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Stellar Lumens [XLM/USD] Technical Analysis: Cryptocurrency rides the bull

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The bear seems to have struck the cryptocurrency market again with a lot of them seeing red across the entire chart. Popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin [BTC], Ethereum [ETH] and XRP have all felt the brunt. Stellar Lumens [XLM] on the other hand has been enjoying a surprising turn of events, beating market expectations and surging on a bull wave.

1 hour:

The trend lines indicate a clear upward trend of Stellar Lumens [XLM] price that has settled to smaller bullish spikes. The charts give a clear indication of the support which has been holding at $0.2479. The bearish run resulted in XLM spiking to its two week high of $0.2539.

The Parabolic SAR has been consistently bullish over the past 24 hours with the chart indicating just one bearish blip.

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence [MACD] graph has consistently stayed above the histogram with the last crossover between the signal line and the MACD line indicating a bearish movement. Both the graphs have been moving in tandem with one another, indicating the absence of massive outbreaks.

1 day:

[Image: binance-xlm-1d.jpg]

The Bollinger bands seem to be in the midst of a bullish breakout post a lull a couple of days back. The breakout occurred after 10th October and the bull has not let down XLM yet. The price movement has been contained within the Bollinger cloud with just one bearish drop falling out of it.

The Relative Strength Index shows Stellar Lumens is moving towards the overbought zone, indicating that the buying pressure continues to rise. The analysis shows XLM has mostly tended towards the oversold zone and the recent bullish run has pumped it to the overbought area.

Conclusion:

The majority of the indicators show Stellar Lumens [XLM] continuing on a bullish path for a while after which the prices may settle on a higher support.

source ambcrypto.com

by Akash Anand

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Stellar (XLM) Price Prediction: Will XLM Skyrocket by the End of 2018?

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Stellar Lumens (XLM) became the sixth largest coin several months ago in a bull run that reminded crypto enthusiasts on the vast potential of Stellar network and its native currency XLM. With the latest bull run of 8% in a 24-hour spike, we are wondering is XLM able to reach the value of 1$ by the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.

Stellar has made an impressive progress during the last quarter of 2018 as it had managed to get closer to the top five list by expelling Litecoin (LTC) and taking the spot of the sixth largest currency with the market capitalization of over 4,5 billion dollars.
Previously reaching an all-time high of 0.75$ per one XLM unit, Stellar Lumens is now being traded at the price of 0.24$ with the latest increase of over 8% in a single bull run in the last 24 hours.

In addition to progressing with an increased pace of growth against the fiat also gaining over 400% on a year to date charts, Stellar Lumens makes up for one of the most efficient currencies in the market when it comes to providing fast and prompt, while cost-effective transactions.

Able to process around 1,000 transactions in a single second, Stellar Lumens seems to have a rather bright future in the blockchain space, however, this is not the only recognition this crypto is getting as there is also an increased interest in tokenization on the Stellar network.

At this pace of growth and the increased momentum, is Stellar Lumens able to skyrocket by the end of 2018?

Stellar Spiking Up in a Single Day Bull Run despite the Market Dip

Despite the fact that the market is currently in a rough state where only a handful of cryptos is managing to rise against the current market trend, which also includes Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM).

However, as Ripple has acquired a weak spike against the fiat with rising around 1%, Stellar Lumens has gone above 8% up in the last 24 hours. Back in January when the majority of currencies were heading up to reach their record prices, Stellar acquired 0.75$ per one unit, but with the recent momentum, XLM might be able to reach the value of 1$ by the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.

In addition to rising up in the last 24 hours despite the negative market trend that caught up with the crypto market after a single day of a mass rebound, Stellar Lumens is also showing a positive return on the monthly and weekly basis.

The fact that Stellar network will be hosting “the first stable coin” issued by the tech giant IBM, which is also one of the oldest partnerships that Stellar has acquired since the time it was first launched as an ICO, is nearly enough to provide the needed boost for XLM in the market so it would be able to get closer to its record price of 0.75$ also breaking the resistance of 0.80$ and going up for reaching 1$ by the end of the current year.

As Stellar has made it with 434% of rises in the course of the last year, XLM is seen dropping by only -0.3% in the period of the last seven days, holding on in the green on bi-weekly and monthly charts.

With 22% gained in the last 30 days and with the fact that Stellar is holding on despite the dip, we can easily say that the progress of XLM is moderate at the moment, but also very promising.

Stellar Lumens has a clear objective of providing fast and cost-effective financial solution by offering its blockchain network, which is probably one of the top reasons why the demand for XLM is in constant increase during the past year.

What Can Boost the Price of Stellar XLM?

One of the potential factors between the latest boost of 8% against the dollar in the last 24 hours might be one of the recent partnerships that Stellar Lumens acquired during the last week.

In order to back up assets which are based on Stellar, BLOC company announced the official start of a partnership agreement between the company called Hyperion and Stellar Lumens network. The way that Hyperion partnership with Interstellar might be pushing the value of XLM is reflected in the fact that Hyperion is actually hosting trades of digital assets in an environment that is fully regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This is a rather important fact given the case that many assets are struggling with imposing regulations, so having a back up from Hyperion, might have conditioned the latest spike although the partnership was announced several days ago.

Moreover, Stellar’s partnership with IBM seems to be in a constant focus, which most probably represents an additional back up that might push the price of XLM up by the end of the year.

source cryptorecorder.com
by Maja Rogic

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Cryptocurrency Insurance: What Is It? (And Do You Need It?)

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At least four major cryptocurrency exchanges were hacked in 2018:

Coincheck – $500 million stolen.
BitGrail – $195 million stolen.
Coinrail – $40 million stolen.
Bithumb – $30 million stolen.

Did any of them have insurance? Not really.

The $500 million Coincheck hack was one of the biggest in history, but the company ended up reimbursing clients with its own funds.

Bithumb was insured, but not enough to cover the loss.

In other words, cryptocurrency insurance is patchy.

Assume Your Cryptocurrency Is Not Insured

If you are currently holding bitcoin online in a custodian service or exchange, your digital assets are more than likely not insured.
We automatically assume our cryptocurrencies are covered, but the harsh reality is they are not in most cases.
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Even Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US, only insures 2% of customers’ crypto funds – those held online, the most vulnerable to hacking. The remaining 98% is stored offline in significantly safer cold storage, but uninsured.

That’s Why Gemini’s New Insurance Is Groundbreaking

The Winklevoss twins recently announced that cryptocurrencies on their Gemini exchange and custody services are fully insured.

[Image: Gemini-bitcoin-custody-insurance.png]

It’s a huge step for the cryptocurrency industry as it moves towards mainstream integration.

But what other bitcoin insurance options are out there? Who are the biggest players, and do you need a personal cryptocurrency insurance policy?

Do You Need Personal Cryptocurrency Insurance?

The harsh truth here is that buying bitcoin insurance for yourself is going to be wildly expensive and difficult to secure.

Insurance giant Allianz reportedly offers individual insurance to cryptocurrency investors. But there is no mention of such a service on its website. You’ll have to contact an Allianz broker directly to broker a crypto policy.

And that could be very expensive. One expert claims it would cost $200,000 a year in premiums to insure $10 million in crypto assets. (Roughly twice the cost you’d pay to insure other financial products).

And that’s just for crypto companies, not individuals.

Unless you’re a crypto millionaire, you’re better off searching for crypto custody services that are already insured, like Gemini.

Or better yet, keep your crypto off exchanges and custody services altogether. Use your own cold storage and secure backups.

