Top Banks Are Building a Crypto Settlement System, Showing More Mixed Signals On Blockchain Support

The banking industry, now well aware of blockchain’s revolutionary potential,

continues to explore a range of options for integrating the technology into their present operating processes. Although there is no doubt that cryptocurrency poses a threat to their business models, there are also very real opportunities to use it for their own benefit. Nevertheless, the extent to which they are willing to embrace permissionless, trustless platforms remains unclear. Simply put, they respect blockchain’s potential, yet are still trying to create the means to maintain control over how it is used within their own ecosystems.

Reuters has reported that several large international banks are creating a blockchain-based currency to aid in transaction settlement. These banks include UBS, Santander, Credit Suisse, and Barclay’s. They have invested USD $50 million in the project, which will be run by a new entity named “Fnality.” An anonymous spokesperson for the banks has stated that the research and development phase of the venture is coming to an end, thus indicating that the platform could soon be deployed. The coin these banks will create is expected to be a stablecoin, likely pegged to a trusted reserve currency such as the U.S. Dollar or the Euro. It will be used as a digital bridge asset between various fiats. It will probably not be made available on the open market. This architecture is similar to Ripple’s publicly available xRapid, and IBM’s Blockchain World Wire, which uses Stellar Lumens.

Blockchain’s ability to quickly and efficiently move assets across borders is one of its most remarkable features, and banks are wise to embrace this use case. Nevertheless, by design, distributed ledger technology is not meant to be controlled by central entities. Although this new coin may succeed, it is an obvious attempt by these banks to create a platform that can serve the same function as those offered by Ripple and IBM, yet without the reliance on permissionless blockchain networks.

In a sense, this new platform reflects the dilemma that banks are in over the growth and adoption of decentralized cryptocurrency. It is no secret that they overwhelming dislike it, yet at the same time they are forced to recognize that blockchain assets are now firmly entrenched within the global economy, and will no doubt grow much more significant in the coming years. In short, there is no avoiding the blockchain revolution, yet banks are having a very difficult time finding a way to incorporate the technology into their existing business models. Trying to create hybrid, pseudo-cryptocurrencies that they control, as evidenced by this new project, is their present response.

Even if banks want to embrace the crypto revolution, doing so will be very difficult. They are legally bound by a wide range of rules that are largely incompatible with decentralized ledger frameworks. These include tax reporting, know-your-customer, and anti-money laundering regulations. Attempting to fit open and permissionless blockchain assets into a system with such requirements will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

It is still far to early to understand the full impact cryptocurrency will have on the present financial system, yet banks can no longer ignore the fact that changes are taking place. What is certain is that in order to benefit from blockchain technology, banks should not send mixed signals over its use. Whereas it is true that crypto renders much of their services obsolete, it also creates new opportunities to become more efficient and create new business offerings.

Article Produced By
Trevor Smith

https://www.crypto-news.net/top-banks-are-building-a-crypto-settlement-system-showing-more-mixed-signals-on-blockchain-support/

Tina Yordanova Back from her stint with European Central Bank, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Societe Generale, Hilton Hotels, and Aviva International, Tina rejoins Cryptopolitan with a deeper insight regarding the financial world, blockchain enterprises and institutions and practices involved in it. She is eager to share her rounded perspective honed from the biggest media analysis companies on the Balkans.

Home News Blockchain News US and Irish universities start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency Tina Yordanova By Tina Yordanova May 31, 2019 US and Irish universities start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency Blockchain News US and Irish universities start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency 1 Advertisements The University of Pennsylvania and Dublin City University are among the pioneers, who have made a step towards introducing education plans on Blockchain and cryptocurrency. Such courses are expected to experience a rise in popularity as Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are gaining more traction among students. The recent bullish sessions for a majority of the tokens is another reason for students to start thinking about education in this area. The University of Pennsylvania, and specifically the Wharton School, announced the launch of a new online program called “Fintech: Foundations and Applications of Financial Technologies.” on 30 May. While the title of the course does not explicitly state a focus on cryptocurrencies, the announced course description reveals a heavy emphasis on the topic. The UPenn course will aid students in understanding how Blockchain can revolutionize payments and how does cryptocurrency work as a system. On the other end of the ocean, in Ireland, Dublin City University is also introducing a masters course on Blockchain and its’ functionalities. In order to accomplish this, the university decided to seek out the help of Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet. In the official announcement, the President of Dublin City University, Professor Brian MacCraith cheered: DCU is proud to collaborate with Skillnet Ireland on the first of its kind Master’s programme in Blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technologies). This too is an online course, which can be taken part-time as well. This program was designed after in-depth research was carried out, in order to identify the main skills and practical knowledge aspiring engineers will need to work with Blockchain efficiently.

ties start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency Tina Yordanova By Tina Yordanova May 31, 2019 US and Irish universities start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency Blockchain News US and Irish universities start offering courses on Blockchain and cryptocurrency 1 Advertisements The University of Pennsylvania and Dublin City University are among the pioneers, who have made a step towards introducing education plans on Blockchain and cryptocurrency. Such courses are expected to experience a rise in popularity as Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are gaining more traction among students. The recent bullish sessions for a majority of the tokens is another reason for students to start thinking about education in this area. The University of Pennsylvania, and specifically the Wharton School, announced the launch of a new online program called “Fintech: Foundations and Applications of Financial Technologies.” on 30 May. While the title of the course does not explicitly state a focus on cryptocurrencies, the announced course description reveals a heavy emphasis on the topic. The UPenn course will aid students in understanding how Blockchain can revolutionize payments and how does cryptocurrency work as a system. On the other end of the ocean, in Ireland, Dublin City University is also introducing a masters course on Blockchain and its’ functionalities. In order to accomplish this, the university decided to seek out the help of Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet. In the official announcement, the President of Dublin City University, Professor Brian MacCraith cheered: DCU is proud to collaborate with Skillnet Ireland on the first of its kind Master’s programme in Blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technologies). This too is an online course, which can be taken part-time as well. This program was designed after in-depth research was carried out, in order to identify the main skills and practical knowledge aspiring engineers will need to work with Blockchain efficiently.

