the UAE – AMBCrypto News
Blockchain.com, London-based crypto exchange, has been granted a provisional regulatory approval by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Dubai. With granted provisions, institutional and retail clients can use the crypt platform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Blockchain.com, via ablogpost, stated that the organization is in the process of setting up a local office in the area. Furthermore, the company has full intentions of hiring for the same. The platform also underlined the importance of the licensing process as critical to its commitment to global compliance and regulation.
Peter Smith, CEO and co-founder, Blockchain.com appreciated the efforts of the local team via Twitter.
It was on 9 March 2022 that HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai approved the crypto assets law. Furthermore, with the establishment of VARA the goal of establishing the UAEs position as a global player in the virtual assets industry becomes easier.
The countrys crypto assets law necessitates cryptocurrency exchanges and users to register with the regulatory body before engaging in crypto-related activities, such as operating a crypto exchange, transferring crypto assets, and trading tokens or other assets. Since then, a number of cryptocurrency exchanges have been granted regulatory approval in the UAE by VARA.
Furthermore, on 3 June, Crypto.com received provisional approval of its Virtual Asset MVP from VARA. Thus, allowing crypto.com to offer crypto products and services. On 21 June, Hex Trust received a provisional approval from VARA.
On 14 July, crypto trading application OKX was provided a provisional virtual assets license by VARA. On 29 July, FZE, a division of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, received the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) license by VARA. This proves that the country is open to offering virtual asset exchange products and services in the UAE.
In July, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a new metaverse strategy. This strategy aims at increasing the number of blockchain and metaverse companies by 5x in the next five years.
The plan also aims to generate $4 billion. He further added that the move will help Dubai become a metaverse leader in the region. Thus, making it one of the 10 leading economies, besides generating 40,000 virtual jobs.
On 2 August, Blockchain.com successfully registered itself in the Cayman Islands to offer a range of crypto services to institutional clients. Soon after, the company secured regulatory approval from Italys Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM) as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP).
Blockchain.com said that the company is actively pursuing additional licenses in other countries as well. These include Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Ireland.
The crypto firm operates several offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Singapore.
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This cryptocurrency exchange becomes the latest to set up shop in the UAE - AMBCrypto News
How Can Cryptocurrency Help The Unbanked? – CNBCTV18
Mini
Let's look at how digital assets can help the world's unbanked population.
As of July 2022, the world's unbanked population stood at 1.4 billion people, according to data from the world bank. These individuals either have no access to the banking system or choose not to participate. This disparity in financial inclusion results in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
Those who have access to the services of a bank have access to loans, credit cards, mortgages and more, leaving the unbanked heavily disadvantaged. Fortunately, cryptocurrency offers this section of the population a viable alternative to traditional banking and brings them into the financial fold.
Let's look at how digital assets can help the world's unbanked population.
Less documentation:
The poorest around the world have no proper documentation. They are either missing a birth certificate, do not have an Aadhaar card, never received an education certificate or applied for a passport. Without these documents, getting a bank account is next to impossible.
On the other hand, cryptocurrencies need no documentation. All that's required is a smartphone, the internet and a small learning curve. There are also plenty of online videos to guide people and help them set up their wallets and start transacting.
Accessibility: The cities are filled with bank branches, but the remote areas are often neglected. This is not the fault of the banks; it's just capitalism at work. Fortunately, cryptocurrencies need no bank branches; they only require a smartphone and the internet. Moreover, with smartphones becoming cheaper and internet connectivity spreading in leaps and bounds, cryptocurrencies have the potential to reach every nook and corner of the world.
No minimum balance: What might sound like a stretch for city dwellers is, in fact, a big problem for the poor of the country. They cannot maintain a minimum balance. Today, most savings accounts require a minimum balance of Rs 1,000, which goes up to Rs 25,000 for some accounts.
Most of the unbanked population do not have that kind of money or cannot afford to keep it just lying in the account. Plus, fines are also threatened if the account balance dips below the minimum requirement. All this chases people away from traditional banking. Crypto needs no minimum balance, you don't even need to use the wallet regularly to keep it activated.
Takes out human bias: The banking system is run by people. This allows room for intolerance and prejudice. For instance, there is always a chance of someone from a certain race or caste being denied banking services. However, with algorithms running the show, crypto doesn't care about your colour, caste, religion or creed; you are a number among numbers and will be treated that way. Indiscriminately.
What can the unbanked do with cryptocurrencies?
