‍‍Slippage plays an important role in trading cryptocurrencies for retail investors as it determines the difference between the amount that you expected to pay in a transaction and the amount the trade was executed at. Below we're uncovering what slippage in crypto is, explaining how it can contribute to risk, and providing some practical examples on how to avoid it. 

What Is Slippage In Trading?

Slippage is when an investor opens a trade but between creating the trade and the trade executing, the price changes due to price movements in the greater market. This can often be a costly problem in the financial sector and particularly when trading digital currencies on crypto exchanges.

How Does Slippage Occur?

The two main causes of slippage are volatility and liquidity, outlined in more information below.

Volatility is when the price changes rapidly, as is common in cryptocurrency markets, and as a result the price changes between the time of creating the buy or sell order and the time of execution. 

Liquidity concerns on the other hand are when the coin you are trading is not traded very often and the range between the lowest ask and the highest bid is wide. This can cause sudden and dramatic price changes, resulting in slippage. Fewer people trading an asset results in fewer asking prices, resulting in less favourable prices. 

This is common among altcoins with low volume and liquidity. While slippage can occur in forex and stock markets too, it is much more prevalent in crypto markets, particularly on decentralised exchanges (DEXs). 

There are two types of slippages:

Positive Slippage

Positive slippage is when a trader creates a buy order and the executed price is lower than the price initially expected. This will result in the trader getting a better rate. The same is true for a sell order that experiences a higher price point at trade execution, resulting in more favourable value for the trader. Positive slippage banks profits.

Negative Slippage

Negative slippage is when the trader loses out on the trade, with the price of the buy order higher than expected at the time of execution. The opposite is true for sell orders, meaning that the execution price is lower at the time of execution, similarly resulting in losses for the trader. 

Can Slippage Be Avoided? How To Avoid Slippage

While one can't eradicate slippage entirely, there are several measures one can take to better manage slippage, as regularly falling victim to negative slippages can result in losing a lot of money. 

• Create limit orders

Instead of creating market orders, traders can instead create limit orders as these types of trades don't settle for unfavourable prices. Market orders are designed to execute a trade service as quickly as possible at the current available price.

• Set a slippage percentage

Traders can create a slippage percentage that eliminates trades happening outside of the predetermined range. This can range from 0.1% to 5%, however, if the slippage percentage is too low this could lead to the trade not being executed and the trader missing out on large drops/jumps.

• Understand the coin's volatility

When in doubt, get educated. Learn about the coin's volatility as well as the volatility on the trading platform you are using. Understanding more about previous patterns can assist in making more informed decisions on when to open and close a position, and avoiding negative slippages.

How To Calculate Slippage

Slippage can be calculated in two ways, either in dollar amount or percentage. Although to work out the percentage, you will first need the dollar amount. This is calculated by subtracting the price you expected to pay from the price you actually paid. This amount will indicate if you incurred a positive or negative slippage. 

Most exchanges express this amount in percentages. This is calculated by dividing the dollar amount of slippage by the difference between the price you expected to get and the limit price. Then multiply that by 100. 

For example, say you are looking to buy Bitcoin for $50,000, but are not willing to pay more than $50,500. When the price is at $50,000 you will create a limit order of $50,500, however, the order executes when the price reaches $50,250. This will result in a $250 slippage. 

To calculate the percentage, divide $250 by $500 (the difference between the price you expected to pay and the limit order). 0.5 multiplied by 100 equals 50%. 

In this case, your slippage was $250 or 50%. 

Want to know more about cryptocurrencies and trading? Check out all our other educational articles here. 

Sitting among the 30 biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap, Stellar is focused on bridging the gap between the business of blockchain and the traditional financial institutions. The platform provides a means for users to send assets and money through the blockchain, utilising a decentralised network of authenticators.

Redefining the financial landscape, Steller presents a digital transformation on the traditional services users have become accustomed to. Merging innovation with a practical application, the network is able to help users around the world, as well as financial industries, achieve a more streamlined service. Let's explore what Stellar is.

What is Stellar (XLM)?