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

Best Cryptocurrency Passive Income Programs

The emergence of cryptocurrencies has ushered in new ways to earn extra money.

You can earn money as a trader or even through mining. However, passive cryptocurrency income is emerging as the perfect way to supplement your monthly income. To help you earn passive income, we have several programs that do the work for you. Generally, passive income happens when you invest your money and time. As the investment grows you will generate passive income. In this guide, we look at the best cryptocurrency passive income programs.

HODL Finance

HODL Finance is a European digital lending firm that issues loans backed by cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Apart from loans, HODL Finance allows users to passively earn extra income by depositing digital assets and earn interest. To get started, HODL Finance will require you to select the stablecoin you would like to support. The platform has listed USDT and USDC with an option for other digital assets.

You will then provide the value of the stablecoin you would like to deposit, the amount and the period in months you would like to deposit the coins. The rates includes 3 months for 4% annual interest, 6 months for 6.5%, 9 months for 6.5% , 12 months for 7% and 18 months for 7.5%. All the interest is earned on a yearly basis. In the final stage, you will provide your name, country of residence and email address. The HODL team will then get in touch with if they have accepted your offer. Note that the company does not sell, buy or exchange cryptocurrency. This is a perfect source of passive income for individuals who are not willing to sell their digital assets over a long term period.

Kucoin Shares

KuCoin shares (KCS) is a product of KuCoin cryptocurrency exchange. KuCoin is among the leading cryptocurrency exchanges with a good reputation. The exchange allows holders of KCS to profit from the success of the exchange. The more shares you hold the more the dividends you receive. By the time of writing this article, one KuCoin share was selling at $1.07. The easiest way to make a passive income with KuCoin Shares is to buy the shares and hold. You may end up benefitting in the event the token price rises, especially during the bear market.

On the KuCoin Shares website, you will get a calculator to help you determine the profit you will earn from holding KuCoin shares. Before buying the shares, you will have to be a member of the KuCoin exchange. You can buy the shares by first depositing funds into your account. You can deposit cryptos or fiat through a credit card. To buy KCS, visit the exchange page, place a limit order by entering the price you are willing to pay per KCS token. You will then keep KCS in your KuCoin account. The KuCoin shares will be deposited into your account daily. The amount will vary based on how much money KuCoin has made from trading fees. Note that, KuCoin uses 50% of all trading fees to buy back KCS and redistribute it to holders.

Nexo

Nexo is among the leading platform offering cryptocurrency backed loans. Recently, the platform launched a program that can be ideal for earning passive income. Nexo is offering a 6.5% interest rate on Dai, PAX, USDC, USDT, and TUSD stablecoins. The interest rate is compounded on an annual basis but all payments are done daily. Compared to traditional banks, this is a lucrative interest rate that guarantees you higher returns in the end. You can withdraw any amount at any given time. All the payments are automatic and you access the funds through the Nexo wallet.

According to Nexo, this program not only enables investors to earn some passive income, but it also helps in protecting the stablecoins. For Nexo loans, the platform supports popular cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. Note that cryptocurrency loans can also be a source of passive income. If the value of the asset you are using as collateral goes up during the loan period, the borrower gets to keep the extra gains. You can end up with the same, or even more money after the loan has been repaid with interest. Furthermore, funds on Nexo are secured through asset-backed portfolios of overcollateralized loans. The collateral of each loan is subject to custodial insurance of $100 million offered by BitGo.

Decred

Decred a cryptocurrency that aims to solve blockchain governance issues. Creators of the asset want to make it an autonomous currency, run by its community. Decred is among the first assets to incorporate the Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake at once. This means that miners and stakers both have the voting power to make decisions. In short, a holder’s opinion is of high value within the community. Based on its nature, holding the asset can have good returns in the long run.

You can make a passive income from Decred’s PoS ticket system. When you hold the asset, you qualify to purchase tickets. In the event your ticket gets drawn, you will get back the ticket amount with an additional reward. On the other hand, if your ticket is not drawn, you will still get back the Decred that was invested into the ticket. If you stake Decred, you can earn 10.47% in staking rewards while the monthly staking reward stands at 0.87%. Note that holders who participate in Decred’s decision-making get rewards for their efforts. Anyone can join the community due to sustainable funding and a resilient contractor model.

Conclusion

Over the years, passive income has been associated with other forms of online investments. With the growth of cryptocurrencies, passive income is steadily gaining popularity with new programs coming out. Cryptocurrency passive income is the easiest form of income for any crypto fan. Previously, mining was the best passive income channel, but the sector has become unprofitable. The highlighted programs have proved to be among the best when it comes to earning extra monthly income. However, just like any other cryptocurrency investment, conduct your research before putting money in any program. Additionally, you should be comfortable with losing the money you invest.