As mentioned earlier, anyone can create a crypto wallet. After setting up the wallet, one can send and receive payments in crypto. This allows individuals to transact without a bank account. They can quickly receive remittances from their relatives abroad without any paperwork or formalities. They can also store the crypto in their wallet and watch it grow over time. This allows them to beat the devaluing effect of inflation. It is much better than keeping physical cash at home, and in some cases, it also trumps money tucked away in a fixed deposit.
Conclusion
Right now, the hype around cryptocurrency is tied to incredible returns and investors making tons of money. However, when the buzz fizzles down, cryptos will stand out because they are quick, affordable and all-inclusive means of transacting. They cut out banks and intermediaries from the financial sector and make it easier for people to store, send and receive value.
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How Can Cryptocurrency Help The Unbanked? - CNBCTV18
What are the implications of stablecoins growth in the cryptocurrency market – The Financial Express
By Anuj Yadav
The crypto market is renowned for its wild volatility, which often becomes the roadblock to broader adoption of crypto & utilising its virtues. The investors need the best of both worlds i.e agile features of crypto and the stability of traditional finance. The concept of stablecoins forms a bridge between the crypto & fiat world as their value is linked/ pegged to more stable reference assets like other currencies, commodities, etc. Most cryptocurrencies are lucrative for traders & speculators due to their high volatility but they fail to become a risk-averse medium of exchange. Stablecoins are designed to reduce the volatility of crypto and to make them the store of value and digital money to facilitate day-to-day commerce/exchanges.
The first successful stablecoin, Tether launched in 2014 and the idea of stable digital currencies captured global attention. The popularity of stablecoins grew exponentially over the years and 2020 observed a booming growth in the stablecoin market. As per a recent estimate by CoinMarketCap, their market capitalization reached approximately $167 billion in May 2022 viz. approximately 3000% increase since the beginning of 2020. The strong fundamentals & potential innovative use cases of stablecoins made them an integral part of the crypto ecosystem and enhanced the adoption rate globally. Recently, many countries and their respective central banks are engaging in discussions to consider launching their own stablecoins. In Davos at WEF 2022 discussions, CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currencies) was among the main agendas of discussions on the crypto ecosystem.
The year 2022 started on a promising note with a 15% increase in the stablecoin market in the first quarter of the year but the catastrophic meltdown of the Terra Luna decided otherwise. Although the crash of Terra Luna lost billions from the market and raised questions over the stability of stablecoins, its failure pushed the market towards maturity. It helped in weeding out the existing bad actors in the crypto market & educating the investors. It highlighted the shortcomings of algorithmic stablecoins and raised awareness among investors about the fundamentals of stablecoins. Algorithmic stablecoins are not backed by any collaterals, they maintain their value pegged to fiat by using complex algorithms. These are not stable in the true essence as their price derives from the supply and demand of investors. However, all other collateralised stablecoins such as fiat-collateralized (eg. Tether- USDT), crypto-collateralised (eg. Makers DAOs Dai- DAI), Commodity- collateralised (eg. Tether Gold- XAUT) stablecoins are stable & safe crypto investment options as they are always backed with the stable reference assets. They also conduct regular audits to ensure that their reserves are in line with the stablecoin circulation.
Stablecoins successfully retained the faith of investors and survived the crash due to its strong fundamentals. They are more than just investment instruments. Stablecoins have the potential to bring revolution to the payment industry by facilitating cross-border payments. Traditional methods take up to a few days to process the wire transfer and they also impose a heavy transaction fee on international transactions. Whereas stablecoins can make these payments quick & affordable for users by reducing the transaction time and fee significantly. Due to underlying potential various governments worldwide are exploring ways of integrating & regulating the stablecoins. Japan has recently passed a stablecoin bill for investor protection whereas there are ongoing discussions in regulatory bodies to bring a robust regulatory framework for stablecoins in the EU and countries like the UK and the US etc.
Gradually stablecoins have become an integral part of the crypto ecosystem and they are steadily rising in the market. There are more players entering into the stablecoin space which indicates the increased confidence of institutional investors in the idea of stable digital currencies. Recently Tether announced to launch of a new stablecoin (GBPT) pegged to the British pound and Shytoshi Kusama announced that the Shiba Inu community is also planning to launch their stablecoin.
The future of stablecoins seems promising but it certainly depends on the factors like regulatory policies & legal acceptance worldwide. The stablecoin market is still in the nascent stage, the rate of mass adoption in coming years will be the key factor to determine the fate of stablecoins.
The author is co-founder and CTO, Kassio
Also Read: Crypto fraud: Man held for duping Meerut bizman of Rs 1.84 crore
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What are the implications of stablecoins growth in the cryptocurrency market - The Financial Express
The most important cryptocurrency event in years is about to begin and the biggest windfall goes to the planet – The Conversation
Amid the continuous noise about cryptocurrencies, its often hard to pick out what really matters. However this month, if all goes to plan, the energy-hungry digital sector will undergo its biggest shake-up in years.