But let’s zoom out a little. Why are so many crypto companies not insured?

Too Much Risk, Too Little Revenue

Because of the fluctuating nature of crypto markets, big insurance companies have sat on the fence in regards to entering the cryptocurrency insurance affray.

There are two key issues here: risk and revenue.

Until recently, the crypto industry mainly consisted of volatile exchanges and startup companies. Most are high-risk and didn’t provide large enough revenues to encourage the major insurance players to get involved.

Put yourself in the mindset of a big insurance company. Given the number of hacked exchanges and failing ICOs, does it make any sense to offer coverage? Of course not.

And if they did offer coverage, the premiums would be so high (to compensate for the risk) that startups wouldn’t be able to afford them.

Times and Needs Are Changing

More and more crypto companies are breaking out, bigger players are entering the arena, and revenues are increasing.

As the industry evolves, there is a large gap in the market for insurance and security.

Ironically, the instability of crypto markets is what has kept major insurance companies away from the industry. However, it’s also the defining factor why it is important that crypto startup companies and individual users need insurance in the first place.

So we are currently in a state of limbo in regards to cryptocurrency insurance. The good news is that chaos is a ladder. With so much interest now in crypto, some insurance companies are starting to take a gamble on the crypto industry.

Biggest Cryptocurrency Insurance Companies

Although cryptocurrency insurance plans are being offered by companies, most are keeping it low and under the radar. But here are a handful of highly-trusted companies now offering cryptocurrency insurance protection.

Gemini Cryptocurrency Insurance with Aon

Gemini recently announced they have partnered with the leading insurers, AON, to provide insurance protection for custodial digital assets.

[Image: AON-cryptocurrency-insurance-Gemini.jpg]

Aon is a professional and global insurance provider that offers a wide range of insurance protection packages. Their latest partnership with Gemini is changing the game with its crypto coverage that complements the existing FDIC deposit insurance laws.

This might well be the main reason why Aon claims it controls 50% of the cryptocurrency insurance marketplace.

Lloyds Bank/Kingdom Trust Cryptocurrency Insurance

One of the most interesting partnerships lately is between the large-scale banking institution Lloyds Bank and the qualified crypto custodian, Kingdom Trust. As a qualified custodian, Kingdom Trust already stores over 30 cryptocurrency token types. Its crypto storage service is now insured courtesy of underwriters in the Lloyds market.

Although Lloyds seems to be keeping a low-profile on the subject and are treading carefully, their underwriting of Kingdom Trust’s service is not to be taken lightly.

Lloyds also reportedly provides insurance coverage for the 2% of Coinbase’s funds held online.

Chubb Insurance

Chubb is now offering its own Cyber Enterprise Risk Management (Cyber ERM) insurance policy to businesses. It covers a wide variety of cybercrimes including some cryptocurrency issues.

Chubb claims it doesn’t insure exchanges or crypto wallets, but it has paid out claims related to bitcoin mining and ransoms. There is also no mention of individual insurance yet.

Other notable mentions

As explained, insurance companies are still testing the water with crypto assets. Other name players who are now quietly offering cryptocurrency protection are Allianz, XL Groupand AIG, although others will no doubt flock to the market over the coming months

What Should You Do Next?

Unless you’re a crypto millionaire, there aren’t many options out there for individual crypto insurance policies yet. However, we are seeing more insurance players offering coverage to crypto companies and exchanges. The door is opening.

Gemini is hopefully the first of many custodians and exchanges to integrate full insurance, and we’ll see more as we move forward.
As a crypto investor, your best course of action is to check with your current crypto exchange or custodian. What level of insurance do they have, if any?

If you’re still concerned about safety, move your funds to a custodian with better insurance. Or move it into your own private cold storage and keep backups.

source blockexplorer.com
by Alan Wass

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

How Bitcoin Mining Can Help Nuclear Reactors

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The most economical, technically simple and safe way to operate nuclear power plants is to generate electricity at a constant rate and as close to full capacity as possible, according to the Nuclear Energy Agency. Bitcoin mining can help by utilizing the excess energy that reactors typically generate outside peak periods of consumption, reducing the stress of powering such facilities up and down.

Energy – Bitcoin Needs It, the Atom Has It

You’ll often hear from mainstream media and uninformed economists that bitcoin burns more energy than a whole country. And while that claim is far from the truth, as we’ve explained before, you might be surprised to hear something you are not being told — that it’s actually better to burn off excess energy than waste it. And bitcoin mining can do precisely that.

Mining bitcoin, or verifying its transactions using the proof of work concept, is a process that needs electrical power. It takes place in facilities called mining farms which house specialized hardware, the bitcoin mining devices are equipped with ASIC chips. No reliable data about the consumption of the whole network is currently available but bitcoin mining is in its infancy and it likely uses much less energy than most established industries. Nevertheless, the process is energy intensive and its power needs may grow in the future. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean mining would affect negatively the energy balance of a particular system. The world is not connected in a single grid and bitcoin farms are often built close to energy sources that would otherwise remain unutilized.

In the case of nuclear power generation, plants actually need consumers to help them maintain a more even output of electricity throughout the day and mining farms can actually play that role. Nuclear fission, the physical process that releases energy in a nuclear reactor, cannot be paused or stopped at will. It can only be temporarily restrained. A nuclear power plant uses this nuclear reaction in a controlled manner to basically boil a fluid, often water, which in turn runs through giant steam turbines to generate electricity. The more it does that, the more efficient it is. Slamming on the brakes, in this case, does not save any fuel; rather, energy literary ends up being wasted.

And while nuclear plants can produce a constant supply of energy, we actually don’t need all of that electricity at all times of the day.

During the night, for example, plant operators forcefully lower the power output of reactors by inserting control rods to reduce the intensity of the nuclear reaction. But that’s a particularly inefficient procedure, as almost all costs in nuclear energetics are fixed.

From an economic standpoint, it means that the more electricity you produce from a certain amount of fuel, the cheaper it will be.

And from a technological point of view, fewer cycles of heating and cooling exert less thermomechanical stress on different components, including the fuel pellets and their cladding. Nuclear plants are more efficient, safer and have a longer lifespan when they operate closer to their full capacity.

Nuclear Plants Under Pressure to Cut Electricity Generation

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In principle, nuclear reactors can be described as giant boilers, but they share few similarities with home appliances. It takes time to properly shut a reactor down, and it’s a procedure that should only be performed when absolutely necessary. At the same time, operators of nuclear plants have to contend with peaks and lows in consumption on a seasonal, weekly and daily basis. Modern reactors are complex feats of engineering designed to adapt to the constantly changing energy needs of our homes and businesses.

In fact, plant operators can do this many times a day by adjusting the supply of power to the grid, so such networks are never overloaded or underpowered. The ability of plant operators to adjust output in this manner is known as “load following.”

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According to a recent study by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the integration of renewable energy sources is a major factor driving the need for flexible nuclear operation. Nuclear generation can also help to mitigate the negative impact of insufficient interconnections between national and regional grids, as well as the inflexible generation mixes seen in some countries.

And as nuclear power is much more controllable by human intervention and considerably more efficient and cheaper than renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower, nuclear plants are becoming a crucial instrument in load following, as they can help to maintain the overall stability of electric power systems. Of course, this comes at the expense of efficiency and longevity.

