âAirDropâ between iPhone & Windows PC: 2 Best Alternatives!

“AirDrop” between iPhone & Windows PC: 2 Best Alternatives!

Apple’s AirDrop, the excellent file-transfer feature,

unfortunately only works between Apple devices. There is no “AirDrop software” for other platforms to install, which means you won’t be able to use it if you’re a Window or Linux user. But just because AirDrop is not compatible with Windows doesn’t mean you cannot transfer files wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad to a Windows PC and vice versa. In fact, AirDrop is an implementation of Wi-Fi Direct, the technology that allows two devices to establish a wireless connection and share data. So there will be some alternatives that let you achieve the same thing on other platforms as well. In this article, I will show you several alternatives to AirDrop that do a great job transferring files between iPhone, iPad and Windows PC. Keep reading and enjoy!

AirDrop Alternatives for Windows

These applications have the ability to establish a connection between devices in the same Wi-Fi network, so you can transfer data wirelessly. If there is no Wi-Fi network nearby, that’s fine. You can turn on Personal Hotspot and connect your computer to it. These applications only utilize the connection, it won’t drain your mobile data.

1. Zapya

Zapya allows you to share all types of files between your devices wirelessly using Wi-Fi tethering or hotspot feature. The developer claims that the transmission speed can be up to 10MB per second, it is even much faster than AirDrop.

Zapya is completely free to install and use. On your PC, go to Zapya’s homepage and download and install the version for Windows PC. On your iPhone/iPad, launch App Store, look for the Zapya app and install it.

How to use Zapya

First off, connect your iPhone/iPad and your Windows PC to the same Wi-Fi network or with hotspot and then launch Zapya on both devices. Now on your PC, in the Connect tab, select “Join Group”. It will scan and list out the Zapya-enabled device. Click “Connect” to start connecting two devices. Or you can connect from your iPhone by using the Radar functionality.

Once both devices are connected, you can start sending files between them. You can send photos, videos in the Photos app, transfer music, contacts. Files that are imported from other applications will be shown in the File section. Just select the files you’d like to transfer and then tap the send button, the files will immediately be transmitted. On your PC, you can find the files in the Record tab. Click on the folder icon next to each file to open them in the folder window. Of course, you can transfer files from your computer to your iPhone iPad, too. Once you’ve joined both devices, just drag and drop files onto the Zapya window, or click the Send Files button and browse to the files you want to send.

2. Xender

Xender is another transfer software that using Wi-Fi utility. Unlike Zapya, you don’t have to install any program on your computer to get it working. Xender claims that their software is even easier to use than AirDrop. But I don’t think so :)) AirDrop is very well-integrated in the system and I’ve never used anything better than that. However, Xender still can get the job done for Windows users. Below are the steps involved in the process of transferring files between two devices: iPhone and your computer.

1) Download and install Xender on your iPhone. It’s free.

2) Make sure two devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or your laptop must join the Personal Hotspot created by your iPhone.

2) On your computer, open a web browser, and go to http://web.xender.com. The web page will then show you a QR code.

3) Open Xender on your iPhone, swipe right, tap “Connect PC” on the side menu. Then tap the Scan button, scan the QR code appearing on the computer’s screen. Now both devices should be connected to each other, and the site will reload, giving you control over the files on iPhone.

4) Now you can upload files from your computer to the iPhone, or download files from the iPhone via the web browser. To copy photos & videos from your iPhone, you can click hover the mouse over the item and click the Download button under it. Or you can bulk transfer by selecting the items you want to transfer, then click the Download button in the top corner. And that’s how you can “AirDrop” between an iOS device and a Windows PC. Hopefully, this article can help you resolve your issue while dealing with transferring files. And what way do you prefer? Do let me know in the comments below.

Article Produced By

Dan Norris

https://iphonebyte.com/airdrop-iphone-mac-windows/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Apple sued over AirDrop technology

Patent troll Uniloc returned to form on Wednesday after a months-long hiatus from lobbing allegations against Apple, this time challenging the company's AirDrop file sharing technology with a 2006 Philips patent.

Filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas,

Uniloc's latest attempt to extract damages from the tech giant leverages a single patent first filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2000. Invented by Jonathan Griffiths, U.S. Patent No. 7,136,999 for a "Method and system for electronic device authentication" details techniques of creating a secure environment for transferring data between two devices. In particular, the IP covers methods of providing authentication over a variety of wireless protocols including Bluetooth.

According to the patent's first claim, an initial authentication procedure is performed over a short-range wireless link. Once authenticated, the two devices are then able to connect when out of range of the first wireless link protocol. As noted in following claims, the devices can exchange initial authentication information — a key or password — via an alternative communications link.

The USPTO issued a grant for the '999 patent in 2006.

