With this, investors and speculators have been drawn to the coin. Many aim to gain from this rising cryptocurrency. Below, we’ll explore what Litecoin is, what makes it unique, and how you can invest in it.

What Is Litecoin

As a peer-to-peer currency, it allows instantaneous, nearly zero-cost payment to any person in the world. Litecoin is an open-source and decentralized global payment network. At a certain point in time, Litecoin became the third most popular cryptocurrency just behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, that position has now been taken by Tether (USDT). Dash, a competition cryptocurrency, was taken off the Litecoin blockchain in 2014. 

Investing in Litecoin

Every investor intending to invest in Litecoin must first understand the nature of cryptocurrency. What this means is that cryptocurrencies are not like bonds or stocks, so you don’t buy shares of Litecoin. Instead, you swap your local currency for Litecoin currency. For instance, the price of Litecoin currently stands at $61.93. 

Most investors aim to buy it in hopes that the value will rise. When this rise occurs, you could exchange your Litecoin back to your dollar on an exchange. There are marketplaces where this occurs and it is at the stockbroker. You would need a digital wallet, and one such wallet is Coinbase. 

With Coinbase, you can not only buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies but also sell them in the app. Other places are Uphold, Coinmama, or CEX.io. Digital wallets like Coinbase allow investors to use their wallets for buying, selling, and receiving Litecoin. 

Litecoin can be sold in the same exchange where they are bought. However, selling your coins on decentralized exchanges is different from selling them on a centralized exchange. For instance, using decentralized exchanges like crypto.com, or Kucoin requires that you connect your wallet to the exchange. Then perform the Know Your Customer (KYC) registration process. When approved, you can deposit your coins and begin to sell them. 

On the other hand, if you sell on exchanges like Kraken, you must send the Litecoin to your Kraken address. There, the exchange would facilitate the sales of Litecoin. Some exchanges allow the withdrawal of fiat currencies. If you intend to exchange your Litecoin for a fiat currency, then you should find such exchanges. 

What Makes Litecoin Unique?

Though Litecoin uses blockchain technology, it differs from many cryptocurrencies in several ways. For instance, unlike Ethereum and Bitcoin, Litecoin makes use of a “scrypt” (software algorithm) for mining units. This method prevents people from using rigs (powerful custom computers) to specifically mine it. 

Secondly, Litecoin ranks among the fastest transaction times for cryptocurrencies. It clocks in 2.5 minutes whereas bitcoin is 10 minutes. The third and most crucial for investors is that it is the cheapest of all three major cryptocurrencies. 

Endnote

Like other cryptocurrencies, investing in Litecoin carries a certain risk. Individuals must ascertain their risk tolerance before investing in Litecoin. With its features like secured transactions, low price points, fast transactions, and tools for investment, investors might be tempted to invest in large amounts. However, like every investment, you must first consider important risk factors, study the market, and start small. Remember, cryptocurrency is volatile, therefore you must be cautious. 

The move marks the first international of PayPal’s crypto product, which was first launched last October in the US. Its crypto feature allows customers to buy or sell bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, or litecoin with just £1. Additionally, customers are also able to track real-time crypto prices and access educational content on the market. 

The extension of the service to the UK will rely on the New York regulated digital currency company Paxos and PayPal has confirmed that it has engaged with all relevant British regulators to launch its crypto service. 

Despite ongoing concerns regarding crypto’s volatility, consumer protection and the potential for money laundering issues, many major companies including Tesla, Mastercard, and Facebook have been opening up to crypto in recent months. PayPal is one of the many large finance firms choosing to embrace the unregulated world of crypto. The move by the online payments giants comes as Bitcoin hit $50,000 on Sunday, reaching a more than 3-month high. 

However, Robinhood shares dropped by more than 8% in after-hours trading as the company warned that a slowdown in trading activity would impact revenues in the current quarter. It is also possible that the platform’s investors are apprehensive about whether crypto, renowned for its volatility, can continue to provide financial success for the company. 

Robinhood’s revenue surged by over 131% in the period from $244 million a year ago, nearing the high range of the trading platform’s prediction of $546 million to $574 million. The company saw revenue from crypto trading reach $233 million, over half of all the transaction-based revenue of $451 million for the second quarter. In the first quarter, crypto’s share of revenue rose to over 51% from 17%. By contrast, the company’s crypto-based revenue sat at just $5 million In the second quarter of 2020. 

Robinhood introduced crypto trading in 2018. It has ballooned in the past few years, with the trading platform offering seven different digital coins, including bitcoin, litecoin, and ethereum. 

This depends on many factors, but you can still determine it nonetheless. Here's how you can do it.

Which cryptocurrency?