Article Produced By
Amisi Paul

https://zerocrypted.com/best-cryptocurrency-passive-income-programs/

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

How to Buy Litecoin in 2019 â Preparing for the Litecoin August 2019 Halving

How to Buy Litecoin in 2019 – Preparing for the Litecoin August 2019 Halving

Litecoin is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency

and open-source software project with similarities to Bitcoin. Litecoin is among the successful altcoins in the cryptocurrency market. The cryptocurrency deploys the same encryption techniques to transfer and create funds and to confirm transactions just like Bitcoin. Litecoin differs from Bitcoin since it has a larger amount of coins and it has faster transaction rates. Generally, Litecoin is a better version of Bitcoin but lacks brand awareness. Litecoin is currently trading at $89.00 by the time of writing this article with a market capitalization of $5,502,066,609. Since the beginning of 2019, Litecoin has shown strong performance making it a cryptocurrency worth investing in. The cryptocurrency world is gearing up towards Litecoin’s August halving. The halving is expected to have an impact on the value of Litecoin.

What is Litecoin Halving and Its Impact on Price?

Halving can be defined as the process where miner’s rewards are halved following a predetermined block. The halving feature was introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin. Halving protects cryptocurrencies from inflation. The process also ensures that not all the blocks are mined so soon. In August 2019, Litecoin is set to undergo its second halving. With Litecoin, we have only a total of 84 million coins that will exist. Note that the halving process happens every 840,000 blocks. Litecoin halving usually takes place after every four years. The last halving occurred in August 2015 when the network reached 840,000 blocks. The impact of halving is evident now since prior to the previous halving, Litecoin was trading at $3. Contrary to popular beliefs, halving does not affect miners only but investors as well. As the number of blocks is mined, mining becomes difficult translating to more resources. However, mining rewards decrease. As a way of tackling the decrease in mining rewards, the value of Litecoin increases as well.

How to Buy Litecoin In 2019

There are various ways of buying Litecoin in preparation for the August halving. However, before purchasing Litecoin, you need to prepare by having an appropriate wallet. You can get hardware or software wallet. Note that hardware wallets are the best for storing cryptocurrencies due to security reasons. Some of the popular hardware wallets to consider for your Litecoin is the Ledger Nano S and the TREZOR One. Popular software wallets compatible with Litecoin are Exodus and Jaxx. The Exodus wallet is compatible with the desktop while Jaxx is compatible with mobile devices. The most popular way of buying Litecoin is through cryptocurrency exchanges. Litecoin is gaining popularity, meaning that more exchanges are willing to list the cryptocurrency. Here are popular exchanges where you can buy Litecoin.

Buying Litecoin From Coinbase

Coinbase is among the leading cryptocurrency exchanges globally with a good reputation. On the exchange, you can buy Litecoin through various means. Coinbase accepts purchasing Litecoin directly through the use of a credit/debit card. You can also buy Bitcoin or Ethereum then trade it for Litecoin afterward. To get started, you need to create an account with Coinbase. Ensure the exchange is available in your area of residence. As part of the registration process, you will then need to confirm your identity by providing the necessary verification documents.

On Coinbase you can also buy Ethereum or Bitcoin then exchange it for Litecoin. To add your card, visit the payments methods page and select the ‘Add Payment Method’ button. You will then select ‘’Credit/Debit Card’. Note that to navigate this stage, your account must be fully verified. You will then accept the prompt explaining the pending charges. To proceed, log into your cardholder account and confirm the charges. You will then see a window that says “Credit/Debit Card Added’ and a ‘Buy Digital Currency’ button. You can now buy either Litecoin, Bitcoin or Ethereum from the ‘Buy/Sell’ page.

Buy Litecoin On Binance

Binance is another leading cryptocurrency exchange. Despite the recent hack, Binance still has the confidence of the entire cryptocurrency community. On the exchange, you have to start by creating an account through the official website or the mobile application. To proceed, you will need to verify your account through a code sent via your email.

With Binance, you can first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum then exchange it for Litecoin. To start the process, you need to access the Binance Credit Card Page. You can also access the page by logging into your Binance account then click on ‘Funds’ and then ‘Buy With Credit Card’. You will then select the type of cryptocurrency you would like to buy and then enter your order amount. A second bar pops up with the total amount that you will incur. In the next stage, you will have to customize the amount you have selected. Binance allows you to buy any amount of Bitcoin using a credit card. You can toggle the base currency of your credit card between USD or EUR. The Total Charge section indicated is the payment to be made inclusive of the service provided and the handling fee.

Additional Information For Simplex

Binance has partnered with payment platform, Simplex to facilitate buying of cryptocurrencies using a credit card. To complete the transaction, you will have to provide additional information to Simplex. Once you fill out the necessary fields, agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy and then you can proceed. After verifying your account, click continue. You will then enter the necessary card information. Click on ‘Pay Now’ and you will then undergo ID verification. To verify your ID, Simplex gives you a number of options. You can take a selfie holding the card used to make the payment or upload your ID issued by the government. You can also use a passport, national ID card or your driver’s license. Note that the identification document should show your name and date of birth. If all the details are in order, you will have successfully purchased your Bitcoins or Ethereum. It takes about 30 minutes for the purchased cryptos to reflect in your Binance account. You can later exchange your Bitcoin or Ethereum for Litecoin.