The IP has changed hands multiple times since its filing in 2000, first from Griffiths to Philips Electronics that same year. It was assigned to patent aggregator IPG Electronics 503 Limited in 2009, then on to Pendragon Wireless in 2012 before landing in Uniloc's coffers in February 2018. Uniloc Luxembourg subsequently assigned the patent to Uniloc 2017 LLC in July. Uniloc's U.S. licensing entity, with the recently formed Uniloc 2017, is leveraging the patent-in-suit against Apple and AirDrop. Introduced alongside OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011, AirDrop is a first-party ad hoc protocol designed to simplify the process of transferring large files from one device to another.

Initially developed to connect two Macs over Wi-Fi, the service first appeared in the OS X Finder. Running AirDrop allowed two Macs to quickly create an ad hoc connection without need for passwords or complex network configuration. Simple drag-and-drop functionality made the system a more attractive alternative to direct link, cloud storage and similar file transfer solutions in use at the time. Apple later extended — and modified — AirDrop to accommodate its mobile operating system with iOS 7 in 2013. Unlike legacy AirDrop technology, the revamped version employs a dual-link structure that relied on Bluetooth for discovery and token setup, and Wi-Fi for file transfers. Again, users are presented with an easy-to-use interface in Share Sheets that features automatic device discovery and tap-to-send capabilities.

It is this second iteration of AirDrop that Uniloc is targeting in its latest lawsuit.

The non-practicing entity is alleging infringement of claims 13 and 17 of the '999 patent, which relate to establishing a secure link between two devices through exchange of authentication information over two separate communications links. Named in the suit are all devices compatible with Apple's current implementation of AirDrop, including all iPhones from iPhone 5 to iPhone XS Max, fourth- and fifth-generation iPads, all iPad mini generations, all iPad Air models, iPad Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, the fifth-generation iPod and fourth- through sixth-generation iPod touch models.

Uniloc in its suit seeks unspecified damages, reimbursement of legal fees and other relief deemed fit by the court.

The AirDrop case is the latest in a string of Uniloc lawsuits targeting Apple technologies. In the middle of 2017, the non-practicing entity went on a spree, filing suit against the iPhone maker almost once a month. Last April, Uniloc sued over Maps, Apple ID and remote software updates, while a second batch of filings homed in on AirPlay, autodialing, battery technology in May. Device wake-up, step tracking and Apple Watch were added to the growing pile last June, AirPlay and Home in July, the Apple TV Remote app in August and Apple Watch's GPS in October. Uniloc is one of the most active patent trolls in the U.S., leveraging reassigned patents or vaguely worded original IP against a number of tech firms including Activision Blizzard, Aspyr, Electronic Arts, McAfee, Microsoft, Rackspace, Sega, Sony, Symantec and more.

Article Produced By
Mikey Campbell

https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/10/03/apple-sued-over-airdrop-technology

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Regulation for Legitimacy: South Korea Nears ICO Legalization

Min Byung-Doo, a member of the country’s governing Democratic party

and the chairman of Korea’s National Policy Committee, has strongly encouraged the government to legalize initial coin offering (ICO) and impose better crypto-related regulatory frameworks to legitimize the local market.“Regulation is not bad. Regulation is necessary, it is the only way to legitimize the market and allow investors to build trust towards the cryptocurrency market,” chairman Min said.

ICO Has Become a New Trend

In his statement at the National Assembly of South Korea meeting, chairman Min emphasized the importance of embracing new technologies and acknowledging new trends in the global finance and technology space. He explained that the successful $1.7 billion ICO of Telegram and $4 billion token sale of Block.One / EOS have demonstrated increasing interest and demand for ICO projects, which the country cannot dismiss.

“The government cannot dismiss ICO. It needs to allow companies to conduct ICO. ICO has become a new trend in the global market and it is the responsibility and ability of the government to embrace new technologies,” he said, adding “We can see that the flow of investment is clearly changing compared to ICO and angel fundraising. The ICO has raised $1.7 billion for Telegram and $4 billion for Block.One, It is getting bigger and bigger.”

Previously, Choi Jong-ku, the chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), prevented Kakao, the biggest Internet conglomerate in South Korea that has over 80 percent market share over local fintech, messaging, ride hailing, social media, and online stock trading industries, from conducting an ICO in South Korea. As the conglomerate established a company in Switzerland to conduct an ICO overseas, FSC chairman Choi stated that the country could consider the ICO to be an illicit fund raising method.

“Even if there is no prohibition on cryptocurrency or digital asset trading, there is a possibility that it [Kakao ICO] may be regarded as fraud or multi-level sales according to the issuance method. Since the risk is very high in terms of investor protection, the government has a negative stance on the ICO,” chairman Ku said. Ultimately, Kakao and Bithumb, the second biggest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, scrapped their plans to conduct token sales.