Ethereum, the worlds second largest cryptocurrency, is on Tuesday expected to start a technology changeover which, once complete, should cause its carbon emissions to plummet by 99%.
The rapid growth in cryptocurrencies in recent years has been staggering. Unfortunately, so too has been their contribution to climate change, due to the enormous amount of electricity used by computers that manage the buying and selling of crypto coins.
Take, for example, the worlds biggest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. At a time when the world is desperately trying to reduce energy consumption, Bitcoin uses more energy each year than medium-sized nations such as Argentina. If the Ethereum switch succeeds, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will be under immense pressure to deal with this problem.
Cryptocurrencies are digital currency systems in which people make direct online payments to each other.
Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies are not managed from a single location such as a central bank. Instead, theyre managed by a blockchain: a decentralised global network of high-powered computers. These computers are known as miners.
The Reserve Bank of Australia provides this simple explanation of how it all works (edited for brevity):
Suppose Alice wants to transfer one unit of cryptocurrency to Bob. Alice starts the transaction by sending an electronic message with her instructions to the network, where all users can see the message.
The transaction sits with a group of other recent transactions waiting to be compiled into a block (or group) of the most recent transactions. The information from the block is turned into a cryptographic code and miners compete to solve the code to add the new block of transactions to the blockchain.
Once a miner successfully solves the code, other users of the network check the solution and reach an agreement that its valid. The new block of transactions is added to the end of the blockchain, and Alices transaction is confirmed.
This process, used by most cryptocurrencies, is termed proof-of-work mining. The central design feature is the use of calculations which require a lot of computer time and huge amounts of electricity to perform.
Bitcoin alone consumes around 150 terawatt-hours of electricity each year. Producing that energy emits some 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually about the same emissions as Greece.
Research suggests Bitcoin last year produced emissions responsible for around 19,000 future deaths.
The proof-of-work approach intentionally wastes energy. The data in a blockchain has no inherent meaning. Its sole purpose is to record difficult, but pointless, calculations which provide a basis for allocating new crypto coins.
Cryptocurrency advocates have given a variety of excuses for the monstrous energy consumption, but none stand up to scrutiny.
Some, for example, seek to justify cryptocurrencys carbon footprint by saying some miners use renewable energy. That may be true, but in doing so they can displace other potential energy users some of whom will have to use coal- or gas-fired power.
But now, the most successful of Bitcoins rivals, Ethereum, is changing tack. This month it promises to switch its computing technology to something far less polluting.
Read more: Ethereum: the transformation that could see it overtake bitcoin
Ethereums project involves ditching the proof of work model for a new one called proof of stake.
Under this model, crypto transactions are validated by users, who stake substantial quantities of blockchain tokens (in this case, Ethereum coins) as collateral. If the users act dishonestly, they lose their stake.
Importantly, it will mean the vast network of supercomputers currently used to check transactions will no longer be required, because users themselves are doing the checking a relatively easy task. Doing away with the computer miners will lead to an estimated 99% drop in Ethereums electricity use.
Some smaller cryptocurrencies such as the Ada coin traded on the Cardano platform use proof of stake but its been confined to the margins to date.
For the past year, Ethereum has been running the new model on experimental blockchains. But this month, the model will be merged into the main platform.
So what does all this mean? The Ethereum experiment could fail if, say, some stakeholders find ways to manipulate the system. But if the switch does succeed, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will be under pressure to abandon the proof-of-work model, or else shut down.
This pressure has already begun. Tesla founder Elon Musks last year announced his company would no longer accept Bitcoin payment for its electric cars, due to the currencys carbon footprint.
The New York state legislature in June passed a bill to ban some Bitcoin operations that use carbon-based power. (However, the decision requires sign off from New Yorks governor and may be vetoed).
And in March this year, the European parliament voted on a proposal to ban the proof-of-work model. The proposal was defeated. But as Europe heads into the cooler months, and grapples with an energy crisis triggered by sanctions on Russian gas supplies, energy-guzzling cryptocurrencies will remain in the firing line.
One thing is clear: as the need to slash global emissions becomes ever more pressing, cryptocurrencies will run out of excuses for their egregious energy use.
Read more: Tesla's Bitcoin about-face is a warning for cryptocurrencies that ignore climate change
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The most important cryptocurrency event in years is about to begin and the biggest windfall goes to the planet - The Conversation