Before we dive into the "what", let's first stipulate that one stellar is known as a lumen and uses the ticker XLM. Stellar launched in July 2014 and soon afterwards changed its strategy to be more focused on integrating blockchain technology into financial institutions. 

The concept behind Stellar is to provide a space in which users can transfer everything from traditional crypto and fiat currencies to tokens representing new and existing assets, increasing their transaction performance by using lumens.

Similar to the Ripple XRP network, Stellar is designed to cater to both payment providers and financial institutions, building a bridge between the blockchain and traditional financial sector. Developing on the Ripple concept, Stellar has also positioned itself as an exchange as its ledger has an inbuilt order book that keeps track of all the assets on the network. 

Who Created Stellar?

The founders of Stellar are Jed McCaleb and Joyce Kim, both previously employees at Ripple. McCaleb, who founded and was acting CTO of Ripple, and lawyer Joyce Kim, decided to create Stellar after they left the Ripple team in 2013 following a disagreement on the direction that Ripple was taking. McCaleb is also credited with creating the first successful Bitcoin exchange, Mt Gox. 

McCaleb described Stellar's aim as giving people a means of moving their fiat into crypto and more seamlessly conducting international payments. The network provides cross border transactions with low transaction fees and fast executions. With leading technology and innovative problem solving, the network has made a healthy impression on both institutions and investors alike.

How Does Stellar Work?

Stellar is a hard fork off of the Ripple network with several similarities in design and functionality, however, the platform set itself apart by building in several key features. The platform is secured through the Stellar Consensus Protocol which revolves around these core business concepts: decentralised control, flexible trust, low latency, and asymptotic security.

The biggest upgrade launch came in 2015 when the platform replaced its consensus mechanism with a concept called federated Byzantine agreement. This required nodes to vote on transactions until quorums are reached. Anyone is able to join the consensus, and there are measures in place to inhibit bad actors operating with ill intent on the network.

The software behind the platform is called Stellar Core and can be altered to adhere to the needs of the operation using it. The nodes making up the network can be created to function as either Watchers, Archivers, Basic Validators or Full Validators. For example, watchers can only submit transactions while Full Validators can vote on which transactions are valid and maintain a ledger of all node activity.

Another element to the network is the Stellar Anchors. These gateways are responsible for accepting deposits of currencies and assets and issuing depictions of these on Stellar.

What Is XLM?

Known as lumens, XLM is the native cryptocurrency to the Stellar platform. XLM acts as an intermediary currency for transactions taking place on the network. With cost-effective experience priorities, every transaction on the Stellar network costs 0.00001 XLM, a fraction of a dollar (at the time of writing). 

When the platform launched in 2014, 100 billion lumens were minted, programmed to increase by 1% annually until the total supply reached 105 billion. Five years later the Stellar uses voted to end this process. 

That same year, in 2019, the Stellar Development Foundation (a non-profit organisation) reduced its share of XLM in order to regulate the Stellar economy. This brought the total supply down to 50 billion. At the time of writing, roughly 49% of this total supply is in circulation. 

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Risk in trading is the chance that something might negatively impact an investment. Before engaging in any trading activities it is important to evaluate your appetite for risk, determining whether you are able to handle more risk or are more risk averse. 

Measuring risk will be dependent on the type of asset you are investing in, the amount of capital you have to use, and the time frames in which you expect to see results. Different assets and trading strategies hold different amounts of risk. 

For example, investing in an index fund is considered a low-risk investment and is better advised to investors looking to make a slow and steady return over a longer period of time. Index funds aggregate the performance of the 100 companies listed on a particular stock exchange and pay back dividends accordingly. Because they are large companies the growth is often more likely to be smaller yet consistent. 

With a little more appetite for risk, in the crypto markets, the same could be said about choosing to invest in an emerging altcoin versus established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. An emerging asset would encompass a higher risk higher reward ratio, however, no returns are guaranteed. 

You can speak to a financial advisor to get a sense of your risk appetite.