Based on the success of Telegram and EOS, the ICO of Kakao could have garnered similar interest from the global cryptocurrency sector. Considering the potential of the ICO market and local blockchain initiatives, chairman Min asserted that the government should regulate and legalize ICOs in the short-term. “Let the government, the National Assembly and the blockchain association quickly create a working group to block fraud, speculation, money laundering and develop the block-chain industry,” he said.

Legislation Pending, Generally Positive

Currently, the National Assembly is awaiting to approve or reject the first crypto and blockchain-related legislation of South Korea, which if approved would consider digital asset exchanges as regulated banks and blockchain projects as legitimate entities. The initial introduction of the legislation led the majority of investors within the local market to be optimistic about the long-term growth of the market. With the forward-thinking approach of chairman Min, South Korea is expected to see major changes in local regulatory frameworks surrounding the cryptocurrency market.

Article Produced By
Blockchain News

https://www.ccn.com/regulation-for-legitimacy-south-korea-nears-ico-legalization/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

South Korea’s Democratic Party Lawmaker Urges Authorities to âOpen Up the Road’ to ICOs

South Korea’s Democratic Party Lawmaker Urges Authorities to ‘Open Up the Road’ to ICOs

A member of South Korea’s National Assembly has called

on the state to “open up the road” to Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) by easing regulations, South Korean financial outlet Economy reports October 2. According to the article, Min Byung-doo, a Democratic Party lawmaker, will introduce a project of for ICO legislation at the next round of the National Assembly. He claimed that the purpose of the new legislation is to allow ICOs while enforcing strict regulation for the negative parts of the industry,

noting:

"We are looking at ways to open up the road to ICO[s] while strictly prohibiting negative factors such as fraud, speculation and money laundering.”

Min Byung-doo has reportedly also suggested to local authorities such as the Financial Services Commission (FSC) that the government should legalize ICO operations in the country, claiming that “prohibition is not the only way.” According to Economy, after consulting with the government and the FSC, the authorities’ stance has “changed prospectively compared with the past.” Calling on the government to ease regulations for the industry, Min Byung-doo noted that the ban on ICO causes "weakening competitiveness" in South Korea’s blockchain industry, comparing it with the levels in the progress by the U.S.,

adding:

"[South Korea's] blockchain-related industries were at the top of the world in terms of competitiveness, but the competitiveness in ICOs has dropped sharply. Now, 75% of projects in the industry belong to the United States only, which is the world's top competitor."

The lawmaker warned that an uncertain future of regulation for the industry will “prevent the growth of the industry itself.” South Korea’s financial regulator, the FSC, announced they will ban all types of ICOs in September 2017, claiming that ICO token sales require strict monitoring and oversight. The original ban has since been followed by subsequent hints of a possible reverse of the ban.

In May of this year, South Korea’s government considered re-legalizing ICOs, with a National Assembly committee speaking of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” and aiming to expand the legal basis for crypto industry in the country, including a reversal of the ICO ban. South Korea’s lawmakers most recently discussed the ICO ban at the end of August, debating the ban’s reversal as well as considering setting up the country’s own “blockchain island.” According to the report, discussions of a reversal were expected to gain momentum amid the preparation of investor protection rules, as well as the formation of a task force to oversee crypto trading.

Article Produced By
Helen Partz

Helen is passionate about learning languages, cultures and the Internet. She has years of experience working at international online advertising projects. Growing interested in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in late 2017, she joined Cointelegraph as a writer.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bloomberg-puerto-ricos-noble-bank-reportedly-loses-clients-tether-bitfinex-seeks-buyer

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

EOS Airdrop â What Is It And When Will It Come?

EOS Airdrop — What Is It And When Will It Come?

Despite the fact that 2018 has been almost constantly bearish,

numerous cryptocurrencies have still managed to make some very important moves. EOS is certainly one of them, and this year will be marked forever in EOS history as the year when the crypto has launched its own MainNet.

While this was a most eagerly anticipated event, it was successfully pulled back in June. Ever since then, EOS has been working hard to make its network bigger, better, and more reliable. The same goes for its community, which has already benefitted greatly from numerous EOS airdrop events in the last few months. However, the excitement is not yet over, and EOS airdrop list still holds quite a few of events that should not be missed by coin’s supporters and holders.

What is EOS airdrop?

For those who might not know, an airdrop is an event during which a crypto project distributes its coins to its users. The events have grown to be very popular, since coins are distributed for free, and they can be obtained without paying or trading other cryptos. This is considered to be among the best marketing strategies for every crypto. The faithful users can see it as a reward for their support, while it is not unheard of for these events to attract new users which are effectively expanding the coin’s community. With an increase in awareness, EOS airdrop events can also help with driving the widespread adoption of the coin.