Using nuclear reactors as base-load sources of energy instead of restraining their use makes much more sense. And that’s exactly where bitcoin mining can help, by utilizing the excess energy that reactors generate outside of peak hours of consumption. Of course, that doesn’t mean burning more nuclear fuel, but simply using it more efficiently when the electricity is not needed by households, businesses and other energy consumers

source news.bitcoin.com
by Lubomir Tassev

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Stellar Lumens [XLM] surges following Coinsuper listing

Coinsuper, a Hong Kong-based fiat-to-crypto exchange, had announced earlier in the week that it would list Stellar Lumens [XLM], the world’s 6th largest cryptocurrency, on its platform. Following the announcement, the coin posted solid gains in an otherwise dull week for the crypto market.

[/url]Coinsuper@Coinsuper_OFCL

Stellar Lumens (XLM) is now listed on Coinsuper!!

-Stellar is a platform that connects banks, payments systems, & everyday people.
-#6 (Coinmarketcap), deep alliance w/ [url=https://twitter.com/IBM]@IBM https://www.stellar.org/ , @StellarOrg https://www.coinsuper.com/cms/noticeContent/article?title=Announcements&articleSeqNo=1614084667667750915 …#StellarLumens #XLM $xlm #Coinsuper
11:13 AM - Oct 15, 2018

This week started off with major coins covering lost ground after last week’s debacle, which saw the collective market shave off $20 billion in total value in a matter of days. The top three coins surged past weekly lows at the start of the week and began to stabilize by Wednesday.

Currently, only two coins in the top ten are trading in the green - Ripple’s XRP and Stellar Lumens. The latter is making significant strides since Coinsuper’s listing, rising in excess of 5% with the bullish momentum likely to continue.

Coinsuper announced that Stellar Lumens can be traded in two pairs - XLM/BTC and XLM/ETH - with the trades commencing from Tuesday.

XLM/USD

The key support level for the coin was traced at $0.2189, which it last touched on Monday. The key resistance level of XLM was noted at $0.2411 and the altcoin is currently trading 3.7% above this level. The MACD shows that the digital asset is in a bullish swing, while the 100 EMA line indicates a mild upswing.

The hourly RSI indicator stands at 61.55, which suggests that the virtual currency is nearing overbought levels. The trading range of XLM is noted at $0.2488-$0.509, with the coin hovering slightly closer to the higher extreme. At press time, the coin had surged by 5.1% against the U.S. dollar and was valued at $0.2507.

[Image: 2018101811381130.png]

XLM/BTC
At the time of writing, the digital currency had edged up close to 6% against Bitcoin [BTC] and currently, one XLM is equivalent to 0.00003702 BTC.

Market Capitalization
At 0500 UTC on Monday, the total market capitalization of the crypto stood at $3.95 billion and in just two hours, the coin surged 8.7% past the $4 billion mark. Since then, the market cap has risen by 6.1% and currently stands at $4.56 billion.

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Stellar Lumens [XLM] Price Prediction 2018

According to WalletInvestor, in the space of 1-year, the price of XLM will rise to $0.4073 and in a span of five years, the price will surge by 364% to $1.21.
Investing Haven adopts a very optimistic outlook when it comes to Stellar Lumens; it predicts that the coin will be as high as $4 this year.
The Economy Forecast Agency, which has a more conservative forecast, has predicted that the digital currency will drop to $0.15 this year.

Stellar Lumens [XLM] Latest Updates

Stellar Lumens and Dash were given the green signal by BitGo, a California-based cryptocurrency custodian that helps investors store cryptocurrency holdings.
StellarX, the Robinhood-like free trading platform based on Stellar, has begun trading operations and is now fully functional.
Circle Invest app recently added XLM to its portfolio along with EOS [EOS], Qtum [QTUM] and 0x.

source bcfocus.com
by Aakash Athawasya

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Stellar Lumens (XLM) Not Making it Easy for Ripple’s XRP: Weekly Only Gainers

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Following the week of sellers having their saying throughout the market, a return of bulls can be witnessed in the daily trading of coins mid-October. While some of the leading cryptocurrencies are struggling to recover from the 11th Oct drop, Stellar Lumen [XLM] and XRP against the US Dollar are the only standing in the green looking at the last seven days performance.

Stellar [XLM]

Reaching the level of $0.2410, the pair XLM/USD is returning to its recent trading ground before the BTC plunge that took place one week ago. With a 24-hours increase of 7.32%, the 6th largest coin is counting a market cap of $4.5 bln.

[Image: Stellar-XLM-1.0.png]

Source: coinmarketcap

The break above at $0.2200 opened gates for the token to increase value and welcome more buyers in as a positive sentiment has taken over both of the speedy coins. Stellar’s XLM is the only keeping up with XRP’s positive march which is possibly aiming for another attempt to successfully close above $0.5000.

Coinsuper and XLM

Via their official Twitter handle, the Hong-kong based fiat to cryptoexchanging platform Coinsuper announced XLM’s listing while making the coin more attractive to enthusiasts with a short description about it.

[Image: DphLKZxUcAA16Xx.jpg]

Quote:
[/url]Coinsuper@Coinsuper_OFCL

[url=https://twitter.com/Coinsuper_OFCL/status/1051687449196294145]

Stellar Lumens (XLM) is now listed on Coinsuper!!

-Stellar is a platform that connects banks, payments systems, & everyday people.
-#6 (Coinmarketcap), deep alliance w/ @IBM https://www.stellar.org/ , @StellarOrg https://www.coinsuper.com/cms/noticeContent/article?title=Announcements&articleSeqNo=1614084667667750915 …#StellarLumens #XLM $xlm #Coinsuper
11:13 AM - Oct 15, 2018

18See Coinsuper's other Tweets

Quote:-Stellar is a platform that connects banks, payments systems, & everyday people. -#6 (Coinmarketcap), deep alliance w/ @IBM https://www.stellar.org/ , @StellarOrg –
About XLM
Stellar (token: XLM) is an open-source protocol for exchanging money. Servers run a software implementation of the protocol, and use the Internet to connect to and communicate with other Stellar servers, forming a global value exchange network. At launch, Stellar was based on the Ripple protocol. After making several changes to critical consensus code, the Stellar network forked.
You may find more information about XLM at: https://www.stellar.org

– Latest Stellar Related: BLOC company just announced that the crypto-exchanging platform Hyperion has partnered up with InterStellar to back up Stellar-based assets. Hyperion facilitates the trade of digital assets (to include cryptocurrencies) on an SEC-licensed alternative trading system (ATS), an arrangement that it has attained through a strategic investment in the Delaware Board of Trade (DBOT).

source ethereumworldnews.com
by Alex Tomzack

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Building a Successful Blockchain Platform? Not Unless You Follow These 5 Tips

If you pitched a blockchain platform in 2016, only tech lovers knew what you were talking about. In 2017, most people would have asked if you meant Bitcoin. But now, in 2018, blockchain is finally becoming a household word. And over the next few years, this technology that was recently obscure might become the biggest leap forward since the internet itself.

Driving that revolution are waves of entrepreneurs hoping to make it big with their innovative blockchain solutions. The good news is that investors and prospective buyers now take these inventors seriously. The bad news is that the competition to get noticed in the world of blockchain is stiffer than ever — and the market is getting fuller by the day.

Entrepreneurs who want to see their blockchain platforms rise above the rest have their work cut out for them. To come out on top, modern blockchain companies must identify what makes their solutions special and leverage that advantage into market success.

The Immediate Future of Blockchain

Blockchain will continue to gain market traction in 2019 as more entrepreneurs flock to the technology.

According to experts at the IDC, blockchain spending will reach $9.7 billion by 2021. Consumers and businesses alike are fascinated by the idea of heightened security, perfect transparency, and improved efficiency. Why shouldn’t they be? With blockchain, many of the problems of the old internet could disappear overnight.