First, remind yourself which cryptocurrency you will be buying or choose one if you haven't decided yet. Here are the most popular types of cryptocurrency to choose from:

• Bitcoin: Abbreviated as BTC, Bitcoin is probably the most popular of all the cryptocurrencies. You can purchase it almost anywhere.
• Bitcoin Cash: Abbreviated as BCH, Bitcoin Cash was only launched in 2017 and has since become pretty widespread.
• Litecoin: Abbreviated as LTC, Litecoin is only two years younger than Bitcoin and is quite well-known as well.
• Ethereum: Abbreviated as ETH, Ethereum could be primarily found on the platform of the same name.

There is no right or wrong cryptocurrency to buy, so consider all your options and make a choice you will be satisfied with.

Why are you buying it?

The next thing you should do is think of why you are buying the cryptocurrency you chose. Consider what you will be doing after you purchase the cryptocurrency. Are you going to sell it? Or maybe you will be donating it or gifting it to someone?

This point is very important as it will decide your further actions. You must know what goals you are pursuing so that you can find the best means to achieve them. Besides, some cryptocurrencies might have technical restrictions that will prevent you from doing what you want to do.

Remember that the cryptocurrency market is constantly evolving and changing. For instance, there’s this new concept of stablecoin being developed that may be the next big thing in the world of cryptocurrencies.

“Stablecoin initiatives are developing at a rapid pace. Adoption of stablecoin, a form of collateralized cryptocurrency pegged to a stable fiat currency like the yen or dollar are being debated by central banks,” says Robert Anazalone, an expert on cryptocurrencies.

What is your financial situation?

You are probably aware that some cryptocurrencies are more expensive than others, so if you are on a budget, you probably won't be able to buy them. You have to take into account your financial situation before going online and looking for your cryptocurrency.

“Due to the limitations placed on capacity, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum see higher transaction fees when the networks become congested,” writes Kyle Torpey, a writer and a specialist on Bitcoin, in an article for Forbes.

At the same time, this point is directly tied up with the next one as the current state of the market will influence the price of your chosen cryptocurrency. Sometimes, even a usually cheap currency may cost more due to the fluctuations in the market. This can also influence what you will be buying and when.

What is the current state of the market?

Last but not least, think of the current state of the market. Research and read about what is going on so that you are aware of the situation and clearly know what you are doing. Analyze the data you collect and decide whether or not it's the right time to buy cryptocurrency.

You should be conducting such research and analysis regularly so that you can determine the best time for buying your chosen type of cryptocurrency.

Clem Chambers, the CEO of private investors website ADVFN.com and author of Be Rich, The Game in Wall Street and Trading Cryptocurrencies: A Beginner’s Guide, says: “Market timing is incredibly difficult, especially in a hugely volatile asset like bitcoin.”

Final Thoughts

To sum up, try to be skeptical of what you read online when someone is claiming that it is the right time to buy cryptocurrency. Read and research or seek help from a professional adviser to understand when is the right time to buy and which cryptocurrency to choose.

This was authored by digital marketing executive Cynthia Young .

Cryptocurrency is any currency which can be referred to as digital money and is taken online in the form of coins and/or tokens. However, just as so many cryptocurrencies have debuted in the physical world like credit cards, a large proportion of them continues to remain intangible. The term “crypto”, which is widely used in cryptocurrency, refers to the archaic procedure through which the tough cryptography allows for the token to be processed, stored and transacted online.

There are numerous cryptocurrencies being used globally. In this article we will guide you through top 5 cryptocurrencies you must know:

1. Litecoin 

This currency debuted after bitcoin and was launched in 2011. It is commonly referred to as silver to bitcoin’s gold. It was introduced by Charlie Lee, former Google engineer. It is not controlled by any central authority and only uses the script as a proof of work. It offers faster transaction generation and is very similar to bitcoin in its properties. An interesting point to note here is that the number of merchants who accept lite coin online is growing as compared to the makers of the currency.

2. Bitcoin

Also described as one of the most famous cryptocurrencies in the world, bitcoin has been able to carve a good reputation for itself ever since it was introduced. This type of money is completely virtual, and even small retailers accept payment in bitcoin on their websites. It’s an online version of cash and is used to buy products and services online. However, many companies observe a complete ban on bitcoin because there is no central authority which controls it. After bitcoin revolution, many people started to invest in this currency, but due to its fluctuating value, many people have stopped investing heavily.

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3. Ethereum

This cryptocurrency is a safer option when it comes to enabling smart contracts and distributed applications to be erected without any downtime. It was introduced in 2015 and is a decentralized platform. Ether, which is a cryptographic token is responsible for running applications. People who are willing to develop software on the Ethereum platform use it as a moving vehicle which allows all these things to happen. In 2014, Ethereum launched a pre-sale of ether which turned out to be great success.