Airdrops are often performed by various projects that are in development on the specific coin’s network. These can include new dApps, platforms, and even decentralized exchanges. By releasing coins to coin holders, these projects are successfully spreading awareness, and are getting more supporters and users.

What EOS airdrops can be expected soon?

As mentioned, EOS airdrop events have become increasingly popular, especially in the recent months. July, August, and September have already had numerous such events, which have dropped quite large amounts of EOS tokens. This will, of course, continue in the coming months, and the EOS community is eagerly awaiting their arrival. At the time of writing, there are a few airdrops that have already been scheduled, with a lot more of them that have yet to specify the date and time of the events.

These include airdrops made by a wallet MORE, Chinese block producer candidate EOSpace, a gambling portal EOSBet, a fundraising dApp GiveyNation, and more. One event that has been scheduled months in advance is CADEOS airdrop. CADEOS is a decentralized CAD file, as well as a platform dedicated to project management. It aims to allow users to manage their projects with more efficiency and ease, as well as to share and edit CAD files on the platform directly. CADEOS airdrop is scheduled to be held on December 12 of this year.

While the number of scheduled airdrops is currently only limited to CADEOS airdrop, this should not discourage EOS holders. As mentioned previously, there are numerous others that have yet to provide an official date of the airdrop. Still, they will come sooner or later, and EOS enthusiasts should stay tuned, and keep an eye out for official announcements of these events.

Article Produced By

Ali Raza

A freelance journalist, with experience in web journalism and marketing. Ali holds a master degree in finance and enjoys writing about cryptocurrencies and fintech. Ali's work has been published on a number of cryptocurrency publications.

https://globalcoinreport.com/eos-airdrop-what-is-it-and-when-will-it-come/

Check out the new Global Coin Report talk show as we address all the highlights in crypto and the financial markets. With guests from all over the cryptosphere bringing you news, editorial, and of course, money making opportunities.

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

ThorBlock Pools Will Allow Anyone To Invest in ICOs on VeChainThor

Safe Haven has announced a new project called ThorBlock,

described as a platform that will allow users to pool funds on the VeChainThor blockchain. The project will allow individual investors to participate in crypto-related activities that would normally be out of their price range, including ICOs.

The platform requires pool administrators to start a community pool by locking down their own SafeHaven tokens (SHA). Other users can then contribute to the community pool, which will be used to raise funds for group investments. Once the pool matures, the administrator will gain access to the deposited funds. They can then invest in the project that the pool has agreed to fund. After that, the rewards will be divided between the contributors.

ICO Investing

ThorBlock will enable individuals to participate in ICOs and token sales, even when regulations and investment limits restrict them from doing so. Many ICOs are too expensive for individual investors and are only open to accredited investors. Additionally, ICOs are generally off-limits to residents of the U.S., China, and many other countries. But with ThorBlock, a pool operator who qualifies as an ICO investor can invest in the token sale on behalf of the community pool. After the ICO is complete, the earnings can be redistributed to the pool members.

Staking Nodes

Update: According to VeChain Insider, “Although the [ThorBlock] pool wallet could potentially be used to create a new node (not an X-Node), this is not recommended, since it is not possible to distribute the generated VTHO between pool contributors. Safe Haven is currently working on a dedicated solution for node pooling called TrustNode.”

Previous Pools

Although ThorBlock may be the first platform of its type, crypto investors have been arranging pools for some time. One blogger notes that many pool administrators currently use Telegram to coordinate investors who want to fund a particular ICO. However, ThorBlock’s features may allow pool administrators to more effectively manage their contributors. The platform will allow administrators to whitelist users so that only trusted contributors can participate.

The platform will also allow users to put more trust in pool operators: administrators cannot withdraw funds early, and users can revoke their funds if they have second thoughts. Admittedly, many investment pools currently use smart contracts to control funds — these are known as trustless pools. However, ThorBlock will provide an all-in-one platform designed specifically for this purpose. The project will launch in early October.

Article Produced By

Mike Dalton

https://unhashed.com/cryptocurrency-news/thorblock-pools-allow-anyone-invest-icos-vechainthor/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

What Does the Rise of Airdrop Campaigns Tell Us About ICOs?

Airdrops are massive distributions of value-caring cryptographic assets,
free of charge.

Pennies from heaven, who doesn’t like them?

Especially when it comes to magic pennies, raining down from a cryptographic sky, bearing the promise to increase in value as time progresses. This isn’t just the latest geeky Sci-Fi-inspired fantasia show killing it at Comic-Con, but rather a serious financial instrument, burgeoning in the always exhilarating blockchain space. It’s called an Airdrop, and it describes a mechanism through which a blockchain startup distributes its tokens, or virtual currency, to a large number of random people for free. ere and there you’ll be kindly asked to post about the event on social media, but overall, Airdrops are massive distributions of value-caring cryptographic assets, free of charge.