Solana est une blockchain ultra-performante qui repose sur un mécanisme de consensus unique, lui permettant d’assurer à la fois une grande rapidité d’exécution et un haut niveau de sécurité. Grâce à sa facilité d’utilisation, la plateforme séduit déjà de grandes entreprises. En découvrant ensemble ce qu’est Solana (SOL), nous allons explorer les objectifs du projet, ses réussites, et comprendre pourquoi elle est souvent surnommée la "Ethereum killer".

Depuis la création du Bitcoin en 2009, tout un écosystème crypto s’est développé, atteignant près de 1 200 milliards de dollars de valorisation au moment de la rédaction de cet article. Si le Bitcoin a été imaginé comme un système de paiement mondial visant à résoudre certaines limites du système financier traditionnel, des plateformes comme Ethereum, et désormais Solana, ont vu le jour pour élargir les horizons de la blockchain grâce à des fonctionnalités programmables.

Qu'est-ce que Solana (SOL) ?

Reconnue comme l’un des protocoles les plus dynamiques dans l’univers de la DeFi, Solana est une plateforme destinée aux développeurs souhaitant créer des applications décentralisées (dapps) et des smart contracts, à l’image d’Ethereum. Ce qui différencie Solana, c’est sa vitesse impressionnante et ses frais de transaction particulièrement bas.

Le projet est porté par deux entités principales : la Solana Foundation, une organisation à but non lucratif basée en Suisse qui promeut la plateforme et collabore avec des partenaires internationaux, et Solana Labs, basée à San Francisco, qui pilote le développement technologique du projet.

Solana adopte également une approche innovante pour soutenir un écosystème crypto plus respectueux de l’environnement. En plus du mécanisme de consensus Proof-of-Stake (PoS), la plateforme utilise aussi le Proof-of-History (PoH), un système inventé par l’un de ses fondateurs.

Le PoH révolutionne le fonctionnement des blockchains en permettant à Solana de traiter jusqu’à 65 000 transactions par seconde. À titre de comparaison, Ethereum en traite environ 30 par seconde. Ce mécanisme fonctionne comme une "horloge cryptographique", qui intègre la notion de temps directement dans la structure des données du réseau.

Réputée pour être l'une des blockchains programmables les plus rapides au monde, Solana a su fédérer une communauté solide. On retrouve aujourd’hui des entreprises de secteurs variés, de la finance au voyage, qui utilisent la plateforme, ainsi qu’un vif intérêt pour les tokens SOL, la cryptomonnaie native de l’écosystème.

Les caractéristiques clés de Solana

Solana se démarque dans l’industrie grâce à plusieurs fonctionnalités clés, qui ont contribué à son adoption massive :

Scalabilité

La plateforme est capable de gérer des milliers de transactions par seconde, grâce à des technologies avancées comme le traitement parallèle et les unités de traitement basées sur le mempool.

Smart contracts

Solana prend en charge les smart contracts, offrant aux développeurs la possibilité de créer et faire fonctionner des applications décentralisées.

Consensus Proof of Stake (PoS)

Solana combine le PoS avec le Proof of History (PoH) pour accélérer les transactions, valider rapidement les opérations, et confirmer les blocs en un temps record.

Finance décentralisée (DeFi)

Grâce à des transactions rapides et à faible coût, Solana est devenue une favorite dans la DeFi, facilitant des activités comme le prêt, le trading, ou encore le yield farming.

Qui a créé Solana ?

L’ingénieur logiciel Anatoly Yakovenko est le créateur de Solana. Il a commencé à travailler sur le projet en 2017, soit trois ans avant son lancement officiel, aux côtés de ses anciens collègues Greg Fitzgerald et Eric Williams. Ensemble, avec d’autres experts de la tech, ils ont conçu la plateforme programmable que nous connaissons aujourd’hui.

Anatoly Yakovenko est également à l’origine du protocole Proof of History (PoH), une innovation majeure qui permet d’augmenter la scalabilité et d’améliorer l’utilité de la blockchain. Son expertise a eu un impact considérable sur l’industrie.

En quoi Solana est-elle différente d’Ethereum ?

L’un des principaux objectifs de Solana est d’améliorer certaines limitations techniques d’Ethereum. Elle se distingue notamment par la vitesse de ses transactions, sa capacité de traitement élevée, et des frais bien plus compétitifs. Tout cela fait de Solana un choix privilégié pour ceux qui recherchent efficacité et performance.