Buy Litecoin on eToro

eToro is a leading cryptocurrency investment platform that allows you to buy and sell Litecoins for fiat currency. eToro is known to have a user-friendly interface alongside good customer support. Note that if you opt to use eToro you don’t actually need a Litecoin wallet. This is because eToro does not supply you the actual coins. eToro allows you to short a certain currency if you think its price will decline. If you do decide to use eToro for speculation purposes, keep in mind that cryptocurrencies can fluctuate in prices and are not appropriate for all investors. Additionally, note that trading cryptocurrencies are not under any EU regulatory framework.

Conclusion

Litecoin continues to shows its ability in the cryptocurrency world. The coin has a vibrant community alongside a strong development team that seeks to propel it to the next level. With the upcoming August halving, the value of Litecoin has the potential to increase hence the need to invest in the asset. We have different ways of buying Litecoin and the covered exchanges are ideal for getting your asset. Buying Litecoin with a credit or debit card is among the efficient methods available. The process is efficient and in most cases instant. It is important to consider the safety of your Litecoin by ensuring you store them in a secure wallet. Most preferably a hardware wallet. Exchange wallets are susceptible to hackings.

Article Produced By
Amisi Paul

https://zerocrypted.com/how-to-buy-litecoin-in-2019-preparing-for-the-litecoin-august-2019-halving/

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

Malta AI and Blockchain Summit Spring Addition 2019: Day 2 recap

After a productive day one at the Malta AI & Blockchain Summit,

delegates returned for their second dose of expo floor exploration, sessions, workshops and networking opportunities at the Hilton. While the summit attracted established businesses and entrepreneurs encompassing a number of industries, the intersection of iGaming and blockchain proved to be a particularly exciting area, especially because Malta is a hub for both industries.

“My keynote today was about blockchain and gambling and in my opinion its one of the leading sectors in this space in terms of monetization and actualization and exemplification of blockchain”, Carla Maree Vella of Consultxd shared with CoinGeek.com. “This is not just said by myself, tons of key figures out there that are saying blockchain and gambling, those are going to be the key examples”, she revealed. Vella went on to provide examples of iGaming companies that are using blockchain technology to engage consumers, while also touching on how the immutability of blockchain information takes everything one step further for iGaming.

Ganapati is an example of an iGaming company that is paving the way with its use of blockchain and in fact, they were big exhibitors at the summit and last night’s recipients of “Marketing Campaign of the Year” at the Malta AI & Blockchain Summit Awards. “Through our work as an online slot provider we found a hole in the market that a lot of the casino users didn’t trust the sites and the operators. Now what provides trust, and what provides transparency? Blockchain!”, shared Ganapati COO Juliet Adelstein.

“So we began building our own blockchain platform that our online casino will sit on top of. Along with that, in conjunction we’ve also released a stable coin, G8C, which is a brand new form of stable coin in the iGaming industry”, she explained. As the crypto industry matures, more and more practical uses for blockchain technology continue to make their way to Unlinkthe surface. Vinay Gupta, one of the early minds behind the Ethereum launch, revealed how his organization, Mattereum, is using the blockchain to track memorabilia.

“The problem that we’re solving is provenance of physical object and our first partnership is with William Shatner of Star Trek and many other series fame, to take the collectables and memorabilia and basically produce blockchain proofs that they are accurate, that they are what they are said to be and these proofs have some legal reinforcement”, Gupta shared with CoinGeek.com “So its not just that somebody says they are real, there’s actually a financial aspect to that proof that allows you to recover value if it turns out to be a ringer. So this is new territory and we’re very pleased to have such a high profile first partner”, he added.

As the two day summit came to a close, organizer Eman Pulis shared his thoughts on the blockchain industry in general and how his events are crafted to help push the industry forward in Malta and around the globe. “What characterizes this industry is that its moving so fast”, said Pulis. “So after last November I thought, listen, we can’t wait another 12 months to bring those amazing people back to Malta. So we said lets wait six months and launch the spring/summer addition. So we did”, he said.

“Despite the long crypto winter, despite the bear market, despite the European Union elections happening tomorrow, we still managed to get a buzzing crowd of 5,500 people”, Pulis confirmed. “I think what makes this show special, unlike shows in North America where you have a North American focus, its truly global. Its been the characterization of the November show, also at this show we have delegates from Asia, delegates from North America, delegates from South America, so it is truly a global show where West meets East”, he added.

Article Produced By
Becky Liggero

After four and a half years of iGaming industry experience with Casino City, Becky Liggero joined Bitcoin Entrepreneur and Economic Envoy to the Government of Antigua Calvin Ayre to serve as the Head On-site Reporter for the Calvin Ayre Media Group. Since August 2009, Becky has exclusively conducted interviews with senior level executives and enthusiasts for a while continuing to travel the world and document her adventures for all to watch and read.

https://coingeek.com/malta-ai-and-blockchain-summit-spring-addition-2019-day-2-recap-video/

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

Facebook set to launch its own Cryptocurrency called âGlobalcoinâ in 2020

Facebook set to launch its own Cryptocurrency called “Globalcoin” in 2020

Facebook’s Crypto to be called “Globalcoin”

Social media giant Facebook is planning to launch its own Cryptocurrency named “Globalcoin” in the first quarter of 2020, according to a report from BBC. It is looking to start trails by the end of this year. Facebook recently registered a company called “Libra Networks” which is a Blockchain initiative that it has been working on for over a year. Even though Facebook has been secretive about its project, reports have emerged that the social media giant was looking for a Billion dollar funding for the Libra project.