Of course, great potential attracts plenty of financial interest — and plenty of would-be entrepreneurs who want a piece of the pie. The next few years will see plenty of new startups, enterprise collaboration with small companies, investment dollars, and attempts at regulation. As that chaos clears, the blockchain experts and investors who weathered the storm will emerge as leaders of a vibrant new market.

How to Evaluate Your Blockchain Platform

If you believe your blockchain platform could change the world, you’re not alone. Thousands of people are gearing up to compete with you for blockchain dominance. Many of them, however, will attempt to enter the market with half-baked ideas, which means that entrepreneurs who take blockchain seriously have a serious advantage.

Follow these five tips to evaluate the commercial potential of your blockchain platform:

1. Listen to the Experts

You might be your toughest critic, but you’re also the person least likely to spot the flaws in something you made. Solicit quality feedback by outsourcing your review process to an external team. Don’t leave the task to your full-time employees — they are almost as invested in the product’s success as you are.
Third-party blockchain platform reviewers study the evolving blockchain market. They not only know what you’re building, but what your competitors are building. If your prized feature already flopped or five other companies are about to beat you to market, your reviewer will know.
Find someone outside your company to evaluate your platform’s chances, then listen when they tell you what they see. You might not like it, but it’s much easier to make adjustments before you launch.

2. Call the SWOT Team

Every serious entrepreneur should know how to conduct a SWOT analysis. By analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can provide context for your platform and understand where you fit in the market.
For example, say your platform boasts an amazingly easy-to-use interface. That’s a strength that could help you achieve high growth. If you don’t have much capital, that’s a weakness that could prevent you from moving as quickly as you’d like. Your opportunities include sectors that need your platform and are eager to adopt it, while your threats include competitor activity.
Work out your SWOT analysis, then use your findings to project your ROI. Not only will this give you a grounded view of your place in the market, but it could also help you attract the attention of investors if you can show a clear path toward market dominance.

3. Evaluate the Competition

Part of your SWOT analysis should include a brief look at your competitors. Independently from that high-level view, do a deep dive into your competitive situation to see where your advantages (and disadvantages) lie.
Everyone has a killer team, a unique product, and a strong business plan. Look deeper than that. What do the incumbent platforms lack that you provide? What are your competitors’ value propositions, and how can you make yours sound more appealing? Consider whether the market you want to target has the capacity to handle another entrant.

4. Consider a Patent

Not every invention needs a patent, but when you pour your heart into a blockchain platform, it’s natural to want to protect that work. Only a patent attorney can tell you for sure whether you need one, but you can get a good idea on your own.
First, consider which part of your invention is truly unique. The U.S. Patent Office only grants patents for things that are exceptionally different, which means that a function of your platform — not the platform itself — is more likely to be eligible. If you followed the first tip and consulted a third-party reviewer, that reviewer can help you determine whether any aspects of your invention might qualify for a patent.

5. Think in Big Terms

Sure, your blockchain platform is great. How great it is depends on how you see the future.
Look beyond the next 18 months and think about the next few years. How will people of the future use blockchain? Is your platform ready to operate in that environment? Think about how industries will evolve — will your blockchain platform be ready to service sectors outside your target niche?
Again, an extra set of eyes can help. Ask your third-party reviewer to help you discover market segments you might not have considered before. The further you look into the future, the better prepared you’ll be to conquer the market.
Blockchain isn’t a niche subject anymore. If you want your blockchain platform to change the world, you can’t assume the medium alone is enough to ensure your success. Follow these tips to evaluate your commercial potential, then use that knowledge to adjust your strategy and come out on top of a massive emerging market.

source thedailyhodl.com

by Amy Shim

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

[Silence is Golden] Trezor’s Tips to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe Online

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Keep Quiet About Your Coins
These days, perhaps one of the best things that you can do if you own cryptocurrency is to keep quiet about it.

After all, there is a prevailing notion that sharing, especially on social media platforms, can spread awareness of one’s holdings. Accordingly, those who find out may be inclined to undertake malicious acts to get what one has.

As a result, it is always best to practice some restraint and to keep things protected with a secure online wallet. One potential option is the Trezor wallet, which has developed a positive reputation over the past few months.

The Trezor Wallet, which has two options – One or Model T, is a cryptographically protected option for coins and keys. When using, the wallet, here are some considerations to take into account:

Refrain from discussing account balance and personal information online
Do not post about your funds on social media
Do not post your recovery seed online or show it to others
Use a fresh receiving address for incoming transactions

These are just a few recommendations by Trezor, the next-generation hardware wallet. The wallet is designed with the user experience in mind so that those who do use it end up satisfied. The wallet includes a touch screen, a fast processor, advanced coin support, and may other features.

It has also developed a reputation for being the most trusted and ubiquitous hardware wallet on the market. Users will find that its password management and security features are prime mechanisms for solid results.

source bitcoinexchangeguide.com

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Cypherpunk Essentials: A Beginner’s Guide to Crypto Privacy

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The following op-ed on crypto privacy was written by Reuben Yap. He is the Chief Operations Officer of Zcoin. A corporate lawyer for ten years, specializing in institutional frameworks, Reuben founded one of SE Asia’s top VPN companies, bolehvpn.net. He graduated with a LLB from the University of Nottingham.

One of blockchain’s most notable and valued features is its transparency. In the original Bitcoin whitepaper, Satoshi Nakamoto described bitcoin as an ‘electronic coin’ with a ‘chain of digital signatures’, the history of ownership documented permanently and publicly. This idea of globally accessible financial records is a bold move away from the traditional banking system. This is precisely why privacy is an essential topic within the crypto ecosystem.

Privacy and The Cypherpunks

In the Cypherpunk Manifesto of 1993, Eric Hughes writes that “we cannot expect governments, corporations, or other large, faceless organizations to grant us privacy … we must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any.” Built upon the philosophies of generations before them, the self-named cypherpunks were a group of activists advocating for cryptography and technologies that enhanced our privacy, which they believed was ‘necessary for an open society in the electronic age.” The movement was sustained by a regular mailing list that discussed ideas and policies relating to privacy, government monitoring, control of information and anonymity.

In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto reignited this cypherpunk movement, giving a nod to the technology which emerged from the 90s cypherpunk era, such as Hashcash and b-money. The Bitcoin whitepaper itself notes that online privacy can be maintained by breaking the flow of information through anonymous public keys (cryptography). Satoshi’s Bitcoin was intended to be a “censorship-resistant” currency. The development of Bitcoin has indeed helped organizations like Wikileaks when governments cut them off from fiat-based donations. Notably, Wikileaks cypherpunk founder Julian Assange is still living in asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy, awaiting charges by the U.S. government for publishing classified government documents.

While Bitcoin’s pseudo-anonymity was Satoshi’s solution for the individual’s right to financial privacy, the transparency of its blockchain is now proving to be a potentially dangerous flaw. As the flow of bitcoin to and from wallet addresses can be viewed by anyone, those with malicious motivations and the technical skill can uncover — and threaten — your real-world identity.

Bitcoin’s Privacy Flaw

Studies show that bitcoin transactions can be linked to individuals. Personal information can be interpreted and collected from blockchain data, exposing identities with potentially grave consequences. Researchers from Qatar University and the Hamad Bin Khalifa University found that “bitcoin addresses can be exploited to deanonymize users” and that an “address should always be assumed compromised.”