Airdrops are not a new phenomenon. We have seen blockchain companies hand out their tokens for free before. Normally this would happen shortly after, or sometimes before these entities offered their tokens in a public sale, or Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). In 2017, ICO sales grew to astronomical proportions, in some cases reaching $153 million. With such figures, free handouts act mainly as a marketing stunt, designed to increase followership and to support the overall fundraising operation. 2018 Airdrop campaigns, however, tell quite a different story.

The amount of blockchain startups skipping the ICO phase entirely, limiting their public token distributions to free Airdrops is steadily growing. $60 Million heavy Polymath didn’t raise a dime from the general blockchain-public. The same goes for M&A marketplace LEXIT, refuting ICO rumors and limiting public participation to a “Community Airdrop,” joining ventures such as trading-community Rublix. What most of these projects have in common is evidently a solid influx of private investments, but maybe more importantly – they all balance on the lip of a highly regulated volcano. Polymath seeks to trade securities on the blockchain, LEXIT allows entrepreneurs to buy and sell entire companies and their assets, while Rublix lets you trade sensitive financial data.

Projects of this kind are like candy for activist regulators, even without involving the unregulated public sale of a new kind of asset, which may or may not be a security, depending on who you ask and in which way the wind blows today. It comes as no surprise that these established projects, which have managed to raise considerable private funding, are more than happy to skip their anticipated “public rounds” and hand out tokens to the public for free – an act that will probably remain legal, even if ICOs get regulated out of existence.

However, go over the long list of new Airdrop offerings to see that even smaller players start to prefer this less dangerous route, even if it means losing the opportunity to raise unbelievable sums of money. The young blockchain space amazes the startup industry with its dynamic changes, happening incredibly fast. Merely a few months ago ICOs were all the rage, while at the moment some crypto-insiders might recommend staying away from unfunded projects and to skip the ICO phase, at least partly.

This, of course, raises two questions: one, where does all this “private money” come from? and two, why hand out tokens for free if you can sell them privately, no strings attached? The answer to the first question again highlights the rapid changes in the blockchain space: the money comes from a loosely-affiliated network of dispersed blockchain enthusiasts; crypto markets have evolved into a maturing industry, comprising investment funds, market-makers, “institutionalized investors,” and all the jazz that makes boring Wall Street tick the way it does.

The answer to the second question is slightly more tricky: free tokens don’t yield returns or dividends the way stocks or bonds would, so their value relies entirely on the activity of secondary markets. The moment a blockchain startup matures, and its tokens become a means to unlock a certain utility, this changes to a large degree, but until then, and for private investors to sleep tight, they are dependent on demand and liquidity provided by public activity on token-exchanges. Airdrops create this activity.

This, then, raises further questions. The blockchain industry was borne of a sentiment, disparaging the ways of Wall Street “institutionals” while praising the dispersed wisdom of the crowd. ICOs were one of the means through which this sentiment was realized. Are these days now over? Is Crypto becoming just another industry, dominated by leviathans controlling highly consolidated markets, with the public picking up oddments from the floor? Well, partly, but not so fast.

The public, or “the community” as it addressed in this sector, still has a vital role in blockchain projects. Most of them still rely on network effects, some of them are open-source, and all of them would be pretty worthless without a large followership. The willingness of compliant projects to throw their tokens around, and lose potential private investments, isn’t just manipulative market-making. Airdrops as a public distribution mechanism signify that the public plays an ever increasing role in these startups, and that this role is important enough to be set on a payroll.

So then, will ICOs disappear completely and morph into Airdrop-like handouts? Well, probably not, but at the moment it appears that the public will follow projects that have raised considerable private funding, seek to raise less impressive sums publically, and perform the rest of the necessary distribution via Airdrops and various loyalty schemes. One thing however remains certain – never before have corporations donated their financial assets to random strangers only to secure their existence. This as a tendency alone would probably justify the colorful craziness this industry never tires of producing.

Article Produced By
Thought Leadership

https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/rise-airdrop-campaigns-tell-us-icos/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

What is an Airdrop?

The basic idea behind an airdrop is to distribute cryptoassets

to investors, entirely for free, to encourage the adoption of that particular token. However, the concept often leaves investors confused. Surely giving out something valuable for free makes little sense? Why do companies do it? What does an investor need to do to receive these free tokens? What is the catch? In this part of the Lisk Academy all of these questions will be clarified and explained.

In short, an airdrop involves a cryptocurrency being dispensed to cryptocurrency wallet addresses. Investors will normally log into their wallet to find that they suddenly hold a certain amount of tokens, usually a token that they have never heard of, that they did not have the last time they checked their wallet. It can sometimes be a confusing and uncomfortable surprise the first time that it happens to an unaware investor. However, there is really nothing to worry about.