4. Ripple

It offers low-cost international payments and is a global settlement network which is fast and very precise. Banks can make the best possible use of it for it allows transactions to be conducted at low cost. It was introduced in 2012, and the uniqueness of this currency is it doesn’t require mining. This is its only quality which differentiates it from other cryptocurrencies online. Since mining is not present here, ripple uses less computing power and saves a lot of time.

5. Dash

Originally known as dark coin, it is a more discreet version of the bitcoin itself. The intriguing point to note about dash is its ability to conduct transactions in a way that nothing can be traced back. Dash was launched in 2014 and has gathered a significant fan following since then. Evan Duffield was the responsible brain behind making this currency, and this digital money can be mined with GPU and CPU. It was only after 2014 that this currency was redefined from dark coin to dash.

These are just some of the digital currencies which are famous globally. The rest of them are also in use and continue to enjoy huge popularity worldwide.

Six out of 10 people with currently no exposure to cryptocurrencies would consider including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into their investment portfolios, reveals a new global poll.

Meanwhile, seven out of 10 people who do hold cryptocurrencies are planning to increase their exposure in the next 12 months.

In the survey carried out by deVere Group, 62% of those who do not have any cryptocurrency said ‘yes’, 26% ‘no’, and 12% ‘do not know’ when asked: “Would you consider, or are you considering, including at least one cryptocurrency into your investment portfolio?”

71% of investors who do currently have cryptocurrencies as part of their portfolio said that they are looking to increase this exposure over the next year, 25% said that they would not, and 4% cited that they did not know.

The 800-plus respondents of this poll are deVere clients who currently reside in the US, the UK, Australia, the UAE, Qatar, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Spain, France, Germany and South Africa.

Of the survey, deVere Group’s founder and CEO, Nigel Green, comments: “The fact that more than 60% of people with currently no exposure to cryptocurrencies would consider including them into their investment portfolios is striking.

“It underscores how, despite what many financial traditionalists have opined, that a majority of investors are now open to consider the opportunities that the likes of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple could present.

“An increasing general awareness of cryptocurrencies and how they work, plus a growing sense that cryptocurrency regulation is now inevitable, are perhaps the main reasons why such a high percentage of people are now open to looking at the possibilities of crypto for their portfolios.”

He continues: “The survey also highlights that the majority of those who do currently hold some cryptocurrency as part of their investment portfolio believe that despite ongoing volatility, the potential rewards will outweigh the potential risks.

“It suggests that these investors expect good returns in 2018 from cryptocurrencies, view them as a good longer-term investment, and that the market will eventually stabilise.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “Cryptocurrencies remain a gamble – they are very much ‘unchartered waters’ assets and caution must be exercised.  However, that said, I do believe that in today’s digital world, there is a need for digital currencies.  One or two of the existing ones will succeed, whether it’s Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Dash, or any of the others, or not, of course remains to be seen.”

(Source: deVere Group)

From the $20,000 mark back down to $7,000 Bitcoin is generally on the low, and with Google, Facebook and Twitter's decision to ban all ads related to ICOs, it's clear the world isn't on cryptoculture's side.

What are your thoughts on the future of crypto investment/bitcoin and the rise of other currencies? Are you confident the cryptowave will continue to reach the shores of new investors? Find out in this week’s Your Thoughts.

Andrew Pritchard, MD Blockchain, 10x Growth Account:

It’s been a tough time for Bitcoin and crypto investors as the markets continues to go backwards. The bears have continued to win the battle against the bulls pushing the price of BTC and most altcoins further downwards. But, what is causing the drop in the markets?

There are several influences that are helping the bears as the cryptomarket struggles to gain any forward momentum.

Firstly, increasing regulatory framework (this is a short term negative issue but will ultimately be a very positive outcome) as each time the SEC/FCA, or any regulatory body for that matter, announces new regulations, even if supporting crypto, the markets react negatively.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney called for greater regulation of cryptocurrencies and in Japan, punishment notices were issued to several exchanges while forcing some to halt trading entirely.

Secondly, the Mt Gox Bitcoin dump has been affecting the market for a few weeks as thousands and thousands of Bitcoins have been put on the market to be sold. This increased supply and cooled demand has led to further downward pressure on the price of Bitcoin. Basic economics of supply and demand has reduced the price. I.E Supply increases and demand remains constant or reduces, then price will fall.

However, as a positive supporter of the Cryptomarket, it is only a matter of time before the bulls return. Yes, Bitcoin’s price has taken a beating the past ten days due to major events negatively impacting market sentiment. However, one thing remains exceptionally clear. Blockchain technology is here to stay.

The next 6 months for major cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, is likely to be very, very bullish, as the public start to enter market with easier routes such as Coinbase and Barclays collaboration on faster payment methods.

Savva Kerdemelidis, Legal Adviser, LegalEdge:

The technology and protocol behind cryptocurrencies brings an exciting method to transact in a new and more efficient way. So long as cryptocurrencies can achieve mainstream adoption beyond simply being a "store of value", then there remains a significant potential for growth. As with the dotcom era, we’ll see winners and many losers. In my view, the potential for cryptocurrencies is just beginning. I expect to see new applications and use cases, particularly around governance or decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs).

Although there’s been a lot of hype, cryptocurrency has not reached mainstream retail investors. Technological barriers have led to a lack of access and the risk of losing your investment, for example, by losing your password or transferring funds to an incompatible wallet. At the same time, regulatory risk has been a real factor in terms of curbing take-up. Both investment and adoption will increase once these barriers decrease and are better understood, with the availability of user-friendly applications.

If you look at investors, most of them have taken over 50% losses since the new year. Naturally this has impacted the appetite for ICOs and other investments. However, many will likely ride it out until June or July when the market is expected to recover.

Samuel Leach, FX Trader and Founder, Samuel & Co. Trading and Yield Coin:

With the recent news of Facebook and Twitter banning cryptocurrency adverts and Google potentially following suit in June 2018, it cannot be denied that there is a negative feeling around crypto.

Regulatory bodies such as the ICO, FCA, and GBX are also becoming more vocal; with new regulations being created and set to be enforced in the coming months. This is causing unease among potential investors as they are reluctant to invest in a market that currently doesn’t have widespread regulation, and which could risk them becoming uncompliant in the future. As such, crypto is in a limbo stage where current investors are cashing out and potential investors are hesitant to part with their money.

In reaction to the continuous stream of negative feeling surrounding the crypto market, cash outs are increasing at an unprecedented rate. This won’t recover until governments and regulatory bodies align and have a consistent strategy and overall view point on the crypto market. Therefore, it is possible we could see Bitcoin bottom out to $6,500. However, I believe we will see the markets hover around $9,000 in the short term, until there is more clarification around the wider view of the market.

Kevin Murcko, CEO, CoinMetro:

Prices between various cryptocurrencies are linked to an extent; when Bitcoin goes up, Ethereum or XRP, for example, will often follow suit. This is no different to how company stocks tend to follow the direction of the general market, their sector or industry rivals. For instance, a negative financial report for one retail stock often drags down other retail stocks as “guilt by association” turns things bearish for the whole sector. Cryptocurrencies are just as exposed to this effect if not more given the fact that the money flows currently are mainly from retail investors, who are much more susceptible to following the trend.

It is unlikely that 6-11k is the new range for BTC. The simple fact that it has existed far above these ranges for prolonged periods is an indicator that the floor and ceiling have not been set at all yet. Rather, BTC is still free-floating, and until the market as a whole becomes more regimented, a stable floor and ceiling won’t exist for any of the assets.

Increased stability is important for the future of crypto, as well as for overcoming the sector’s perceived reputation for being a poor store of value. In part, price stability will come from the introduction of more national and harmonised global regulatory oversight. This will allow for more institutional involvement and the creation of liquidity by way of synthetic instruments like futures, ETNs, ETFs, etc. It will also come from the realization amongst the general public that, like all investments, crypto does carry risk. As with other securities, prices are liable to go up or down.

Corrections have occurred, but it’s important not to think of crypto prices myopically: the price of bitcoin, for example, is today roughly 700 percent of what it was this time last year. Long-term, cryptocurrencies remain viable multitrillion-dollar assets.

Drew Bell, Chief Developer, Ethercoin:

The future is bright for crypto investment, as eventually the market will stabilise and become a more manageable platform. The market has a lot of potential for development and it’s about time businesses started accepting it, rather than ignoring it as sooner or later, their customers will catch on the trend and look for businesses that support the crypto industry.

There will always be an air of skepticism around digital currency, because it is not a tangible product, and people have a hard time understanding its true value.

I really believe that cryptocurrency will replace more traditional forms of currencies in the next 10 -15 years, especially with the growth and adoption that Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple has already seen. If that growth continues and we see more currencies reaching these heights, who knows just what the future holds for this new era of payment and investment.

The key to cryptocurrency breaking through to the mainstream and reaching new investors is all about trust. If you don’t build a relationship with your investors that is centered around trust and transparency, you can’t expect them to believe in your project. At a time when it seems the world is against a new form of payment, cryptos have to be on top of their game more so now than ever before.

Even though cryptocurrency is built on blockchain, the volatility of the market is clear and can therefore deter some investors. It can be extremely difficult for cryptos to instill trust in potential investors, especially as tech giants Google, Facebook and now Twitter have banned cryptocurrency ads, making it even harder for currencies to secure investment and appeal to potential customers.

It is clear there is a lack of understanding from key players in the financial industry about this new disruptive technology, therefore highlighting the need for more mainstream education so the market can continue to grow and develop for the future.

Kerim Derhalli, CEO, Invstr:

Cryptocurrencies are here to stay but, as with any emerging market, they must undergo a transition that will eventually attract the mainstream investor.

In my opinion, that transition will entail a few important steps, firstly, in regards to scalability, which will see blockchain evolve to handle more throughput. Currently, sharding techniques have increased transactions per second from seven in traditional blockchain to 3,000 in alternative blockchains. This still falls well short of the typical 20,000 or more credit card transactions per second.

Security is critical too. Digital exchanges and wallets are secure until they are not. Anonymity and the lack of a custodian make the operational risks far greater in cryptocurrencies that in traditional financial assets. Improvements in security will be needed before cryptocurrencies represent a serious challenge to other financial assets as a store of wealth. With a July deadline set by the G20 for unified regulation of cryptocurrency, coming alongside the launch of a dedicated UK task force, things are moving in the right direction.

Fundamentally, there is still also a lack of education around cryptocurrencies among investors. The number of currencies, tokens and assets is growing at a far faster pace than our collective comprehension and most people are still struggling with the basic concepts. Once the currency starts to achieve some real, commercial utility and we are more easily able to earn, spend, save and invest in cryptocurrencies, understanding and overall acceptance will increase.

Ivan Gowan, CEO, Capital.com:

The cryptowave is only going to build more momentum in the next 12 to 18 months. Just two weeks ago Barclays announced a partnership with a leading crypto company to facilitate payments to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, the most established crypto assets. This may reflect a trend of major financial institutions moving away from outright denunciation of cryptocurrencies to a cautious participation, marking a significant shift in their approach and making these assets much more accessible to new investors.

Cryptocurrencies are seeing a remarkable increase in transparency, further improving trust. There are now a number of companies specialising in interrogating the blockchain of Bitcoin, establishing whether the currency has been used in any potentially illegal transactions on the dark web. This could make a huge difference to the willingness of those new to the market to invest in the currency. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies still labour under a perception of being used for dodgy dealings in dark corners of the internet, but with the increase in transparency, investors will feel much more comfortable putting their money into this market.

Of course, there are many ICOs that do not go through the proper regulatory procedures before launching, and it is these less-than-scrupulous organisations that are prompting Facebook and Google banning ICO advertising. However, there are many players in the market, backed by some of the biggest venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, that are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees to ensure that they align completely with whichever regulatory environment that they operate in. We are increasingly seeing leading regulators, such as FINMA and the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, embracing this innovation, issuing guidance and frameworks to companies looking to issue an ICO to ensure they do so responsibly and effectively. Smaller investors, who could be priced out of investing in exciting tech stocks like Amazon and Facebook, can access fantastic opportunities with ICOs, either getting in on the ground floor in the initial offering, or when the coin is listed on an exchange.

The ICO industry is currently something of a Wild West scenario. However, we are also at the early stages of what will be a transformative asset class. There is no doubt that we will see a number of new investors in cryptocurrencies and assets increase as the market matures, as regulators get up to speed with the technology, as the big banks begin to adopt more open-minded positions and as the transparency of cryptocurrency transaction history continues to improve.

Zafar Kanani, Network Manager, Forbury Investment Network:

It is difficult to predict the future path of cryptocurrencies, though it would be safe to say that they will likely continue to proliferate, and that regulation will increasingly become a consistent feature of the landscape.

With an ever-increasing pool of choices – there are now over 1,000 cryptocurrencies – anyone considering an investment should take the time to conduct thorough diligence and invest only what they can afford to lose, especially given the growing evidence of fraudulent activity. The likes of Twitter, Google and Facebook have gone so far as to ban cryptocurrency and ICO related ads due to concerns of reputational damage resulting from users unwittingly investing in fraudulent cryptocurrencies advertised on their platforms.

Despite Bitcoin, the best-known cryptocurrency, now trading at less than half its peak in December, there is no shortage of demand from investors across all cryptocurrencies. Many cryptocurrencies have and continue to be endorsed by celebrities, further fuelling interest and growth.

Alongside these developments, the increasingly disparate range of cryptocurrency applications is engaging a broader set of stakeholders than ever. The emergence of a ‘civic’ cryptocurrency, for example, has gained momentum as a mechanism to crowdfund capital for local projects for the public good. The city of Berkeley, California, has plans for such a cryptocurrency to generate funding for affordable housing amongst other public needs.

Daniel Wolfe, CEO, Tradingene:

Personally, my confidence in crypto is undiminished, despite the recent losses. I am confident that investors will have ample opportunity to ride the cryptocurrency wave up. However, they shouldn’t expect to generate quick returns and they need to be prepared for potential extended periods of volatility before we see a consistent upward trajectory.

There is always hysteria surrounding cryptocurrencies, but many fail to grasp that it is the transformative and disruptive nature of Blockchain which will ultimately bring rewards to those who invest wisely. Investors who follow the settled rules of investment, especially diversification, will be the big winners.

However, liquidity may be hard to come by and severe losses are a possibility.

Cryptocurrencies currently consist around 0.3-0.4% of the global fiat money supply. Therefore, if you believe, as I and many other experts do, that crypto will rise over the next five years to at least five percent or so of M2, then that is a tremendous return for investors.

They will just need to be prepared to stomach the turbulence.

Adrian Daniels, Corporate Partner, Yigal Arnon:

The cryptowave will continue to reach the shores of new investors. This is not to say that there will not be changes in form, size and type of cryptocurrencies, but the wave is now a tide and it's only going in one direction. But let's go back to some basics. The "cryptowave" is based on what is known as blockchain protocols, which is a kind of software that allows data to be stored digitally on a record that is held on the computers of 1000’s of people (or nodes) across the world. This allows people who do not know each other to complete transactions without fear of being cheated. This is so, because those nodes will hold a record of each transaction in an encrypted manner on the blockchain which cannot then be undone. As a result those transactions cannot be falsified without hacking 1000's of computers simultaneously and altering their records. Consequently, there is no centralized authority and no simple way to fake transactions. Bitcoin introduced the blockchain technology almost a decade ago, since which time the technology has become vastly more versatile and sophisticated, with smart (or self-executing) contracts capable of allowing the transfer of data, goods and services in a secure and verifiable manner without any "middle-men" like banks, ad-agencies, internet traffic aggregators, and a whole bunch of other third parties which make online commerce far less efficient and much more expensive. What does all this mean, it means the technology has uses that we have only just started to imagine. Since the blockchain can store any data and each block cannot be changed, any activity can be recorded on the blockchain. This means that the blockchain can ensure that people can be incentivized for contributing to the chain, which will have enormous knock-on effects on commerce, politics, regulations and science, among others. The blockchain will also likely change how or even if we bank – we will be able to keep all of our banking records on the chain, to which each of us will be the only one with the encryption key. Our medical records will be held exclusively by us, and will be shared only with whom we wish.

ICO’s are all supposed to be based on blockchain technology. The problem has been that a lot of them were fraudulent from the get-go, and others were pipe dreams with nothing behind them. A smaller number have related to companies offering great blockchain and smart contract ideas. As the number of ICO's has grown, the regulators have become increasingly involved, to the point where the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has largely put the brakes on public ICOs (as opposed to sophisticated investors, who in theory have the wherewithal to look after themselves) in the US. As the regulators untangle the knot, public ICO's will slow down and private ICO’s to sophisticated investors will take their place. This somewhat undermines the whole “democratization” of the investment process that the ICO’s were supposed to have brought us, but it may only be a phase before clearer regulations are adopted to safeguard the public in general. Additionally, we will see larger numbers of companies offering cryptocurrencies that look much more like a token you can use for a purpose (utility token) than a share. However, as the result of increased oversight will be fewer chancers bottling air and making millions, I think we will see an increasing numbers of offerings by brilliant entrepreneurs with profoundly disruptive, highly innovative and world changing products. To hijack Winston Churchill’s famous phrase: “This isn’t the end, it isn’t even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning. But what the end will be, I think is hard for us to yet imagine.”

If you have thoughts on this, please feel free to comment below and let us know Your Thoughts.

With ICOs at the forefront of cryptoculture worldwide, blockchain technology is predominantly being driven by digital currencies and their markets, but why? Below Finance Monthly hears from Drew Bell, Chief Developer at Ethercoin, who explains why.

2018 is set to be an even bigger year for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) than 2017, with more startup’s turning to the fundraising method to remain in control and transparent in the process. According to a report by CNBC^[1], around $100million a month is raised via ICO’s, showing the demand is increasingly prominent between investors and individuals.

However, as with many emerging trends, ICOs have been met with some scepticism and criticism. Before new businesses start jumping on this trend to become the next blockchain success, it is important to understand the challenges it might face and why trust should be built into the core of its offering.

Whilst there can be fraudulent ICOs, businesses and mainstream audiences need educating and to be made aware that ICOs are a viable fundraising mechanism.

The fastest growing form of investment

There’s no denying the fact that ICOs, “the fastest growing form of investment” carries numerous benefits for businesses looking to generate significant ROI without having to seek out venture capitalists. An Initial Coin Offering can be created by just about anyone, and offers businesses an efficient and streamlined fundraising opportunity.

Aside from the obvious benefits like being able to streamline a fundraising campaign for a startup business, by conducting a decentralised application, users will be offered a much better experience.

There is also the added benefits of online marketing, where an ICO can be marketed to a large, global targeted audience with little effort and cost. Potential investors can therefore research about a particular ICO via online ads, social media and websites no matter where in the world they might of originated from. The ICO investment model is open to everyone and free from the geographical restraints associated with IPOs.

An unpredictable market

It’s widely known that the blockchain and cryptocurrency market is an unpredictable place, where the majority of business see it as a sure fire way to attract investors who are looking for the next big blockchain score. Yes, an ICO looks to be an easier and more cost-effective way to raise funds for your business, but it can be just as challenging as as securing a venture capital; but you do have more control.

One of the biggest challenges a new business can face when journeying down the ICO route is the sheer amount of competition. In an interview with Business Insider, the founder of Evercoin announced there were around 30 new ICOs launching everyday, and raising as much as $200million per ICO^[2]. Businesses need to make sure they are distinguishing themselves from such a saturated market with a strong unique selling point that will not only put them ahead of the game, but generate interest and a buzz amongst investors. With so many ICO projects not having an effective marketing plan and channels to promote themselves, they can get lost in the sea of ICO scams that take centre stage.

Essential to make a difference

ICO’s are essential for businesses wanting to enter the market, and to be able to thrive, ICOs need regulatory safeguards to be implemented and investors need to be educated. Trust should be at the forefront of any businesses fundraising project, and one of the first steps to building trust is for businesses to create an extensive whitepaper and detailed roadmap.

Due to the volatile nature of the blockchain technology, it can be hard to understand the true nature of the transaction during an ICO sale. Businesses should ensure they offer a safe and secure platform to boast legitimacy can help to instill trust amongst investors.

Communication is the key to success with generating trust amongst the blockchain market. By using social media to engage and update its audiences, investors will start to feel empowered and as if they are a part of the process. This will promote a higher level of transparency and result in more investment.

In today’s unstable and saturated blockchain market, it is essential that businesses looking to start on their fundraising journey are putting security, transparency and trust at the forefront of raising capital to maintain solid investment and build credibility amongst investors.

^[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/09/initial-coin-offerings-surpass-early-stage-venture-capital-funding.html

^[2] http://uk.businessinsider.com/ico-initial-coin-offering-explained-bitcoin-ethereum-2017-11?r=US&IR=T

Do you dream of becoming a Bitcoin billionaire? A brand new tool could be just what you need to make the best investment choices. Using detailed historical data across the past 14 months, Cryptocurrencies: Past, Present and Future makes cutting-edge predictions for the future of the top 10 virtual currencies.

Using an exclusive, handcrafted algorithm, this Cryptocurrency predictor feeds historical data on price, trade volume, market cap and online popularity through a variety of analytical tools, including a Recurrent Neural Network, to forecast the exact rise and fall of ten chart-topping cryptocurrencies.

The ten virtual currencies monitored within the piece include:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Ripple
• Bitcoin Cash
• Litecoin
• Cardano
• NEO
• Stellar
• EOS
• IOTA

If you’re concerned about being overwhelmed by numbers, all of the cryptocurrencies are explained in a handy, bitesize format. What’s more, the numerical information is displayed in easy-to-read data visualisations, allowing you to compare cryptocurrencies side-by-side.

Price: projected change from 11th March 2018 to 6th May 2018

Despite the value of cryptocurrencies being constantly on the move, the algorithm reveals that Bitcoin Cash will skyrocket by $1,247.73 per unit to $2,209.68 if it continues on its predicted path - so is definitely one to look at if you’re tempted to invest.

Similarly, Chinese-produced NEO looks another strong contender for most valuable currency in the near future, with a projected increase of 145%.

Ethereum, meanwhile, is highly encouraged to be avoided, since it is charted to lose the most value, falling by a staggering $237.79 per unit. It doesn’t have the biggest percentage drop, though. That dubious honour belongs to Stellar, which is predicted to fall a shocking 87% in the next two months.

Market Cap: projected change from 11th March 2018 to 6th May 2018

With Market Cap (Price multiplied by Circulating Supply), we’d expect the price to somewhat influence the projected value and percentage change. But what is even more interesting is how much changes in price influence the Market Cap.

As you would expect, Bitcoin Cash’s ceiling looks ready to rocket up by more than $20 billion to accommodate an increase in price - as we saw from the previous table. Similarly, NEO’s leap in unit value will be accompanied by the Market Cap expanding by an impressive 162%.

It’s more bad news for both Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin and Stellar creator Jed McCaleb though - as Ethereum’s overall cap is projected to plummet by $26 billion to reflect the drop in price, along with Stellar bottoming out with a devastating 90% fall.

Online Popularity: projected change from 11th March 2018 to 6th May 2018

It’s not all market based, however. A detailed exploration of Google Trends data makes it possible to assess the Online Popularity of each cryptocurrency.

This time round, NEO has pipped Bitcoin Cash to the post with the highest search volume both historically and projected in the future, topping even the most well known of cryptocurrencies at a predicted 268% interest and suggesting a rapidly growing interest. On the other hand, IOTA has seen the largest percentage drop off, slated to fall by 53% over the next few months - which might be emblematic of the smaller cryptocurrencies catching the eye but then fizzling out shortly after.

Trade Volume: projected change from 11th March 2018 to 6th May 2018

Finally, Trade Volume projections reveal that Bitcoin (not Bitcoin Cash) is on a path to increase its projected value by a whopping $1.4 billion - the highest of all of the cryptocurrencies.

Though it may not have topped the chart this time round, Bitcoin Cash is still keeping up its high hopes across the board with a promising projection of increasing its volume by more than $1.3 billion by May - a 300% increase. Rounding off the success stories is fan favourites NEO, their trade volume set to soar by a remarkable 563% percentage increase - something we’re sure that the NEO team and potential investors will be thrilled by.

On a less happy note, however, Ethereum still appears set to bomb with a forecasted volume drop of $118 million - the biggest fall of any listed competitor.

More bad news is set for Stellar too, with a -67% percentage drop in trade volume predicted on the horizon. This follows a string of percentage decreases for Stellar. Of course we are speculating, but this could be due to the accessibility of this particular cryptocurrency as it cannot be bought via credit card and can only be obtained through a cryptocurrency exchange - quite a risky move if you ask us!

(Source: Cryptocurrenciesprediction)

With the explosion of cryptocurrencies over recent years, many businesses and start-ups are turning to Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs, to raise money to get their projects up and running. This week Finance Monthly gets the lowdown on ICO management from Dr. Moritz Kurtz, CEO & Co-Founder of Acorn Collective, clarifying the point, purpose and benefits of launching an ICO.

In an ICO campaign, early backers of the venture buy a percentage of the cryptocurrency, often based on one of the existing public blockchains, in the form of tokens created by the company they are supporting.

An ICO can theoretically be used to fund any project or product in any category, however, before an ICO is launched it needs to clarify:

• The concept
• The token model
• Funding required
• Next stages if funded

With so many ICOs in the marketplace you must lay out your concept in detail before launching an ICO. This way contributors can see the utility of your token, and understand what they are buying into. It also makes token holders feel part of the process of creating a new technology, platform or product.

Who should run an ICO?

Whilst any product or project CAN launch an ICO, that does not mean anyone SHOULD. ICO’s have become a popular funding model with start-ups looking to bypass the traditional, and more rigorous, process of gaining funds via venture capital backing.

Although technically an ICO model can be used to fund anything, it is important to consider:

• The necessity of the blockchain
• What you want to achieve
• Utility of your token: What real-world utility will your token have?
• Potential for regulation: Currently, ICOs are largely unregulated, but that does not mean they will be in the future. As the ICO market grows, many countries plan to impose stricter regulations.

ICO for Crowdfunding

An ICO could be greatly beneficial for the crowdfunding space, as it allows for the following:

• Removes transaction and platform fees: Current platforms charge 5-10% in fees.
• Be accessible to all: Without the same commercial pressures as traditional crowdfunding platforms, an ICO-funded platform would be able to accept any legal project in any category and country.
• Integrated post-campaign marketplace: The token economy created through ICO funding means the platform could have an integrated post-campaign marketplace, alongside reasonably priced campaign support services for founders.

Essentially, an ICO can be used to ‘crowdfund crowdfunding’.

How is an ICO mutually beneficial?

Successful ICOs benefit both backers of the venture and those relying on the funds it provides.

The backers can contribute towards a product or project at an early stage, thus benefitting from the increased demand for the token as utility increases. Meanwhile, projects can receive early funding to build their business venture without having to give away equity in the company.

Things to think about

Although launching an ICO can hold great promise for start-ups, it’s not all plain sailing.

Getting the funds can be tricky. When launching an ICO you must generate interest from contributors to encourage them to buy your tokens which, in a crowded marketplace, can be challenging. Not getting enough funds is one of the biggest risks. Not meeting the minimum target means the funds are returned to the token holders and the ICO is deemed as having failed.

An ICO is a great way of raising funding for the right projects in certain industries, but is by no means an easy solution. The ICO world is currently saturated with projects and competition for funding is intense. Making sure you have a viable and sustainable idea that requires blockchain is a good start. From then on, a successful ICO requires all the same focus on marketing and community building as any other form of fundraising.