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[Image: shutterstock_758063575-300x200.jpg]

Additional studies conducted by ETH Zurich University and NEC Laboratories in Germany show that 40 percent of bitcoin users could be revealed in a simulated experiment where the digital currency was used to support daily transactions of university users.
More extreme consequences of this privacy flaw are emerging. Kidnappings and robberies targeting crypto users are becoming more commonplace in countries like Russia and Ukraine. The creator of the Prism cryptocurrency was beaten and robbed of his laptop which had 300 BTC stored on it. He was then forced to drink a pill with vodka that hospitalized him, so he wouldn’t be able to seek help from police straight away.

There is a vital need for the blockchain ecosystem to develop multiple anonymity solutions for cryptocurrency so that we can protect individual privacy and security. Without Tor or Dandelion protocols, for example, a person’s IP address can be linked to their wallet addresses. Privacy coins and their protocols work to address these flaws.

Breaking the Privacy Coin Stigma

Unfortunately, privacy coins have often been associated with illicit and illegal activity. Bitcoin itself was propelled into the media due to its associated use on the infamous Silk Road website and darknet, and claims that cryptocurrencies enable money laundering are rampant, albeit heavily exaggerated.

Some governments have even decided to ban privacy coins. In June, the Japanese Financial Security Agency (FSA) outlawed any cryptocurrencies that provide anonymity to users in an attempt to eliminate bad actors operating within the space. The ramifications could be far-reaching, as this decision may only end up pushing these kinds of cryptocurrencies into underground, unregulated territory, beyond the reach of the law or financial intermediaries.

While governments cannot effectively control or monitor any kind of peer-to-peer digital currency, they can still build suitable laws and regulations around them. In a regulated system, cryptocurrency exchanges and brokers must implement thorough Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) practices, which in theory should deter criminal activity, as it does in the traditional financial system.

And just as we expect our financial histories and interactions to be kept private in traditional banking, the same should apply with cryptocurrency. The right to financial privacy should naturally extend itself to the blockchain, regardless of its potential to facilitate money laundering or illicit behavior.

Cryptocurrency has the potential to bring much-needed change to the world. Now we need anonymization mechanisms to ensure that our financial activity does not erode our privacy or endanger us.

Privacy Is a Basic Civil Right

We are all entitled to full financial privacy. This privacy bolsters our civil rights; the freedom to transact as we wish – without fear of exposure, consequence or persecution – and allows us to express full autonomy. The things we buy, the people we transact with, or where we choose to donate money is personal to us, yet can often be used to discriminate against us.

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[Image: shutterstock_589783235-300x158.jpg]

Buying a particular medicine, such as contraceptive pills, can be a dangerous affair for some women who come from backgrounds or cultures which forbid them. Those living with chronic illness, such as HIV, require lifelong medication. This information can be used to discriminate against people; as studies reveal, a person’s HIV status can lead to loss of their job or source of income if discovered.
As transactions on a blockchain are publicly visible and permanent, these could turn into a tool for surveillance and control, especially with authoritarian governments. In an era with increasing digital payments, as seen with the rise of Alipay and Wechat Pay in China, an individual’s purchase history can be used to categorize them. This is used as an ongoing rollout of China’s social credit system, where even buying diapers can give you a higher social score. To compound things, a low social score can have wide-ranging ramifications, from eligibility to loans, being barred from traveling to stigmatization.

Governments Can Seize Bank Accounts and Freeze Funds

Governments have the power to freeze and drain bank accounts without consent, or even seize cryptocurrencies if there is a connection to illicit activity. This is not a problem we face with physical cash, where whoever receives it doesn’t have to care where it is from and how it is used because of its fungibility. But even governments considered ‘benign’ have been known to exploit their power to seize money.

In the United Kingdom, banks were ordered to freeze the accounts of suspected illegal immigrants “hiding” in the country, making a “hostile environment” to force them out of the country. In 2013, the Cyprus government withdrew up to 10 percent of every citizens bank accounts to help with their austerity measures. Over the past decade, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has seized more than $4 billion from citizens due to suspicions of criminal activity. Of these seizures, 81 percent were never formally charged. These are all examples of financial control.

Law enforcement agencies, governments and banks all hold unchecked power over our finances. Financial privacy enables citizens to resist this kind of oppression. We can make cryptocurrency fungible by preventing its traceability and enhancing its privacy. This will protect our civil rights, making it harder for authorities of any kind to seize our money.

Greater Ownership of Financial Data

Privacy also enables us to have greater control over our personal financial data. We live in a system where disclosing this financial information is often mandatory, for example when paying taxes, applying for loans, or even when buying things online. There are various actors such as charities or political candidates who seek out this financial data, commercializing it as a tool to often manipulate us, while marketing companies target demographics based on income.

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[Image: shutterstock_778654396-300x200.jpg]

The exposure of this financial information, however, can lead to much more devastating consequences, such as identity theft and financial fraud. In the first half of 2016 alone, identity theft accounted for 64 percent of all data breaches. Statistics provided by Kaspersky Lab also show that 52 percent of internet users never fully recover their money stolen by cyber-criminals.

Many centralized cryptocurrency exchanges link your real identity to your crypto wallet address, with this sensitive information vulnerable to hacks. If malicious actors were to obtain this information, all your cryptocurrency transactions would be exposed and likely this information could be used in some undesirable way. There are even companies, like Chainalysis and Elliptic, which specifically aim to link identities to wallet addresses. While these teams claim to be targeting money laundering and cyber-criminals, all collected information is stored on a singular, centralized database.

As cryptocurrency begins to enter the mainstream, we need to secure our financial data to ensure our personal information does not fall into the wrong hands. Similarly, businesses may want to keep their suppliers, customers or partners private, for example to hide these details from competitors. Greater privacy on the blockchain eliminates this risk.

Shaping a New Economy

Everyone is entitled to financial privacy and protection of their personal data. We can restructure a new global economy that is founded on financial freedom and security. Cryptocurrencies that offer anonymization mechanisms will ensure everyone is granted these rights, while also defending against malicious actors.

The result is an economic system that will value both privacy and transparency. Our digital lives will be secured, while the blockchain will continue to hold us accountable.

source news.bitcoin.com

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Hyperion Partnership: More Companies Using Stellar

Stellar has made a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Hyperion to allow all Stellar assets to be tradable on the established platform. Stellar is a great blockchain technology, but some of its most important assets and currencies (those released using Stellar) have been much more obscure than Stellar Lumens. Stellar Lumens XLM remains the world’s 6th most traded digital currency.

Making its daughter assets more widely available should indicate a brighter future for those tokens, and for the price of Stellar Lumens itself.

The Importance of the Hyperion Partnership

Hyperion is the world’s first “advanced security token exchange”. This means that Hyperion can operate both as a broker and exchange. Users can buy tokens using processes familiar to customers of exchange like Coinbase (see Coinbase review). Then, without removing these tokens or currencies from the platform, they can trade them for other digital assets on the same platform, just like they would on an exchange like Binance (see Binance review) or Bittrex (see Bittrex review).

The partnership is also significant because this Alternative Trading System (ATS) has been approved by the American Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). This licensing is a major advancement for the way cryptocurrencies are traded. Analysts hope that this move will help to elevate cryptographically-based digital assets into the realm of mainstream trading.

A Bold Step for the Future of Stellar

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Hyperion just one of many important Stellar partnerships

Stellar is a blockchain platform built for the exchange of digital assets, whatever form those currently (or, in the future, will) take.

Providing a one-stop-shop where Stellar assets can be bought and traded, especially one fully regulated by American securities departments, will give Stellar a highly legitimate marketplace to which they may attract all kinds of personal and institutional investors.