The first, and most important, thing to know is that if a cryptoasset is in a wallet, it is indisputably the property of whoever owns the private key to that particular wallet. Therefore, once a cryptocurrency has been airdropped to a wallet it belongs to the owner of that wallet. Therefore, should that individual decide to sell the tokens straight away, take the profits and invest them elsewhere, they are free to do so.

How to Receive an Airdrop?

The reasons dictating which address receives an airdrop can greatly vary. It can by all means be entirely random, based on no defining factor and sent to randomly selected addresses. However, other factors can come into play for those who are actively seeking to receive airdrops.

Scams are commonplace wherein airdrops are offered in return for private keys. Never give your private key to anyone. This will result in a loss of all cryptoassets. Only a public key is ever to be shared. A further step in avoiding such scams is looking at the URL of any site offering airdrops in detail. Always check for the green padlock and ensure there is no suspicious misspellings in the URL. If there is any doubt whatsoever, leave the site immediately.

For example, an address might sometime need to be registered on the company’s website so that it is known where to send the airdrop or whether the the holder of the address is a supporter of the project, which can sometimes be a requirement for an airdrop. The company can use the address to take a snapshot of the accounts holdings to ensure that the address is holding their particular cryptoasset.

What is a Snapshot?

As blockchain technology is transparent, anyone can view the holdings of a particular wallet if they know the public address. Therefore, conditions, such as holding a certain cryptocurrency, can be set that a wallet needs to meet in order to be eligible for an airdrop. A company will check an addresses holding at a particular date to ensure that their tokens are present amongst the holdings. These snapshots can also be taken over a period of time to determine the average holding of the token, ensuring that the user doesn’t simply buy the token, deposit it in the address and withdraw it straight after the snapshot.Generally, airdrops divide into two categories. Completely randomised or dependent on whether the investor is already a supporter of the project carrying out the airdrop.

What are the Benefits of Airdrops?

The benefits of an airdrop from a receivers perspective are clear. They are receiving tokens, which have tangible value, for free. To some extent, it can almost be regarded as “free money”. However, the benefits of carrying out an airdrop can sometimes be less obvious from the standpoint of the company doing so.

The foremost reason a company will willingly carry out an airdrop is to encourage the adoption of their particular utility token or cryptocurrency. They will do so because it is extremely difficult to stand out in such a dynamic and densely populated environment. There is a new cryptocurrency sprouting almost every day and with over 1500 cryptocurrencies in circulation it is a serious challenge for any aspiring projects to stand out and garner the attention of potential users.

Aa airdrop acts as an incentive for those who are receiving a token to research the project behind it. The hope is that a potential investor will like the project and be inclined to support it further, by buying more tokens for example. Furthermore, an airdrop can be seen to demonstrate the value or capabilities of a network, to a degree. Successfully delivering tokens to multiple addresses can be seen to demonstrate that the network itself works and that transaction fees are low enough for this to be practical.

Carrying out airdrops can also help blockchain projects maintain the loyalty and engagement of their community. Blockchain projects tend to be actively developing a promised product over time and during that period it can be a vital challenge to keep their community actively interested and engaged in their vision.

Is there a Catch to Receiving an Airdrop?

As mentioned earlier, the cryptocurrencies in any particular wallet are the sole and indisputable property of the owner of that wallet, namely whoever has the private key associated with that wallet. Therefore, a fee or some sort of catch cannot be applied to allow a user access to the airdropped funds in their wallet. In that regard, once the tokens are in a wallet they are the property of the wallet owner.

However, an indirect catch can be that tokens that are airdropped will not be traded on the larger, more commonly used exchanges. Therefore, an investor will need to dedicate some time signing up to a smaller, lesser known, exchange to have any chance of selling the airdropped tokens that they have received.

Similarly, some investors might simply not want to receive airdrops. More often than not, the value of the tokens that are being airdropped will be negligible and in that regard receiving unwanted tokens that are not worth the time it takes to sell can frustrate some individuals.Always ensure that a token is compatible with a particular exchange before sending it there to trade. If a trader transfers a token that is not listed on an exchange to that particular exchange, the tokens will be lost forever. Always carry out thorough research in regard to token compatibility before transferring tokens anywhere.

What Should an Investor do upon Receiving an Airdrop?

At the end of the day, the final decision is the investors. On the one hand, it can be worthwhile for an investor to research a project whose token has been airdropped to them. It could theoretically be a hugely successful project. On the other hand, dedicating time to researching a project is the purpose behind an airdrop and in that regard an investor is doing exactly what the sender intended for the receiver to do.