Facebook has reportedly sought advice from the U.S Treasury officials and the bank of England governor Mark Carney regarding the opportunities and risks involved in creating a Cryptocurrency. According to FT, the company is also in talks with Winklevoss led Gemini and Coinbase for custody and trading solutions. Facebook is also in talks with payment giants like Visa, Mastercard and Western Union to collaborate and fund the initiative. The social media giant is looking to tap into the global remittance market by enabling cross border payments on Whatsapp in 12 countries including India.

Facebook’s Coin a Bitcoin Killer?

Facebook’s coin will most likely be a stablecoin pegged to fiat currencies like the dollar instead of a volatile asset like Bitcoin, there is no information available on the technical details of the Libra project. However, based on Facebook’s reputation of selling user data and its monopolistic tendencies, it is fair to assume that Facebook’s “Globalcoin” would mostly be centrally controlled, unlike Bitcoin’s decentralized governance. While some are critical of Facebook’s Crypto endeavor, others view it as a positive step for the mainstream adoption of Cryptocurrencies. One must not forget that Facebook’s humungous userbase which is larger than any online platform, any product released by Facebook will likely gain massive adoption and would be unprecedented in Crypto.

Article Produced By

Shrikar

https://blockmanity.com/news/facebook-set-to-launch-its-own-cryptocurrency-called-globalcoin-in-2020/

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

Tron Price Prediction 2019: What Price Can Tron Reach This Year?

Short TRON Description

The decentralized platform was designed to enable content creators to send, upload, own, publish, and store their data without relying on third-parties. Tron was created by Justin Sun, a former employee of Ripple, and its headquarters are located in Singapore. Currently, TRX ranks 11^th on the list of top digital currencies according to market cap.

TRON Price Prediction 2019: Analysis and Price Forecast

Seeing as the crypto is one of the best performing cryptos in the space, TRX has great expansion potential. Most recent Tron price predictions state that the project will most likely see an exponential increase before the end of the year. The CEO of TRON, Justin Sun, revealed that the TRON network has surpassed EOS in terms of unique addresses and that TRON has acquired more unique addresses in the first 95 days than ETH in the same time period during its own launch.

Two other upgrades are also in planned to occur by the end of the year- the first being scheduled for 15th of November and the other in December. The TRON Virtual Machine (TVM) was launched last year, which now means that developers are able to design dApps on TRON’s mainnet. The market responded positively, with TRON experiencing a price appreciation in the 24 hours following the launch. Based on past responses, the significant developments which are scheduled to come will increase Tron’s potential to see some price growths.

TRX has already forged several key partnerships which will bring mutual benefits that could greatly influence its price in the next three months and years to come. Justin Sun has secured partnerships with BitForex, FX market company- Shiftmarkets, and Chinese exchange OTCBTC. Justin Sun’s connection with Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma suggests that there may be a potential merger in the near future, which might boost Tron’s prices and adoption. 2019 is expected to bring many enhancements in TRX’s security and privacy.

Tron saw a rapid development in market rank, as just a few months ago it was in 56th position, and now it is placed in 11^th position, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Even though Tron might experience increases, they will not be as noticeable when compared to those of its peers. But, after 2019, it might start to pick up the pace as it has its roadmap features a lot of plans for future developments. 2019 will see the release of one of its most anticipated projects – Project Atlas – which would integrate BitTorrent to enhance its security.

Tron Price Prediction: Market Forecasts

Seeing as the markets are prone to volatility, no one is able to provide an exact prediction on how one crypto asset will evolve. There have been several publications and websites that have released their own Tron price prediction. We will be going through some of them in our list below:

1.BitcoinExchangeGuide

The site of Bitcoinexchangeguide forecasts that Tron will reach $2.78 by September next year.

2. investingpr.com

According to the Tron price prediction made by investingpr.com, TRX will hit the $1 mark only in five years which, at this moment, sounds like a realistic forecast.

3. WalletInvestor

WalletInvestor predicted that TRX will not pass the value of $0.1 this year as they believe 2019 will not be a good year for this digital asset. However, they are of the opinion that it is not a bad year in which you can make investments.

4. More investors

As Tron will gain new investors from various payment services such as PayPal, many investors have argued that these partnerships will lead to an increase of $1.5 per coin.

5. JioMobilePhone1500

The Tron price prediction of Jiomobilephone1500 is that TRX might reach the level of $5 by the end of 2019, as they believe this year will be very favorable for the crypto. They made another bullish prediction, stating that, by 2020, TRX might have a price of $47.

6. CoinTame

CoinTame made the least favorable prediction for Tron in our list, where they believed that TRX might be priced around $0.633 in 2019 and, by the end of 2020, it might hit the $1 mark.

7. Smartereum

The cryptocurrency experts from the Smartereum analysis website predict that TRX will reach a price of $12 by the peak of 2019. They also stated that: “Based on the analysis of the present value of the digital currency, they have also predicted that, by 2020, the value of Tron could get to $52.91.” However, this seems like a really improbable prediction, at least from our point of view.

8. CoinSwitch

Crypto aggregator website CoinSwitch predicts that “there are good possibilities for it to reach 0.4 USD in the coming 5-8 months.” ”Tron will heavily boost up its price this year. In the first two quarters, it will be lingering across 0.05 to 0.06 USD. But in the third quarter, it picks up its pace, wherein it reaches $0.07, and by the end 2019, it will reach up to $0.11, which is positive as compared to the last year.” We believe that this is the most plausible prediction for TRX’s price for 2019, considering the current factors and data.

Summary

TRON has many factors that are currently in its favor, but it remains to be seen if the markets will be bullish in 2019 for TRX.

Article Produced By
Anca Faget

Hi, I’m Anca. You might’ve stumbled upon my literary creations while searching for stuff on the internet. I write mostly on topics related to tech, crypto and such (although there was a period in my life when I wrote sarcastic descriptions for bizarre Amazon products). When my ADD kicks in I turn sticky notes into Pikachus or pop bubble wrap.

https://coindoo.com/tron-price-prediction/

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

Bibox Europe Gives Coinbase Competition; Offers Fiat On-Ramp for Traditional Investors After Equity Backing from Top Bank

Bibox Europe (Bibox EU) secured full regulatory compliance, allowing it to offer cryptocurrency offerings linked to the world of traditional finance.

Bibox EU is making forays into linking digital assets

with the world of traditional finance. The market operator has secured full regulatory compliance, making it capable of offering reliable fiat-to-crypto services for retail and

institutional investors.

“Bibox EU allows easier access to digital assets by supporting fiat currency to crypto brokerage service and provides a reliable platform for all investors to build their own crypto portfolio. And we are regulated and compliant with Swiss banks and insurance companies having its back”, Bibox’s cofounder Aries Wang said.

In addition to the success of setting up a fiat gateway, Bibox EU has secured a funding round, through an equity investment coming from one of the top 10 banks in the world. Additionally, Bibox EU has access to the service of multiple Swiss banks, allowing it to support transactions within the regulatory framework.

Bibox thus follows the latest developments in the cryptocurrency space, where fiat access is becoming more important. The approach of Bibox EU is expanding on the moves of market operators like Coinbase to offer more chances for direct purchases of digital assets. Combining compliance and banking access has allowed Coinbase to expand its services to an additional 85 countries, and more than 100 in total. Coinbase has achieved this through the fully compliant USD Coin (USDC). Bibox EU offers another unique approach for a fiat on-ramp, exclusively accessible to 27 member-countries of the European Union and additional compliant states.

Bibox EU has four major directions of development in building the full fiat gateway for traditional finance investors. The first direction is getting access to digital assets through the most widely used fiat currencies – US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, and Swiss Franc. Secondly, Bibox EU offers fully compliant custodian services, offering greater ease and security for cryptocurrency storage. Bibox EU is under insurance coverage, securing all funds and transactions on the platform. Furthermore, the financial service provider is also aiming to add credit card services, as well as launching OTC trading desk to provide crypto brokerage.

Thus, Bibox EU sets out to be a blockchain financial service company, recognized by leading banking partners. The market operator has reached out to hedge funds, asset management firms and family offices, with the goal of creating the Bibox Finance Ecology. The exchange puts high importance on compliance and security, moving beyond the unregulated phase of the crypto-to-crypto markets. The European Union legislation also offers a clear framework for compliance and is one of the regions hosting some of the best-performing fiat-to-crypto and OTC services. Additionally, Bibox works as an innovative, highly liquid crypto-to-crypto exchange, offering its own BIX native token for trading incentives. The Bibox Token (BIX) is trading at $0.33, up more than 250% since the start of 2019.

Article Produced By
Christine Masters

Business writer with a knack for bubbles and market madness. Has tracked it all: the financial crisis of 2008 and the implosion of Lehman Brothers; bank bailouts and peak gold and silver, penny stocks…and now Christine has moved to cryptocurrencies for fresh stories.

https://cryptovest.com/news/bibox-europe-gives-coinbase-competition-offers-fiat-on-ramp-for-traditional-investors-after-equity-backing-from-top-bank/

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

Peer-To-Peer Pressure: Risks vs. Reward and a Changing Regulatory Landscape

Peer to peer lending also known as P2P is not a new phenomenon.

People have always turned to their friends and family for financial assistance when caught between a rock and a hard place. It was either that or the cutthroat pawnshop owner or the shadowy lenders down a dark alley. Before the recession, many a person in need of a loan could comfortably approach a bank and get their credit problems solved. However, with the collapse witnessed in the banking sector, things took an about turn, and stringent borrowing measures took the loan out of reach for most people in need.

The rise of peer to peer lending

The rise in the popularity of peer to peer lending has been partly attributed to a growing need for alternative lending sources outside the brick and mortar lending institutions. The other could be the financial need of the younger generations in the job market that does not have the stable financial future cushion the older generations had to rely on. With little in terms of job security, the gig economy is on the rise, meaning that there will not be much to rely on as far as employer matched pension benefits are concerned. So millennials and their peers are out there looking for a way to make that extra buck that will make their future more comfortable. These age groups are also leaving tertiary institutions tangled in high student debt more than witnessed in any other generation in history. They, therefore, need these alternative lending sites, for credit for their business ideas and start-ups, since most of them are deemed not worthy of credit by most banks.

Why P2P lending has had such an unbeaten run

With this crowdfunding method, you will be matched to an investor willing to lend you cash for interest. Banks have for eons thrived on low-interest charges lent to savings accounts and high-interest charges lent to creditors. Younger investors have found out that P2P lending can give them higher returns on their investments, much better than bank savings.

With these ultra-low rates on savings, banks have put their clientele in a bind and opened the door for alternative lending sources. These alternatives have thrived and taken away their customers right under their noses. P2P lending also has fewer overheads than brick and mortar lenders. Investors, therefore, can have better ROIs and also give affordable interest rates to the borrowers…It’s a win-win for all parties.

The dark clouds on the horizon

As for 2018, the peer to peer lending industry in the U.S had hit the $3 billion mark. A clarion call is continually being sent out to more youngsters with deep pockets to join in, in the largely unregulated trade. Riding on the wave of financial technology they are appealing to millennials who have a deep distrust for banks and their out of date and inefficient systems. This age group are digital mavens and flourish where the service and industry are, and so, they are responding in droves to the P2P attraction.

P2P lending is of course very different from traditional lending or short-term lending from companies. Why? If you are planning to lend some money to your friend, you will have a harder time making that transaction legal. Banks thrive in the legalism they in conjunction with the law have built for mutual interest. P2P is however very different from cash saving for investors or lenders. An investor could lose everything they have plowed into lending for interest if the borrower defaults. The transaction in this sector are primarily unprotected and not covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Peer-To-Peer Pressure

In the UK, financial regulators are preparing methods to crack down on the marketing efforts of P2P lending sites in fear that more people are throwing their money into these pools through false advertising. In 2018, these platforms transacted £6.1bn as loans. And while there is great risk apportioned to these investment platforms, the reward is that their interest rates far exceed most of what is found on other investment instruments.

However as young investors enjoy the rates and grow their savings, the UK Financial Conduct Authority has its eyes fixed on the glossy ads that are inviting more and more hapless investors to the market. Most are going overboard and putting in more they can afford in the hopes of striking it rich. With reported increased investor losses on loans, profits to investors are on a decline, and many a long time investor is preparing to leave the scene.

Regulation and closure

There has been increasing criticism over this crowdfunding method, especially after the massive collapse of their Chinese P2P lending platforms in 2016. One of the greatest dangers these platforms raise to investor assets is that they often grow to large pools of money giving the platform owners the onus loan out more risky investments in a bid to expand.

The expansion helps the platform sell off the business faster with less worry about the risks they have put their investors in. They can just get their millions, wash off their hands and walk away to the sunset, leaving their investor’s finances in disarray. In China P2P lending took off like fire to fuel, hitting 6000 platforms in a few years. By 2017, the transactions this industry commanded totaled more than $445 billion. In a move to regulate the sector, the Chinese government moved in to shut down some platforms like Ezubao that was more Ponzi in its operations than a crowdfunding business.

Soon some of the Chinese largest P2P lenders started to exit the scene claiming that the new regulations were making it hard to turn in a profit. As of February 2018, there were less than 2000 platforms of this nature operating in China. With the Chinese government still on the move with regulations more and more platforms shut down, often freezing the assets of their investors on their downward spiral. Lenders began to panic and withdrew their funds en masse causing a further loss of funds and investor confidence in the sector.

Guo Shuqing, the chair of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission later issued a statement to the effect that investors had swallowed hook line and sinker the ‘too good to be true’ deal that Chinese P2P platforms represented. He warned that while the high returns of 6% were questionable, those beyond 8% were dangerous, while those higher than 10% would cause investment losses. The upheaval witnessed in China has not hit the United States yet, but with growth, it is expected that the law and the taxman will make a move too.

Pros of P2P lending

Peer to peer platforms fills a natural void in the lending market and in the community need to share the resources available to them. There is a mutually beneficial relationship between borrower and lender that has less red tape than experienced in other lending sectors
You will get to enjoy higher returns than those of many different investment channels.
You have the choice of who to lend depending on your risk tolerance.
There is a lot of personal satisfaction derived from helping out a worthy person in genuine need of finances. If for example a borrower has a sketchy financial history, but has a sob story that arouses your sympathy, you can assume the risk of the loan or forego the high returns of the investment.
The sense of community and camaraderie in P2P sites is very inviting, and their forums are very heated and active. There is also the spirit of helping each learn about healthy borrowing and lending.
It is a good investment source for anyone that dislikes saving their cash in a bank
The denial rate for P2p loans is much lower than what is witnessed in banks.
The borrowing and lending relationships built over time can be forged to more profitable long-term relationships due to the nature of the platforms
The opportunity to invest and make profits is open to small scale investors as well who would have a harder time reaping off such benefits in other sectors
As per statistics, over 80% of all investors on these lending platforms have either met or exceeded their ROI. It works!

Cons of P2P lending

The available loans are often small and in many P2P platforms limited to $35,000, though there are variances.
Poor credit histories will still keep some borrowers away
The loans are not insured so a lender capital could be entirely or partly lost, especially when dealing with dishonest borrowers who have perfected their sob storytelling techniques
P2P platforms tend to publish what many borrowers consider private financial stories. Some borrowers may, therefore, prefer an impersonal brick and mortar lender to the publicity of a P2P platform
As the industry grows and shapes itself, regulations, consolidations may become a risk and a burden, chasing away disciplined investors.

Our advice

To stay on the safe side, do your due diligence before committing your hard-earned cash to a P2P platform. Gauge the health of a platform not only by its sheer size, but by its performance for years. Do as much as you to minimize your exposure by ensuring that you do not put all your eggs in one single basket.

Article Produced By
Mark

https://themerkle.com/peer-to-peer-pressure-risks-vs-reward-and-a-changing-regulatory-landscape/

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

Ripple’s XRP Network Might Be Prone to Suffer Similar Outage As Stellar Lumens

On May 14th, the Stellar network went down.

The problem was caused by some of the validators of the Stellar Development Foundation going down. The incident caused many in the cryptocurrency space to question the level of decentralization of the Stellar network. In a blog post, Stellar promptly responded to the outage and the “over-centralized”

critiques of the network.

“We’ve seen claims that Stellar is “over-centralized” and that somehow a failure with SDF’s nodes dragged down the whole network. Ironically, the opposite is true. Stellar has added many new nodes recently. In retrospect, some new nodes took on too much consensus responsibility too soon. We need better community standards around maintenance timings, quorumset building, and validator configuration.”

Ripple CTO David Schwartz was impressed by the way Stellar handled the situation. He laid out his thoughts on the matter in a Twitter thread. Schwartz broke down the issue and explained that similar problems could possibly arise on

the Ripple network.

“The same thing can happen on the XRPL. If too many validators are missing, the network will halt because there’s no way to be sure that they’re not validating other ledgers and you just can’t see them due to a network issue. “PoW system make forward progress even where forward progress is unsafe. XRPL and Stellar do not make forward progress under potentially unsafe conditions.”

Schwartz went on to breakdown how the Stellar protocol actually worked as intended. The temporary shutdown is actually a better result than the chaos that could ensue. An accidental hard fork could occur if the consensus protocol fails. Schwartz’s explanation caused a lot of hardcore Ripple fans to take a step back to look at the bigger picture. Many even admitted to and expressed remorse for their knee-jerk reactions and trollish responses. Ultimately, to avoid this particular issue, more validators are needed. This means that more users and validators are needed. And as the cryptocurrency community strengthens and the number of participants grows, security and efficiency go up.

Article Produced By
Stephen Brown

Cryptocurrency enthusiast and Expert in content creation and planning, project management, process improvement, media operations, and staff training. BA in Political Science from Brooklyn College. Contact: stephenbrown [at] zycrypto.com

https://zycrypto.com/ripples-xrp-network-might-be-prone-to-suffer-similar-outage-as-stellar-lumens/

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

Altcoin: Cryptocurrency Market is Expanding

Bitcoin is widely regarded as the Founding Father of all contemporary cryptocurrencies.

People first heard of Bitcoin in 2009 when Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity still remains unknown, revealed an open-source code that was actually an improved conceptualization of a cryptography method known as blockchain. Nakamoto has successfully implemented a proof-of-work algorithm that came to be known as the bitcoin software.

Bitcoin laid a foundation for the development of other cryptocurrencies which obtained the collective name ‘alternative coins’ – altcoins. Less than ten years later since Bitcoin emergence, we officially have more than 1600 cryptocurrencies, with new kinds of this digital cash being introduced almost on a weekly basis. They are based on different algorithms and blockchain types, have different value and purpose, some of which will be described later in the article, but Bitcoin still remains a dominant currency that usually sets the market trends for the rest.

Altcoins are pushing harder

However, everything indicates that this prevalent position is gradually diminishing with altcoins gaining more popularity as well as market capitalization. According to the study conducted by the employees of the City University of London, there are 600 cryptocurrencies, aside from Bitcoin, which are being actively traded on crypto exchanges around the world. Coinmarketcap shows that the percentage of total market capitalization (TCM), also known as ‘dominance’, of Bitcoin with regard to altcoins has been reducing exponentially. In 2017, Bitcoin held as much as 86.29% of TCM, but in just two years it was reduced to 47%. It means that altcoins will continue to attain a strong footing in the crypto world and have more and more fields of application, with online gambling certainly being among the most popular ones.

Popular altcoins and their scope of use

Nowadays, when speaking of cryptocurrencies there is no way to avoid mentioning Ethereum, or Ether, a digital token that is the lifeblood of the blockchain operating system of the same name. Thanks to this platform, users can create smart contracts, a protocol that provides means for carrying out credible transactions without any intermediaries. Ether is probably the most popular altcoin today because it is widely accepted as a mean for investment in blockchain startups. Litecoin is often referred to as the ‘younger brother’ of Bitcoin because it is basically a slightly improved version of BTC. Nevertheless, it enjoys vast popularity because of its superior transaction confirmation mechanism known as the Litecoin Network.

Dash is also a reformed version of Bitcoin which uses several cryptographic algorithms and the system of master nodes to allow for almost instant transactions. Monero is based on the CryptoNote protocol that ensures the unparalleled level of anonymity along with the obfuscation, the act of making something incomprehensible, of all transactions thus making them impossible to trace. As you can see, these altcoins have different foundation and functionality, but all of them, as well as more than a dozen other cryptocurrencies, can be used for making bets on sports and playing in online casino at 1xBit, the most crypto-friendly gambling platform around.

1xBit happily accepts altcoins

If you are a crypto enthusiast who also likes to bet on sports or play in live online casinos, but just couldn’t seem to find the all-for-crypto platform that will cater to your needs, then look no further than 1xBit. Acting in compliance with the concept of total anonymity, 1xBit doesn’t gather any personal information from new users and allows them to play in a safe and confidential environment thanks to the one-click registration process. All deposits/withdrawals are carried out almost instantly and at a very low to no-fee basis. 1xBit broadens the scope of use of altcoins by providing a fully-fledged crypto-oriented gambling platform.

Article Produced By
Carolyn Coley

Carolyn Coley is a blockchain reporter. She joined Smartereum after graduating from UC Berkeley in 2018.

https://smartereum.com/53130/altcoin-cryptocurrency-market-is-expanding/

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