Hyperion is far from the only major partnership announced by Stellar in recent months. Here are five others that have been building momentum for Stellar, even in the midst of this stubborn bear market:

IBM. IBM is working on an Australian government contract for blockchain-based defence solutions, worth almost $800 billion. The technology will hinge on a Stellar-based stable coin.
SHIFT. Stellar’s partnership with SHIFT gives the platform access to more than 60 cryptocurrency exchanges, many in developing markets. This is the beginning of Stellar’s entry into international banking services, often geared towards populations underserved by conventional banking.
Deloitte. The massive service provider has partnered with Stellar to make international financial transfers faster and more affordable. No more overseas transfers taking days, or mailed checks delivered after weeks of overseas travel. Deloitte is an internationally recognised name, and a very exciting partnership for anyone who loves Stellar.
Stripe. Stripe is an international payment system used by companies like Warby Parker. Stripe was the first major investor in Stellar, and has a complex profit-sharing arrangement with the company. Stripe may incorporate Stellar payment solutions into many of its current payment system partners.
Wangxiang Group. Wangxiang Group is a massive player in Chinese industry, and they’re developing blockchain solutions for various Chinese markets using Stellar and other qualified blockchain companies.

As you can see, Stellar remains one of the world’s most credible and promising blockchain platforms, with Stellar Lumens XLM more widely traded than all but the biggest and best worldwide cryptocurrencies. The Hyperion partnership creates greater potential for XLM and Stellar-based assets than has heretofore existed.

source coinlist.me

by Nathaniel Fletcher

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Cryptocurrency Needs More Regulation than other Commodities: Fmr. CFTC Chair

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Former Commodity Futures Commission Chairman Gary Gensler, who helmed the organization from mid-2009 to early 2014, recently shared his opinions on cryptocurrency regulation in a Bloomberg interview.

Need For Regulation

Gensler was asked about the validity of blockchain technology, and the regulator-turned-blockchain-lecturer stated outright that it “has a real chance to be a catalyst for change in the world of finance.” He pointed out the fact that the decentralized nature of blockchain is significant, and noted that when he teaches blockchain technology at MIT, that “the class is crowded.”

When asked about how it should be regulated, he continued to state that if cryptocurrency truly is to be a part of the future, it must “come inside of the public policy envelope.” He stated the importance of protecting investors and guarding against illegal activity. He pointed out the fact that the large cryptocurrency exchanges have to comply with either the SEC or the CFTC, the organization that he was “once honored to chair.” He even stated that “pure cash cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, need more protection than frankly, even the oil markets, or corn and wheat.” He then declined to comment on which organization should be regulating the market in general, declaring himself “regulator-neutral.”

Interestingly, he emphasized the importance of remaining “technology neutral” to promote innovation, while still calling for regulation — meaning that blockchain technology as a whole should not be regulated, but that there should be as much effort as possible to reduce fraud and manipulation within DLT applications.

Additional Conclusions

Source: Shutterstock

When asked whether it was realistic for organizations to understand the true nature of whether fraud is prevalent, and whether the federal government even had the manpower to regulate the industry, given the new nature of the technology, Gensler dismissed the idea that it cannot be understood, stating that, “It’s always a challenge…that was true when the internet came along in the 1990s…but I don’t think that means we give up.” He then elaborated that more confidence in markets meant that more investors could participate.

He elaborated that the more that asset managers can invest, the more widespread adoption we will see. His statements come off the heels of Fidelity, a $7.2 trillion asset manager, and a major player in global finance, announcing the creation of a new company to help its customers invest in bitcoin.

He was also clear about his belief that blockchain technology is at present still more “hype than reality.” He stated that the technology is years away from “being scaled,” comparing the transactions per second between Visa and bitcoin, and pointing out the massive difference. He does believe that the scaling issues will eventually be addressed.

source ccn.com

by Neil Mathew

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What Millennials Need To Know About Cryptocurrency Exchanges

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In the words of our country’s Founding Fathers, all [people] are created equal. But, in the world of fiat and monies, not all currencies are valued equally.

Influenced by market inflation, debt, interest rates, trading agreements, and of course, political stability, the balance between any two currencies is in a state of constant fluctuation, directly impacting its exchange rate. An "exchange rate" is the price of a nation’s currency in terms of another currency. For purposes of this article, they are quoted in values against the U.S. dollar (USD).

The Gateway To The Crypto World

There are two types of currency exchange rates—the spot exchange rate, or interbank rate, and the nominal exchange rate. From a consumer and traveler’s perspective, we often refer to the latter. The way in which we read and define an exchange rate is similar to how we measure cryptocurrency values against our own currency.

Lesson #1: Why Are You Entering Into This World?

For the novice, diving into crypto can be both exciting and overwhelming. Not only is there a need to decode the complexities of the technologies behind the currencies, but also a need in recognizing the difficulties associated with investing, trading, and monitoring them.

But, if you are entering the crypto world for the first time, there is one thing that is certain—you must understand how to trade and purchase. Why? Not all coins are able to be purchased through fiat. Thus, you have to resort to using cryptocurrency exchanges.

If you are getting into the space to make a quick buck, you better know how to earn that quick buck. If, on the other hand, you are in it for a long-term gain (and most likely some loss), you need to understand how the market works, especially as it pertains to exchanges.

Lesson #2: What Are Crypto Exchanges?

With over 1,600 cryptocurrencies in existence, there are only a select few exchanges available, allowing holders to convert their fiat or paper currency into the crypto-base currency (“base currency”) they desire (Bitcoin, Ether, or Litecoin). Consequently, some coins can only be purchased by using these bases, and cannot be bought using a domestic currency, such as the USD.

It is for this reason that these three currencies (BTC, ETC, and LTC) are considered to be the “gateway” to the crypto world, and are identified as base currencies for cryptos.

In its most basic definition, cryptocurrency exchanges allow an individual to do three things:

To exchange one cryptocurrency for another cryptocurrency;
To purchase and sell a particular crypto coin(s); and/or
To exchange and convert your fiat into another cryptocurrency.

Types of Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Before choosing an exchange, it is important to look at what it offers. There are three main cryptocurrency exchanges to be aware of:

#1 –Centralized Cryptocurrency Exchanges (“CEX”)

Similar to a traditional stock exchange, a centralized cryptocurrency exchange, or CEX, operates as the middle-man as between two parties. A “centralized” system means that one party is trusting another with some type of information, in this case, handling their money.

The exchange, upon receiving a user’s money, holds onto it as a bank normally would. As an investor monitors market prices of available crypto on a particular exchange, he or she may want to trade their fiat for another crypto (trading pair), and eventually place an order.

At this point, the exchange will find a seller(s) to match the buy, if they are selling, eventually, finding a buyer and completing the exchange. When the world of crypto exploded last year, platforms such as Coinbase, Robinhood, Kraken, and Gemini became extremely popular because it made it easy for fiat/crypto pairings.

There are also exchanges out there that only provide crypto to crypto pairings–purchasing or acquiring one crypto, by trading in another crypto. Examples include the popular Binance, Huobo, and Bitfinex.

But, more about trading pairs later on.

Maintaining Your Security

Since 2011, there have been over 60 cyberattacks aimed at cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital currency platforms.

Renowned attacks including Mt. Gox (Japan, 2014), Bitfinex (Hong Kong, 2016), Coincheck (Japan, 2018), Coinrail (South Korea, 2018), and Bithumb (South Korea, 2018) continue to present a high potential for system crashes. But, what did each of these attacks have in common? The attacks were all targeted towards CEXs, attracting the attention of black hat hackers galore.

Taking into consideration the security vulnerabilities these centralized systems contain, the idea of decentralized projects and ventures has exploded with two goals in mind–maintaining security and removing intermediaries so as to provide for efficient, direct transactions.

On-Boarding the Novice

Looking at such a cyberattack such as Hong Kong's Bitfinex exchange, I decided to take a look and see how the Hong Kong (HK) market is responding to the space since I last traveled there. One company, Coinsuper, recognizes the seriousness of maintaining strong internal security, operating in the heart of central HK.

Functioning as a “fiat to crypto” exchange, the platform allows for deposit and withdrawal in addition to BTC, ETC, LTC, and other popular token offerings. It has been consistently listed in the top fifteen exchanges by daily volume, globally, according to CoinMarketCap data.

With less than 2% of the Hong Kong population involved in the crypto space, I learned that there aren't too many major “fiat to crypto” exchanges based in the Hong Kong/APAC region. Coinsuperaims to be the “on-ramp” for those individuals looking to on-board the space.

“As an exchange, in order to successfully utilize “fiat to crypto” conversions, you have to be prepared for regulatory scrutiny,” said Kenny Shih, Executive Director of Coinsuper.
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“We pride ourselves on having this level of self-compliance within our framework; our head of the anti-money laundering (AML) division was also the former head of AML at HSBC Private Banking.”

But, the company’s team is worth bragging about. Its CEO, [url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/09/12/this-former-banking-executive-now-runs-a-crypto-exchange.html]Karen Chen, is the former president of UBS (China) Ltd. and its COO, Dr. Anthony Ng, a former Managing Director of CITIC Futures International, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan.

When I asked Shih about the frequency of regulatory communication, he told me that they are in constant communication with both Hong Kong and Chinese regulators. “We want to be considered the model exchange out here, and thus, we are doing everything we can to follow the rules.”

While self-funded, they have since entered into strategic equity partnerships with ventures such as Pantera Capital and 8 Decimal Group. In its 7-month life span, the exchange currently offers over 50 tokens and is heavily focused on the "know your customer" (KYC) approach, providing 24/7 customer service. It previously hosted a successful initial public sale for the Metadium project, helping it to raise over 5,900 ETH over a period of five days.

Shih also told me that for young millennial investors, it’s important for them to embrace the online space as we all enter into what some call the “Web 3.0” phase of the net.

#2 –Decentralized Cryptocurrency Exchanges (“DEX”)

The introduction of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies into our markets is the result of society expressing its view that transactions should be decentralized, or more closely connected to the transacting parties, without the need for intermediaries.

Decentralized crypto exchanges, or DEXs, are created for the sole purpose of removing the middle man to any transaction. It is a marketplace where buyers and sellers come together and engage in transactions directly.

These peer-to-peer (P2P) systems such as Stellar DEX and Waves DEX, are much harder to exploit and/or hack. From what we've seen, more often than not, it's the user who inadvertently locks themselves out of their account.

While these seem to be a much better alternative to CEXs, popularity is still weaning. The reasoning behind this is the lack of commodity and overall user support, which would help to attract a mainstream user base. Until this happens, DEXs will continue to offer low volume and low liquidity. Personally, I would like to see this continue to gain popularity.

#3 –Hybrids

Lastly, the hybrid crypto exchanges are designed to combine the benefits from both CEXs and DEXs. The focus on this is to provide privacy and security of a DEX. While the first hybrid exchange, Qurrex, was launched earlier this year, the space is still looking to tighten functionality up with both systems.

Lesson #3: Finding A Local Crypto Exchange That Accepts Your Domestic Currency

The number of available exchanges that accept fiat currency are limited in the number of coins readily available for purchase.

That is why a platform like Coinbase has become one of the most popular exchanges in the world, allowing investors to purchase Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Ethereum—all with their fiat. Other examples include Robinhood, Gemini, and Kraken.

Keeping in mind the limited options most local exchanges provide, investors instead, look to purchase a base currency (BTC, LTC, ETH) in order to then purchase other crypto, or altcoins.

Lesson #4: Going From One Crypto To Another

Since a user cannot purchase altcoins directly from an exchange that accepts fiat, more likely than not, the user will not be able to determine the value of the altcoin based off their domestic currency.

The term “trading pairs” describes a trade between one type of crypto and another. For example, if you were to look at the trading pair ETH/BTC, you’re looking at the potential to either buy or sell one for the other. A user can either buy Ethereum with Bitcoin, or sell Ethereum for Bitcoin, or vice-versa.

When trading crypto for crypto, it is extremely important to understand how these trading pairs work.

While not an economics lesson, be mindful of the potential tax implications associated whenever you convert one crypto to another crypto, or convert cash into crypto. Understanding why you are choosing to utilize one trading pair over another could be the difference between gaining and losing everything. Literally.

Lesson #5: Regulation

When utilizing exchanges, take note of where the platform is licensed to exchange in money transmission. For example, Coinbase, is licensed to engage in money transmissions in most U.S. jurisdictions. Additionally, it is registered as a “money services” business with FinCen. This is worth mentioning because late last year, the IRS entered into an agreement with Coinbase to share user account information with it.

The level of regulation differs with each exchange, so users should conduct their own due diligence when determining which platform may be best suited for their transacting needs.

We have already seen platforms like Binance and Kraken finding its way into the New York Attorney General's Office for potential regulation violations. Back in February, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner, Brian Quintenz, expressed favor towards operators adopting self-regulatory standards to help police the space.

“I think a self-regulatory organization, or SRO, for cryptocurrency exchanges could spur the development of standards around cybersecurity policies, data retention, protection of customer accounts, trading practices and other issues.”

At the end of the day, it is still extremely important to take appropriate safeguards to ensure your wallet, key, and any other associated information are stored in a safe place. Additionally, be mindful of where you are going to purchase and/or sell crypto.

This space is a playground for black hatters looking to take you for a run for your money, so be smart and educate yourself first.

source forbes.com
by Andre Rossow

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

‘Everyone Is the Bank’: Blockchain Network Allows Anyone to Launch Their Own Coin

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A new blockchain network believes its platform offers the “next step” from Bitcoin – speeding up transaction times and giving crypto enthusiasts the chance to change between different digital currencies with ease.

In a bid to reduce the delays that some transactions on blockchain face, Minter claims it can process them in five seconds flat – meaning thousands of transactions per second can be completed without delays or additional confirmations.

Minter hopes to stand head and shoulders above the competition by giving anyone the opportunity to create their very own cryptocurrency and set a price for it. These coins can then be exchanged for other assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum, in addition to fiat currencies such as US dollars.

The startup claims that all of this is achieved with a transaction fee that’s below $0.01, and it hopes to drive forward its offering through a “large community of users and developers” who are invested in helping the platform thrive.

Three main goals

Minter says it has been established with a triad of objectives in mind. Firstly, it wants to ensure users have access to an easy-to-own cryptocurrency that is optimized for everyday use. The company has also concocted the irresistible notion that “everyone is the bank,” meaning anyone can issue and manage their own currencies. Minter also prioritizes liquidity, and says “every coin should have instant and absolute liquidity.”

At the beating heart of Minter is a native token known as Blockchain Instant Payment (BIP). As well as having “a lot of competitive advantages over common coins,” the startup claims it has the potential to distinguish itself from mainstream financial institutions.

While the commission charged on transfers through the likes of PayPal and old-fashioned banks can be as high as 5 or 10 percent respectively, Minter says that BIP’s costs are less than $0.01 – or sometimes even free. Whereas a bank transfer can take days, its payment solution wraps things up in five seconds. And while Ethereum and Bitcoin are not mobile-ready, Minter’s platform is.

The company argues that its solution is necessary as certain platforms are never going to change. Its white paper explains: “PayPal will always have a high commission as its main goal is to protect buyers across the globe; banks will never be able to speed up transfers as they are all just too different and need intermediaries to facilitate payments.”

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Integration with Telegram

The blockchain has recently announced that it is integrating with the Telegram Open Network – enabling Minter users to transfer any coins issued on its network to TON’s blockchain. With one of the services Telegram plans to roll out, TON Payments, Minter users will be able to send and receive micropayments in Minter-based coins using the Lightning Network.

This is the latest announcement to be made about the cooperation of Minter and Telegram. Early adopters of the blockchain network have been able to pass “know your customer” procedures via Telegram Passport in the space of a few minutes, which was marked by Telegram on its official blog.

Once Minter officially launches, the platform is planning to hold what it describes as “the largest airdrop in Telegram’s history” – with users receiving BIP and other Minter-issued coins worth almost 1,000 Bitcoins – for those who sign up before October 31, 2018. In addition, the project is offering a 25 percent bonus to all users who top up their balance until October 19 2018, 19:00 UTC.

In its white paper, Minter says it is passionate about teaming up with TON because its founders, Pavel and Nikolai Durov, are “vocal advocates of freedom and independence.”

The startup wants to be developer-friendly, enabling new apps to be built, to push the platform forward. Other features include usernames as addresses, meaning that crypto enthusiasts will no longer need to memorize long strings of random characters whenever they want to complete a transaction, and future compatibility with payment systems such as Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Minter plans for BIP tokens to be gradually released over a seven-year period.

source cointelegraph.com

by Connor Blenkinsop

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Barclays’ Cryptocurrency Trading Desk Has Been Put on the ‘Backburner’ Temporarily

[Image: Barclays-Crypto-Trading-Project-Has-Been...96x449.jpg]

Many may remember the hype surrounding Barclays earlier this year, when the firm announced its decision to partner with Goldman Sachs in an effort to introduce its very own cryptocurrency trading desk.

However, it now appears as though those plans have been “put on halt” temporarily, primarily because of Chris Tyrer’s premature exit from the firm. For those unaware of Tyrer’ role within the organization, he was the person responsible for heading most of Barclays’s core crypto oriented projects. As a result of his hasty departure, Barclays has been forced to shelve its upcoming ‘digital assets venture’.

More on Barclay's Crypto Trading

It was being reported a couple of months back that Tyrer along with some other key employees had been assigned the task of “producing a business plan that would look to integrate a digital assets trading desk into Barclays’ marketing business.”

Staffers including Marvin Barth, Lee Braine and Matthieu Jobbe Duval were given the task of looking at a long-term feasibility plan that would assess whether Barclay’s core clientele really had an appetite for crypto assets or not.

In an email to their customers earlier this year, a representative for Barclay’s wrote:

Quote:“We constantly monitor developments in the digital currency space and will continue to have a dialog with our clients on their needs and intentions in this market.”

Similarly, at an annual bank meeting in May, Barclays CEO Jes Staley noted:

Quote:“There is the possibility of cryptocurrencies being used for activities that the bank wants to have no part of.”

Final Take

With Barclays temporarily shelving its crypto project, now seems to be a good time for other banks and financial institutions to step in and explore this nascent terrain (giving adage to the old saying ‘strike while the iron is hot’)
Lastly, it is also worth noting that when asked for a comment regarding Goldman Sachs’ future plans, a representative for the firm mentioned that any rumours related to the firm shutting down its crypto related projects are “false” and should not to be taken seriously.

sourve bitcoinexchangeguide.com

Read More, Posted by: crytocure

Stellar Lumens (XLM): Is It Better than Ripple (XRP)?

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Given the fact that the same core programmer who is the founder of Stellar Lumens (XLM) is also the co-founder of the 3rd largest currency, Ripple (XRP), it would be somewhat interesting to “confront” these two within a question: Is Stellar better than Ripple?

Although Ripple XRP is one of the top three currencies right after the second generation crypto Ethereum (ETH) and the original cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), Stellar has made some remarkable progress during the previous quarter of 2018 which further reflects its potential to acquire an additional boost.

That boost could come from mass adoption campaigns or more interest from investors, positive market trends, or even prominent partnerships, but one is for certain – having 120 banks and financial institutions across the world within its network of supporters, Ripple is not an easy competition to beat in the terms of which one is better.

However, since both currencies are made under the same idea if providing a fast, transparent, secure, prompt, as well as cost-effective way of operating with cross-border transactions, also being created and co-created by the McCaleb, can Stellar be better than Ripple?

Offering Financial Solutions through Blockchain

Both Stellar and Ripple are focused on providing the same blockchain-driven solutions, which is to provide a fast and safe, while prompt and cheap way of sending global payments.

While Ripple is said to be able to process approximately 1500 transactions per second, Stellar Lumens is said to have the capacity of processing and validating a bundle of 1000 transactions in a single second, which by stated quotes makes XRP faster than Ripple.

Moreover, Ripple has an ace in form of the Ripple Net, the network of supporters that now counts over 120 banks with a promise that Brad Garlinghouse made regarding the number of banks that are yet to join Ripple network, stating that there will be many banks using xRapid.

In the terms of aiming towards improving the image revolving around the way Ripple Labs are relating to XRP, the team mad an announcement during September 2018 that they will be releasing xRapid as a product that should promote XRP to banks and financial institutions, which provided a much-needed momentum for the crypto.

But, Stellar wasn’t stealth either. The currency climbed to the 6th spot on the list that way pushing Litecoin (LTC) down the list. In the meanwhile, Stellar XLM still has a rather strategic deal with IBM through the Stable Coin deal, which all together might be the same reason behind the often price surges of XLM in the market, which leads us to the market price part.

Stellar (XLM) and Ripple (XRP): Price in the Market

Although Stellar is being traded at the price of 0.21$ while XRP can be bought at the value of 0.44$ with the current increase of over 8% in oppose of XLM’s nearly 4%, Stellar still seems to be showing more than a slightly better statistics in the term of reflecting a more stable status against the fiat with losing around -74% since reaching its all-time high.

Ripple lost during the same period time -84%, in addition to the fact that XRP collected nearly 70% in the course of the last year, which is not at all a bad score given the frequent market dips.

However, if you add the fact that Stellar XLM collected almost 1100% of gains over the course of a single year it really crushes XRP in the terms of YTD progress. Still, XRP is ranked as the 3rd largest currency with the market cap of over 17 billion dollars and with a massive network of banks and financial institutions across the globe using its technology.

IBM partnership with Stellar might even beat that advantage at one point, however, since Ripple has presented xRapid and the utilization of XRP in banks while some are already testing the product, the currency started to spike up, once again showing a bullish return on October 15th, with over 8% of gains in the last 24 hours.

It might not be fair to either of the cryptos to call it a tight, but it must be said that both projects have a massive potential in finances and financial institutions like banks in case of Ripple.

In addition to Ripple developing its network of partners, Stellar Lumens is also pitching new strategic projects with IBM, most recently launching a payment system powered by Stellar.

With such strong use case under the wing of a major partnership like IBM, Stellar Lumens has obvious chances of growing further which can be already seen in the rising interest in XLM.

source cryptorecorder.com
by Maja Rogic

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