Scalabilité

Les responsables du projet estiment que Solana pourrait à terme gérer jusqu’à 700 000 transactions par seconde, mais actuellement, elle atteint déjà environ 65 000 TPS, bien au-delà des 30 TPS d’Ethereum.

Solana est l’une des rares solutions de couche 1 à pouvoir prendre en charge des milliers de transactions par seconde sans avoir recours à des solutions off-chain ou de seconde couche.

Coût

La structure du réseau Solana permet de proposer des frais de transaction ultra-compétitifs, tournant autour de 0,000125 $ par transaction. En comparaison, Ethereum facture environ 0,0005 $ par opération au moment de la rédaction.

Qu’est-ce que le SOL ?

SOL est la cryptomonnaie native de la plateforme Solana, alimentant la scalabilité et la structure économique du réseau. Ce token utilitaire est utilisé pour payer les frais de transaction et pour sécuriser le réseau via le staking.

SOL repose sur le mécanisme de preuve d’enjeu (PoS), où les participants du réseau sécurisent la blockchain en stakant leurs tokens. Son prix est influencé par divers facteurs classiques tels que les évolutions du projet, la dynamique du marché, ou l’activité sur les plateformes d’échange, mais aussi par des éléments spécifiques comme le taux d’inflation du token, les montants brûlés et l’expansion de l’écosystème Solana.

Comment acheter du SOL ?

Si vous envisagez d’ajouter Solana à votre portefeuille crypto, l’application Tap est là pour ça. Elle vous permet d’acheter, vendre, échanger et stocker du SOL en toute simplicité. Que ce soit avec des cryptos ou de la monnaie fiduciaire, vous pouvez facilement accéder à ce marché en pleine croissance et rejoindre la révolution blockchain portée par Solana.

Pour en savoir plus sur la façon d’échanger du Solana, consultez les ressources disponibles sur le blog de Tap.

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Used across all markets, the spread is the difference between the buy (offer) and sell (bid) prices of an asset. Spreads provide an additional opportunity to traders to make money through buying and selling assets.

The spread of an asset will depend on the current demand or an asset and the market’s volatility and is presented in either a percentage or value form. Assets with markets displaying higher levels of demand will typically have smaller spreads and usually higher price points. 

As an example, when you look at an order book for Bitcoin you will usually see prices reflected in green and red reflecting the offer prices and bid prices. The spread will then be indicated above the most recent trades. As another example, consider foreign exchange counters where the buy and sell prices are different, this difference is known as the spread. Market makers use spreads to generate money from transactions completed at market prices.

Let's put this in context: George buys 100 shares for a £2 ask price in “ABC” a publicly listed company. George pays £200 in return for 100 shares. If he decides to sell the shares back at the same price he bought them for, he would sell the 100 shares for the bid price at £1.95 and would receive £1.95 each instead of £2. This would mean he gets a return of £195 and loses £5, which would be paid to the market maker.

The world we are living in is constantly evolving, finding new ways to embrace technology and the impact it can have on our future. From struggling to get a man on the moon to billionaires casually flying up into space, we have come a long way from what was once only dreams.

One thing that has been on peoples' minds for a while is our integration into a more VR-compatible world. If you have seen the movie "Ready Player One" then you know what we are talking about. Although augmented reality and VR is not as inclusive as it could be yet, it offers an escape from our realities via the internet.

Buying a VR headset and visiting Japan would be much cheaper than plane tickets, accommodation, and money for food. This once-off price for VR has provided a new dream for many of us, and there are a few companies taking advantage of this demand in the market. 

The Metaverse Explained 

Although Metaverse is closely tied to Facebook, now called Meta, the term was first coined in the 1992 novel Snow Crash by author Neal Stephenson. The novel followed a dystopic future where people spend most of their time in a virtual reality metaverse. Why Facebook would base their project on a dystopian novel is a question we can't answer. Facebook isn't even the first company to embrace a "VR universe", we have seen game providers such as Epic Games host VR concerts on their platforms, such as the Travis Scott performance.

We have also seen games like Second Life become increasingly popular as social contact has become limited in past years due to the pandemic, providing a relatively safe virtual world for people to interact. While these platforms have come close, nothing compares to what the Metaverse has in store. 

"Meta" relates to the Greek origin for the word beyond, while "Verse" is associated with the word universe, meaning beyond universe. The core concept of this idea is to create a virtual reality world, giving us access to everything in our world and beyond. From buying to selling to gaming, to human interactions, and more. There is no limit to how far the Metaverse can go.

The Metaverse could provide a way for humans to experience more at a reduced price and easier access, whether that be school education or leisure activities. In its basic form, the Metaverse is a way for people to integrate into a virtual world and perform complex interactions.

What To Expect 

While Facebook, or Meta, has not definitively laid out their plans for the Metaverse and all the more intricate details, there are some things we can expect. So using some creative freedom, basic expectations, and what has been confirmed, these are 5 things you can expect from the Metaverse: 

Virtual reality: The most obvious feature we can expect from the Metaverse is that it will be based in a virtual reality world, or universe, accessible through VR-compatible devices. 

Workspaces: Another feature to expect is a workspace, whether it be to motivate people, or board rooms designed for teams to have talks, we are sure the Metaverse is making space for work. 

Events: We have already seen other platforms host virtual events, this is surely something we will see popping up in the Metaverse. Expect concerts, conferences, and more. 

Games: There has already been some confirmation of VR games entering the Metaverse, we may not be sure what games yet, but it would be a waste not to include a community already interested in VR gaming. 

Retail purchasing: The Metaverse is geared up and ready to take on retail, whether that be allowing people to buy things through the Metaverse for delivery, or to use on the Metaverse. We can expect VR clothing and merch to be a big feature. 

This is just the basics, we believe, with so much more to still be conceptualized and confirmed. The Metaverse, while exciting, holds more praise in its potential than its progress as of yet. Hopefully we will see more fun additions, maybe some VR Disney Worlds or skiing trips down Mount Everest, who knows? 

Things You Might Still Be Wondering About The Metaverse

Now that you know the basics of what a Metaverse is and what to expect from the Facebook Metaverse let delve into some other topics. These are the most frequently asked questions associated with the Metaverse:

Is Metaverse just VR?

Not necessarily, we have seen Metaverse-adjacent projects run their virtual worlds without the use of VR or VR headsets. In short, the Metaverse offered by Facebook is being launched as a Virtual Reality world, but that doesn't mean all will be. 

Do you need Occulas for Metaverse?

The device of choice, or choices, has not been announced as of yet. We expect the Facebook Metaverse to offer more than one option point for accessibility. 

Is Roblox a Metaverse?

At its core basics, yes, it is a virtual world with a variety of interaction options such as retail, socializing, and gaming. 

Who owns the Metaverse?

No one person owns the Metaverse, there are multiple companies working to launch their versions of a Metaverse. There is currently no patent on the term or concept yet, although we may see features patented in the future. 

Is Decentraland a Metaverse?

At its core basics, yes, it is a virtual world with a variety of interaction options such as retail, socializing, and gaming.  

Why is the Metaverse good?

We have highlighted some points, but let's break them down again. It is generally cheaper for some experiences, it is accessible to the world, it's another way for the world to connect, and it's an advancement of technology. There is more, but these are the main focal points. 

In Conclusion 

The Metaverse, whether that be Facebooks' version or another, is a very exciting thing. There are so many possibilities, and ways it can better the world. Virtual protests anyone can join, recovery programs or groups, being able to go to your favorite artist's concert without flying thousands of miles, and more.

The possibilities truly are endless, and we are privileged to be able to be a part of the building's progress. A virtual world, or universe, may have some risks associated with it, but we also see plenty of potential for good. The positives and negatives of the Metaverse are going to vary, from platform to platform, depending on what the company has in store.

While the Facebook Metaverse may be the most mainstream at the moment, there are and will be better Metaverses such as the Microsoft one rising soon enough. So stay tuned as the Metaverse is brought to reality.