This could end up being a waste of time, so it is important to carefully pick and choose which projects are worth investing effort into researching. In that regard airdrops have been dubbed by some as the equivalent of spam emails in the blockchain space. They are sent to capture the attention of users without necessarily guaranteeing tangible value. To some extent it can also be assumed that the biggest, or most likely to succeed, projects will not need to carry out airdrops. Awareness and belief in what such projects are trying to achieve will exist organically, based on the quality of their team and product. However, respectable projects have been known to sometimes carry out airdrops too.

Whether airdrops are an effective marketing tool, free money or the equivalent of spam emails is entirely up to each user to decide for themselves. Irrespective, they are a prominent feature of the cryptocurrency space. As always, the most important aspect with arriving at a conclusion, or engaging with any project is carrying out extensive and thorough research before doing so.

Article Produced By
Lisk

https://lisk.io/academy/blockchain-business/cryptocurrencies/airdrops-explained

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Wallet Provider Blockchain Sues Crypto Startup Days Before ICO

Luxembourg-based cryptocurrency wallet provider Blockchain

has filed a lawsuit against a startup with a similar name, the company announced Thursday. Blockchain – formerly known as Blockchain.info – is suing Blockchain.io just days in advance of the latter's initial coin offering (ICO) over concerns that investors may believe they are buying tokens distributed by the wallet distributor, according to a public court filing.

Specifically, the suit names Paymium SAS, the company behind Blockchain.io, and founder Pierre Noizat, as defendants, claiming that Paymium has participated in "bad acts," including the operation of the now-defunct crypto wallet Instawallet. A representative for Blockchain told CoinDesk that the move came as a result of investors confusing the two firms,

adding:

"As we allege in our complaint, blockchain.io is using our brand to cover up a history of hacking and theft of user funds. Worse, they are raising money in a dubious ICO they claim is 'registered with the [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission].' There is of course no registration statement in place. Given the current climate of SEC enforcement and scam ICOs, when users and investors alerted us to this confusion, we needed to step up and take action before any further harm was done."

Among the suit's arguments is the claim that Blockchain.io's logo is similar to Blockchain's, which infringes its design marks (both logos are pictured above). The complaint specifically states that "Blockchain does not claim exclusive rights to the word 'blockchain' to describe the technology underlying cryptocurrencies …Rather, it claims exclusive rights in the BLOCKCHAIN marks, which it has been using exclusively for its Blockchain Products and which have become well and favorably known to consumers throughout the United States and the world as identifying its highly regarded and secure services."

It goes on to note that "in 2018, after years of doing business under different trademarks, Paymium adopted the mark BLOCKCHAIN.IO in a blatant and bad faith attempt to capitalize on the valuable and trusted BLOCKCHAIN marks and to confuse consumers into believing Paymium's inferior services emanate from or are otherwise associated with Blockchain."

"Paymium's digital currency services are identical or nearly identical to Blockchain's Digital Wallet Services, Mobile App Services and Website Services, which allow consumers to exchange one form of digital currency for another, such as bitcoin for ether or bitcoin cash," the suit continued. However, Blockchain.io has denied the claim, with founder Pierre Noizat telling CoinDesk that "we find it strange that Blockchain Luxembourg filed a claim just [six] days before our public token sale when they had [six] years to contact us regarding our domain name if they had issues with it."

Indeed, whois information confirms that the domain "blockchain.io" was first registered in April 2012 by Paymium. Public records with the National Institute of Industrial Property, the French patent office, also show that blockchain.io was registered as a brand in 2017. However, it is unclear if there was any activity under the domain prior to 2018. The Wayback Machine does have a snapshot from 2017, indicating the domain may have simply redirected to Paymium's website at the time.

And while ICOs cannot "register with the SEC," companies offering securities sales can declare their intent to do so. Public records indicate that Paymium filed a "Form D" for the sale of "digital tokens" in June 2018, announcing the company's intent to sell tokens in the future. CoinDesk was unable to confirm that Blockchain.io had registered with the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution, or the French bank and insurance company monitor, as the firm claimed in its pitch deck.

Lawyers weigh in

The lawsuit has failed to impress at least some lawyers who work in the space. Stephen Palley, an attorney with corporate law firm Anderson Kill P.C., told CoinDesk that "it's an odd argument to make in a trademark infringement action." His colleague, Dan Healy, explained further, saying that "BLOCKCHAIN" is a generic term.

"Generic terms are not generally trademarks because they do not identify [a] source. They generically refer to a thing or service. It looks like the plaintiff is trying to show that it is using its design mark as a source identifier for digital wallet services, as something not generic to blockchain, even though they are wallets for holding blockchain currency," he explained. Palley expanded on that idea, noting that "in fact, they had to disclaim any such protection, the lawsuit even says as much."

He added:

"Their use of the word blockchain isn't really protected under U.S. Trademark law … Perhaps because they couldn't get protection for the word, they filed a "design mark" – "blockchain" in all capital letters with a picture next to it. And even though they don't have trademark protection for the word, it appears that they are in effect by this lawsuit trying to use their design mark to prevent blockchain.io from using the word blockchain."

"We think that's a weak argument," he concluded.

Healy noted that Blockchain disclaimed the term, saying "no claim is made to the exclusive right to use BLOCKCHAIN apart from the mark as shown." "That means the plaintiff has a design mark and disclaimed the exclusive right to use the term BLOCKCHAIN, but appears to be trying to enforce its mark to preclude other from using the term BLOCKCHAIN," he said.

Article Produced By
Nikhilesh De

https://www.coindesk.com/wallet-provider-blockchain-sues-crypto-startup-days-before-ico/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

What are airdrops and why should I care?

What are airdrops and why should I care?

When a new cryptocurrency is launched the developers need to decide what to do with the coins.

How to Claim Cryptocurrency Airdrops

Some have them locked up until they’re mined, some put up all the coins for sale in an ICO (initial coin offering) and some give away some or most of the coins in a free airdrop. Why would they just give away the coins? It’s all about marketing and getting the word out that your cryptocurrency project exists. And if people like your project and currency, they’re likely to hold the coin, perhaps even buy more and drive up the price.

So what are these airdrops actually worth? It really depends. Most are in the $1 to $3 range. But some will be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. You could sign up for a ton hoping to catch some good ones or you can just sign up for airdrops from projects that look promising (fyi most of my biggest payouts were not coins that I thought had any potential).

Steps to claim crypto airdrops.

Have necessary social media accounts.
The requirements for airdrops vary but many require social media accounts including Bitcointalk (a cryptocurrency forum), Facebook, Telegram and Twitter (sometimes Instagram, Steemit and Reddit). I use a dedicated Facebook, Twitter and email just for signing up for airdrops (some require you to post about them or subscribe to emails so I don’t want to clutter my other accounts).

Get an ERC20 Ethereum wallet.
Some airdrops will be held right on the platform’s website, but many tokens will go to an Ethereum wallet. An ETH wallet on an exchange will not work. You’ll need need an ERC20 (can hold ETH and ETH tokens) wallet such as one from My Ether Wallet. You can read how to set up a MEW account here. Besides MEW you may try Parity or MetaMask. Another platform that is starting to see token airdrops is Waves. You can get a Waves wallet here. Make sure you store your private key in a safe place (or places) where you won’t lose it or else you’ll lose you’re funds.

Have a list of your info for easy access.
It’s good to have a list links to the social media accounts you use and your wallet address so you can quickly copy and paste the into form fields. I use “text expansion” or autocomplete tools to help fill out forms. (Breevy and PhraseExpress are a couple popular ones.) So if I type “eA”, my Ethereum address will automatically be filled into the form field.

Find airdrops and follow the claiming instructions.
There are airdrop links scattered all over the internet, but I’m partial to our huge airdrop spreadsheet that is updated daily. We also run the largest airdrop claiming group on Facebook where you can sign up for and share your airdrop links. To claim, some airdrops ask you to fill in a Google form, some ask you to share on social media, some have you create an account on their site and some want you to talk to a Telegram bot. Whatever they ask you to do, follow the instructions very carefully and don’t try claim airdrops more than once or else you may end up with nothing.

Save your passwords.
Make sure you have a good password manager that is secure. Create strong passwords that have capitals, numbers and special characters. Save your passwords right away or else you’ll have to keep requesting password resets.

Avoid scams.
Unfortunately some airdrops are outright scams and some are fake forms impersonating popular currencies. A rule of thumb is to never give out info that is too personal and never give out your private key. And be wary if a form asks for a “donation” to get more coins… if it’s a fake form you just gave money to a scammer. I’ve only donated to a project once; I just like free stuff.

Check your airdrop balances.
Go to DeltaBalances and paste in your ETH address to see all the tokens you have in your Ethereum wallet and how much they’d trade for on the exchange Ether Delta. (I wouldn’t recommend trading on Ether Delta. It can be a good way to cash in your junk tokens but the interface is very frustrating and I’ve made a mistake worth 100’s of dollars due to that.) I like to wait until a token hits it big and then transfer it to a regular exchange to sell it. But sometimes as soon as an airdrop is released there will be an initial pump where you can sell the token at a high price. Some of these airdrop cryptos should be dumped but some will be successful and may be good to hold long term.

Have fun!
Maybe you’ll strike it rich and maybe not. But when I see my wallet that’s full of tons of up and coming coins, I get a similar feeling to when I was a kid collecting baseball cards and Pokemon. You don’t have to catch them all, but try to catch a few good ones, it’ll be fun.

Article Produced By

https://yourfreecrypto.com/how-to-claim-cryptocurrency-airdrops/

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden