James

The financial world is undergoing a significant transformation, largely driven by Millennials and Gen Z. These digital-native generations are embracing cryptocurrencies at an unprecedented rate, challenging traditional financial systems and catalysing a shift toward new forms of digital finance, redefining how we perceive and interact with money.

This movement is not just a fleeting trend but a fundamental change that is redefining how we perceive and interact with money.

Digital Natives Leading the Way

Growing up in the digital age, Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) are inherently comfortable with technology. This familiarity extends to their financial behaviours, with a noticeable inclination toward adopting innovative solutions like cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

According to the Grayscale Investments and Harris Poll Report which studied Americans, 44% agree that “crypto and blockchain technology are the future of finance.” Looking more closely at the demographics, Millenials and Gen Z’s expressed the highest levels of enthusiasm, underscoring the pivotal role younger generations play in driving cryptocurrency adoption.

Desire for Financial Empowerment and Inclusion

Economic challenges such as the 2008 financial crisis and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have shaped these generations' perspectives on traditional finance. There's a growing scepticism toward conventional financial institutions and a desire for greater control over personal finances.

The Grayscale-Harris Poll found that 23% of those surveyed believe that cryptocurrencies are a long-term investment, up from 19% the previous year. The report also found that 41% of participants are currently paying more attention to Bitcoin and other crypto assets because of geopolitical tensions, inflation, and a weakening US dollar (up from  34%). 

This sentiment fuels engagement with cryptocurrencies as viable investment assets and tools for financial empowerment.

Influence on Market Dynamics

The collective financial influence of Millennials and Gen Z is significant. Their active participation in cryptocurrency markets contributes to increased liquidity and shapes market trends. Social media platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok have become pivotal in disseminating information and investment strategies among these generations.

The rise of cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu demonstrates how younger investors leverage online communities to impact financial markets². This phenomenon shows their ability to mobilise and drive market movements, challenging traditional investment paradigms.

Embracing Innovation and Technological Advancement

Cryptocurrencies represent more than just investment opportunities; they embody technological innovation that resonates with Millennials and Gen Z. Blockchain technology and digital assets are areas where these generations are not only users but also contributors.

A 2021 survey by Pew Research Center indicated that 31% of Americans aged 18-29 have invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency, compared to just 8% of those aged 50-64. This significant disparity highlights the generational embrace of digital assets and the technologies underpinning them.

Impact on Traditional Financial Institutions

The shift toward cryptocurrencies is prompting traditional financial institutions to adapt. Banks, investment firms, and payment platforms are increasingly integrating crypto services to meet the evolving demands of younger clients.

Companies like PayPal and Square have expanded their cryptocurrency offerings, allowing users to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies directly from their platforms. These developments signify the financial industry's recognition of the growing importance of cryptocurrencies.

Challenges and Considerations

While enthusiasm is high, challenges such as regulatory uncertainties, security concerns, and market volatility remain. However, Millennials and Gen Z appear willing to navigate these risks, drawn by the potential rewards and alignment with their values of innovation and financial autonomy.

In summary

Millennials and Gen Z are redefining the financial landscape, with their embrace of cryptocurrencies serving as a catalyst for broader change. This isn't just about alternative investments; it's a shift in how younger generations view financial systems and their place within them. Their drive for autonomy, transparency, and technological integration is pushing traditional institutions to innovate rapidly.

This generational influence extends beyond personal finance, potentially reshaping global economic structures. For industry players, from established banks to fintech startups, adapting to these changing preferences isn't just advantageous—it's essential for long-term viability.

As cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology mature, we're likely to see further transformations in how society interacts with money. Those who can navigate this evolving landscape, balancing innovation with stability, will be well-positioned for the future of finance. It's a complex shift, but one that offers exciting possibilities for a more inclusive and technologically advanced financial ecosystem. The financial world is changing, and it's the young guns who are calling the shots.

The crypto market has entered a phase that veterans often call the "boring zone." It's a time when:

• Bitcoin's price seems stuck, fluctuating between $50,000 and $70,000 for months.
• Altcoins are in an even deeper slumber, with many down 50-80% from their peaks.
• Trading volumes on major exchanges have plummeted, dropping 30% from the last bull market's heights.

Sound familiar? It should. This lull is a recurring theme in the crypto market cycle, and historically, it's often the calm before the storm. It’s also a common attribute after a recent Bitcoin halving. 

Let's look at what happened after previous Bitcoin halvings:

• 2012 Halving: 92 days until new all-time high
• 2016 Halving: 291 days until new all-time high
• 2020 Halving: 216 days until new all-time high

For perspective, 28 July 2024 marks 100 days from the most recent halving, with 25 February 2025 marking the 300-day mark. 

The power of patient investing

Investing in cryptocurrencies over longer time horizons can be likened to early-stage venture investing, where patience could potentially lead to significant returns. While past performance doesn't guarantee future results, historical examples like Ethereum and Solana demonstrate this potential. 

Ethereum, launching at less than $1 in 2014, and Solana, starting below $1 in 2020, have since seen their values grow to over $3,000 and $140 respectively as of early 2024.

In the crypto space, what’s known as the HODL approach, emphasises the power of time and compound growth, similar to that of traditional asset classes. The idea is straightforward: if you've taken a position in a project you believe has strong fundamentals, maintaining that position through periods of high volatility could potentially lead to significant gains.

To illustrate this point further, in 2010, Bitcoin was worth less than $0.01. By April 2024, it had reached around $70,000. An investor who bought $100 worth of Bitcoin in 2010 and held it until 2024 would have seen their investment grow to millions of dollars.

Strategies for surviving (and thriving) in the "boring zone"

During quiet periods in crypto dive deeper into blockchain fundamentals, research promising projects, instead of anxiously checking prices or reacting to every piece of news, use this time productively.

Alternatively, for those with capital to invest, dollar-cost averaging (DCA) could be something to consider. A Vanguard study found that DCA outperformed lump-sum investing in 68% of cases during market downturns, highlighting its potential effectiveness in notoriously volatile markets.

Know with certainty that this "boring zone" is often temporary. Based on previous cycles, we might see a new Bitcoin all-time high in 30 to 150 days, and once Bitcoin breaks its previous record, top altcoin projects have historically seen gains of 200% to 1,000%.

By staying patient and disciplined during quiet periods, you can be prepared for potential opportunities that may arise as the crypto market evolves. Remember, while historical patterns offer insights, they don't guarantee future results, but these historical patterns are worth considering as you plan your strategy.

We get it, the waiting game is hard

Holding onto your crypto during boring market times can be tougher than you'd think. When prices aren't moving much, it's easy to get antsy or start doubting your choices. But keeping a cool head and being rational is key to long-term success.

First off, remember why you got into crypto in the first place. Was it the tech? The potential? Keep that big picture in mind. It helps to set realistic expectations too - crypto's known for its ups and downs, so flat periods are normal.

Try to limit how often you check prices. Constantly peeking at your portfolio can drive you nuts during slow times. Instead, focus on other parts of your life or dive deeper into learning about blockchain.

Connecting with other crypto fans can help too. Chat about ideas, not just prices. And don't forget to celebrate small wins - even if the market's quiet, projects are still developing and growing.

Stay patient, stay curious, and remember: in crypto, today's boredom could be tomorrow's excitement.

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If you’re in the process of applying for a passport chances are strong that you already know the importance of needing one. Whether you’re in a terrible hurry because you forgot to check the expiry date before booking your trip or maybe lost your passport ahead of an urgent cross-border meeting, we’ve got you covered. The UK offers a service that allows applicants to fast-track their application. 

Find everything you need to know about the process below, including the fees involved. And why might we, a fintech platform, be informing you about fast-tracking passports? Because we’re in the business of travel. With our world-friendly app that allows users to seamlessly switch between currencies as they swipe their cards around the world, we understand not every process is this simple. Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get into why you’re really here. 

How to fast-track your passport application

Getting a passport in the UK can sometimes be a lengthy process, but luckily there are options available to speed things up. Normally, it can take up to 10 weeks to receive a new passport through the standard application process. While it may be quicker in some cases, it's always best to be prepared for a wait.

The one-week fast-track option

The first option is the 1 week Fast Track service. This service allows you to renew an adult or child passport, replace a lost or stolen passport, or update your details. You can book an appointment for this service up to 3 weeks in advance and will need a debit or credit card.

How to apply

To apply for the 1 week Fast Track service, follow these steps:

1. Visit your local Post Office branch to obtain an application form (these are not available online).

2. Book your fast-track passport appointment online.

3. Pay the fee.

4. Take your completed application form and the required supporting documents to your appointment. There is a booklet accompanying the application form that provides a list of the necessary documents.

5. Once you have completed these steps, your new passport will be delivered to your home address within a week of your appointment. It's important to note that someone needs to be present to sign for the passport upon delivery.

The costs*

The cost for the 1 week Fast Track service is £155 for an adult passport and £126 for a child passport.

The same-day fast-track option 

If you need your passport even faster, there is also the Online Premium service. With this service, you can collect your new passport on the same day as your appointment. However, please note that this service is only available for adult passport renewals issued after 31 December 2001. 

If you have an adult passport issued before this date, you will need to use the one-week fast-track service or the standard application process.

How to apply

To use the Online Premium service, you can simply apply and book an appointment online. The earliest appointment you can get is 2 days after applying.

The cost*

The cost of this service is £193.50 for an adult passport. 

Who can use these services?

It's important to know if you are eligible for these fast-track passport services. If you are applying for your very first UK passport, unfortunately, you won't be able to use either of the fast-track services (unless applying for a child's first-time passport in which case you can use the one-week fast-track option). For everything else, you will have to go through the standard application process instead.

In conclusion

Remember, it's always best to plan ahead and apply for your passport in advance to avoid any last-minute stress and government regulation curveballs. However, if you do find yourself in need of a passport urgently, these fast-track services can be a lifesaver.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to the appropriate passport office or visit their website for more information (listed below). They will be able to provide you with the most up-to-date details and guidance regarding the fast-track process.

*Please note that the fees were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. Check the website page listed below to find the relevant information.

References:

• GOV.UK - Passport application service
• GOV.UK - 1 week Fast Track service
• GOV.UK - Online Premium service

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Before Bitcoin was launched in 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto designed the cryptocurrency to have a maximum supply of 21 million coins. As part of the greater plan, the number of new Bitcoin that enter circulation decreases at regular intervals, thus maintaining the total supply. These intervals are known as halvings, and affect everything from market value to investing strategies to potential profitability. Let's get into it.

What is the Bitcoin halving?

Roughly every 4 years, or every 210,000 blocks that are mined, the network undergoes a halving where the block reward for miners is reduced by 50%. This reward is earned by verifying transactions and adding a new block to the blockchain. 

The halvings process decreases the rate at which new Bitcoins enter circulation, gradually depleting the remaining supply until the final satoshi is mined, expected to be around 2140. After that, miners will solely rely on transaction fees as an incentive to validate blocks.

The most recent Bitcoin network halving took place in April 2024, when the mining reward was reduced from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC.

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Why does the halving occur?

The Bitcoin halving is pre-programmed into Bitcoin's core code and is not something that can be changed - it's set in stone. Designed to control and slow down the release of new Bitcoins over time results in fewer and fewer Bitcoin being minted after each halving event. 

This limited supply is a key part of what gives the digital currency its deflationary nature and potential for increasing value. As the supply is capped at 21 million, the dwindling new supply hitting the market reinforces Bitcoin's artificial scarcity.

Previous Bitcoin halvings

Below we look at previous halvings and how these affected the price of Bitcoin. Historically, 12 - 18 months after halvings, Bitcoin has reached a record high. While this is not the rule of thumb, it has certainly been witnessed. 

2009 - Bitcoin launches

Date: 3 January 2009

Block reward: 50 BTC

2012 - Bitcoin’s first halving

Date: 28 November 2012

Block: 210,000

Block reward: 25 BTC

Price before halving (November 2012): Around $12

Next all-time high after halving: $1,156 (November 2013)

2016 - Bitcoin’s second halving

Date: 9 July 2016

Block: 420,000

Block reward: 12.5 BTC

Price before halving (July 2016): Around $650

Next all-time high after halving: $19,891 (December 2017)

2020 - Bitcoin’s third halving

Date: 11 May 2020

Block: 630,000

Block reward: 6.25 BTC

Price before halving (May 2020): Around $8,800

Next all-time high after halving: $69,000 (November 2021)

2024 - Bitcoin’s fourth halving

Date: 19 April 2024

Block: 840,000

Block reward: 3.125 BTC

Price before halving (April 2024): Around $65,000

At the time of writing, next all-time high after halving: $99,655.50 (November 2024) 

Taking a look at the future dates, the next halving is expected to take place in 2028, when the block reward will be reduced to 1.5625 BTC. Thereafter, in 2032 and 2036. This will continue until all Bitcoins have been mined, which is expected to be in 2140. 

Potential impacts of the recent halving

The next Bitcoin halving event is expected to have several potential impacts on the cryptocurrency. First and foremost, it will reduce the supply of new Bitcoins entering circulation by 50%, substantially decreasing its inflation rate. This scheduled supply rate reduction enhances Bitcoin's hardcoded scarcity which could lead to increased demand if investors view reduced supply as more desirable. Higher demand coupled with tightened supply could potentially drive up Bitcoin's price.

However, the halving will also cut block rewards for miners by 50%, which could force some smaller mining operations to shut down if their expenses outweigh newly reduced revenues. This may result in mining becoming less decentralised as larger entities with greater economies of scale are able to continue operating profitably. This could lead to further consolidation of the mining hashrate among a smaller number of big players.

Regardless of price movement, the most recent halving holds significance for Bitcoin's disinflationary issuance schedule, which will continue until the final Bitcoin is mined around 2140. This systematically shrinking supply reinforces Bitcoin's key value proposition as a deflationary asset, with absolute scarcity built into its design. Understanding this info highlights why some investors see Bitcoin's scarcity as a central role in its potential long-term value.

How will the rest of the crypto market be impacted?

We can confirm that Bitcoin's halving creates a ripple effect across the entire cryptocurrency market. While it directly impacts Bitcoin, it can also cause broader market shifts affecting many altcoins as investors start adjusting their portfolios during this time, which can lead to increased volatility and capital moving between digital assets. 

Established cryptocurrencies like Ethereum often respond to Bitcoin's market changes, though their reactions aren’t always predictable. Smaller, less-known coins may face even greater uncertainty. Because crypto markets are so interconnected, even indirect effects from the halving can create big waves, making it a key event that influences the entire ecosystem.

Should I invest during a Bitcoin halving?

Sure, navigating Bitcoin halving speculation can feel like walking through a maze. Investors often debate the best timing - before, during, or after the event - but there's really no universal playbook. 

The cryptocurrency market moves in mysterious ways, influenced by countless global factors, and past halvings have shown dramatically different market behaviors, making predictions challenging. While some see these events as potential opportunities, others view them with caution. 

The key is understanding that no single strategy guarantees success. Individual research, a clear view of personal risk tolerance, and a broad understanding of market dynamics are essential for anyone considering involvement in this volatile landscape.

The bottom line

The Bitcoin halving is a highly significant event worth learning about as it enforces the cryptocurrency's hardcoded disinflationary monetary policy. While past halvings have led to powerful bull markets and substantial price appreciation, as illustrated above, it's important to understand that future price movements remain unpredictable and cannot be relied on. 

Bitcoin's value is influenced by a complex array of factors beyond just supply dynamics, including adoption rates, regulatory developments, and overall market sentiment. Though artificially constrained supply can increase scarcity, demand is ultimately the driving force behind long-term valuations. 

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Hey there, Community! ✨

We've got some exciting news to share, and it's all about making your life a little bit easier and a whole lot clearer. We're thrilled to announce our partnership with TapiX – and before you wonder what this is all about, let me break it down into plain English, just for you.

No More Guessing Games 🎲

Ever looked at your transaction history and thought, "Where on earth did I spend that money?" We've all been there, scratching our heads, trying to decipher cryptic names or puzzling out just which coffee shop that was.

Here's where TapiX comes in – and why we're so excited about it. TapiX turns those confusing codes and names into information you can actually understand. We're talking real names of stores, complete with local language and all the details to make it click instantly. Yes, that means no more guessing games!

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words 📷

But why stop at names? When you look at your transactions, you can now see actual logos and images – making it even easier to spot at a glance where you've been shopping. It's like turning your transaction history into a colourful gallery of your spending habits.
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Pinpoint Shopping Locations📍

Ever got a charge from a store and wondered, "When did I go there?”. Now, you won't just see the name; you'll get the exact location. We're talking street address, city, even zip codes – perfect for those "Aha!" moments.
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Extra Details at Your Fingertips 🫰

And there's more. Want to revisit a store but can't remember the name? You can now access additional details like website links, opening hours, and more for the store and companies that support it. It's like having a little assistant tucked away in your transaction history.

Why This Matters to You 👀

We believe managing your money should be as straightforward as shopping. That's why we partnered with TapiX – to transform your transaction list from a boring spreadsheet into a clear, understandable, and even helpful part of your daily life.

Here's what it boils down to: less time puzzling out your past spends and more time enjoying your present. Whether you're a budgeting pro or just trying to keep track of where your money's going, we think you'll love this new feature.

It's All About You 💙
At Tap, everything we do is aimed at giving you a better experience. We listen, we care, and we act on what you need. This partnership? It's all about making your financial life clearer and simpler.

We're here to help you make sense of your spending, save time, and maybe even discover some new favourite spots along the way. And this is just the beginning – we're always looking for ways to improve your experience.

So go ahead, take a look at your updated transaction history, and see the difference for yourself.

Here's to clearer, simpler, and more enjoyable finances.

Warmly,

The Tap Team.

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Etherscan is a free and widely used blockchain explorer that allows anyone to see any transactions made on the Ethereum platform. Not just transactions, blocks, gas fees, wallet addresses, smart contracts, and other on-chain data can be found on the page. Learn more about what Etherscan is and how it works below.

What is Etherscan?

As mentioned above, Etherscan is an Ethereum-based blockchain explorer. Aside from offering a peek into the advantages of blockchain technologies, Etherscan also provides an insightful look at the status of transactions, gas fees, smart contracts and dapp content. Etherscan is the tool that leverages blockchain's transparent nature.

Acting as a search engine and source of blockchain information, one doesn't need an account to access anything. However, users can create an account in order to access extra functionalities associated with their Ethereum portfolio, such as developer tools, enabling notifications for incoming transactions, and creating data feeds. Whether you're investing in a dapp, monitoring a wallet, or depositing funds to a blockchain-based game, all activity can be tracked through this browser-based service.

Why is Etherscan popular?

Etherscan is the most widely used Ethereum blockchain explorer and is highly regarded in the industry due to its seamless experience. While it won't allow you to store or trade ETH, it offers a reliable look into the functioning of the network, blockchain analytics and all Ethereum and Ethereum-based token activity.

Using Etherscan also provides a better understanding of how the blockchain works, providing insights into its operations and potential ability to spot suspicious blockchain activity (like project leaders selling their tokens, or large whale movements that will affect the token's price). 

How to use Etherscan

Whether you're wanting to look up a transaction or verify the validity of a smart contract, you can use Etherscan. Below we will guide you through how to look up a transaction.

How To Find A Transaction On Etherscan

Understanding how to track your transactions can be a powerful tool in the world of cryptocurrency, from seeing how many confirmations it has gone through to the amount of gas fees paid. 

Each transaction on the blockchain is given a transaction ID (TXID) or transaction hash which identifies the specific transaction (similar to a person's identity number). It looks something like this: 

0x3349ea4144aed83291f87b3904b02f8f1e76c3b5bfed0d95a000fafddaed01bc

In order to get the real-time updates on a transaction, you will need to enter this TXID into the space provided on the Etherscan website. 

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It will then display all the information pertaining to this transaction, as below:

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See our breakdown of the terminology below.

Etherscan terminology

Transaction Hash: the TXID associated with your particular transaction.

Status: status of your transaction (in progress, failed, successful) 

Block: the number of the block that your transaction was included in (block confirmations indicate the number of blocks that have followed since then). 

Timestamp: the date and time that this transaction was executed.

From: the wallet address that the transaction was sent from

To: the wallet address or smart contract receiving the transaction.

Value: the value of the transaction.

Transaction Fee: the gas fees or transaction fees paid.

Gas Price: the cost per unit of gas at the time of the transaction execution (displayed in Ether and Gwei).

How to Find gas prices on Etherscan

When using the Ethereum network you will be required to pay gas fees in order to conduct any activity. Gas fees are assigned to blocks and fluctuate depending on how busy the network is at the time. 

Etherscan provides a Gas Tracker which observes the current gas prices and indicates how busy the network is at the time. 

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In conclusion

Etherscan is a great tool for anyone using Ethereum or any other cryptocurrencies relating to its ecosystem. From confirming transactions to checking gas prices, this tool provides a great oversight of the network, highlighting the transparent benefits of using digital assets.

Whether you're new to investments or you've been active in the markets for years, it's never too late (or early) to get your head around the different types of investment opportunities available. As we know, one size never fits all, so in this piece we're going to run you through the options out there and help you to determine which category will best suit your needs. 

The 3 tiers of investments

First and foremost, when diving into the world of investing one must first determine their risk tolerance. How much risk you are willing to engage in will help you establish which investment avenue to go down. The three options are:

1. Low-risk 

These types of investors are not looking to take risks with their capital. The primary goal is to preserve the initial investment despite the opportunity to gain returns. This is a great start for new investors as the risk is minimal while they learn the ropes. 

A great investment option here is a money market fund. The funds are typically managed by professional, licensed fund managers, and involve bank deposits, commercial papers and treasury bills. While the risk is low, the potential for returns is moderate and the investment is liquid, meaning that the investor typically have access to the funds at any time. 

2. Medium-risk 

Providing an option for the more confident investor, medium-risk investments incorporate moderate risks but have measures in place to stop any high losses. This strategy is often made up of low-risk and high-risk investments, ensuring a balance between the two components. 

Medium-risk options include a mix of mutual funds and dollar funds, which will invest in medium-risk stocks, bonds and treasury bills. The risk of losing capital is therefore lower than with high-risk investments while your potential for returns are higher than low-risk investment options. 

3. High-risk 

This category is for the investors with an appetite for risk. They're comfortable with losing their invested capital in the pursuit of higher gains. A huge note here is that Ponzi schemes are never good investments. Rather stick to professionally managed investment funds that are catered to those with a high-risk threshold. 

These might include equity mutual funds that invest in stocks of vetted companies with large public listings. These are best catered to long-term timelines, as volatility might hinder the returns in a shorter space of time. High-risk investments have the potential to bring about higher returns, however this is never a guarantee. 
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How to distinguish what type of investor you are

While a professional financial advisor can do this for you, we've created a three step, simple way to determine whether you fit into the conservative investor (low-risk), moderate investor (medium-risk) or aggressive investor (high-risk) category. Consider these three factors below:

• what is your age?

If you're younger, there are more years ahead of you to recover from a bad investment. As a result, each passing birthday slightly lowers your risk tolerance.

• what is your marital status?

As a general rule of thumb being married incurs more expenses and allows for less risk taking when compared to a single person with no-one else to be responsible for. With fewer financial responsibilities comes a high opportunity for risk-taking. 

• what is your net-worth?

Last but not least, your net-worth will also impact your appetite for risk. The more money you have, the more you can risk to make that money grow (and the bigger the cushion if an investment does go south). 
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In conclusion‍

It's important to remember that one investor type is not better than another, rather, it is what's best suited to your needs and requirements. The longer you leave these investments the higher the returns, so be sure to have a solid savings account built up prior to investing to ensure that should something go wrong you have alternative sources of funds to support that. Liquidating your investment early might lead to losses and most certainly lost opportunity. 

The Graph is making the process of interacting with blockchains much simpler by streamlining the building of new apps and the process of tracking valuable data, powering the growth of DeFi and Web3 platforms. The platform allows developers to provide improved user experience across the board, as opposed to having to create custom back-end infrastructure for each application.

The Graph indexes blockchain data in a unique and decentralized way which allows for the seamless querying and retrieving of data that is easily accessible and can be adopted by many. The platform's contribution to the global DeFi and Web3 infrastructure will be felt in years to come.

What is The Graph?

The Graph is a unique decentralized protocol that utilizes DLT (decentralized ledger technology) and the powerful GraphQL programming language to enable blockchain data collection without relying on third parties. The cutting-edge technology makes it simpler than ever before to index, organize, and query blockchain data information with remarkable accuracy and speed.

The Graph provides indexing and querying services that are compatible with networks like Ethereum, IPFS and PAO, with more to come in the future. The infrastructure can then organize data through the hosted service and implement automated workflow processes through open APIs, called subgraphs in The Graph ecosystem.

This indexing protocol resolves the issue of querying data security, chain reorganization, and other related matters with the subgraphs.

The launch of The Graph mainnet marked a milestone in creating entirely decentralized applications compatible with an expansive network of service providers. With these open, public subgraphs, developers can now build thousands of dapps on the network, with hundreds already hosted by The Graph mainnet. This allows for secure blockchain data access making the world far more connected than ever before.

The Graph (GRT) successfully raised $12 million from a public token sale and an additional $7.5 million from a private round funded by Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, and Framework Ventures including Multicoin Capital's investment of $2.5 million.

How is The Graph network secured?

The Graph mainnet is powered by nodes, while indexers, curators, delegators, and consumers use GRT tokens to ensure the integrity of the data secured within the network. GRT is The Graph network's native cryptocurrency which helps to assign resources within its ecosystem. All network participants are required to stake GRT in order to perform their roles, and in return can earn fees from the network.

The Graph Foundation offers the network participants coordination and support while steering and growing the ecosystem. The foundation is financially and legally accountable to The Graph Council, which oversees governance decisions.

Who created The Graph platform?

Driven by his firsthand experience of how hard it is to create new dapps on Ethereum, Yaniv Tal joined forces with Brandon Ramirez and Jannis Pohlmann in 2018 to form The Graph team. The Graph aims were to design the world's first decentralized indexing and querying application that could make Web3 and dapp creation accessible to anyone. This vision included the ability to build immutable APIs with the GraphQP query language. 

The three co-founders previously launched a developer tools startup together sharing a common interest in optimizing API stacks. All with engineering backgrounds, Yaniv Tal acts as project lead, Brandon Ramirez is the research lead and Jannis Pohlmann the tech lead.

The Graph launched on December 17, 2020.

How does The Graph protocol work?

By leveraging the Graph Protocol, developers and users can open APIs to build subgraphs for a variety of applications. In April 2021 alone, The Graph’s hosted service managed 20 billion queries - further demonstrating its power in data indexing, querying data, and its collection of data.

The Graph node sustains the whole system, scanning through the blockchain database to organize and index data. The platform's structure is centered around delegators, indexes, curators, and consumers, who use GRT tokens to participate in the network. 

Indexers - Graph node operators

With staked GRT, indexers can provide querying and indexing services to the network, earning query fees and rewards for their efforts. They are also responsible for running node software providing a vital part of The Graph ecosystem that grants access to data stored on Ethereum or other supported networks at lightning speed. Indexers are the most technical positions within the ecosystem.

Curators - identity blockchain data sources

Curators are responsible for developing subgraphs (open APIs are called subgraphs on the network) and signaling to indexers which ones should be indexed by the network. They also identify the most reliable data sources using their knowledge of the blockchain ecosystem, consumers and apps.

To incentivize the quality of their data sourcing, curators are required to deposit GRT into a bonding curve on specific existing subgraphs, earning a portion of the query fees for the subgraphs they signal on. The earlier a curator signals on a subgraph the higher the share of query fees they earn, dependent on the amount of GRT deposited. 

Curators are semi-technical positions within the ecosystem as they require an understanding of open data. As an example, say a new DeFi subgraph appears and a curator thinks it looks promising. They can signal on the subgraph so that indexers recognize its potential and make it discoverable for dapp developers. In return, curators receive a portion of query fees for being among the first to spot it.

Delegators - securing the network

Delegators are non-technical contributors to the network and are responsible for securing the network without running a node. They select indexers based on performance metrics and delegate GRT to indexers via the Graph Explorer dapp, earning a portion of the query fees and indexing rewards in return. 

Consumers - end-users

Consumers are the end-users of The Graph and are the ones who query subgraphs and pay fees to indexers, curators, and delegators for their services. These query fees are paid through gateways or wallets that are built on top of the open-source contracts on the network. 

What is GRT on The Graph network?

The Graph (GRT) is an ERC-20 token and the native token to The Graph network. The coin is integral to the reward system created to benefit indexers, curators, and delegators, which incentives them to improve the market and network operations. 

Delegators can delegate their GRT holdings to Indexers, who use locked GRT to power the nodes on The Graph network. Curators receive a reward in the form of GRT for providing curation services and consumers pay using GRT to access indexing services. Additionally, unlocking dapps available through The Graph network as well as interoperable networks is done by using GRT tokens. 

Participants of the network earn money by receiving The Graph GRT tokens, which have a market value when traded on the cryptocurrency market.

10 billion GRT were created when the project launched, with an annual issuance rate of 3% for indexing rewards. The platform then burns the withdrawal tax that curators are charged as well as 1% of the total query fees. All issuance formalities are subject to future technical governance. At the time of writing, the current circulating supply of GRT was 6,9 billion. 

How can I buy The Graph (GRT) tokens?

It's now easier than ever to add GRT to your crypto portfolios with the convenient Tap app. The mobile app has recently introduced The Graph among the list of its supported currencies, enabling anyone to effortlessly and safely access this crypto market anytime. Get ready for a whole new level of trading experience.

GRT can be acquired with both cryptocurrency and fiat currency, or users may prefer to turn to more traditional payment solutions like bank transfers. The wallets integrated into the platform make it easy for customers to organize and manage their GRT tokens safely.

While this is an outline of the project we encourage all users to conduct their own research before investing in an cryptocurrencies or investments in the global economy.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of The Graph (GRT) on Tap!

GRT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold GRT for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting GRT will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

The Graph is a unique decentralized protocol that utilizes DLT (decentralized ledger technology) and the powerful GraphQL programming language to enable blockchain data collection without relying on third parties. The cutting-edge technology makes it simpler than ever before to index, organize, and query blockchain data information with remarkable accuracy and speed.

The Graph (GRT) is an ERC-20 token and the native token to The Graph network. The coin is integral to the reward system created to benefit indexers, curators, and delegators, which incentives them to improve the market and network operations. Participants of the network earn money by receiving The Graph GRT tokens, which have a market value when traded on the cryptocurrency market.

Get to know more about The graph (GRT) in our dedicated article here.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Dai (DAI) on Tap!

DAI is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold DAI for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting DAI will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Launched in 2017, DAI is an algorithmic stablecoin issued by MakerDAO.  This stablecoin cryptocurrency is aiming to maintain a soft peg with the United States dollar. This goal is achieved through the use of smart contracts which incentivize participants to perform essential maintenance and governance functions.

Due to the coin’s soft peg to the US dollar, the DAI stablecoin not only provides a stable long-term store of value but also a strong medium of exchange.

Get to learn more about DAI in our dedicated article here.

While these terms might seemingly be used interchangeably, there are in fact fundamental differences between them. Whether you're brand new to the industry, looking for a new investment opportunity, or have been in the market for a while, distinguishing between the three will be a valuable endeavour. When it comes to the business of blockchain assets and the information surrounding it, we know all about it. Let's get into it.

What Are Digital Assets?

Digital assets are non-tangible assets that are created, traded and stored in a digital format. This includes everything from a website to a spreadsheet to a logo, anything uniquely identifiable that holds value. In the context of digital assets vs cryptocurrencies vs tokens, both cryptocurrencies and tokens are digital assets as they're created, stored and traded using blockchain technology. 

Through blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies and tokens utilize an advanced encryption technique known as cryptography. This maintains their security and ensures that the digital assets cannot be counterfeited or double-spent. Each individual asset represents something, whether it be content, value or a tangible item.

What Are Cryptocurrencies?

While cryptocurrencies fall under the umbrella of digital assets, they too hold a unique characteristic. In order for a digital asset to be classified as a cryptocurrency, it must be created on its own unique blockchain (often referred to as a blockchain's native token). 

Cryptocurrencies can be traded as a medium of exchange or store of value, depending on the platform for which it is built. On top of that, cryptocurrencies can also be used to pay transaction fees for using the network, or as an incentive to ensure the network is well-maintained. 

Typically, cryptocurrencies are decentralized meaning that they do not rely on a central entity to maintain the network, instead, they are operated using code to facilitate transactions and issuance. Built using blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT), cryptocurrencies use cryptography to secure each network in an automated, trustless manner and avoid any fraud.
Bitcoin, as it is created using its own blockchain and acts as a form of digital money, is an example of a cryptocurrency.

What Are Tokens?

Tokens differ from cryptocurrencies in that they are created on top of existing blockchain networks and not their own. A prime example is any ERC-20 token built on top of the Ethereum network, while these are still digital assets, they are classified as tokens due to their use of an existing blockchain. DAI, COMP and USDT are all examples of tokens that utilize the Ethereum blockchain.

While some are also mediums of exchange or stores of value, tokens provide more varied use cases. For example, some tokens are used to play games while others might be used for services specific to that platform, or across the greater decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. 

There are a number of token standards available which each serve different use cases, the majority of which are built on Ethereum. The most common, the ERC-20 token standard, allows for the creation of a token that can then be used across a range of compatible dapps (decentralized apps). Another common token standard is the ERC-721 which is used to create non-fungible tokens, NFTs.

Tokens are typically characterized by the following:

• Permissionless
• Programmable
• Trustless
• Transparent

Tokens tend to take on much wider use cases, such as representing both tangible (property, art) and non-tangible (processing power, governance rights) which cryptocurrencies are integral to the running of the blockchain network. ‍

In Conclusion

Digital assets encompass both cryptocurrencies and tokens, while cryptocurrencies are built using a unique blockchain, and tokens are built on top of an existing blockchain. As the blockchain industry and the regulation around it continue developing, it is likely that the token standards and the range of use cases across both cryptocurrencies and tokens will continue to develop to provide a vast array of social and economic solutions.

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Since Bitcoin was launched in 2009 there has been an ongoing wave of alternative cryptocurrencies entering the crypto market created to build on what the original cryptocurrency (and blockchain technology) can do. While Litecoin and Ethereum differ vastly in their design, one similarity is that they were both created to improve on so-called weaknesses in the Bitcoin network.

In this piece, we’re taking a look at both Litecoin and Ethereum individually, covering everything from concept to market integration, as we explore Litecoin vs Ethereum.

The Litecoin network

Litecoin is a digital currency created from a hard fork off of the Bitcoin blockchain. The cryptocurrency was designed to be a "lighter" version of the original cryptocurrency (hence the name) and to provide a more efficient peer-to-peer digital cash. Litecoin (LTC) is the native coin to the network. 

With similar coding, the Litecoin team made several changes to their blockchain to ensure that it was faster and more cost-effective. It was never designed to overtake Bitcoin, merely to offer an alternative and complement the Bitcoin network.

Created in 2011, Litecoin was launched by a former Google engineer and MIT graduate, Charlie Lee. Lee, alongside a team of developers, increased the block size as well as its total supply. Litecoin has a max supply of 84 million coins. 

Transaction per second

Today, the Litecoin network can process 56 transactions per second compared to Bitcoin which can do 7 transactions per second (outweighing Ethereum which can currently do 30 transactions per second, expected to increase greatly with the launch of ETH 2.0).

Transaction fees

Litecoin also trumps both cryptocurrencies when it comes to lower transaction fees, charging a minute fee that is not subject to fluctuations. Most cryptocurrencies' transaction fees fluctuate due to demand on the network, increasing the fees when the network is busy.

Block size

The network also reduced the block time, meaning the amount of time it takes to validate a transaction. Litecoin transactions take 2.5 minutes on average, whereas Bitcoin transactions take 10 minutes. In conclusion, a Litecoin transaction can be processed at a lower cost, four times faster, and with 3% of the energy consumption.

Mining Process

While Litecoin makes use of the same Proof of Work mining consensus as Bitcoin, it uses another hashing algorithm known as Scrypt that requires specifically designed mining software and hardware. This is the same setup as Dogecoin, allowing miners to mine both cryptocurrencies simultaneously. 

The Ethereum blockchain

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that allows developers to create their own decentralized applications (dapps) and smart contracts. Ethereum is well-known for its neutrality and immutability features, contributing to its effectiveness as a platform for developers to launch new projects. On the blockchain platform, it uses Ether (ETH) as its native cryptocurrency.

Ethereum was created to leverage the open-source nature of Bitcoin and bring greater innovation to the cryptocurrency industry. Providing a platform on which developers can create new blockchain projects has led to a large number of new cryptocurrencies and the inclusion of many industries far beyond the finance sector. 

Transaction fees

Ethereum uses ETH to fuel all operations on the network, requiring users to pay what are known as "gas fees" to facilitate any Ethereum transactions. These gas fees are designed to compensate miners for the computational power required.

These fees fluctuate when the network is congested, often leading to exorbitant prices for users wishing to implement smart contracts or send funds across the network.

Smart contracts

Smart contracts are digital agreements that automatically execute once certain criteria are met. When the smart contract is created, the agreement and criteria are written into its code, and once the criteria are met, that contract will automatically execute.  

Total supply

Due to the nature of the Ethereum blockchain providing a platform on which users can build and develop, the cryptocurrency does not have a limited supply of tokens. With no cap, the network can continue creating tokens as required and developers can continue using the platform to execute operations and build apps. 

Ethereum does have a limit on the total number of new coins that can enter circulation each year. Its supply growth model ensures that no more than 18 million coins can be released per annum.

Mining process

Currently, the Ethereum network uses a Proof of Work mining consensus, however, it is in the process of moving to a Proof of Stake consensus, expected to launch at the end of this year. The new version will use the same cryptocurrency (ETH) but adopt a more sustainable method of validating transactions and creating new coins. 

Which is better: Litecoin vs Ethereum

While Litecoin provides a peer-to-peer form of digital cash, Ethereum offers more than just a coin, it provides a platform. When it comes to functionality, Ethereum takes the cake.

However, when it comes to executing fast and cheap transactions, and in terms of scarcity with its limited supply, Litecoin provides a better blockchain technology alternative.

When it comes to Litecoin vs Ethereum and which cryptocurrency is better, one must first observe their intentions. Are you looking to build dapps or for a quick and cheap means of sending funds across the globe?

Both networks have avid supporters and great teams behind them, so when deciding which cryptocurrency to buy in consider your own goals and how these two networks align with them, or seek investment advice from a professional that can help you with making an advised decision.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Quant (QNT) on Tap!

QNT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold QNT for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting QNT will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

The Quant Network was designed to connect blockchains and networks on a global scale, prioritising interoperability and trust functions between them using the Overledger operating system, the first OS built for blockchains. The Quant protocol was designed to remove barriers commonly encountered on blockchains in communication, interoperability and scaling.

QNT is an ERC-20 token from the Quant blockchain that provides digital access to a particular application or service and is used to access the Overledger network and validate transactions on the network.

All product users, developers, and gateway operators are required to purchase annual licences, used to maintain platform efficiency. These licence fees are converted to QNT and locked up in the Quant treasury. If a user does not renew their licence, they forfeit their fees, discouraging them from dumping tokens on the market if the price increases.

Get to know more about Quant  (QNT) in our dedicated article here.

It's no secret that discussing finances is often considered taboo. Oftentimes, people quickly become uncomfortable when the topic is brought up. But why is talking about money so awkward for most people?

It's because most people are still afraid to discuss about savings openly for a wide variety of reasons from shame, embarrassment, or simply fear of their financial privacy.

However, there are many reasons why saving (and actively building a savings account) is important, and we think that today is a great opportunity to break the stigma around discussing savings openly. Here's what you need to know about starting to save, several ways to save money, and how Tap can help you in your saving quest.

The stats on talking about money

Discussing finances can be an uncomfortable subject for many people, as revealed by a recent survey. In fact, the survey found that over half of respondents, 56%, consider talking about money a taboo topic. Debt emerged as the most controversial financial topic, with 45% of those surveyed expressing discomfort discussing it.

The survey also highlighted that people are more likely to open up about their finances if others do the same. This means that breaking the taboo around money talk can have a positive impact on our financial well-being. By being more transparent about our saving methods, we can help others learn and achieve their own financial goals.

Below are a few ways to get you started with how to save money more efficiently.

How to get started: start saving money

It's never too late to start your savings journey. Whether you're starting your first job, looking to make a down payment on a house, or you're already retired, setting aside money for savings is an important step in building your wealth. Here are a few simple steps to take and ways to save money.

Establish your savings goals

In order to get started, first calculate how much money you need to save each month to reach your financial goals. This will help you determine how much money you need to set aside each paycheck.

Create a budget

The first step is always the most difficult, but it's important to be honest with yourself about your current situation. Review your finances on a regular basis and consider how much you would like to save as well as what that savings goal entails. Build this savings plan to be realistic, making a savings plan you're never going to stick to is only a waste of your time.

If your monthly bills exceed your income, it might be time to make a budget. Look at what you spend on grocery shopping, auto insurance, energy costs or online shopping and see if your monthly budget has room for some cuts. While homeowners insurance and utility bills can't be neglected, consider if there are cheaper alternatives in your area for the things you can afford to cut on - you never know where you might be able to save some extra dollars.

In doing so you are already taking the first step toward your quest to save money.

See where you can cut spending and save money

Take a closer look at your spending habits. Where are you wasting money? Are you eating out too often? Do you have a lot of expensive subscriptions? Once you identify your problem areas, you can start making changes to better save money.

For example, if you're spending too much on eating out or buying lunch, try cooking at home more often. If you have a lot of subscriptions, see if there are any you can live without and consider canceling an expensive subscription service. There are plenty of ways to save money and build wealth, get creative!

Set up a savings account

Next, you can open a savings account and make sure to deposit money into it regularly. This account should be a separate savings account from your checking account so that you're not tempted to spend the money.

You can opt for a saving account programme which allows you to put money in an account that generates extra cash for you, paid out monthly or yearly. The key in this process is to make sure the money is going into savings before you have a chance to spend it.

Also consider putting unexpected income in these accounts, like a tax refund.

Review and adjust

Finally, in your efforts to save money make sure to review your budget regularly and adjust your savings goals as necessary. By following these simple steps, you can start saving money and building your wealth today.

Don't forget to give yourself some breathing room. It's important to have money set aside in an emergency fund, but that doesn't mean you should never spend any of your savings. Indulge in some of your favorite things every once in a while and appreciate all that you've worked for!

Consider paying off credit card debt and building an emergency fund as equally important to building your savings account. If you're making use of passive income generation you could use these earned funds to pay off one of the two. Savings accounts might sound scary but the truth is they're simple, important, and integral to save money.

Here are some of the best saving tips that we think everyone should know:

• Don't wait to start saving money. The more time you give yourself to spend it the greater the temptation will be. Transferring a fixed percentage of your income into savings accounts as soon as you receive it is an excellent way to make sure you're putting some money away as soon as you get paid.  
• If you're always frugal with your money, you'll only be frustrated and won't achieve your savings goals. From time to time, remember to give yourself a little treat!

Closing thoughts

Saving money is something that everyone has to do, and it can be made easier by doing it with others. No matter your situation, there are probably other people around you who know exactly how you feel and with whom you could share advice that could help you both save money more efficiently.

Open that savings account today and start building a better financial future. Whether you cut your monthly bills to make a down payment or save money for your emergency fund or dream vacation, putting money aside for your future is always a good idea.

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Aave is one of the leading decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols on the market, allowing users to easily borrow and lend over 20 different crypto assets. Leveraging the age-old financial practice of lending and borrowing, the platform empowers users to manage their assets in a decentralized manner.

The Aave token also allows users to vote on the platform’s direction and future Aave protocol developments. Aave token holders are granted voting rights based on their holdings.

What is Aave?

Created in response to the rising demand for decentralized money markets, Aave has successfully and firmly positioned itself in the top 10 biggest DeFi markets. Based on the Ethereum blockchain, the protocol allows users to lend and borrow a wide range of cryptocurrencies, from altcoins to stablecoins.

Native to the platform, the AAVE token acts as both a utility token, providing discounts for fees, and a governance token.

By placing digital assets into specific liquidity pools within the Aave protocol, lenders earn interest. Those who need money can use crypto as collateral to take out a flash loan from these same pools.

The decentralized lending protocol was launched in November 2018 under the name ETHLend (with LEND tokens) but later underwent a rebranding after losing traction in the 2018 crypto bear market. After revamping the concept of decentralized crypto lending, the Aave team relaunched the protocol under the name Aave. Aave means ghost in Finnish.

Who created Aave?

Aave was created by Stani Kulechov and a team of developers. Stani Kulechov was disappointed with the lack of lending applications available on Ethereum, so he and a team of developers took it upon themselves to create a space to lend and borrow cryptocurrencies. This project occurred before decentralized finance was even an idea, and launched following an ICO in November 2017.

Kulechov is a self-taught programmer who went to law school after high school and began programming in his teenage years. He is also an early blockchain adopter. The CEO announced that he intended to rebrand ETHLend as Aave in order to provide additional services beyond just ETH lending, incorporating the greater crypto assets market.

How does Aave work for Aave users?

The Aave protocol uses an algorithm that automatically enables loans from the platform's liquidity pools, instead of individually matching each lender to a borrower. On the Aave network, lenders can deposit their cryptocurrency into liquidity pools and in turn earn interest based on the amount deposited.

These interest rates are then paid to the lenders depending on the number of assets being used in the pool. For instance, if all the assets are being utilized, the interest rates are higher as this will provide greater incentive to lenders and more deposit options for Aave borrowers. If utilization is low, the interest rates are lower, attracting more borrowers. Borrowers and lenders are mutually dependent.

Aave loans require users to make a deposit in the form of collateral that is higher in value than the amount they are borrowing. If borrowed assets are not returned within the given timeframe, lenders will take possession of the collateral.

Aave employs a liquidation procedure in the event that the collateral value falls below the collateralization rate established and determined by the Aave protocol. Flash loans are also available, allowing borrowers to borrow money without putting up any assets as long as they pay for the interest fee known as one-block.

What are AAVE tokens?

AAVE is an ERC-20 token that acts as a backstop for the Aave protocol, protecting the system from having a shortage of capital. Known as the "Safety Module", AAVE is sold for assets to cover the deficit if there isn't enough cash in the DeFi protocol to cover lenders' money. Only AAVE deposited in the module will be liquidated. To encourage deposits, a regular yield is paid out in AAVE.

The second major application for Aave is protocol governance. Holders of the cryptocurrency can discuss and vote on Aave Improvement Proposals, which may be implemented if accepted by a specified number of AAVE token holders. This covers altering the money market parameters as well as managing funds in the ecosystem reserve, similar to other governance cryptocurrencies. Each AAVE equals one voting right for Aave holders.

The Aave system uses fees paid on the platform to buy back AAVE tokens and remove them from circulation. Approximately 80% of the fees paid are used for this burn purpose, while 20% are used to incentivize lenders. Aave has a limited supply of 16 million units.

How can I buy the AAVE token?

For those looking to enter the world of DeFi and incorporate Aave into their crypto portfolios, things just got a lot easier. The Tap app has recently added AAVE to the list of supported currencies, allowing anyone with a Tap account to quickly and conveniently buy Aave.

Users can buy / sell AAVE by using balances in either their crypto or fiat wallets or can buy the cryptocurrency with traditional payment options like bank transfers. Through the integrated wallets on the platform, users can also store and manage their AAVE holdings easily and conveniently.

Made up of the Overledger blockchain operating system and QNT token, the goal of the Quant Network is to allow multiple blockchains to work together and to give more flexibility when it comes to linking different global networks, services, and chains. With an impressive founder and resilience to the bear market, QNT has made a considerable impression in the industry.

What Is The Quant Network?

The Quant Network was designed to connect blockchains and networks on a global scale, prioritising interoperability and trust functions between them using the Overledger operating system, the first OS built for blockchains.

The Overledger network acts as the backbone of the project and is not a blockchain but rather an Application Programming Interface (API) gateway that allows developers to build decentralised multi-chain applications (known as Mapps) and bridges the gap between various blockchain networks.

The Quant project believes that this technology will be the foundation on which the future digital economy will be built. In light of this, the network has been working with central banks in the US and UK to build Central Bank Digital Currencies (CDBCs).

Founded in 2015 the platform officially launched in 2018 following a successful ICO earlier that year. July 2020 marks the launch of the world’s first blockchain operating system in July 2020, Version 1.0.

Who Created The Quant Network?

Quant was founded by Gilbert Verdian, a cybersecurity expert who has held government-level positions around the world. These positions include the UK Treasury, the Australian Department of Health, and the US Federal Reserve, and private sector roles at HSBC Bank, Mastercard’s Vocalink, BP, and more. 

With over two decades of experience in the cybersecurity space, Verdian learned the power that blockchain technology holds when it comes to solving a plethora of security problems related to the exchange of digital assets and information on a global level. 

Verdian sits as the chair of the UK Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology committee and is a member of the EU’s Blockchain Observatory and the Federal Reserve. 

In 2017, Colin Paterson and Paolo Tasca joined the project as co-founders, each bringing their own impressive experience. Paterson, acting Chief Technology Officer, is a cybersecurity expert having worked with Deutsche Bank and Vocalink and acted as the chief information officer of NSW Ambulance, the CISO of eHealth NSW, and the security lead of the Ministry of Justice, UK, prior to joining the project. 

Tasca, Chief Strategist, serves as the Executive Director of the University College London (UCL) Centre for Blockchain Technologies, Executive Board Member of the DEC Institute, and as Co-Chair of the Hedera Treasury Management and Token Economics Committee.

How Does The Quant Network Work?

The Quant network is centred around the Overledger feature. With Overledger, businesses can connect their preexisting technology infrastructures with a number of blockchain ledgers using an easy-to-use API.

APIs are software that creates or processes requests between two programs, acting as an intermediary. Many online applications rely on APIs, including finance trading software and social media sites.

The Overledger operating system lets developers launch Mapps, which are decentralised applications that work with numerous existing blockchains. Overledger operates in a similar manner to Windows, Android, or Macintosh OS in that it allows applications to run on it. The technology sits between underlying blockchain infrastructure and allows the Mapps to communicate seamlessly with multiple blockchains.

In order to access Overledger and build Mapps on the network, developers are required to hold QNT tokens and use these tokens to pay transaction fees, as well as a fiat-based annual licence. The platform also allows developers to create their own tokens using its QRC-20 token standards (similar to Ethereum ERC-20 tokens) as well as create QRC-20 smart contracts. These functionalities were created in a drag-and-drop style so that anyone with no prior experience can create them.

As an example, a developer within the ecosystem could create a smart contract that incorporates both the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks. The interconnected smart contract could stipulate that Jane will pay Sandy 1 BTC only once Paul has paid Jane 1 ETH.

What Is QNT?

QNT is an ERC-20 token that is used to access the Overledger network and validate transactions on the network. There is a maximum supply of 14.6 million QNT tokens, of which over 80% are in circulation (at the time of writing).

All product users, developers, and gateway operators are required to purchase annual licences, used to maintain platform efficiency. These licence fees are converted to QNT and locked up in the Quant treasury. If a user does not renew their licence, they forfeit their fees, discouraging them from dumping tokens on the market if the price increases.

Transaction fees for using Overledger are paid for in QNT to gateway operators. Since its launch in August 2018, QNT has seen consistent price growth and activity on the network.

Where Can I Get QNT?

You can simply buy / sell QNT through the Tap app, one of the most secure solutions in the crypto space as being a fully regulated crypto fintech. Using a range of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies on offer, users can exchange any of the supported currencies to build a healthy portfolio that can be safely stored in its unique wallet linked to your account. Find links to download the app from the Tap website.

Since launching in 2017 Tron has taken the world by storm with its blockchain technology-based operating system. Users around the world have flocked to the Tron blockchain network released by the Tron Foundation to create dapps (decentralized apps) and smart contracts, attracting plenty of investors at the same time. 

In a pool of a large number of digital assets, below we explore what Tron is and what it brings to the crypto industry.

What is Tron (TRX)?

The Tron blockchain is a platform on which developers can create dapps, smart contracts and tokens through its delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) model. Initially built on the Ethereum blockchain with an ERC-20 token, in 2018 the Tron protocol moved onto its own blockchain and created the Tron TRX tokens. 

That same year the Tron foundation acquired Bit Torrent, the biggest file-sharing site on the internet. In 2019, the platform launched the Bittorrent token, essentially releasing a second token under the same umbrella company. 

The aim behind the platform was to provide developers with a space in which they can create blockchain-based products, as well as better reward content creators for their efforts. The Tron network allows viewers to directly reward the creators using the TRX token, cutting out the middle-media-man and subsequent losses. 

With a higher TPS (transaction per second) processing capability, Tron establishes itself above its peers. According to the platform, Tron can handle up to 2,000 TPS, a high increase from the likes of Bitcoin’s 6 TPS and Ethereum’s 25 TPS.

Who created the Tron network?

The Tron power concept was created and launched by Tron founder Justin Sun (Sun Yuchen), a two-time recipient of the “30 Under 30” Forbes’ accolade. Before Tron, Sun launched an audio content platform Peiwo and worked as a representative for Ripple where he earned the attention of big investors.

Justin Sun is currently acting as the CEO of the Tron Foundation.

How does the Tron protocol works?

The Tron platform uses a DPoS model and consists of three layers: the core layer, the application layer and the storage layer. 

The Core Layer is responsible for computing instructions written in either Java or Solidity (the programming language Ethereum uses) and sending them to the Tron Virtual Machine which in turn executes the function.

The Application Layer is used by developers and allows them to create apps and wallets compatible with the relevant software and powered by TRX. 

The Storage Layer is designed to divide the state data (the data that maintains the status of smart contracts) and the blockchain data (the data that holds the transactional history).  

Through the DPoS system, 27 “super representatives” on the network take turns to validate the transactions and maintain the blockchain data. These representatives are chosen every 6 hours and when chosen earn TRX for their contributions to the network. 

Users can vote for super representatives and engage in staking by locking their TRX in an account and receiving Tron Power in return. Tron Power can then be used to vote for the super representatives, and when returned to TRX, lose the ability to vote. 

Block creation time on the Tron network is three seconds, with the current block reward set at 32 TRX. 

There are also three different nodes that users are able to operate: witness nodes, full nodes and Solidity nodes. Witness nodes can vote on protocol decisions and propose blocks, full nodes are responsible for broadcasting transactions and blocks to the network while Soliditiy nodes sync the blocks from the full nodes and provide APIs. 

What is TRX?

TRX is the native token to the Tron network. Initially created as an ERC-20 token, when the coin was launched on the Tron network holders of the ERC-20 version were able to swap them out and receive the new version. All ERC-20 tokens were then burnt. 

TRX is needed for using applications on the Tron network, staking, and participating in Tron’s consensus system

How can i buy Tron?

If you’d like to get your hands on TRX you will soon be able do so conveniently through your Tap app. In a recent onboarding of cryptocurrencies, Tap will soon be including TRX in its portfolio, allowing users to easily invest and hold the token through several convenient payment options. 

FAQs

What is the Tron foundation?

The Tron Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Singapore that is responsible for developing and providing software solutions to the Tron ecosystem.

What is Tron power?

Tron Power is an energy/bandwidth rental and investment platform for the Tron community.

What is the TRX supply?

There is no cap on the TRX token supply, at the time of writing the circulating supply of TRX tokens is 92.5 billion.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Chain (XCN) on Tap!

XCN is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold XCN for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting XCN will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Founded in 2014, Chain provides organisations with the infrastructure they need to build better financial services from scratch. The Chain token (XCN) is a utility and governance token for the Chain Protocol that allows its holder to vote on protocol improvements and various community-driven programs. XCN can be used for premium access, discounts, and payment of commercial fees on Sequence and other Chain ecosystem products.

Get to learn more about XCN in our dedicated article here.

The DeFi scene has exploded in recent years, with a number of successful protocols contributing to the rising volume and liquidity (Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and SushiSwap to name a few). While these protocols have entirely democratized trading in the crypto space, there are still some risks associated with getting involved. 

If you have experience in DeFi trading you’ve likely come across this term. Impermanent loss refers to losses made as a result of the price changes of the digital assets from when the liquidity provider deposited them into the liquidity pool to now. Below we break down how impermanent loss happens and how to manage the risk. 

How does impermanent loss happen?

Impermanent loss is when the price of the digital asset changes from the time you deposited it, providing liquidity to a liquidity pool, to the time you withdrew it. The bigger this change, the bigger the loss (essentially less dollar value at the time of withdrawal). There are of course ways to mitigate impermanent loss.

Liquidity providers' exposure to impermanent loss is decreased when trading in pools with assets that have smaller price ranges, like stablecoins (a stable asset) and wrapped versions of coins for example. In these cases, liquidity providers can provide liquidity with a lower risk of impermanent loss.

In some cases, impermanent loss can also be counteracted by trading fees. Liquidity pools exposed to a high risk of impermanent loss can still be profitable thanks to lucrative trading fees. 

For example, Uniswap offers liquidity providers 0.3% on every trade, so if the pool has a high trading volume, liquidity providers can still make money even if exposed to impermanent loss. This will depend on the protocol, deposited assets, specific pool, and wider market conditions. 

What does impermanent loss looks like for liquidity providers in liquidity pools?

Here is an example of what impermanent loss might look like for a liquidity provider trading on automated market makers (AMM).

Say John finds an automated market maker that requires a pair of digital assets equating to the same value. For the sake of this example, say 1 ETH is equivalent to 1,000 USDT, which he deposits in a liquidity pool. The total value of his deposit, therefore, sits at $2,000. 

Other liquidity providers have contributed a combined offering of 10 ETH and 10,000 USDT into the liquidity pool, meaning that John holds a 10% share of the overall liquidity pool. 

Let's say that the price of ETH rises to 4,000 USDT. During this time, arbitrage traders will contribute USDT to the liquidity pool and remove ETH until the ratio reflects the price increase. Note that AMMs don't have order books. Instead, the price of assets is determined by the ratio between them in the liquidity pool, meaning that while the liquidity remains constant, the ratio of assets in it changes. 

In this case, if the price of ETH is now worth 4,000 USDT then the arbitrage traders will work to ensure that the liquidity pool now holds 5 ETH and 20,000 USDT. The liquidity pool's total liquidity is now worth $40,000.

If John decides to withdraw his funds, he's entitled to 10% of the liquidity pool's share based on his initial deposit and the size of the liquidity pool. He, therefore, is entitled to withdraw 0.5 ETH and 2,000 USDT, equating to $4,000 in value. However, if he'd kept the initial 1 ETH and 1,000 USDT this would be worth $5,000 now. 

In this case, John would have made bigger returns had he hodled instead of using the liquidity pool and this is what impermanent loss is all about. 

This example does not incorporate trading fees that John might have earned for providing liquidity to the liquidity pool. In many cases, these fees would cancel out the losses and make the process profitable. Either way, understanding what impermanent loss is, is imperative before providing liquidity in the DeFi space.

A look at impermanent loss vs price increases (excl trading fees)

So, impermanent loss happens when the price of the cryptocurrency assets in the liquidity pool changes. But how much is it exactly? Note that it doesn’t account for fees earned for providing liquidity.

Here is an overview of the impermanent losses incurred due to asset price increases (note that trading fees are not factored in here).  Impermanent loss examples:

1.25x price change = 0.6% loss

1.50x price change = 2.0% loss

1.75x price change = 3.8% loss

2x price change = 5.7% loss

3x price change = 13.4% loss

4x price change = 20.0% loss

5x price change = 25.5% loss

Note that impermanent loss happens whether the price both increases or decreases as it is calculated by the price ratio relative to the time of the initial deposit into the liquidity pool. Unfortunately in these cases, price volatility leads liquidity providers to lose money.

The risks associated with becoming a liquidity provider

Realistically, impermanent loss isn't the best name. The losses are known as "impermanent" because they only become evident when you withdraw your coins from the liquidity pool. However, the "temporary loss" then becomes pretty permanent. Although the fees might be able to compensate for those losses, it does seem like a somewhat deceptive title.

When you put cryptocurrency assets into an AMM, be cautious. Some liquidity pools are far more vulnerable to fleeting losses than others, as we've discussed above. As a general rule, the more volatile the assets in the liquidity pool are, the greater your chance of being exposed to impermanent loss. It's also preferable to start by depositing a little bit of money in a liquidity pool to see the returns before exposing a lump sum. 

Another thing to keep in mind is to look for more established, tried-and-true AMMs. It's fairly simple to fork an existing AMM and make a few modifications thanks to DeFi. However, this might introduce bugs that lock your funds in the liquidity pool indefinitely. If a liquidity pool promises exceptionally high returns, there's more than likely a tradeoff taking place and there's likely to be much higher risk associated. Be sure to understand the ins and outs of any liquidity pool before making any deposits.

The three core questions to ask yourself before investing are:

• What do you aim to achieve from each investment?
• How much money can you safely invest?
• How much risk are you prepared to take?

Establishing the answers early on will help you determine which investment avenues are best suited to your needs. For instance, investing for retirement will require a more steady and low-risk approach, while looking to make high profits will require a more high-risk approach. 

Below is a list of other factors to consider:

INFLATION

Inflation is the rate at which the value of a currency decreases. Always ensure your return on investment is higher than the inflation rate otherwise your investment will lose value over time. 

RISK

Managing risk is an important element of investing. Higher returns typically involve higher risk, ensuring that your strategies align with what you are comfortable with is a must. 

LIQUIDITY

Liquidity indicates how quickly an asset can be sold. For investments made using capital that you might require in the short term, you will want to ensure that you invest in a market that has high liquidity. For example, the Bitcoin market is highly liquid while a smaller altcoin will likely be harder to sell. 

DIVERSIFICATION

Diversifying your investments helps to manage risk and spread rewards. Similar to “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, diversification ensures that should one coin underperform the impact is greatly reduced. Try to include a range of coins in your portfolio. 

TAX

Last but not least, ensure that you are aware of the tax implications of your investment, as tax laws vary from country to country. The responsibility lies with each individual to establish what these are and adhere to them accordingly. 

BitDAO is building a decentralized token economy open to everybody. Managed by BIT token holders and one of the largest decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs),  BitDAO is committed to growing the DeFi ecosystem through partner projects and a decentralized economy.

What Is BitDAO?

BitDAO aims to create an accessible tokenized economy that provides support, such as research and development, liquidity bootstrapping and funding, to a wide range of partner projects across the DeFi, DAO, NFT and gaming space. Through co-development offers and token swaps, BitDAO aims to attract developer talent and build a sustainable treasury of top crypto coins. 

BitDAO's ultimate goal is to create products that will not only improve BitDAO's efficiency and effectiveness, but also other DAOs. The core product comprises a series of both on-chain and off-chain governance solutions and products; with the latter, DAO treasury management would be able to deploy and monitor assets in order to earn yield.

Moreover, BitDAO plans on providing grants to different teams within the crypto industry for research or development purposes, all of which are voted on by members and given for the public good of cryptocurrency communities worldwide.

Through its DAO structure, the company does not rely on a traditional hierarchy to operate, instead, it is run by a group of token holders that contribute to the platform's development. Token holders are then rewarded in BIT tokens for participating. 

Changes to the BitDAO protocol are proposed to the BIT token holders who then have the power to vote on whether these changes are implemented or rejected. While the platform's vision has been outlined, where it ends up will be decided on by governance suggestions and forum participation. 

To sum it up, the people who hold BitDAO's tokens, investors, and members of its community will help shape BitDAO's vision which includes dedicating both financial and human resources to support DeFi's development.

What is the BitDAO Treasury?

Controlled by BIT token holders, the BitDAO Treasury is responsible for allocating funds as per decisions made by BIT token holders. The BitDAO Treasury also undertakes token swaps with emerging and existing projects with the intention to support them and incentivize the project's contribution to their success.

The BitDAO Treasury allocation was 30% of the projects initial 10 billion BIT total supply. Monthly contributions from Bybit and varying contributions from DeFi partners, determined by smart contracts, also contribute to the DAO treasury management solutions.

Who created the BitDAO platform?

In a unique move, the BitDAO platform has no founders. While being supported by big names such as Bybit, Peter Thiel, Pantera, Founders Fund and more, the project is entirely run by contributors holding BIT tokens. Bybit is recorded as being an early contributor and is believed to have contributed over $1 billion in funding to the initiative.

Taking the notion of decentralization to a new level, the project has no teams, leaders or companies behind its operations. All changes are proposed by individuals within the community and then voted on by BIT token holders.

How do the BitDAO core protocols work?

BitDAO is governed and administered by the holders of BIT tokens. It works on the DAO mechanism, a common governance structure within the crypto space. The DAO framework gives BIT token holders power over BitDAO decisions and actions through a system of voting on proposals.

The platform supports the following measures, which will only be executed if the proposal receives a positive vote through the DAO system.

• Financing or milestone development grants for development teams and R&D centers who create BitDAO solutions or assist partnered existing and emerging projects.
• Upgrades to BitDAO's fundamental protocols, notably governance and treasury management.
• Token swaps for current and new initiatives.
• The Treasury will deploy funds based on various tactics.
• Grants will be made available for blockchain technology projects, educational programs, as well as other services related to blockchain.
• Support in the way of cash flow through existing assets will be provided to partner initiatives.

There are three ways to get involved with BitDAO: contributing to the project, becoming a partner, or holding the tokens. Contributors and partners can be any DeFi or CeFi project looking to build the BitDAO ecosystem while token holders are considered to "own" the platform as they have the power to recommend and vote on BitDAO's growth strategies as well as the allocation of BitDAO's treasury resources.

Non-token holders are defined as community members and can have their say through the forum and social media channels. Here they can pitch their ideas, which BIT token holders can then choose to embrace. 

What is the BIT token?

The BIT token is the native token of the BitDAO ecosystem. The governance token allows for off-chain vote aggregation and delegated voting and provides the opportunity for switching to on-chain governance in the future. The BIT token can best be compared to the COMP token in the Compound Finance ecosystem. 

There is a maximum supply of 10,000,000,000 BIT tokens, with the BitDAO Treasury allocation accounting for 30% of these. Token holders technically possess these treasury tokens based on their share of BIT. I.e. if someone holds 10% of the total BIT supply, they have ownership of 10% of the Treasury's 30% supply, equating to an additional 1%. 

How BIT token holders can leverage Tap

You can now easily incorporate BitDAO (BIT) into your crypto portfolio by using the Tap app. The Tap app has recently added BIT to the list of supported crypto tokens, allowing anyone to conveniently and securely access the BitDAO market and safely store their BIT tokens.

Users can buy BitDAO (BIT) with fiat currency or engage in token swaps with other supported cryptocurrencies on the platform, or they can use traditional payment methods like bank transfers. The integrated wallets on the platform also make it easy for users to store and manage their BIT cryptocurrency.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of BitDao (BIT) on Tap !

BIT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold BIT for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting BIT will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

BitDAO is building a decentralized token economy open to everybody. Managed by BIT token holders and one of the largest decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs),  BitDAO is committed to growing the DeFi ecosystem through partner projects and a decentralized economy.

BitDAO is governed and administered by the holders of BIT tokens. It works on the DAO mechanism, a common governance structure within the crypto space. The DAO framework gives BIT token holders power over BitDAO decisions and actions through a system of voting on proposals.

Get to know more about BitDao (BIT) in our dedicated article here.

You’ve probably heard whispers about the "whales" swimming in the crypto seas. But these aren’t your typical marine mammals – they’re the ultra-wealthy folks and organizations holding massive amounts of digital currency.

What Exactly is a Crypto Whale?

So, what makes someone a crypto whale? There’s no hard-and-fast rule, but it generally comes down to owning a huge chunk of a coin’s total supply. We’re talking over 10% of the available coins for a particular cryptocurrency. That’s an ocean-sized wallet!

Take Bitcoin, for example. In May 2022, just four wallets controlled over 3% of all Bitcoin in existence. The top 100 wallets? They collectively held over 15%. Now that’s some serious whale power!

Bitcoin isn’t the only one with its share of whales. Dogecoin, the beloved meme coin, had a pretty wild concentration too. In 2022, just 15 addresses held nearly 52% of its total supply. Even Vitalik Buterin, the mastermind behind Ethereum, is considered an Ether whale thanks to his massive stake in the coin he created.

How Whales Make Waves

With that kind of buying power, whales can really make waves in the crypto marketplace. If a whale decides to sell off a giant chunk of their holdings, it creates a tidal wave of downward pressure on prices due to the sheer volume and lack of liquidity. Other crypto enthusiasts are always on the lookout for signs of an impending "whale dump," closely monitoring exchange inflows to spot potential dangers.

Here’s the twist, though – whales keeping their coins locked away actually reduces trading liquidity in the market since there are fewer coins actively circulating. Their massive idle fortunes are like icebergs weighing down the crypto ocean.

Tracking Whale Movements

Not every whale transaction is a sell-off. These giants could simply be migrating to new wallets, switching exchanges, or making monster-sized purchases. But you can bet experienced crypto folks keep a keen eye on those huge whale wallets, carefully tracking any ripples they make to navigate the ever-shifting tides of the market.

Whale Alert is a popular service that tracks these large transactions and reports them, often on Twitter. Whenever a whale makes a big move, it’s usually publicized quickly, giving everyone a heads-up on potential market changes.

Below is an example from Twitter from Whale Alert:

The Human Side of Whales

Behind these massive holdings are real people and organizations. Some whales are early adopters who bought into Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies when they were cheap. Others are companies that have invested heavily in the belief that cryptocurrencies will continue to grow in value. For instance, Ethereum’s founder, Vitalik Buterin, is the biggest Ethereum whale because he holds a significant amount of the cryptocurrency he created.

How whales affect crypto's price

Price volatility can be increased by whales, particularly when they move a significant amount of one cryptocurrency in one go. For example, when an owner tries to sell their BTC for fiat currency, the lack of liquidity and enormous transaction size create downward pressure on Bitcoin's price. When whales sell, other investors become extremely vigilant, looking for hints of whether the whale is "dumping" their crypto (and whether they should do the same). 

The exchange inflow mean, also known as the average amount of a certain cryptocurrency deposited into exchanges, is one of the most common indicators crypto investors look for. If the mean transaction volume rises above 2.0, it implies that whales are likely to start dumping if there are a large number of them using the exchange. This can be viewed by regular crypto traders as a time to act before losing any potential profit.

How whales effect liquidity

When it comes to learning about whales and liquidity, one must remember that while whales are generally considered neutral elements in the industry, when a large number of whales hold a particular cryptocurrency, instead of using it, this reduces the liquidity in the market due to there being fewer coins available. 

What crypto whales mean to investors

In terms of the relationship between whales and investors, one must remember that there are various situations in which a person may transfer their cryptocurrency holdings. It's worth mentioning that moving one's assets doesn't always indicate that you're selling them; they might be switching wallets or exchanges, or making a major purchase.

Occasionally, whales may sell portions of their holdings in discrete transactions over a longer period to avoid drawing attention to themselves or generating market anomalies that send the price up or down unpredictably. This is why investors keep an eye on known whale addresses to check for the number of transactions and value. This is not necessarily a task that newbie investors need to actively be involved with, however, understanding the terms and how whale accounts can affect the market is recommended.

Why Whales Matter

Whether you love them or hate them, whales are a formidable force in the crypto world, shaping its dynamics in profound ways. These giants, whether they’re creators, collectors, or traders, have a tremendous impact across the digital waters. When they make a move, it can trigger monumental swells that ripple through the entire market.

By understanding whale activity, anyone involved in cryptocurrency can better navigate these choppy waters. Staying informed about whale movements helps both newbies and seasoned traders make smarter decisions and stay afloat in this ever-changing space. Keep an eye on these behemoths; their actions can significantly influence your crypto journey.

While tracking whale activity can offer valuable insights into the cryptocurrency market, it's important to complement this knowledge with expert advice. Consulting with a financial advisor can help you navigate the complexities of investing and ensure your strategies align with your personal financial goals and risk tolerance.

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We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Synthetix (SNX) on Tap!

SNX is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold SNX for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting SNX will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Synthetix is a groundbreaking decentralized asset protection protocol that permits users to mint, hold, and trade derivatives across different asset classes such as commodities, fiat currencies, stocks, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Synthetix provides a decentralized, permissionless, and censorship-resistant platform that allows users to gain exposure to both crypto and non-crypto assets without the need for ownership of these assets. This enables anyone with an interest in DeFi to join the industry through the use of synthetix assets regardless of whether they hold the actual assets or not.

Get to know more about Syntheticx (SNX) in our dedicated article here.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Chiliz (CHZ) on Tap!

CHZ is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold CHZ for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting CHZ will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Chiliz is a fintech company that uses blockchain technology to create new ways for fans to support and engage directly with their favorite sports teams. The company's goal is to be the leading provider of fintech solutions for sports and entertainment businesses around the world. Chiliz enables its users to trade tokens to show their support for professional sports teams.

Chiliz fans can buy their favorite team's Fan Tokens using the native Chiliz token " CHZ " on socios.com, the crowd management platform that Chiliz uses. Sports fans staking $CHZ on Socios.com also have opportunity to receive new Fan tokens as well as a up to 10% $CHZ bonus yield.

As we move into a more digital world with enhanced security systems, so too are hackers and fraudsters. With millions of dollars lost each year at the hands of these ill actors, in this article we take a look at the 5 most common crypto scams and how to spot them. The financial world need not be a scary place, with a few precautions in place you can bank on being able to avoid them.

What is a crypto scam?

A crypto scam is a type of investment fraud revolving around cryptocurrencies. According to a report by Chainalysis, a record-breaking $14 billion of crypto was stolen last year through crypto scams. While there are many different types of crypto scams, of which we'll explore 5 below, the common thread is that crypto is wrongfully taken from a user through fraudulent activities. 

The biggest crypto scam of recent times was in late 2020 when people hacked into the Twitter accounts of high profile individuals and claimed that should someone send Bitcoin or Ethereum to an address they will receive twice the value back. These accounts included the likes of Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Joe Biden. 

The top 5 most common crypto scams

While there are an infinite amount of crypto scams out there, below we are highlighting the 5 most common ones.

Fake crypto exchanges

These types of exchanges provide a buy/sell platform on which users can trade cryptocurrency, however, once they have deposited the funds they cannot withdraw any money. These funds might still appear on the platform although the money is long gone. 

Always read the reviews of a platform, and do your own research before depositing money anywhere. 

Ponzi schemes

Ponzi schemes might have started in the late 1800s but they're still here. The scheme works in such a way that each member earns rewards by recruiting new members, whose money is then used to pay off older members. This eventually reaches a saturation point after which it collapses. 

Always do your due diligence and ensure that the scheme you're investing in is solid. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Fake investment schemes

Be wary of an investment opportunity promising to deliver unbelievable gains. This might be in the form of depositing funds on a platform only to lose the money or struggle to withdraw it at a later stage. These are often circulated through well-known publications or on social media with celebrities "endorsing" the products. 

Pump and dumps also fall into this category. These schemes are created when a large group of people decide to invest in a coin, only to drive up the prices and cash out at the top. Many people are then left with a worthless coin at the end, having lost their investment. 

Imitating a crypto exchange

Similar to the concept of phishing, someone might create a social media account of a big exchange and contact the user "on behalf of the company". This is intended to gain your trust and is either done in an attempt to gain your passwords, or with a message that you owe large amounts in tax which needs to be paid in Bitcoin immediately to avoid imprisonment. 

Never follow links in an email, rather access the site from your own browser directly and be sure to check the URL. Successful scams of this nature often have a small typo in the URL which goes unnoticed. 

Malware & ransomware

The malware allows scammers to gain access to your computer, either locking you out of files or stealing credit card or crypto address details. With this information, they can drain your accounts in minutes. 

Ransomware works slightly differently in that the scammers lock the entire computer and demand a ransom to gain access again. This is often paired with blackmail where the victim, and in some cases organizations, are threatened that if they don't pay sensitive information will be released. A lot of victims in this situation manage to get out of it unharmed.

These might sound very scary, but should you maintain safe online protocols and check URLs before entering your details, they should be entirely avoided. 

5 tips on how to avoid crypto scams

These might sound obvious but it never hurts to read them again. Below are 5 tips on how to stay vigilant and avoid crypto scams entirely.

• Be wary of phone calls and emails claiming to be from exchanges and never click the links from them. 
• Never give your password, private key or security codes to anyone.
• Never give someone remote access to your device.
• Look out for social media accounts imitating legal firms or exchanges or a prominent person in the industry. Support will never contact you from a social media account.
• And lastly, if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is. 

Easily avoided, comfortably secure

We hope this information assists you in keeping your data and money secure online, proper security is always imperative when using payment methods or services on the internet. As technology evolves, so too must our security systems and vigilance. With these tips above you should be well on your way to spotting something that doesn't quite look right, and avoiding crypto scam.

You might have come across the term p.a. in traditional investment cycles, but how does it relate to crypto? In this article, we’re breaking down what p.a. means, how to get in on it and how it relates to the crypto industry. 

What does P.A. mean?

P.a. is an investment term that stands for per annum. This refers to the interest an investor can gain over a year's period and provides insight into the yields that the investment will generate. This is calculated on a simple basis and not compound. 

You might see digital wallet platforms offering reward rates of 8% p.a. Or 14% p.a., this tells the potential investor that the platform will provide 8% of the initial investment, over a 12 month period. 

PA can also stand for price action, a popular term used on crypto Twitter. In this piece we're focusing on the annual interest rates version.

How can users make money with crypto assets?

There are several ways in with industry participants can earn cryptocurrency. Below we outline the most widely used, and safest options. Be sure to check each option with the relevant blockchain network as these will differ from network to network.

Crypto Mining

Crypto mining can be a lucrative means of generating a passive income, however, the costs might run high depending on where you live and what cryptocurrency you are mining. Each network has its own way of minting new coins, which require different hardware and electricity means. 

Bitcoin, for instance, is a Proof of Work network that requires miners to use large amounts of energy as they race to finish a complex cryptographic puzzle. The first to complete this is rewarded with mining the next block and receiving the associated payoffs. 

Bitcoin requires a large amount of electricity, not practical in areas with high electricity costs, and either a graphics processing unit (GPU) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which can also be costly. 

If you wish to get involved with mining cryptocrrencies be sure to do adequate research on what will be required and what income this could generate before investing any money. 

Crypto Staking

Crypto staking is an alternative minting solution for Proof of Stake networks, such as Cardano and soon-to-be Ethereum. Crypto staking requires users putting their funds in a smart contract usually for a predetermined lock up period to confirm transactions on the network. This will typically require a minimum amount, so as to ensure that individuals hold a “stake” in the network and will act on good intentions. 

When crypto traders stake the minimum balance, a node will deposit these funds into a staking pool on the network, similar to a deposit. The bigger the stake, the higher the chances of that user, now referred to as a node, being chosen to verify transactions. When the node is chosen to confirm transactions, they will create a new block and receive a reward for adding it to the blockchain.

Reward rates are specific to each blockchain network so be sure to check the details relevant to platform on which you wish to stake. As a security mechanism, the staked coin in the network is typically taken away if the node acts with ill intent.

Passive Income

There are a number of crypto initiatives that allow users to earn passive income through their crypto assets. These work in a similar way to holding funds in a wallet, however, these wallets will likely be on a cryptocurrency exchange or DeFi wallet and the user will typically not be able to access the funds for a certain period of time. 

Over the duration the user will earn interest as stipulated in the initial agreement. Note that p.a. Values are subject to change with market fluctuations, rising when prices rise and falling when an asset’s price takes a dip. This typically works in the same way as a savings account.

Its worth noting that the onus lies on the traders to pay taxes on any income generated. It is important to check the crypto specific tax laws in your region.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for communication purposes only, you should not consider any such information, opinions, or other material as financial advice.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Lido (LDO) on Tap!

LDO is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold LDO for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting LDO will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Lido's liquid staking service allows users to tap into the benefits of staking rewards without compromising their tokens' liquidity. Lido aims to empower users to put their staked assets to use, supporting a number of PoS cryptocurrencies. The platform offers a liquid staking solution that provides users with a system that allows them to earn rewards on staked coins while also receiving a tokenized version of the staked coins which can generate returns in other DeFi protocols.

The Lido DAO token (LDO) is an ERC-20 token, the native utility token to the Lido protocol used to reward users. The token has a total supply of 1 billion tokens and serves three primary functions.

The LDO token grants holders with governance rights in the operations of the Lido DAO, as well as the removal or addition of Lido node operators and helping with the management of fee parameters and distribution.

Get to know more about Lido (LDO) in our dedicated article here.

Decentralized Finance, or DeFi, opens up a whole world of financial services for you, ranging from straightforward banking services to complex financial instruments similar to those used by hedge funds and investment bankers. But here’s the twist: it all operates with cryptocurrencies instead of traditional cash.

In DeFi, you can stake your cryptocurrency in what are called smart contracts, which essentially means locking up your funds to earn interest, known as Annual Percentage Yield (APY). As a token of appreciation for staking your funds and providing liquidity, DeFi projects grant you special project-specific tokens. These tokens aren’t just a thank-you note—they give you a say in the project’s future decisions and carry some speculative value too.

Before we get started, let us first address several terms you are likely to come across in this piece:

• Financial institutions are your traditional banks
• Centralized exchanges are crypto exchanges that are operated by a managing company
• Decentralized exchanges are crypto exchanges that are not managed by one company and typically work in a peer-to-peer manner.
• DeFi is decentralized finance and refers to the industry in which regular users can engage various financial services requiring only an internet connection.

How smart contracts work in the DeFi space

A smart contract is a digital agreement that automatically executes once the predetermined criteria have been met. These computer codes are facilitated by blockchain technology and rely on the blockchain that they are built on. 

At the moment, your bank account from financial institutions might give you the right to a certain amount of monthly interest at a fixed rate. The deal is reached through a formal application procedure - which can take many days - that is handled by a mix of people and software and is acknowledged in writing. Once successful, the bank account is opened and you have access to the services.

A smart contract, on the other hand, uses a programming language (e.g. Solidity on Ethereum) to map out the mathematical aspects of an agreement - how much interest is due when and where it should be paid - while the underlying Ethereum blockchain executes the contract for a fee, making it transparent and unchangeable.

The ups and downs of the DeFi ecosystem

owever, it’s not all smooth sailing. DeFi can offer higher returns than traditional banks, which is quite appealing, but it also comes with higher risks. For instance, if something goes wrong with a smart contract, or you lose access to your private keys, there’s no safety net to catch you.

To dip your toes into DeFi waters, you’ll need a digital wallet like MetaMask and some funds from a cryptocurrency exchange. Once you’re set up, you can participate in various DeFi activities like lending or staking, each with its own set of fees depending on the network you’re using.

Additionally to the higher returns, DeFi tokens have also seen a rise in value, with some entering the top 20 and top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies based on market cap.

Furthermore, the value of DeFi tokens has surged, with some climbing into the top ranks of cryptocurrencies by market cap. This growth indicates a strong interest and a robust market presence, which can be exciting for anyone involved in the space.

However, it's not all smooth sailing. DeFi comes with its own risks that you should be aware of. For instance, executing smart contracts can get pricey, especially during times of network congestion. If you're looking to cut down on fees, you might want to explore alternatives to popular platforms like Ethereum, which can be more cost-effective.

Also, not all smart contracts are built the same. Some may have vulnerabilities that could put your funds at risk if not properly managed or if an error in the contract execution occurs. This highlights the importance of being careful with where and how you invest your digital assets.

Moreover, the decentralized nature of these platforms means that you’re in full control—which sounds great until you realize there is no safety net. If you lose access to your private key or make a transaction mistake, there's no customer service line to call for a do-over.

Ensure you vet various DeFi protocols before engaging

In general, more established Defi protocols with a higher total value of assets secured within them (also referred to as Total Value Locked, TVL) are safer. This is due to the fact that their code has been more thoroughly audited and "battle-tested".

Newer platforms will typically offer higher APYs in order to entice investors and build up liquidity. While this may sound lucrative, always ensure that you've done your research in order to understand exactly how the protocol operates and who is behind the project. 

Here are a few things to look out for:

• Has the protocol's code been professionally audited? 
• How long has the project been live?
• What is the platform's TLV? (The higher the better)

Finding your top Defi protocol

There are a number of "well-established" DeFi platforms that have proven reliable and trustworthy in recent years. While the risks are still prevalent, these are the most established options when looking to enter the DeFi space with the leading DeFi protocols.

Aave

Compound

Maker

Yearn Finance

How to use DeFi protocols (Get started in DeFi)

Jumping into the world of DeFi protocols can be quite an adventure. Here’s a simple guide on how to get started :

First, you'll need a digital wallet, and MetaMask is a popular choice. It's user-friendly and a common gateway for engaging with DeFi platforms.

Once you have your digital wallet, you'll need to move your cryptocurrencies into it. This is usually done through a transfer from a centralized exchange. For example, if you have a Tap wallet, you can transfer Ethereum (ETH) or other supported assets directly into your MetaMask wallet. Remember, DeFi protocols operate with cryptocurrencies, not traditional bank funds.

With your wallet set up and your funds in place, you can connect to any DeFi application that interests you. You can then engage with various features of the platform, such as depositing funds into a lending protocol. Keep in mind that actions like depositing, staking, unstaking, or withdrawing will typically involve network fees, which vary by blockchain.

That’s all there is to it! With these steps, you can start exploring the different functionalities and opportunities within DeFi at your own pace.

Understanding the risks associated with DeFi

While we've stressed that using tried and tested DeFi platforms provide a higher level of security, there are still risks associated with the DeFi space.

Below are some more steps you can do in order to secure your cryptocurrency assets and decrease the chance of losing your funds.

• Consider insurance, look into options for insuring your assets to help mitigate potential losses.
• Research the team behind the project, do your due diligence.
• Familiarize yourself with the platform's operations and features. For instance, if a platform advertises a certain return rate, such as 10% APY, delve into how they achieve those figures.
• Don’t commit more than you can afford to lose

Decentralized finance is one of the most innovative and promising areas in cryptocurrency. It is also a harsh environment, however, that demands some expertise before stepping in.

Before you place any funds into Defi protocols and become one of the many liquidity providers, ensure that you've fully vetted the project and considered the pros and cons of what it has to offer. Also ensure that you understand how the platform operates.

The DeFi space can be both lucrative and devastating, it is complex and requires a good amount of know-how. If you wish to get involved, take the time to really understand both the opportunities and the challenges it presents first. This way, you can engage with DeFi more cautiously and equipped with the necessary knowledge. And remember with Defi everything is at your own risk.
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The Lightning Network is a second layer solution that enables Bitcoin users to make fast and cheap transactions without compromising on security. The layer two technology allows users to enjoy the benefits of both the Bitcoin and Lightning Network layers simultaneously. Learn more about the Lightning Network solution below.

The Bitcoin trilemma

In order to compete with other payment channels like Visa, the Bitcoin network must be able to process transactions much faster and at a fraction of the cost. However, this scaling cannot come at the expense of decentralization or security.

The "Bitcoin trilemma" is a term used to outline the conflict between these three principles, scaling, security, and decentralization. 

The aim of Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, and other forks was to increase the block size in order to make Bitcoin transactions faster and more affordable on-chain.

However, these attempts failed to produce an effective method to transact quickly and inexpensively on-chain while still maintaining Satoshi's design. Hence, the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

The lightning network payment channels solution

Is it possible for the Bitcoin network to have it both ways, to keep its original architecture while also functioning as a fast micropayments network? The answer is yes, and thanks to the advent of Lightning Network transactions, Bitcoin can be used for everyday transactions like paying for a cup of coffee.

The Lightning Network is a type of layer two solution that is compatible with the Bitcoin service. This off-chain solution was first conceptualized in 2015 by Joseph Poon and Thaddeus Dryja.

The Lightning Network works by removing the burden of micropayments from the Bitcoin blockchain and instead utilizes multiple payment channels, which are controlled via multi-signature (multi-sig) Lightning Network wallets.

Why the lightning network?

How quickly can the Bitcoin network process transactions? Bitcoin is presently capable of processing between 2 and 7 transactions per second.

Visa, the current payment channel that drives your debit and credit card transactions, handles 150 million transactions each day, that's 24,000 transactions per second.

In order to make Bitcoin a competitive service to Visa, the Lightning Network needs to be implemented. This channel ensures that micropayments are instantly and cost-effectively executed, and is able to process thousands to hundreds of thousands of transactions instantly. 

The core concepts of how the Lightning Network works.

So how does the Lightning Network work? This layer 2 solution works on top of the Bitcoin blockchain, allowing thousands of micropayments to be executed at one time. This lowers the costs and increases the transaction speed of the initial transaction. There are three core components of the Lightning Network: the nodes, channels, and invoices. 

Lightning Network Nodes

This software connects with other nodes in order to form a network that connects to the Lightning Network to facilitate the sending and receiving of Bitcoin. 

Lightning Network Channel

Users of the Lightning Network establish payment channels with one another so that they may conduct transactions off-chain, which can then be settled (closed) on the mainchain (on-chain).

Invoices

Invoices are QR codes that represent requests for Lightning Network payments on the Lightning Network. Invoices include all of the data necessary to complete a payment on the network, such as the payment amount, which blockchain the invoice is associated with, expiration date, payee pubkey, routing hints, and other information.

How to use the lightning network

In order to make use of the Bitcoin Lightning Network, you will need to open a compatible Lightning Network wallet. Once you have downloaded and signed up for the wallet, you will need to send funds. Simply locate the wallet address of the Lightning Network-enabled wallet and send the funds via your normal payment channel. Once the funds appear in your wallet, you can then send transactions via the Lightning Network to other enabled wallets.

Anyone that has been watching the markets closely for the last several months will have noticed a definite chill in the air (not to mention a decline in their money). As the bears become more prominent, weak hands are losing faith and exiting the market. Why are we talking about a cryptocurrency winter now? Before we firmly declare this to be a crypto winter, let's explore the recent dips of the digital asset market and what previous crypto winters have detailed. 

What is a cryptocurrency winter?

A cryptocurrency winter is a term used in the crypto market to describe a long term bear market. A bear market is classified as a declining market where shares have fallen below 20%. Investors typically call it a crypto winter when the markets have struggled to reclaim highs previously witnessed (usually right before the winter set in). Does that mean cryptocurrency investors should take out their snow shoes? Metaphorically, yes. And by snow shoes we mean thick skin and strong hands.

The recent market climate (five month period).

Since reaching its most recent all-time high, Bitcoin has dropped over 40%. After reaching highs of $68,789.63 in November 2021, Bitcoin has gone through a red-tainted slump reaching lows of $33,710 in late January and since recovering to just under the $40,000 mark. 

Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency, has experienced a similar fate, dropping from highs of $4,891 in November 2021 to lows of $2,211 in late January. Ethereum has since corrected to the $2,800 region as it generates interest in its move to a Proof-of-Stake consensus. 

It's no secret that the stock markets have suffered a similar fate in recent months, with seemingly only gold remaining unscathed. Experts have suggested in various articles that the uncertainty in global politics is playing a considerable role in the decline of various markets and businesses.

Buterin confirms a crypto winter

As touched on above, the current ongoing war between Russia & Ukraine has played a large role in driving investors' uncertainty as prices bounce through the highly volatile period. While we've seen an increase in trading volume, there have also been strong price swings.

This paired with the declining prices has led to a downfall in companies and traders entering the market, further fuelling the problem. This has become known in the industry as a crypto winter. 

Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin, recently confirmed the case, although he also highlighted the positives, particularly for those on the development side. He pointed out that crypto winters offer a period of rejuvenation for the industry, allowing unsustainable projects to fall away. 

"They welcome the bear market because when there are these long periods of prices moving up by huge amounts as it does - it does obviously make a lot of people happy - but it does also tend to invite a lot of very short-term speculative attention."

He added that it encompasses a "time when a lot of those applications fall away and you can see which projects are actually long-term sustainable, like both in their models and in their teams and their people." If one factors the development side of things in, we can bank on the industry coming out stronger after this period.

Unwrapping the previous crypto winter

The last crypto winter we experienced took place in 2018 after the highs of December 2017 (when Bitcoin almost reached $20,000). This bear market continued until mid-2019 before it started showing signs of recovery. It wasn't until Bitcoin defied the odds in 2020 and overcame the pandemic that it soared to higher heights, almost triple that of the previous all-time high. 

While losing 40% of its value this season sounds rough, the previous crypto winter saw losses of 84%. As cryptocurrencies further emerge themselves into the mainstream financial markets, many believe it is only a matter of time before the prices enter the green again. Time also tends to play a regulator role when it comes to changing crypto seasons. 

Bitcoin's four year cycle theory

There is a growing belief in the industry that Bitcoin has a definitive four-year cycle of prices rising and falling. This aligns with the halving mechanism which takes effect every 210,000 blocks, or roughly every four years. 

The halving, the last of which took place in May 2020, halves the rewards given to miners for verifying transactions and effectively halves the number of new coins entering circulation. History has shown that a bull run succeeds these events, roughly twelve to eighteen months later. 

Surviving the chill

While many can agree that the crypto winter is upon us, there is no saying how long it might last, or how low it may go. Analysts suggest that traders use the time to sharpen their investment strategies and implement plans of action that keep risk to a minimum. As blockchain and cryptocurrencies have already passed a significant milestone in their adoption, there is no stopping it now. For any traders concerned over the crypto winter, fear not. It will pass. 

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You've likely heard a Bitcoin maximalist tell you that crypto is the future and will eventually replace fiat currencies. While that's unlikely to happen overnight or any time soon, we're exploring the question looking at many factors that will contribute to this tech-forward proposition. 

While investor interest has certainly infiltrated mainstream culture, cryptocurrencies need to overcome several obstacles before they become a viable replacement. The obstacles include practical application, a willingness from merchants to embrace digital currencies, the market's volatility, and usability. Bearing that in mind, there have still been a number of shifts indicating that crypto adoption is certainly on the cards.

El Salvador Legalises Bitcoin

In June 2021, the president of the small Central American country, Nayib Bukele, announced that Bitcoin would officially be accepted as legal tender. The president also announced plans to create a Bitcoin City with the intention of becoming "the financial centre of the world.". 

Rolling out a number of services to support this concept, including a national wallet named Chivo, the endeavour cost a large amount of taxpayers' money, and not all were happy about this. 

On the other hand, Bukele was praised for being a revolutionary in the tech field, and a pioneer in the movement to shift from fiat to crypto. It's worth noting that there were mixed reactions on both sides of the crypto fence, some favouring the movement while others expressed concern over it being too premature. 

New York Mayor Accepts Salary In Crypto

In a move to make New York City the crypto capital of the world, the current mayor, Eric Adams, has stuck to his word and accepted his salary in crypto. As part of his campaign, the politician promised to accept his first three paychecks in cryptocurrency and received his first instalment in a combination of Bitcoin and Ethereum in January. 

Adams has also been vocal about his support for the NYC Coin, a digital currency that would take on similar functions as the Miami Coin released in 2021. Adams confirmed in a statement:

"New York is the centre of the world, and we want it to be the centre of cryptocurrency and other financial innovations. Being on the forefront of such innovation will help us create jobs, improve our economy, and continue to be a magnet for talent from all over the globe."

Rise In CBDCs

Venezuela is another country to adopt a pro-crypto attitude albeit born from less savoury conditions. Following a bout of hyperinflation, many turned to cryptocurrency as an alternative store of value, and as an income source as mining in the area with such low electricity prices was very lucrative. 

This eventually led to the country creating its own digital currency, the Petro, released in 2018. Cryptocurrencies released by the government in this nature are referred to as central bank digital currencies, CBDCs. 

The Bahamas and Nigeria also recently released their pilot central bank digital currencies to test the functionality and national responsiveness of the people. The "Sand Dollar" in The Bahamas is believed to be born from a combination of centralized banks being destroyed by hurricanes and accessibility to money across the various islands. 

Nigeria confirmed that the move was in line with needing a more digital approach to finances as the country has a considerably young population (in 2020, 43% of the population was aged 0 - 14 years).

A number of other countries have also announced plans to "explore" CBDcs, with China also currently rolling out a pilot program in several cities across the country. Decentralized digital currencies play an advantageous role over fiat currencies in countries affected by corruption and with largely remote areas. 

The Future Of Crypto

The future looks bright for the integration of cryptocurrencies into our traditional financial space. While it's unlikely that crypto will entirely replace fiat currencies (anytime soon or ever) it is likely that they can work alongside each other. With the rise in CBDCs around the world and the increase in mainstream crypto integration, the world has certainly taken notice of the vast benefits of using cryptocurrencies and the innovation in the space. 

Tap remains ahead of the curve with its mobile app allowing users to pay for everything using cryptocurrencies from their portfolios. Simply select which cryptocurrency you would like to use and Tap will liquidate it for the local currency of the relevant account and send the required amount of fiat funds without any hassle for you. Simple and efficient, Tap is paving the way for the future. 

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Bitcoin wallets are responsible for not only storing the digital asset but also providing access to the funds and allowing traders to conduct transactions. Whether you're buying Bitcoin for the first time or have been investing in the blockchain-based currency for years, understanding how a Bitcoin wallet works will assist you in developing and improving your trading experience. 

In this guide, we're going to assist you in understanding what a Bitcoin wallet is, how they work, and where you can find the best one in the United Kingdom. Because where you store your money has become part of the Tap services that we offer.

What is a Bitcoin Wallet?

A Bitcoin wallet not only stores your digital asset but also facilitates the sending and receiving of BTC. While traditional wallets simply provide a means to store your money, crypto wallets are a more complex product providing more functionality to the user. The digital wallet connects to the blockchain and enables you to conduct transactions, keeps track of your balance, and acts as a "decentralized bank account". 

There are different types of Bitcoin wallets with some being referred to as hot wallets while others are cold wallets. Hot wallets are simply cryptocurrency wallets that are connected to the internet, while cold wallets are only connected briefly when conducting trades. Wallets connected to the internet are more vulnerable to hacking, hence cold wallets being a more viable option when storing cryptocurrencies long term. 

Cold wallets can come in the form of physical hardware, like a USB device, or merely a piece of paper (known as a paper wallet). Most wallets come free however hardware wallets you will need to purchase. 

How does a Bitcoin wallet work?

As we mentioned earlier, Bitcoin wallets connect to the blockchain of the network. Each wallet is represented by a 26 character alpha-numeric code, known as your public key, which acts as your wallet address allowing anyone to send you Bitcoin and identify you on the blockchain. 

Each wallet also comes with a private key, which is essentially the "pin code" to your wallet. This code gives you access to your wallet, allowing you to access and send crypto, and should not be shared with anyone. If someone were to gain access to your private keys, they would have control over your funds. 

The Bitcoin blockchain uses the public keys to track Bitcoin transactions, with each wallet representing a BTC balance, and the network receiving updated copies of this. So while Bitcoin wallets don't actually "store" the digital currency, they hold a record of the current balance and previous transactions. As BTC is sent and received, the blockchain records and updates the ownership of each cryptocurrency as well as the wallets' balances.

What types of Bitcoin wallets UK are available?

There are several options available for Bitcoin wallets in the UK which we'll take a look at below. Crypto wallets fall into two categories - hot wallets and cold wallets - and will differ for each cryptocurrency. I.e. you cannot store Bitcoin in an Ethereum wallet, as each connects to a different blockchain. Bitcoin must be stored in a Bitcoin wallet and Ethereum in an Ethereum wallet. 

Hot Wallets

Hot wallets are constantly connected to the internet and provide fast access to your Bitcoin portfolio. There are three main types of hot wallets:

• - Desktop wallet, applications on a desktop
• - Mobile wallet, applications on a mobile device
• - Web wallet, applications accessed through a web browser

While these wallets are known to be more vulnerable to hacking, they are the best options for someone looking to day trade. 

Cold Wallets

These types of wallets are considered to be more secure as they are not constantly connected to the internet. There are two main types:

• - Hardware wallet, an external device that uses USB or Bluetooth
• - Paper wallet, where public and private keys are printed onto a piece of paper

When looking to make transactions, you will need to connect the cold wallet to a hot wallet. For instance, hardware wallets will come with hot wallet applications for desktop or mobile that, once connected, can facilitate transactions. Paper wallets also require a hot wallet to conduct the transactions. 

An example of a hardware wallet is a Ledger Nano S, which allows you to open an account and provides both app and device to assist you in securely storing your crypto. Cold wallets are best suited for long term hodling. 

Finding the best Bitcoin wallet UK

Finding the best Bitcoin wallet in the UK needn't be a tiresome task as we have you covered with the Tap app. While the app is conveniently downloaded to mobile devices, traders can carry their cryptocurrency anywhere, with much greater security than other cryptocurrency apps on phones. 

While we've redesigned the tech behind traditional mobile wallets, we've also made things easier by allowing you to use a password of your choice. With an easy to navigate interface, and all your balances stored on one page, the Tap app is every trader's dream.

Our Tap wallet allows you to store both crypto and fiat currencies and uses a hybrid of both hot and cold wallet technology to ensure that they are always highly secure, and always available. 

Security and convenience are key

If you're searching for a reliable Bitcoin wallet option in the UK, you'll discover it conveniently with the Tap app. Simply download the Tap app, set up an account, complete the KYC verification, and you'll have the opportunity to securely manage your cryptocurrencies with top-notch security features that are available on the market.

Much like traditional stock portfolios, crypto portfolios can too be balanced to ensure a spread of returns and risks over the asset class. Building a diversified cryptocurrency portfolio can be done in many ways, however, in this article, we will be exploring a general approach that investors can use to build their own. 

From thoughtful diversification to asset allocation to buying your cryptocurrencies, the road to building a balanced crypto portfolio is not a complicated one. It will require some upkeep though, so be sure to factor in that you will need to balance your portfolio regularly. 

Starting with the basics, a cryptocurrency portfolio is a collection of varied crypto holdings held by an individual (these portfolios hold one asset class, while others can hold multiple asset classes and would require further asset allocation).

Some investors also choose to use a third party tracker which calculates the portfolio’s holdings and profits. A balanced portfolio will have a collection of coins, products and tokens, each with its own risks and rewards.

It should have a mixture of high and low market cap coins and might look something like this: 35% Bitcoin, 10% Ethereum, 25% stablecoins, 15% NFTs, and 15% altcoins (this is an example based on the current climate of the cryptocurrency market and not financial advice).

The 5 main types of cryptocurrencies on the crypto market

Before we start building our portfolios, let’s begin with understanding the 5 main categories that can be found on the cryptocurrency market today.

Most of the 20,000 cryptocurrencies on the market at the moment will fall into these options.

Payment Focused

Consider these the original first-generation cryptocurrencies, starting of course with Bitcoin. Many earlier projects were designed as systems of transferring value, take for example Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). 

These types of coins typically have a high market cap.

Stablecoins

This category refers to all coins that are pegged to a fiat currency and commodity. These coins naturally bypass any volatility, ensuring a stable anchor in your portfolio and a safe haven for when the markets experience a dip.

While they might seem to represent more traditional assets, stablecoins provide a valuable contribution to the crypto ecosystem.

Examples include PAX Gold (PAXG) which is pegged to the price of gold, while options like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are pegged to the US dollar. 

Utility Tokens

Utility tokens are unique to their ecosystems and generally offer a product or service. This could come in the form of a coin used to pay transaction fees on a network, or a coin created to launch a crowdfunding initiative.

Examples include coins found on dapp and smart contract development platforms, Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Coin (BNB). 

Security Tokens 

Much like the traditional securities in the stock market, security tokens can take on many forms.

These digital forms of traditional securities have been integrated with blockchain technology and span across three categories: equities, debt and a hybrid of debt and equity. This can range from representing a bond issued by a project, equity in a company, or even voting rights. 

Governance Tokens

Governance tokens offer holders voting powers and a share of the project’s revenue. Similar to utility tokens, the value of a governance token directly relates to the success of the underlying project. Examples include Uniswap (UNI) and PancakeSwap (CAKE).

How to build a balanced crypto portfolio

When it comes to building a well balanced crypto portfolio there are plenty of different schools of thought.

These are our top recommendations, however, we encourage you to do your own research and ultimately go with what feels right. 

1. Diversify Risk

Ensure your crypto portfolio has an adequate amount of risk tolerance by incorporating high, medium and low-risk coin options, portioned appropriately.

It’s important to first establish what level of risk you are willing to take, and plan your portfolio accordingly. 

2. Include Stablecoins

While these aren’t associated with wild gains, stablecoins help to provide your portfolio with liquidity and are key to many DeFi dapps.

They also allow traders to quickly and easily exit a position or lock in gains whether in a bear market or a bull market.

3. Monitor The Market

Ensure that you are checking in to see what is happening in the market regularly and adjusting your well balanced crypto portfolio to best manage this.

Crypto markets can still be very volatile, so ensure that your trading decisions reflect what is happening. 

4. Monitor Your Emotions

This might be one of the biggest overseen aspects of trading but ensure that you have a grip on your emotions as they can play an integral part in your decision making.

Fear and greed are strong contenders when it comes to making logical trading decisions, make sure that these are not influencing any of your trades.

Don't let greed interfere, changing potential big gains to huge losses. Things can go terribly wrong when emotions are behind the wheel of trading decisions.

5. DYOR

We cannot stress it enough - always do your own research when exploring engaging with other cryptocurrencies. Never engage in a project that you cannot fully explain to another trader. Crypto involvement requires a substantial amount of due diligence.

While there is value in taking advice from a strong trader, ensure that you do your own vetting of the project before blindly trusting a stranger, this is your own money after all. 

6. Onlycommit what you’re willing to lose

As a golden rule of thumb when it comes to allocating funds, only allocate what you're willing to lose.

If you’ve made trading decisions that are causing you sleepless nights, consider a different approach, and ensure that should something go wrong that you have the financial means to stay standing. Your overall portfolio should be correctly balanced in order to ensure you can have rest-filled nights.

How to use a portfolio tracker

While typically used for short-term and day traders, trackers can also provide value to long term investors. Trackers provide a reliable way of monitoring the performance of your low, medium and high risk assets.

Crypto trackers also allow investors to measure their results across several blockchains and wallets in real-time, allowing one to directly measure the success or losses of their crypto holdings.

Portfolios typically involve holding multiple coins across various blockchains, so finding a compatible and suitable portfolio tracker makes sense.

First, you’ll need to select a good portfolio tracker that best suits your needs. Below we’ve outlined the top crypto portfolio trackers, although it's best to get a feel for the platform before diving in.

For instance, Pionex is better suited to high volume investors while Delta is better suited to beginners. See our selection below of top options on the market at the moment.

• CoinMarketCap
  One of the most used sources of information in the crypto space, CoinMarketCap also provides tracking functionality. Users can enter their coins, what price they were bought at and monitor their progress.
• Pionex
  Favoured to high volume investors, Pionex provides a more advanced option when it comes to tracking your crypto portfolio.
• CoinGecko
  Most commonly known as being a data aggregator, CoinGecko also allows users to track over 1,000 coins across its mobile and desktop crypto trackers.
• Delta
  Delta not only provides a very user-friendly crypto tracker, it also allows users to track a wide range of assets including fiat currencies, stocks, bonds, futures, and ETFs.

Aside from the look and feel, other factors to consider are safety and security, and whether it supports the wallet and coins in which you've allocated resources.

Building your crypto portfolio manually

When you’re ready to start building your well-balanced crypto portfolio, you will need to find a reliable platform and wallet on which to do so.

Ensure you stick to a regulated exchange and that the security behind the wallet you choose is of high standards. 

Tap mobile app offers a secure and convenient platform through which users can buy, sell, trade and store a wide range of cryptocurrencies. Learn more here on our website available on both desktop and mobile devices.

Next, you will need to decide on which coins you'd like to engage with, ensuring that you strategically distribute your capital with appropriate weightings.

Take cues from our Types of Cryptocurrencies above, deciding on how you wish to allocate the coins in order to build a balanced crypto portfolio.

We encourage you to conduct extensive research in this phase: A golden rule of engaging with cryptocurrency is to comprehend what crypto is before allocating any funds to it, as well as to understand each individual coin.

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With the recent rise in meme tokens and dog-themed coins, any coins with a Shiba Inu (a Japanese breed of dog) mascot seem to attract all the right kinds of attention. With the real Shiba Inu (SHIB) token winning "investment vehicle" of the year in 2021 after posting unbelievable gains, many are still wondering whether Shiba Inu is still a good token?

Where Did It All Begin?

A golden rule of getting in crypto is to understand exactly what you're buying in before taking the plunge. Before we explore Shiba Inu's history, we must start at the beginning with Dogecoin. Dogecoin was the original meme token and entered the crypto scene in 2013. The coin was designed to provide a "light-hearted" alternative to Bitcoin, poking fun at the seriousness of the crypto community at the time with its Shiba Inu logo. 

As it turned out, Dogecoin built a strong and loyal following that has stuck by the coin ever since. It wasn't until 2020 when Tesla CEO Elon Musk became vocal on Twitter about the cryptocurrency that DOGE truly went viral. 

What is Shiba Inu Coin?

Musk's interest in Dogecoin aligned nicely with the launch of Shiba Inu, which officially went live in August 2020. It wasn't long before SHIB climbed the ranks and became the biggest meme token on the market based on market capitalization, albeit for a brief moment. While it was dubbed in comparison as the "Doge Killer", Dogecoin still held the most value. It's worth noting that each time Musk mentioned Dogecoin in writing, Shiba Inu enjoyed some of that success and popularity as displayed by its growth.

Shiba Inu is an ERC-20 token built on the Ethereum platform that powers the Shiba Inu network. The platform features a range of products, from an exchange to an art incubator, and is compatible with a wide range of apps due to its Ethereum based nature. Trading for a fraction of a US cent, Shiba Inu offers a cost-effective way to enter the crypto market. Several businesses have also started accepting the cryptocurrency, allowing customers to pay for sales with SHIB.

How Is Shiba Inu Different From Dogecoin?

A great place to start when trying to understand SHIB is to determine the differences between these two biggest meme tokens. Starting with Dogecoin, the network provides a fast and cheap peer-to-peer payment system that is commonly used for tipping on social media platforms. 

Shiba Inu on the other hand is a little bit more complex. The platform provides a decentralized exchange (DEX) known as ShibaSwap which allows users to earn interest, as well as two other tokens, BONE and LEASH. The project describes itself as an experiment in decentralization. 

Shiba Inu is built on top of the Ethereum protocol, with the tokens created using various token standards, SHIB being an ERC-20 token. This makes it highly compatible with ETH wallets and most DeFi apps, while DOGE requires a specific wallet. These are all reasons as to why investors are calling it the Doge Killer.

Does Shiba Inu (SHIB) Have a Future?

In 2021, Shiba Inu saw gains of 53,241,775%. Investors that bought $2 worth of SHIB on 1 January would have been sitting on millions of dollars worth of returns at the height of the bull run. That's enough to make any digital currency enthusiast look twice. 

So far in 2022, the markets have been predominately down, with Bitcoin and Ethereum falling roughly 35% from their highs in November. Shiba Inu on the other hand has lost around 70% of its value since its all-time high in October 2021. Despite this, it has seen upward swings since, gaining a large amount of value in early February. 

The surge is believed to be contributed to by an Italian fast-food chain called Welly's. Welly's is also Shiba Inu-themed and accepts the cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Two other believed catalysts are the upcoming Shibarium (Shiba Inu's latest blockchain project) designed to reduce transaction fees and the project's vocalized intentions of entering the metaverse. 

Can Shiba Inu Coin Reach $1?

A popular question among crypto afficionados is whether Shiba Inu can reach $1. While there is certainly speculation in the market that this is possible over a substantial period of time, as with any cryptocurrency there is no guarantee on how much money it will be worth in the future. With the price affected by supply and demand economics, there will need to be a considerable amount of hype and demand for the cryptocurrency in order to it to reach that value.

While Shiba Inu could be a promising token should it skyrocket again, it is still considered to be a risky token. The cryptocurrency certainly has an attractive price point and a number of use cases, however, it is also in its early stages as a crypto and is currently less widely accepted when compared to other cryptocurrencies.

As the world waits on authority news regarding the regulatory framework surrounding cryptocurrencies, there are definitive hurdles that need to be reached before the Shiba Inu coin reaches $1, should it do so. There are currently over 545 trillion SHIB in circulation. For your protection, ensure that you never put more funds than you're willing to lose.

How Can I Buy Shiba Inu In The UK?

In love with SHIB or Shiba inus in general? Should you wish to purchase some Shiba Inu (SHIB) with your British pounds (GBP), you can do so easily and securely through the Tap mobile app, from where you can also store the tokens. Tap accepts GBP and supports faster payments for lightning-fast top-ups while allowing users to buy, sell, and engage in a number of cryptocurrency markets and services.

How Can I Buy Shiba Inu In Europe?

In love with SHIB in europe? We got you covered. Should you wish to purchase some Shiba Inu ( SHIB ) with Euros, you can do so with ease and securely through the Tap mobile app, from where you can also store the tokens. Tap accepts Euro and supports SEPA transfers to enable all EU & EEA traders and investors to buy, sell, and engage in a number of cryptocurrency markets and services. 

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In this article, we’re guiding you through the intricacies of the e-money licence: what it means, who needs one and of course, how it affects you, the consumer. This new wave of regulation has been put into place to not only safeguard the consumer but also to put measures in place to identify and stop fraudulent activity. 

What Is Electronic Money (E-money)?

Before we dive into the licencing requirements, let us first take a look at what electronic money is defined as. Essentially, e-money is a digital version of cash. It maintains a monetary value that can be used to make payments and various transactions, typically over the internet, or through a phone or card. 

E-money products are either software-based or hardware-based and are responsible for electronically storing the monetary value. Software-based products are used on computers and tablets and require an internet connection (like PayPal for example) while hardware-based products encompass cards that have a chip card and do not require an online connection (for example, Square). ‍

What Is An E-money Licence? 

The e-money licence is a regulatory licence that authorises an electronic money institution (EMI) to conduct business. EMIs represent the digitisation of financial services and are authorized to issue money as well as provide payment cards, e-wallets, and IBAN accounts. While banks may provide a similar service, they require an alternative licence as they are able to provide a greater range of services.

 In a nutshell, an EMI is considered as such if it engages in the issuing and redeeming of electronic money (e-money), cash withdrawal, deposit and payment services, remittance services, debit or credit transfers, payment initiation and execution services, and account information services. They may conduct these services only if they have the proper licensing.‍

How Does It Protect The Consumer?

While regulation and consumer protection are the driving force behind e-money licences, there are also several other reasons as to why the regulatory framework has been put into place. The licence is designed to provide businesses with the opportunity to gain access to the e-money market, to facilitate innovation in secure e-money services, and to build healthy competition in a secure market. 

E-money licences are obtained to safeguard a consumer’s funds should the EMI become insolvent. This operates in an entirely different manner to a banking licence. Under the proper regulation, EMI’s can choose to do either of the following options to safeguard consumer funds (funds provided by customers in exchange for the issuance of e-money):

• deposit the funds into a segregated client’s funds account with an authorised credit institution, or
• acquire insurance that will cover the risks associated with the client’s funds.

This ensures that the consumer is always protected against loss of funds, and will be compensated accordingly should the situation present itself. It is imperative that consumers only choose EMIs with the correct e-money licences. 

How Much Money Is Protected With The E-Money Licence? 

According to the FCA regulations, the EMI is responsible for establishing the appropriate organisational arrangements to ensure that the safeguarded funds are at all times protected. 

As mentioned above, this can be done by either storing the deposited customer funds in a separate account (different from the institution’s working capital and other funds) or by ensuring that they are covered by an appropriate insurance policy or comparable guarantee. 

While licenced banks work in conjunction with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and only insure users up to ￡85,000, EMIs are required to protect 100% of the consumers’ funds. 

According to the licence, EMIs are required to safeguard all funds deposited on the platform and not just a portion as per the licence required by the banks. 

While EMIs take several other precautions to protect consumer funds, the e-money licence ensures that the most fundamental legal requirements are met, granting the company the right to legally operate.  

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Whether dissecting crypto or fiat currencies, the foundations remain the same: the currency must serve as a store of value and function as a medium of exchange for goods and services. While both these currency options tick those boxes, cryptocurrencies tend to also be followed by a dark cloud of volatility in the financial sector. 

Market volatility is a natural byproduct of a developing market, however, it can also cause many losses if not managed correctly. When the crypto markets go through high levels of market volatility they tend to get discredited with being a viable payment option. After paying withness to the Bitcoin market swings, several individuals recognised this flaw in the digital currency space and created a solution, "the stablecoin". 

In this article we establish what is a stablecoin is, how it fits into the financial landscape and explore the pros and cons of these digital currencies.

What Is A Stablecoin?

Stablecoins are digital currencies that harness the benefits of being a decentralized, blockchain-operated currency without volatility. Backed by any currency or commodity, stablecoins are pegged to the value of their underlying asset and managed and secured by their relevant platforms. For instance, Tether is pegged to the US dollar while Tether Gold is pegged to the price of gold and Tether EURt is backed by the Euro. 

These currencies operate like any other cryptocurrency, using blockchain technology to maintain and operate the network, but do not fluctuate in value based on supply and demand. Rather the price remains consistent with the asset it is pegged to, providing a better tool for digital payment transactions.

How Do Stablecoins Maintain Their Price?

While we've established that stablecoins are pegged to a commodity and reflect that price, let's cover how exactly that is achieved. Using fiat-backed stablecoins as examples, the companies behind these coins are required to hold a US dollar equivalent for each coin in circulation (or Euro if the stablecoin is pegged to it). 

These funds, also referred to as reserves, are either held in bank accounts or can be a combination of cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds. Most of the companies issuing stablecoins conduct third-party audits to prove that their reserves are at the correct levels and release this information to assure users that their coins are always worth $1 (or the currency-backed equivalent). 

Why Have Stablecoins Become so Popular?

The first stablecoin to enter the market was Tether in 2014, pegged to the US dollar. Tether is currently the third-largest cryptocurrency based on market capitalization, illustrating its vast popularity. The second biggest stablecoin currently on the market is USD Coin, also backed by the US dollar, which sits in the top 5 biggest cryptocurrencies with an equally impressive trade volume. Both these coins have provided valuable talking points within the industry as their market caps and adoption increase and they climb the ranks of the biggest cryptocurrencies.

Due to their resistance towards volatility, stablecoins have increased in popularity and are more widely used for conducting business around the world and executing cross border payments.

The Pros Of Stablecoins

Stablecoins are popular options for both businesses and individuals conducting business across borders. Below we outline the top benefits that stablecoins present to the market:

Digital Currency

The obvious first benefit of stablecoins is that they are maintained by blockchain technology and able to conduct international transactions in a much shorter time frame and for less cost than fiat currencies. The fast settlement times make these currencies an excellent, cross-border medium of exchange. They are also easy to use as they operate from wallets in similar ways to traditional cryptocurrencies.

Zero Volatility

Due to the nature of stablecoins being pegged to a fiat currency or commodity, they typically experience little to no high volatility trading periods resulting in a more reliable currency with the benefits of blockchain technology. Pertinent to increasing its adoption.

Hedge Against Failing Markets

Stablecoins have become increasingly popular for traders to hedge against other cryptocurrencies when markets experience a decline in price. Stablecoins allow traders to quickly liquidate their digital assets and easily reenter the market when the price stabilizes. 

The Cons Of Stablecoins

Centralisation

While blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies celebrate the notion of being decentralised, stablecoins do bring in a nature of centralisation, particularly when it comes to the backing of the assets. Ensuring that each coin in circulation is backed by an equal reserve value requires a team that leans the operation more toward a centralized structure.

Transparency

Several stablecoins have been called out publicly for not being transparent with their reserves. Tether, for example, has seen much public outcry concerning whether the company has the correct amount of reserves, leading to fines and regulations imposed by the US government. They have since released a report on the current reserve holdings of the company. 

In Conclusion

Many traders have incorporated stablecoins into their portfolios, to have as a hedge against falling crypto markets or falling fiat markets. These digital assets are also used by businesses around the world to conduct payments with the benefits of digital currencies and without the risk of volatility. Through the Tap app, users can now access and purchase USD Coin (USDC) as well as Tether (USDT). The sleek design of the app interface makes it easy for users who want to buy or sell cryptocurrencies with fiat currency through their phones in a click. 

When it comes to choosing a stablecoin, consider the projects behind it, the liquidity and the ease of use in terms of wallet compatibility.

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As the Emerging Payments Awards enters its 14th year, the prestigious awards programme has released the finalists across several categories. Designed to celebrate innovation and collaboration within the UK payments industry, the awards are well respected in the industry and provide an accolade of achievement to the recipients. 

This year, Tap Global has been recognised for several awards based on contributions we’ve made to the industry including the benefits we provide to end-users, our innovative features and the proven evidence of our success in the market. Tap has been shortlisted for three awards falling across the categories outlined below, winners will be announced in October 2021:

• Best B2C Payments Programme
• Best Use of Crypto in Financial Services
• Leading Financial Services or Payments Start-Up
  

All nominations are based on the companies’ contribution to the payments industry and illustrate a significant impact they have made when it comes to supporting and providing payment solutions to both consumers and businesses. Nominations are chosen by an independent panel of 58 judges, with this year’s panel including the likes of:

• Anna Maj FinTech Leader, Senior Advisor at Truffle Capital and Senior Lecturer at CFTE
• Jill Docherty, Business Development, UK & Ireland, Visa
• Martha Mghendi-Fishe, Founder & Executive Board Chair, EWPN
• Mark Walker, Co-founder & COO Editorial Director of The Fintech Power 50 and The Fintech Times
• Joanne Dewar, CEO of Global Processing Services
• Nikki Evans, CEO of EMEA and EML
  

“It’s an honour to be shortlisted for this award which further recognizes the added value Tap brings to market and the benefits for our end-users. None of this would have been achievable without the hard work of our teams and the support of our partners”, says David Carr, CEO of Tap Global.

As one of the first companies to launch a crypto prepaid payment card in the EU in 2020, our cryptocurrency-to-fiat prepaid Mastercard and smartphone app allows users to navigate the crypto markets with ease, confidence and certainty. 

The intricately designed backend includes proprietary AI middleware that connects the Tap app to multiple exchanges, automatically validating available liquidity and selecting the most competitive prices, while executing trades in a matter of seconds. With the technology, users are able to convert crypto to fiat instantly, providing the convenience of using the Tap Card to pay for goods and services or at ATMs anywhere that Mastercard is accepted. 

Through the Tap app users can manage their crypto and fiat portfolios, securely send and receive supported crypto and fiat currencies, view their transaction history, manage their card and even view their PIN. While the Tap card (across three account levels) offers users full EEA coverage, a named EUR IBAN and/or GBP Sort Code and Account Number, as well as secure, offline, cold storage behind a multi-signature wallet. Together the Tap app and card create a fully integrated crypto-to-fiat ecosystem.

Adding to the excitement, Kriya Patel, CEO at Transact Payments, a partner of Tap’s, added that, “The EPA awards are some of the most prestigious awards in our industry recognising companies that are making a real difference in driving innovation in payments. We’re delighted to be working with Tap Global and being shortlisted for this award.”

With over 425 million cryptocurrency users worldwide, growing 8,000% since just 5 million users in 2016, cryptocurrencies are transforming how businesses operate in today's digital world. This article explores the numerous benefits crypto accounts provide companies, regardless of their size or industry. 

From reducing costs through lower fees to enabling smooth cross-border payments, they open up new opportunities. Below we also examine the potential of smart contracts and blockchain technology to streamline processes, heighten security, and minimise fraud risks. Let’s explore how embracing crypto can propel your business to the forefront of technological innovation.

Why businesses are using crypto accounts

Although investment opportunities and value growth associated with cryptocurrencies have garnered substantial media attention, far less coverage has been dedicated to the benefits that cryptocurrencies offer businesses. This aspect of cryptocurrencies is perhaps poised to be the most dynamic and exciting area for development and growth moving forward.

Below we explore the numerous advantages that crypto can offer businesses, more so through dedicated crypto accounts. These accounts minimise overhead costs by offering lower transaction fees compared to traditional methods. They also facilitate easy access to high-yield investment assets, enabling portfolio diversification and potential substantial returns. Another advantage of crypto business accounts is that they can streamline cross-border payments by eliminating intermediaries, benefiting companies operating globally.

The decentralised nature of cryptocurrencies also enhances security and transparency through blockchain's immutable ledger, mitigating fraud risks. As adoption continues growing, having a crypto business account allows companies to capitalise on these benefits. It gives them a competitive edge, unlocks growth opportunities, and positions them at the forefront of this technological revolution while maximising profits.

• 46% of merchants in a recent survey say that they have integrated cryptocurrency payments into their accepted payment methods.
• The primary reason cited by 82% of surveyed merchants for accepting crypto as a payment method is its elimination of middlemen.
• B2B cross-border crypto payments are expected to reach $56 trillion by 2030, fueled by growth in big companies and small businesses alike, along with the rise in digitization.

As ownership increases, more businesses are accepting crypto payments than ever before

• The countries leading in crypto ownership are India, China, and the United States, ranking as the top three, while countries experiencing significant inflation or financial turmoil, like Turkey and Argentina, exhibit higher rates of crypto ownership compared to other countries of similar economies. 
• According to data from TripleA, 7.23% of the population in India, 4.08% in China, 13.22% in the U.S., 20% in Vietnam and 6.40% of the population in Pakistan own cryptocurrency, with just the top 5 countries counting for 242,166,772 crypto holders. 
• As of September 2023, 15,174 businesses worldwide accept Bitcoin, with around 2,300 of those businesses operating in the US.
• The leading sectors embracing Bitcoin include Gambling, Tourism, Banking, Food, and Retail industries.
• According to a recent Juniper Research report, the adoption of blockchain for cross-border settlement is projected to generate substantial cost reductions for banks, soaring from $301 million in 2021 to $10 billion by 2030.
• There are over 37,000 crypto ATMs worldwide, making it easier to use crypto payments for everyday purchases.

The future of crypto salaries

As crypto payments become more commonplace, both employees and employers are recognizing the benefits of being paid and paying in cryptocurrencies. 

For employees, receiving salaries in crypto provides an opportunity to diversify their investment portfolio and potentially earn higher returns. It also facilitates seamless cross-border transactions, which is particularly advantageous for remote workers. 

On the other hand, employers can reduce administrative costs associated with traditional payroll systems and currency conversions by paying in crypto. Moreover, crypto payments ensure transparency and security through blockchain technology, mitigating the risk of fraud or disputes. With the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies, crypto-based salaries are emerging as an attractive option that offers advantages for businesses and their workforce alike.

• A recent survey found that over 40% of employees would consider having part or all of their salary paid in crypto.
• Stablecoins ensure the stability of wages paid in crypto, making it far more accessible and popular than ever before.
• The stablecoin market has a market cap of $148.7 billion at the time of writing. 
  

Businesses and smart contracts

Smart contracts are digital contracts built using blockchain technology that automatically execute when the predetermined criteria have been met. With the instantaneous and low-cost nature of crypto transactions, along with the potential for highly secure 'smart contracts', blockchain technology can be used to minimise fraud and legal disputes arising from business contracts. 

Below we look at several examples of how large corporations are implementing blockchain technology and smart contracts:

Walmart employs blockchain technology and smart contracts to develop an advanced platform for tracing the supply chain of food products. Their goal is to reduce waste and enhance food safety standards.

JPMorgan Chase pioneers the Quorum platform, revolutionising the blockchain industry by enabling companies to create and implement smart contracts for various purposes, including supply chain management and financial transactions.

Maersk, a global shipping giant, introduces TradeLens, a blockchain platform aimed at transforming their supply chain processes. Through smart contracts and automation, they enhance efficiency and optimise costs throughout the entire process.

Microsoft introduces the Azure Blockchain Workbench, empowering companies to develop and deploy smart contracts across diverse blockchain technologies.

IBM has launched IBM Blockchain, a groundbreaking platform enabling companies to create and execute intelligent agreements for applications like inventory management and digital identity verification.

• The smart contracts market size is expected to increase from $2.2 billion in 2023 to $8.79 billion in 2030, largely fueled by the growth of dapps (decentralised applications).
  

Crypto payments are the future for businesses

As crypto payments become more widely accepted and useful on a day-to-day basis for ordinary consumers, more and more employees are interested in being paid in crypto, which can have significant advantages for both them and their employers.

Similarly, for businesses involved in hiring remote workers in other countries, using crypto payments can reduce the tax and administrative burden of paying their wages while also ensuring more of their pay ends up in their pockets rather than in a bank’s annual profit statement. 

Finally, the potential for smart contracts to revolutionise cross-border trade is only now beginning to be realised, meaning there truly has never been a better time for businesses of all sizes to explore how cryptocurrencies can help fuel their growth in 2024 and beyond.

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Have you heard of the term “altcoin” but not exactly sure what that means? In this article we’re breaking down everything you need to know about altcoins, from the different types of altcoins and how they work, to how you can get your hands on them (buy altcoins). The crypto industry can often feel a little daunting, so we’re here to clear the air and help you establish a strong foundation of insight, knowledge and know how. 

Starting at the beginning, what are altcoins? Altcoins are all cryptocurrencies except for Bitcoin. Not too complicated, is it? Circling back to the early days of the crypto industry when there were only a few cryptocurrencies on the scene, any new coin that was introduced was referred to as an “alternative coin” (labelling it as an alternative cryptocurrency to Bitcoin), which was then shortened to altcoin. So when someone refers to an altcoin, know that they are talking about any cryptocurrency that is not the original (Bitcoin). Altcoins are still decentralized networks, with most of them utilizing blockchain technology.

How Many Altcoins Are There?

At the time of writing, CoinMarketCap reports that there are over 9,400 altcoins in the cryptocurrency industry. This number is increasing by the day, however it’s worth mentioning that these 9,400+ altcoins only make up 50% of the entire cryptocurrency market’s value. Bitcoin is still the most dominant cryptocurrency, with Ethereum the next bigger cryptocurrency. Ethereum is currently responsible for holding roughly 14.5% of the entire market’s value. As Ethereum is also an altcoin, this makes the “altcoin industry” worth $1 trillion. In general terms, one would rather just say the crypto industry.

The Different Types Of Altcoins

With an industry worth over $1 trillion, there is bound to be a wide range of variation. This is just the case with the crypto industry. There are a number of categories that have been created over the years, allowing for various altcoins to provide a new service to the industry. You can also expect to see tons of innovation in the altcoin space, as each new altcoin needs to either improve on the last one, or provide a different use case.

Each cryptocurrency is designed to solve a problem, either faced within the blockchain industry or outside of it, however, many of these have created a niche altcoin market. An example of this is altcoins focused primarily on providing anonymous transactions, these altcoins then fall into the Privacy category. We’ve detailed seven of the main categories below to give you an indication of the vast innovation and use case potential within the space. 

Payment Focused Altcoins

First and foremost, these cryptocurrencies’ primary aim is to provide a medium of exchange within the digital currency realm. Focusing on payment functionality, these digital currencies are akin to Bitcoin and often were created as a “better” version of BTC (through hark forks on the network). Some examples of this include Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). 

Protocol Focused Altcoins

Protocol focused altcoins are designed to allow developers to work on their blockchain network to create decentralized apps (dapps), smart contracts, and in some cases other cryptocurrencies. They provide space for innovation within the blockchain industry, and empower developers to learn and grow their blockchain understanding. Examples of protocol focused cryptocurrencies include Ethereum (ETH), Tron (TRON) and Neo (NEO). 

Privacy Focused Altcoins

As mentioned above, privacy focused cryptocurrencies provide users the opportunity to send private transactions that are entirely encrypted. While these networks often garner a bad name due to them being used for illicit activities, they are in essence not far from what Satoshi Nakamoto originally intended for Bitcoin. Each network uses slightly different protocols, however they all provide the means to send secure, anonymous transactions. Examples of privacy focused cryptocurrencies include Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC) and Dash (DASH).

Stablecoins

You’ve likely heard of stablecoins before. They are the digital currencies that are pegged to a fiat currency. Providing a stable market inside of what has become known as a highly volatile market (cryptocurrencies as a whole), stablecoins offer a hedge against market dips as well as an entry point for users who want to get a feel for the crypto industry. Examples of stablecoins include USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) which are both pegged to the US dollar, trading at a 1:1 ratio (i.e. 1 USDT will always be worth $1). Stablecoins also include cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of commodities such as gold and oil.

NFTs

NFTs (non fungible tokens) have had their fair share of mainstream media attention recently, especially after one NFT broke records when sold for millions of dollars. NFTs are actually unique crypto assets that cannot be used in the same way that other digital currencies can be. Each NFT holds unique characteristics that represent a one of a kind product, whether it be a piece of digital art, physical art, a house, or even a luxury handbag. These altcoins cannot be recreated, and hold all their transaction history (previous ownership) on a transparent blockchain. They also cannot be “spent” in the same way as other cryptocurrencies in that one an NFT is created, it has that purpose attached to it for life (unlike BTC which can be spent interchangeably).

CBDCs 

CBDCs (central bank digital currencies) are similar to stablecoins but are created and maintained by financial institutions like banks. These currencies’ value is pegged to the local currency, and allow countries to test the efficiency of digital currencies without the volatility. Many countries are in the development phase of CBDCs, however China is leading the pack having recently launched their testing phase. 

Utility tokens

Utility tokens are blockchain tokens that are unique to a particular platform. Many cryptocurrency projects have created utility tokens as a means of crowdfunding prior to their launch, while other projects create utility tokens to be used within the platform for goods and services. Typically, utility tokens have been ERC-20 tokens, and might allow a user access to a new level of a game or to a subscription of some sorts.

How to Get Altcoins

Having gained an understanding of altcoins, individuals eager to explore the thriving altcoin market can effortlessly leverage the capabilities of the Tap app. Tap offers seamless access to an extensive spectrum of cryptocurrencies, including notable names such as Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, and an assortment of others. It's crucial to bear in mind that not all cryptocurrency wallets exhibit compatibility across the board. For instance, attempting to house an altcoin like XRP within your Bitcoin wallet or stow Tron within your Ethereum wallet would not work due to their incompatibility.

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As we explore the world of crypto assets, we take a look at the different types of crypto assets on the market and at the wide range of diversity in the new-age industry. As more people enter the market and start exchanging digital assets, the industry grows and expands to allow new variations.

Below we explore the vast diversity in the industry, from crypto assets used as money to ones that reward users for viewing a website. Each business offers a unique solution, and to navigate this we offer you guidance below.

What Are Crypto Assets?

The terms "crypto asset" and "cryptocurrency" can be used interchangeably. They both refer to a digital asset built using blockchain that can be transferred in a direct peer-to-peer manner. The first crypto asset to launch is Bitcoin, which entered (and created) the scene in 2009. Since then thousands of crypto assets have been created, each one with its own unique use case.

The Different Types Of Crypto Assets

While crypto assets might fall into one or more categories, each has its own set of rules and use cases. 

Payment-Focused

These crypto assets can be used to pay for everyday goods and services or as a store of value (in some cases). These include the likes of Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), etc.

Stablecoins

Stablecoins are crypto assets that have their value pegged to a fiat currency or commodity. These crypto assets are designed to bypass the volatility synonymous with the crypto market. These include the likes of Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC).

Privacy Coins

Privacy coins are digital assets that hide details of the transaction, such as the origin, destination and amount. These crypto assets offer untraceable monetary transfers. These include the likes of Monero (XMR) and ZCash (ZEC).

CBDCs

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are crypto assets built and maintained by banks. Used as digital currencies alongside the traditional currency, CBDCs are designed to provide a digital version of the local fiat to which the value is pegged. 

Governance Tokens

Common among decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, governance tokens provide holders with a say in the platform and in future updates. 

Utility Tokens

Utility tokens will typically provide a service to the holder on the platform on which it was created. Commonly created using the ERC-20 token standard, utility tokens might represent a subscription on a platform or a use case specific to that ecosystem. 

Non-Fungible Tokens

Non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, are crypto assets that cannot be used interchangeably and instead hold unique and rare properties. Each NFT represents a singular function that cannot be changed.

How Are Crypto Assets Created And Distributed?

Before crypto assets are created the project's intentions are generally circulated through a white paper. In this white paper, the asset's tokenomics will be outlined which will cover how the asset is created and distributed.

Bitcoin, for example, uses a Proof of Work consensus which means that new coins are entered into circulation through miners solving complex mathematical problems. The network was designed to only ever have 21 million coins created, and new coins are slowly entered into the system each time a miner verifies and adds a new block to the blockchain. 

Ethereum on the other hand has no limit to the number of ETH that can be created. The platform is currently moving from a PoW to a Proof of Stake consensus, which alters the way in which transactions are verified, however, new coins still enter circulation through verifying transactions. 

XRP minted all its coins prelaunch and slowly release them into the system through a central authority while Tether creates USDT on demand. For each $1 sent, 1 USDT is created, which can later be removed from circulation should it be sold. 

The Future Of Crypto Assets

With the ICO Boom in 2017, the DeFi boom in 2020 and the more recent NFT Craze, crypto assets aren't going anywhere. With constant innovation and increasing adoption, crypto assets have become an integral part of the modern day financial landscape.

While mainstream adoption is on the rise, a few wrinkles still need to be ironed out. For one, regulatory bodies around the world are working toward creating legal frameworks in which these crypto assets can exist, while centralized banks are exploring whether CBDCs can co-exist with their physical counterparts. While the world seeks to figure these out, one this is for certain: crypto assets are here, and the industry is becoming bigger by the day. 

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n the world of finance and technology, benchmarks are a vital tool for measuring performance and quality. A benchmark is a standard or point of reference used to evaluate the performance or quality of something, such as investment returns or the efficiency of software and hardware systems. This article will explore what benchmarks are, why they are used, provide examples, and explain how to use benchmarks to make more informed investment decisions.

What is a Benchmark?

A benchmark is a standard of comparison used to evaluate the performance or quality of something. In finance, benchmarks are often used to compare the performance of investments to a specific market index. For example, the S&P 500 index is a commonly used benchmark for evaluating the performance of a portfolio of stocks.
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Benchmarks are also used in the technology industry to evaluate the efficiency and performance of hardware and software systems. For example, a computer's processing speed may be benchmarked against industry standards to determine how well it performs compared to other computers on the market.

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Why are Benchmarks Used?

Benchmarks are used for a variety of reasons. In finance, benchmarks are used to evaluate the performance of an investment or a portfolio of investments. By comparing the performance of an investment to a benchmark, investors can determine whether their investment strategy is successful or not.
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In the technology industry, benchmarks are used to evaluate the efficiency and performance of hardware and software systems. By benchmarking a computer or a software system against industry standards, developers can determine how well their product performs compared to other products on the market.
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Examples of Benchmarks
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There are many different benchmarks used in finance. Here are a few examples:
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1. S&P 500 Index - This is a benchmark used to evaluate the performance of a portfolio of stocks in the United States. It is widely used by investors as a measure of the overall performance of the U.S. stock market.
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2. Dow Jones Industrial Average - This is another benchmark used to evaluate the performance of the U.S. stock market. It is based on the stock prices of 30 large U.S. companies.
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How to Use Benchmarks

To use a benchmark, you first need to select the appropriate benchmark for your needs. For example, if you are evaluating the performance of a portfolio of stocks, you would select a stock market index such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
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Once you have selected a benchmark, you can compare the performance of your investment or product to the benchmark. If your investment or product outperforms the benchmark, then it is considered successful. If it underperforms, then you may need to adjust your investment strategy or product development.
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How Do Benchmarks Help You Make More Informed Investment Decisions?

Benchmarks help investors make more informed investment decisions by providing a standard of comparison for investment performance. By comparing the performance of an investment to a benchmark, investors can determine whether their investment strategy is successful or not.

For example, if an investor's portfolio of stocks outperforms the S&P 500 index, then the investor can be confident that their investment strategy is successful. However, if the portfolio underperforms the S&P 500, then the investor may need to reevaluate their investment strategy.

Benchmarks also help investors identify trends in the market. By tracking the performance of a benchmark over time, investors can identify trends in the market and adjust their investment strategy accordingly.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, benchmarks are a fundamental tool used in finance and technology to measure performance and quality. They provide a standard of comparison that helps investors and developers evaluate the success of their investments and products.

Using benchmarks to evaluate investment performance and product efficiency can help you make more informed investment decisions. By comparing the performance of your investments or products to industry standards, you can determine whether your investment strategy or product development is successful or not.

Overall, benchmarks are an essential tool for evaluating performance and quality, and understanding how to use them is crucial for success in finance and technology.

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There’s no denying that the recent surge in Bitcoin adoption has largely been fueled by the incredible bull run. With mainstream media, large corporations, and more retail investors taking notice, many merchants have followed suit and added the original cryptocurrency to their list of payment options. As the market erupts, let’s explore what can you buy with Bitcoin exactly.

Bitcoin’s Surge In Adoption

While 2020 was a challenge for most industries, the crypto markets saw unbelievable gains. Despite the universal market destruction that was witnessed across the board, Bitcoin flourished from $3,870 in March to an all time high of $20,000 by the end of the year. Just one week into the new year and the cryptocurrency had doubled reaching $41,515. By 21 February the cryptocurrency was worth $58,330, almost triple the previous all time high.

The extended bull run was due to large firms moving their company reserves from fiat to BTC, with Tesla bringing a lot of media attention to both this pattern but Bitcoin in general. As more people sought to enter the market, more vendors, businesses and retailers sought to offer it as an alternative payment option. According to a study conducted by HSB in 2020, 36% of small-medium businesses in the US accept Bitcoin. This is also likely to triple in coming months.

What Can You Buy With Bitcoin?

As you’ll see below, almost everything. While not every store offers Bitcoin payments, there are plenty of services which offer gift cards for such stores that can be bought with BTC. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s dive into all the things available for purchase with Bitcoin. To make things a bit simpler, we’ve broken it down into the following categories:

Tech

Consumers can purchase everything from a VPN service (ExpressVPN) to cloud storage space (Mega.nz) with the cryptocurrency. Microsoft, Wikipedia and AT&T also grace the list, having accepted Bitcoin as a payment method for some years now. Unsurprisingly, the gaming platform Twitch also features crypto payments (they disabled them and then brought them back). There is even a digital library in San Francisco providing the world with “universal access to all knowledge” that operates off of Bitcoin donations.

Sports

Tech you can understand, but sports? Yes, that’s right. A number of large sports clubs around the world have chosen to embrace the digital currency movement. In America, the most famous to do so are the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Mavericks, while across the pond in the United Kingdom the following football clubs are all in: Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, Leicester City, Newcastle United, and Cardiff City. S.L Benfica, one of the oldest and most popular sports clubs in Portugal, has also decided to accept Bitcoin for everything from merchandise to game tickets.

Retail

Most famously the American retailer dealing with home decor, Overstock, is one of the largest retailers to accept Bitcoin. Home Depot and Whole Foods also joined the ranks through the Winklevoss Flexa spending app ‘Spedn’ that allows for seamless crypto payments.

Then there are companies that provide a middle ground enabling you to purchase goods from stores that don’t necessarily accept the cryptocurrency directly. This includes Purse.io that is most famously used for Amazon purchase with Bitcoin, and Gyft, a company that sells gift cards for popular stores in exchange for crypto. Gyft can be used for everything from Starbucks to Sephora to iTunes.

Travel

You’d be surprised how many travel companies are now offering purchases with cryptocurrencies. One of the first to cross over was Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, which announced in 2014 that they would be offering the payment option. Since then a number of leading travel companies including Expedia, CheapAir, and Destinia have followed suit. Alternatively, you could purchase a trip to space with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. There is even a specially designed travel company catering solely to Bitcoin shoppers, Bitcoin.Travel.

Food

Another industry to embrace Bitcoin payments with a number of top fast food chains embracing the crypto life in various corners of the globe. Multiple Subways around the world, Pizza Hut in Venezuela, 40 international locations of Burger King, and KFC in Canada have all joined the forward driven club.

BTC Tapping Into The Future

And then of course just about anything in Japan. If you’re looking for goods to purchase with Bitcoin, you can usually see from an online stores’ homepage if it is an option, or in a brick-and-mortar store there will usually be QR code at the checkout counter indicating that Bitcoin is accepted there. If you’ve found that Bitcoin payments are definitely for you, buy, send and spend BTC directly from your Tap app. What can you buy with Bitcoin through your Tap app? Just about anything thanks to the seamless payments integration technology.

As you navigate the waters of the cryptocurrency market you're likely to come across a term called "coin burning". In this article, we're exploring the process used to manage the token supply of projects, a means for companies to manually alter the supply (and thereby demand) of a token's circulating supply. While not adopted by every project, coin burning has proven over the years to be successful in increasing the price of a digital currency.

What Is A Coin Burn

Diving right in, a coin burn is the process of removing a certain number of tokens from circulation by sending them to an invalid address, a "black hole" of sorts. This process is written into the project's code and implemented at various increments as outlined in the whitepaper. While Bitcoin doesn't make use of coin burning, many projects on the Ethereum network, particularly ERC-20 tokens, have been known to implement it.

Through the use of a smart contract, also known as a burn function, the network would remove a specified number of tokens from circulation, decreasing the total supply and thereby (hopefully) increasing the demand. Coin burns have been known to lead to an increase in price, as the supply-demand ratio is altered.

An Example Of Coin Burning

A top 10 cryptocurrency project underwent a coin burn last year that is believed to be the biggest layer 1 token burn to date. 88.7 million LUNA, the native coin to the Terra project, were burned in November 2021 following a vote by the community. This was effectively worth $4.5 billion at the time. A few days following the coin burn the LUNA token hit a new record high. 

The burn aimed to remove value from Terra’s community pool, but in reality, it simply moved the value from the pool to the individual holders of the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Cash and Stellar are two other high profile cryptocurrencies that have made use of the coin burning initiative. Shiba Inu is another cryptocurrency to have undergone a coin burn, although this wasn't the initial intention of the project. The project's developers gifted half of the SHIB supply to Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin, who went on to donate 10% and burn the remaining 90%.

How Does Coin Burning Work?

Should a project wish to implement a coin burn they will need to create a smart contract. Smart contracts are digital agreements that execute when certain criteria have been met. Say a project wants to implement a coin burn every 200,000 blocks, they will create the burn function to include this instruction.

When this milestone is achieved, the coins will automatically move from the designated wallet to a wallet address that does not have a private key. Without a private key, these coins can never be recovered. The coins will then be sent from the one wallet address to the other and effectively be removed from circulation. The transaction (burn) will be added to the network's blockchain records and be available to view through the blockchain explorer.

The Downside To Coin Burning

Before you invest in a project that undergoes coin burning it is important to note that coin burning does not guarantee an increase in the coin's price. The increase in price will depend on the network, the market climate and the current sentiment. During the Shiba Inu coin burn, while the price rose considerably, it soon returned to a more stable and substantially lower level.

Coin burning can also be used by ill acting developers to deceive the community. Say a project has a total supply of 100 million tokens and allocates 10 million to the platform's developers. They could then burn 40 million tokens, increasing their hold to 60% of the circulating supply on the network.

As with all transactions conducted on the blockchain, all payments are irreversible meaning that once you burn coins they can never be recovered.

What Is Proof Of Burn?

Not to be confused with coin burning, Proof of Burn (PoB) is a consensus mechanism similar to Proof of Work and Proof of Stake. The model utilizes an element of coin burning in its mining practice and is known to use considerably less energy than its PoW counterpart.

The process requires miners to burn tokens in order to participate in the mining process. The more coins burned the more blocks they can create, meaning the more rewards (in the form of transaction fees) they can earn. Miners are still required to use mining hardware. The benefit of this is to provide a less energy-intensive blockchain network that can run optimally through a network of decentralized mining participants.

You've likely come across the term "token" in your crypto ventures, or heard Bitcoin and Ethereum described as a token, but what does this all mean? In this article, we're breaking down what a token is, and how to distinguish a coin from a token and how it can be used as a tool to store value.

Token Definition

A token, in the cryptocurrency sense of the world, represents a particular asset or utility. It's worth noting in this item that tokens and cryptocurrencies are terms often used interchangeably however they technically differ. Tokens typically fall into one of the following three categories:

Payment tokens

These tokens allow users to purchase goods and services outside of the blockchain, offering an alternative currency. 

Security tokens

Similar to initial public offerings (IPOs) on the stock market, security tokens offer users an ownership stake or entitle the holder to dividends in a blockchain project. 

Utility tokens 

Utility tokens offer users access to a service within a particular ecosystem, similar to loyalty points on a Starbucks card. These points hold value within their own ecosystem but cannot be used outside of that. ‍

Coins vs Tokens

Getting more technical, when exploring coins vs tokens, tokens are categorised as crypto assets that have been built on top of another blockchain while coins are built on their own blockchain. 

Ether, for example, is the native token to the Ethereum blockchain, however, the platform allows developers to create a range of token standards on top of it. Based on this information, all ERC-20 tokens are therefore categorised as tokens as opposed to coins. 

USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) are therefore tokens as they are built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. While each network is operated by its own leadership, both use Ethereum's blockchain to facilitate all transactions.‍

How Are Tokens Traded?

Much like coins, tokens can be bought, sold and traded on exchanges, or sent directly from one wallet to another. This is facilitated by blockchain technology, in the same way that coins are transferred from one location to another. Unlike coins, which are all fungible in nature, tokens can sometimes be non-fungible, meaning that they are not identical in value and function. 

Tokens are sent using the wallet address of a recipient's blockchain-compatible wallet. The address is often represented by a barcode in the form of a QR code, or through a lengthy alphanumeric code. All transactions take place from the wallet holding the tokens and are sent directly to the wallet of the recipient without the need for a centralized authority like a bank. Tokens can typically be bought on exchanges, often with Visa or Mastercard, or exchanged between users.

How is an NFT Different from Cryptocurrency?

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are all different from each other as they each represent a real-world object, whether a digital piece of artwork or a bottle of fine wine. Bitcoin can be traded for anything around the world, whereas NFTs are unique in nature and while they hold value they cannot be used interchangeably. 

What Are NFTs Used For?

NFTs are used to represent a particular asset, whether it be physical or digital. When minted, these tokens will permanently represent that asset and cannot be changed. For example, one NFT could represent an apartment in London while another could represent a song by Kings of Leon. The possibilities are endless, and the marketplaces are huge.

Users can easily trade NFTs on marketplaces (through a website or mobile app) such as OpenSea or Rarible. Once you own an NFT you are credited with the ownership rights of the asset the NFT represents. Due to the nature of blockchain technology, this is permanently displayed on the network's public ledger for anyone to review. This process ensures that the ownership of an NFT cannot the changed and the information is available for anyone to credit.

Note that several blockchain networks currently support the minting of NFTs, and the holder will need a wallet specific to that blockchain in order to hold the NFT.

Are Tokens Regulated?

When it comes to regulation, countries around the world are currently drawing up legal frameworks to better implement cryptocurrencies into our current financial system. This includes the likes of tokens.

Once cryptocurrencies are regulated by government authorities, they could provide the world with unrealized use cases like being used to manage a prescription at a pharmacy or clinical services or to provide feedback to IT support. While there are plenty of tokens available on the market today, it's likely that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of their potential to improve issues faced around the world.

In this article, we’re exploring the most recent addition to the list of supported cryptocurrencies on the Tap App, one of the highly esteemed top 20 cryptocurrencies based on market cap, Algorand (ALGO).

What is Algorand (ALGO)?

Algorand is a decentralized blockchain platform that supports the development of a wide range of dapps (decentralized applications). The platform has been used to create dapps across industries like real estate, copyright, microfinance and more. Launching the same month as its ICO, the Algorand mainnet officially went live in June 2019. 

The Pure-Proof-of-Stake (PPoS) network was created to improve efficiency and transaction times within the crypto space, as well as reduce transaction costs. With no mining (due to the PPoS consensus), Algorand represents a more sustainable and energy-reserving contribution to the space. 

A unique aspect of the platform is that as new ALGO enter circulation with the creation of each new block, the newly minted coins are distributed to everyone who holds a certain amount of ALGO in their wallets. 

While the project is relatively new, it has received the backing of big names and has seen impressive company interest. In June 2021, Arrington Capital bet $100 million on the platform after launching a fund supporting initiatives building on Algorand, while fintech infrastructure provider Six Clovers launched a cross-border payment system on the platform. 

The platform was also selected to host the Marshall Islands CBDC. 

Who created Algorand?

The blockchain platform was created by Silvio Micali, a highly regarded contributor to the crypto space and recipient of the 2012 Turing Award. The MIT computer science professor was recognised for his fundamental contributions to “the theory and practice of secure two-party computation, electronic cash, cryptocurrencies and blockchain protocols.” 

The Algorand whitepaper was co-authored by Stony Brook University professor Jing Chen.

When first conceptualised in 2017, Micali wanted to create a platform that not only provided digital transactions but also tracked assets like titles and property. The platform also allows for the creation of smart contracts (decentralized digital agreements) and tokens. 

How does Algorand work?

The Algorand platform is divided into two layers: layer 1, responsible for ​​ensuring the network’s security and compatibility, and layer 2, responsible for more complex developments. 

Layer 1 supports asset creation, smart contracts, and atomic swaps between assets while layer 2 is reserved for more compound smart contracts and dApp development. These two layers allow the network to process transactions more efficiently, with simple transactions taking place on layer 1, while more complex smart contracts are executed off-chain. 

Through the pure proof of work consensus, the two-phase block production is conducted through a propose and vote system where users who stake ALGO are randomly selected to validate and approve each block as it is created. Stakers only need to hold 1 ALGO in order to generate a participation key necessary to become a Participation Node. 

These nodes are coordinated by Relay Nodes which are not actively involved in the verification process but are responsible for facilitating communication among the Participation Nodes.

The more of the native cryptocurrency a user holds, the more likely they are to be selected. This consensus ensures that the platform is secure, decentralized and able to process transactions in seconds as opposed to minutes (as on other networks).

Algorand is able to process over 1,000 transactions per second (TPS) and validate transactions in less than five seconds.

What is ALGO?

ALGO is the native token to the Algorand platform. As the newly minted coins are distributed to all users holding ALGO (whether on an exchange or in a non-custodial wallet) and not just the nodes verifying transactions, holders of the token are able to earn a 7.5% annual percentage yield (APY). 

A total of 10 billion tokens were minted, with roughly 6.8 billion in circulation at the time of writing. These tokens are gradually entered into circulation through predetermined distribution channels. The token distribution for ALGO is as follows:

• 3.0 billion. To be injected into circulation over the first 5 years, at first via auction.
• 1.75 billion. Allocated to participation rewards.
• 2.5 billion. Allocated to relay node runners.
• 2.5 billion. Allocated to the Singapore-based Algorand Foundation & Algorand, Inc.
• 0.25 billion. Allocated to end-user grants. 

How Can I Buy ALGO?

If you’re interested in accumulating this leading blockchain token, you can do so effortlessly through the Tap app. As part of a new string of supported tokens, Tap users will now be able to buy, sell, trade and store the cryptocurrency that everyone is talking about. 

ICO is an abbreviation for Initial Coin Offering, a term coined supposedly in 2013 yet only gained popularity in 2017. ICOs were created as a method of raising funds for cryptocurrency projects in a crowdfunding manner. When people partake in an ICO, through funding it, they receive "shares" of that project in the form of cryptocurrency tokens.

This method is set up to help new projects find funding to build their project, platforms, or products. It's very similar to investing in a start-up in the hopes of a project becoming bigger and better through your investment contribution.

Mastercoin was the first ICO recorded back in 2013, raising a grand total of 5,120 BTC. Shortly after, Ethereum followed, and in 2014 raised roughly $18 million to build their project. There is clearly a great deal of success to be seen through ICOs, so let's see what all the fuss is about.

ICO vs IPO vs IEO

Let's look at IPOs, or initial public offerings, to learn more about where ICOs originated.

Similar to ICOs, IPOs were created as a way of gaining capital to better the businesses' infrastructures. While they are similar to a crowdfunding aspect,the primary distinction is in how investors are rewarded. IPOs will offer their investors shares, while ICOs offer digital currencies that can be used within their ecosystems or can be sold when the price increases.

Now that we understand how ICOs and IPOs work, let's discuss the differences when it comes to IEOs, or Initial Exchange Offerings. Again, this is another method used to raise funds for upcoming projects, but there are some key aspects that make IEOs different to IPOs and ICOs. While IEOs are also a crowdfunding method in the cryptocurrency industry, they use an exchange. Anyone can generally buy tokens from an ICO page, whereas IEOs use exchanges as the distribution mechanism.

In order to take part in an IEO, you must be a registered user of the exchange that the project is utilizing. While IEOs may be more transparent, they do push us towards a more centralized approach. There are also IDOs, Initial Dex Offering, Dex standing for decentralized exchange (increasing the data privacy aspect), but that's a topic for another day.

How they work

So now we know what ICOs are and how they differ from their counterparts, but now let's delve deeper into how ICOs actually work. As stated, ICOs are a way for cryptocurrency projects to raise money. When a project decides to launch an ICO it will generally underline the sale dates, the participation rules, and the buying process.

Usually, investors will need to choose currencies they are happy to accept in exchange for their tokens, such as Mastercoin accepting Bitcoin. There are some ICOs who will also accept fiat currencies as payment.

The projects' core purpose, its timeline, and how much money is needed to succeed should be released in their whitepaper. If the project does not raise enough money to meet the minimum funds needed, the money should be returned to those who contributed. This would classify the ICO as unsuccessful.

If the funding goal is met, the project will continue to pursue its original goals and contributors will be able to claim their tokens further along. Tokens will either be listed on notable exchanges later on or will be distributed using smart contract technology,This is something you should do more study on before contributing to an ICO.

Advantages and disadvantages

While ICOs have proven to be a massive benefit to project developers, there are some underlying issues and risks that may come into play. In order to give you the best chance of understanding ICOs we will need to cover all the pros and cons that come with ICOs. So let's see what you have to look out for:

Pros

        High potential profits

        Accessible to anyone (unlike IEOs)

        Money returned if unsuccessful (smart contacts)

        Transparency on fund usage (Blockchain)

        High liquidity

Cons

        No intrinsic value

        No legal guarantees

        Potential fraud

Frequently asked questions

Now that we have covered the basics, there are some additional questions the internet has and we thought we would take the time to answer them for you. These are the most frequently asked questions about ICOs, and while we have answered some here is a more TL;DR breakdown:

What does ICO mean?

ICO stands for Initial Coin Offering, a phrase coined by the cryptocurrency industry.

What is the purpose of an ICO?

ICO is a method used to raise funds for up and coming projects, think of it as an early investment phase.

How do I get an ICO?

That depends on the ICO you want to partake in, you will generally need to sign up to the ICO, deposit funds, and wait for the tokens to be distributed either through an exchange or smart contract. This differs depending on the projects' ICO parameters.

Is Bitcoin an ICO?

No, Bitcoin required no funding, tokens were mined and sold without the need for crowdfunding.

How many ICOs are there?

There is no definitive number out there but consensus shows that there have been roughly over 7,000 businesses that have attempted ICOs.

Are ICOs safe?

This is a tricky question and depends greatly on the individual project that is hosting an ICO, whether they are using smart contact technology, and how legitimate the team behind it is. ICOs can be safe, but they also carry risks, it is always best to do your own research before investing.

As there is no universal authority on ICOs there is certainly a lack of regulation in the space so be sure to do thorough research before parting ways with your money.

Closing Thoughts

That is all the essential information you need to grasp in order to better understand what an ICO is. From the textbook definition to its competitors, how it works, and everything in between. ICOs are popular for a reason, they offer a range of benefits to both projects and investors, but you should keep in mind that there is no benefit without risk.

While we can explain what an ICO is, we can not tell you whether to invest in an ICO. It's important to vet the project for yourself and see if it aligns with your interests, and more importantly if it has all the key components for a legitimate project and token.

While the world is increasingly accepting of ICOs from both businesses and retail investors standpoints, there are several alternatives available. We briefly discussed IEOs and IDOs, but more crowdfunding methods have flourished from the origins of ICOs, so be sure to explore those out too. At the end of the day, we hope we helped you better understand what an ICO is.

A consistent member of the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap, Cardano has earned itself an impressive position in the market. The innovative project was developed by a team of brilliant minds, including the co-founder of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson, and aims to be the next generation of Ethereum. Let's explore what Cardano is and why has become a popular cryptocurrency. 

What is Cardano?

Cardano is the blockchain platform that has taken the industry by storm since its launch. Alongside its cryptocurrency, ADA, Cardano provides developers with a platform on which to build decentralized applications (dapps) and smart contracts. Through a more scalable and sustainable model, Cardano seeks to improve on Ethereum's offering and propel the blockchain and crypto industry into a more eco-friendly future. 

Cardano uses a Proof-of-Stake consensus to facilitate the network and is considered to be a third-generation blockchain platform (Bitcoin being the first, Ethereum the second). Unlike other blockchain platforms, Cardano does not have a whitepaper and instead relies on rigorous academic and peer-reviewed research. The platform has numerous ties with universities around the world, contributing to the funding of the development of blockchain research. 

Who created Cardano?

Cardano was first conceptualized in 2015 and later launched in September 2017 by Ethereum co-founder, Charles Hoskinson. His goal was to build a highly scalable and energy-efficient smart contract platform. After leaving the Ethereum team, Hoskinson grouped together a team of expert engineers and academics and set out to build a layered blockchain platform from scratch. 

Today, the platform is developed by a group of organisations that each focus on different elements of the business. The first is the Cardano Foundation which is responsible for standardizing, protecting and promoting the protocol technology. Input-Output Hong Kong (IOHK) focuses on building technological solutions centred around financial inclusion, while its sister company Emurgo is a global initiative designed to "support developers, startups and enterprises in developing blockchain solutions".

Together these companies assist in the growth and development of Cardano. While regulatory news and Bitcoin may be behind many altcoin price swings, Cardano has done well to establish its value in the crypto market and build a community that supports its goals.

How does Cardano work?

Through a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism known as Ouroboros, Cardano provides peer-to-peer transactions, dapp development and the creation of smart contracts. The layered architecture makes this possible, with one layer, known as the Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL) responsible for validating transactions and maintaining the ledger of balances while the Cardano Computing Layer (CCL) is responsible for the execution of all dapp computations via smart contracts. 

The separation of these two layers allows the platform to offer lower fees, less network congestion and faster transactions. When thoroughly tested in 2017, Cardano was able to process 257 transactions per second (TPS), a large jump from Bitcoin's 4.6 TPS and Ethereum's 15 - 20 TPS. 

Through its network of validators (known as a miner on a Proof-of-Work mining network) who each hold a stake in the network, Cardano is able to deploy smart contracts, facilitate the peer-to-peer exchange of value and provide the building blocks for dapp and token creation. 

What is ADA?

Let's first cover where the name came from. ADA is a nod to the person regarded as the "world's first computer programmer", the 19th-century mathematician, Ada Lovelace. Cardano on the other hand was named after the 16th-century Italian polymath Gerolamo Cardano. Each phase in the project's development is named after famed historical characters pertaining to maths, physics and literature.

While ADA can be used as digital cash to conduct payments, the cryptocurrency has a wider range of uses. The native token to the platform's operations, ADA, can be used to facilitate transactions, as a store of value, to participate in staking functionality, and to pay transaction fees on the network. 

ADA will also be used as a governance token in the future, allowing its holders the ability to vote on upgrades and changes on the platform. This is in line with Cardano's intentions to make the network entirely decentralized and community-driven, incorporating an automated treasury system that would oversee and execute all funding required. 

Cardano's Roadmap

Another interesting element to the Cardano network is that all five development phases are consistently worked on at the same time, as opposed to moving on to the next once one is complete. 

Of the five phases, each focuses on specific functionalities:

Byron - foundation (completed)

Shelley - decentralization (completed)

Goguen - smart contracts

Basho - scaling

Voltaire - governance

Where To Buy Cardano (ADA)

If you're looking to add ADA to your cryptocurrency portfolio, you can conveniently and securely buy the token through your Tap app. If you haven't done so already, simply download the app, complete the quick identity verification step and load your account with funds (crypto or fiat) with which you can buy ADA. The cryptocurrency will then be deposited into your unique ADA wallet, available for your perusal.

Decentralized finance, or "DeFi," refers to financial services that provide many of the same features as traditional banks - like earning interest on your money and borrowing from others - but without middlemen who take a fee or charge interest, paperwork, or privacy trade-offs. A chartered accountant and Blockchain do not have much in common, but they are starting to as DeFi and FinTech take over. I

nstead of relying on financial services like banks, users can utilize smart contracts on blockchain. Cryptocurrencies ensuring even more ease of use for DeFi users, providing the hottest speeds, fees, and transparency. Defi and digital currencies are growing in popularity thanks to the perks of Blockchain technology. Let us get more into the concept and how it caters to a larger audience.

The aim and use of DeFi

Decentralized finance is the future of financial services, and it's already here. The aim of DeFi is to provide a decentralized financial services platform that is open and accessible to anyone in the world, using tech like crypto to help advance the everyday life of anyone and any business willing to give decentralization a try.

In the past decade, we've seen a rise in peer-to-peer lending platforms such as Lending Club, Patreon, BTCJam, and an explosion of digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

All of these developments have taken us one step closer to the decentralized future of finance that we've been dreaming about, but there's still more work to be done.

What's wrong and how can DeFi fix it

Many institutions in the financial sector are slow and expensive when it comes to providing basic services like payments. Online lender contracts can charge interest rates as high as 30 percent, and the global remittance industry charges fees that can be as high as 12 percent.

These fees and delays mean some of the most vulnerable individuals of our society are paying the highest prices for financial services when they need them most. While the traditional financial system can be slow and expensive, it doesn't have to be this way. Decentralized finance (DeFi) is an emerging category of services where trust intermediaries such as banks are replaced with cryptographic code and smart contracts, which reduces costs for everyone involved - especially when it comes to international payments.

DeFi is a new category of services that are globally accessible and built on top of blockchain infrastructure, without any charge or barrier to entry. It's also much more secure than traditional financial systems because the technology used isn't connected to a central server that can be hacked. DeFi users smart contracts applications to ensure ease of use and instant transfers of information and funds.

Your money is always yours; it's just moving from one smart contract to another. No permission from an intermediary is required in order to use it. All you need to do is have a cryptocurrency wallet, computer or mobile device, and internet connection like everyone else using DeFi services today.

DeFi isn't coming, it's already here

When you ask yourself, "where is DeFi going?", the answer is simple: everywhere. DeFi can be used from every corner of the world, and it's already available today. Innovation at its finest.

DeFi services are not theoretical. They're already being used by real people today to make real asset payments, earn interest on their digital savings, and borrow money from both friends and strangers, all without ever going through a bank or traditional financial institution. Whether you are investing, a money maker, or an asset holder, the shift to DeFi is inevitable.
Blockchain technology provides the first-ever opportunity for these separate building blocks to come together in order for the entire financial system to work seamlessly without any intermediaries, so it will only get better with time. From an economic standpoint, DeFi offers better rates and all the perks of FinTech. Cryptocurrency assets like Ethereum have seen plenty of investment opportunities arise as DeFi and Blockchain merge.

DeFi pros and cons

In order to get a complete picture of what DeFi is, it's important to understand all the good and bad parts that we are facing now. So let's dive into the details.

DeFi pros:

• The interest rate on savings and money lending is relatively high, just as it would be without intermediaries.
• Financial services are more accessible than in traditional bank systems because there aren't any barriers to entry, like non-existent internet infrastructure or bank account fees.
• Transaction and disruption times are much faster because DeFi transactions can move directly from peer to peer without having to go through intermediaries.

DeFi Cons:

• Some transactions might not be as private due to the public records of smart contracts on a blockchain (keeping that in mind, transparency is always beneficial). This however increases security because fraud or reversal can't happen.
• Access to DeFi services can be limited if you live in a part of the globe where these services aren't supported or don't have high enough adoption rates, as compared to traditional banking systems in developed countries. Regulator issues may also occur.
• There isn't a built-in mechanism for handling consumer disputes between peers because the technology simply wasn't designed with this function in mind.
• It's difficult to understand what you're getting yourself into when joining a DeFi service, since it varies from one application to the next and is based on new technology. This doesn't have to be the case in the future.
  

As of now, it's still the early days for DeFi and there are some challenges to overcome before we can look at it as a real alternative. There's still a lot of work to be done, but it will all pay off in the end.

Coined in 2014, hyperbitcoinisation is the voluntary transition from an inferior currency to a superior one, referring to Bitcoin becoming the primary currency in an area. As was the case with El Salvador integrating Bitcoin into its financial service sector in 2021, the world is slowly progressing to a more inclusive space for cryptocurrencies, inching closer to the prospect of hyperbitcoinisation.

In this article, we explore this concept and what is contributing to its progress in the financial industry.

What is hyperbitcoinisation?

There are three core ideas behind the definition of hyperbitcoinisation. The first relates to a gradual transition from an inferior currency to a superior one, while the second alludes to a tipping point where fiat currencies are no longer sustainable and are abandoned for the use of cryptocurrencies. The final definition sees hyperbitcoinisation as the swift and irreversible adoption of Bitcoin as the world's primary monetary reserve. 

In conclusion, hyperbitcoinisation is Bitcoin-induced currency demonetization, it's intended not to disrupt the traditional currency markets, but rather to be used alongside them. It's the language of the Bitcoin maximalist, one who sees Bitcoin as the answer to everything (unit of account, store of value and medium of exchange). 

Hyperbitcoinisation would require the price to stabilize, providing a more stable economy for transactions to take place. It would also require stronger regulation in the space to ensure the protection of the people using it. While the decentralized nature of Bitcoin is often a drawing point for investors, it will require an element of regulation in order to become a legal tender and considered to be sound money.

The positive factors pointing toward hyperbitcoinization

In order for hyperbitcoinisation to take effect a number of things need to occur. For starters, Bitcoin would need to be adopted by a strong network of institutions, main street businesses, merchants, public and private companies, ETFs, central banks, governments and regular investors. 

From an operating perspective, the nodes on the Bitcoin network would need to increase substantially. Currently, there are roughly 14,000 nodes around the world with the main clusters in Germany, France, the United States, and the Netherlands. In order for hyperbitcoinisation to take full effect, the network would need to expand in both product numbers and globalisation. 

There are currently an estimated 400,000 daily Bitcoin users and over 100 million people holding Bitcoin. While these numbers are impressive, they represent only a small fraction of the world's population. As Bitcoin gradually moves through from the Early Adopters to Early Majority stages in the technology adoption scale, in order for hyperbitcoinisation to take full effect we would need to have transitioned to the Late Majority and Laggards segments. This would indicate that societal adoption has peaked and stabilised. 

On the note of societal adoption, it is estimated that collectively around the world countries hold over 250,000 BTC, while public and private companies own 414,000 BTC, and ETFs over 800,000 BTC. This indicates that Bitcoin adoption is creeping into government and company holdings as well as traditional investment vehicles. 

While there is much to be achieved, these factors all clearly indicate that the ball is in motion. 

_{The negative factors contributing to hyperbitcoinization}

The flip side of the coin shows which negative factors contribute to hyperbitcoinisation, namely central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and inflation. 

CBDCs provide a strong current in the flow toward global crypto adoption. While CBDCs are not decentralized or true to the origins of cryptocurrencies, they operate in the same way and will drive populations to become familiar with digital versions of cash. 

As more people become used to the concept, it is likely that they will incorporate Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies into their daily habits as these, at their core, are more similar to cash than the CBDC alternative. They are also less monitored and offer a greater opportunity for financial freedom. 

Inflation on the other hand has already played a large role in the adoption of cryptocurrencies. Following the inflation-inducing stimulus implemented by governments during the Covid-19 pandemic, many investors and businesses turned to Bitcoin to protect their capital. By the end of 2021, countries around the world were experiencing the highest inflation rates in decades. 

As people lose faith in their fiat currencies and turn to cryptocurrencies, as witnessed by the incredible gains seen across the entire crypto market, this only fuels the road to hyperbitcoinisation. 

In Conclusion

Monetary and economic transitions take years to be properly implemented, however, if the last two years are any indication of what's to come, hyperbitcoinisation just possibly could happen in our lifetime. While there are many, many factors that need to take place before it's even a remote possibility, the groundwork already established indicates that we're on the right path. 

Know your customer also known as "KYC" is a regulatory requirement imposed by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and fraud prevention. The requirements for KYC are determined on an industry-by-industry basis. Fintech businesses and the Bank sector typically requires KYC of customers who open a new account with them.

KYC ensures that financial institutions know their customers' identity well enough to understand where funds came from for deposits or how payments will be made before starting to use the company's services. KYC is an efficient first line of defense in combating terrorism financing by verifying customer identities to help identify any potential links to terrorist organizations, bribery, corruption, individuals with a history of money laundering.

KYC is an important measure in anti-money laundering regulations, making it a safety guard for cryptocurrencies. Financial institutions and regulated service providers such as Tap boast robust KYC process to protect our consumers so that you can feel more confident that your funds will remain secure no matter the business environment circumstances.

How does KYC work?

Within the Finance sector, any company or project must meet strict rules and regulations that require to have rigorous identification checks (also called regulatory compliance) such as verification of address information, validation of residency status. Apart from verifying a customer's identity, it's also important to confirm the user's location and address. Your identity documents will provide basic data like your name and date of birth, but more is needed to establish your residence, for example.

During a standard Know Your Customer process, you will be asked for several documents:

-A proof of identity ( such as passport, ID card, driving license)

-A proof of residence

-A selfie (to prove that it's you)

The KYC must be completed at the initial stage as well as on an ongoing basis so that businesses can deliver services or goods to clients. It is a best practice for any business offering financial services to re-verify the identity of their customers at regular intervals to ensure AML. Sometimes new customers have to go through several steps of verification before they can start any financial transaction/investment using the service of the company.

KYC Around The World:

KYC regulations can vary from country to country, but there is a lot of international cooperation on the basic data information needed. For example in America, KYC and AML processes are driven by financial crime prevention legislations such as The Bank Secrecy Act (2001) and Patriot Act (2006). In Europe, KYC compliance regulation falls under EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive with PSD2 providing additional regulatory guidance for all countries within the Union. Internationally however it's been agreed that FATF should coordinate multinational cooperation when it comes to regulatory conditions.

The Benefits: 

In spite of the time it takes to set up accounts, KYC identity verification is worth it when taking into account the benefits, keeping your funds safe, protect you from identity theft, fraud, and other illegal activities is largely the result of robust KYC control. These procedures ensure that financial service providers are not only safe but trustworthy. Trade Crypto with Confidence with regulated companies like Tap boasting robust KYC procedures to safeguard its customer assets and information.

In short: KYC is a common regulatory requirement that financial service providers are obliged to fulfill in order for businesses to operate under the law and consumers should take KYC seriously. KYC requirements differ across the financial sector. It is a necessary measure in anti-money laundering regulations, making it an important safety guard for cryptocurrencies as well as customer assets by preventing fraudulent activity. KYC in the Fintech or Bank sector is generally imposed on new customers who open a new account.

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Risk management involves identifying and analysing the risks involved, and then choosing whether to accept this risk or make changes to avoid the risk. This process is one we carry out daily, from crossing the street to engaging with a stranger, however, in this realm we’re looking at it from a finance/investment point of view. 

If you have a fund manager or financial adviser, they will generally be responsible for calculating and communicating the risks associated with any type of investment. This will cover the potential returns as well as the potential risks to your capital. 

For example, investing in an emerging asset will hold a lot more risk than buying the stocks of a well-established institution. It’s worth noting that high risk doesn’t necessarily equate to a negative, typically assets with higher levels of risk bring about higher levels of return (high risk, high reward).

Each person’s level of risk will vary from one to another and should be decided prior to making any investments. Once this is established, your investment portfolio will work within those realms so as to manage that level of risk. 

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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 is a high-performance blockchain that uses a unique consensus mechanism to achieve high throughput and security. Thanks to its user-friendly nature, the platform is already being used by major companies. As we explore what Solana (SOL) is, we take a look at the project's intentions, successes, and of course why it is often referred to as the leading "Ethereum killer".

Since Bitcoin was created in 2009 an entire crypto ecosystem has emerged, valued at almost $1.2 trillion at the time of writing. While Bitcoin was designed to provide a global payment system to address problems in the traditional financial sector, other platforms like Ethereum and now Solana have been created to facilitate the development of the blockchain industry as a whole through programmable functionalities.

What is Solana (SOL)? 

Recognised as being one of the fastest-growing protocols in the DeFi space, Solana offers a platform for developers to build decentralized applications (dapps) and smart contracts, similar to Ethereum. However, what sets Solana apart is its remarkable speed and lower transaction fees.

The project is led by two main entities: the Solana Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, focuses on promoting the platform and collaborating with international partners; and Solana Labs, located in San Francisco, takes charge of driving the project's development.

Solana implements a unique approach to support a more environmentally friendly crypto ecosystem. While it utilizes a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism to maintain its operations on the platform it also utilises an innovative consensus mechanism called Proof-of-History (PoH), created by one of its founders. 

PoH is groundbreaking in the blockchain space, allowing the network to process an impressive 65,000 transactions per second. For context, Ethereum can process 30 transactions a second. PoH is described as being a "timekeeping technique to encode the passage of time within the data structure." 

Renowned for being one of the fastest programmable blockchains in the cryptocurrency world, Solana has built a dedicated following. This is evident from the wide range of businesses, from finance to travel, using the platform and the strong interest in SOL tokens, the platform’s native coin. 

Key features of Solana

Setting itself apart in the industry and making it a hit among the investor community, Solana offers these key features:

Scalability

The platform is able to handle thousands of transactions per second (TPS), using advanced technologies like parallel processing and mempool-based TPUs for scalability.

Smart contracts

Solana supports smart contracts, allowing developers to create and operate decentralized apps.

Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus

It's unique PoS consensus combines Proof of History (PoH) for speedy transactions, quick validation, and swift block confirmations.

Decentralized finance (DeFi)

Solana's fast, low-cost transactions make it a DeFi favourite, facilitating lending, trading, yield farming, and more.

Who created Solana?

Software engineer, Anatoly Yakovenko, is responsible for creating the Solana platform. He started working on the blockchain project in 2017, three years prior to its launch, alongside his former colleagues, Greg Fitzgerald and Eric Williams. They teamed up with several other former colleagues and together built the programmable network we know today.

Anatoly Yakovenko is also credited with developing the PoH protocol, an innovative contribution to the blockchain space that allows for greater scalability, thereby boosting usability. His expertise has been influential in the industry.

How does Solana differ from Ethereum?

One of the platform's main aims is to improve on several of the Ethereum platform's computing functionalities. Solana stands out by making transactions really fast, while also improving how much the system can handle, scalability, and cost structure. This makes Solana a top choice for efficiency and performance in the world of blockchain.

Scalability

While the project's leads say that Solana will process up to 700,000 transactions per second (TPS) as the network grows, it can currently handle around 65,000 TPS, still a far cry from Ethereum's 30 TPS.

Solana is one of the few layer-one solutions from a computing platform that is able to support thousands of transactions per second without the use of off-chains or second layers.

Cost

Due to the nature of the Solana network, it is able to provide much more cost-effective transactions, generally costing around $0.000125 per transaction. 75% less than that of Ethereum, $0.0005 per transaction at the time of writing.

What is SOL?

SOL is the native cryptocurrency to the Solana platform powering its scalability and reduced cost structure. The cryptocurrency acts as a utility token, used to pay for transactions on the network and to secure the network through staking. 

SOL is a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency, which means that it is secured by network participants who stake their SOL tokens. The price of SOL is impacted by conventional factors like project updates, investment market sentiment, exchange activity, and the overall economy, alongside variables such as the token's inflation rate, burning amount, and the expansion of the Solana ecosystem.

How Can I Buy SOL?

If you're looking to diversify your crypto portfolio with the likes of Solana, you’ve come to the right place. Tap allows users to seamlessly buy, sell, trade, and store SOL through the convenience of the Tap app. Using crypto or fiat money, users can tap into this growing market and become part of the Solana-driven blockchain revolution. For more content on how to trade Solana, see here on the Tap website.

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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 financial landscape well and truly changed after Bitcoin was released in 2009. The new digital cash system took the financial power away from banks and government entities and put it back into the hands of the people. While Bitcoin has become a household name over the last decade, the creator still remains a mystery. Let's take a deeper dive into one of the biggest mysteries of the modern world.  

The Bitcoin solution

Before we plunge into the mysteries of the anonymous entity behind this century's greatest invention, let us first highlight the revolutionary product that is Bitcoin. The electronic payment system was first introduced to the world in late 2008 by a certain Satoshi Nakamoto. 

The character seemingly came from the abyss and presented to the world a solution to the global financial crisis that caused widespread disruption. This solution was in the form of a digital currency and used blockchain technology to facilitate, maintain and operate the network. 

Nakamoto did not invent blockchain technology, instead, he improved on several issues like the double-spending problem. The technology was originally created to facilitate file sharing although was hindered by that issue. Today, blockchain technology has a wide range of use cases and is being implemented in industries around the world, far beyond just the crypto and financial fields. 

Bitcoin remains the biggest cryptocurrency to this day, with over 17,500 alternative cryptocurrencies and counting. At the time of writing the industry is worth just over $2.2 trillion, although it reached highs of $2.968 trillion in November 2021. No asset in the history of the world has gone on to achieve such success in such a short space of time. 

What we know about Satoshi Nakamoto

While we know the name Satoshi Nakamoto, it remains to be known who is behind the pseudonym. This person or entity released the Bitcoin whitepaper in October 2008 to a group of cryptographers and shortly afterwards created the BitcoinTalk forum and Bitcoin.org website. 

Two months later, the first block on the Bitcoin network was mined, known as the Genesis block, with the caption "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." It was mined that same day.

Stephan Thomas, a BitcoinTalk Forum member, mapped out when Nakamoto posted on forums to get an indication of what time zone he might live in. The results showed that he was least active during 6h00 to 11h00 GMT, suggesting that should he sleep at night (not a given for developers) that would place him in a time zone somewhere between GMT -5 to GMT -7, somewhere in the Americas.

During 2010, Nakamoto was an active member of the Bitcoin community. He worked on building Bitcoin's protocol and often collaborated and communicated with other developers. Then, towards the end of the year, he strangely handed over the keys and codes to another active developer, Gavin Andresen, and transferred the domains he had created to other members of the community. By the end of the year, he seemed to have cut ties with the project.

Before all but vanishing, the last trace of communication we know of from Satoshi Nakamoto was a message to Mike Hearn, another developer, on 23 April 2011, that read: "I've moved on to other things. It's in good hands with Gavin and everyone." And just as abruptly as Bitcoin had entered the world, Nakamoto left it.

Who could be behind the anonymous entity? 

While many people have been suspected of being Satoshi Nakamoto, there is yet to be enough evidence to convince everyone else. Over the years, many journalists have tried to lift the veil, and again, to no avail. For over a decade, the world has been left wondering who is behind the anonymous name, and why would they not come forward?

The biggest contenders for the mystery person have been Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and Dave Kleiman, who have all denied this. One man, Craig Wright, has come forward to claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, however, the industry remains unconvinced (along with a judge in a recent legal battle that played out in a British court).

Hal Finney

Hal Finney is a computer scientist who had previously tried to create a digital cash system. Finney is noted as being one of the earliest people interested in Bitcoin, with the first transaction taking place between Satoshi Nakamoto's wallet and Finney's. 

Finney also lived in the same town as Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, a Japanese man who was hunted by the media when they assumed they had found the "real" identity. Finney passed away in August 2014. 

Nick Szabo

Nick Szabo is credited with having tried to create a digital cash system prior to Bitcoin's launch, releasing BitGold in 1998. He also coined the name "smart contracts". The cryptographer and computer scientist was listed as the most likely person to be Satoshi Nakamoto following a study done in 2014 by a group of students and researchers at Aston University who conducted a thorough linguistics analysis on all previous communication. 

Dave Kleiman

Dave Kleiman was a computer forensics expert whose name has come up plenty of times, largely thanks to Craig Wright. Kleiman's estate sued Wright over claims that they had invented Bitcoin together and had access to a large, shared amount of BTC. He died broke and in squalor in 2013.

Craig Wright

The Australian computer scientist and businessman has gone to great lengths to claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, however, has provided little to no evidence. These claims have been unequivocally disregarded by the Bitcoin community. 

The mystery remains unsolved

Perhaps the biggest irony of all, is that the technology is entirely trustless and operates with the work of thousands of nodes who don't know each other. All we know is that whoever it was/they are, they revolutionised the world as we know it and have left us with some sort of extraordinary.

This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice or a recommendation of any kind whatsoever and should not be relied upon or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances. We make no warranties, representations or undertakings about any of the content of this article (including, without limitation, as to the quality, accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such content), or any content of any other material referred to or accessed by hyperlinks through this article. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up-to-date.

We know the cryptocurrency market has a reputation for being volatile, however, these last few months have been particularly nail-biting for many investors. As markets swing in wild directions, some have made impressive gains while others have lost out. In this article, we explore whether crypto markets will ever overcome volatility and what one can do to gain financial stability in turbulent times. 

What causes the markets to be so volatile?

Due to a lack of central authority, the markets more accurately present investor sentiment, rising and falling as a result of the actions of people actively buying and selling. While volatility has a bad name and is certainly a hinder in terms of mainstream payment method adoption, it is valued by traders as it poses an opportunity to make big gains. Traders have created full-time jobs that benefit solely from the crypto market's volatility.

Regulatory frameworks are likely to positively affect the volatility prevalent in the digital currencies markets, but until that is implemented let's explore the biggest factors behind the volatility.

Entirely digital

Due to cryptocurrencies being digital and not backed by any commodity or real-world currency, their prices remain dependent on supply and demand. Essentially relying on faith: the prices will rise based on people believing in the product and accumulating more, while prices will drop when investors lose faith and sell. The markets remain volatile as investors are not concrete in their positions.

In its infancy

Cryptocurrencies have been around for just over a decade, a relatively short time for an asset of such influence. As the technology remains in its earlier years there is still plenty of development that needs to take place. So while Bitcoin has built an incredible market capitalization, there is still a long way for the cryptocurrency to go. 

This contributes to the market's volatility as markets tend to rise when new developments (upgrades, discoveries, implementations) take effect, while markets can fall when deadlines are missed or errors occur, leading investors to lose faith in the technology. 

Outside speculation

Arguably the biggest contributor to the market's volatility is the speculation surrounding cryptocurrencies. Predicting price swings and then acting on them has caused many an upward and downward spiral. From buying in just before the price rises to short just before a crash, speculation plays a large role in the market's swings and increased volatility. Speculation management is a key ingredient when it comes to successfully trading crypto.

Increased media coverage

Another great contender to volatility in the market is the media. Having a great influence over investor sentiment, the media has been behind many price swings in the market. With the power to launch or crash a market, the media plays into the narrative by encouraging investors to quickly buy or sell with attention-grabbing headlines.

Easy accessibility

The final factor to consider in the causes behind the market's infamous volatility is its accessibility. Stock markets and real estate typically attract a certain calibre of investors, while the entry requirements for investing in crypto are very low. It does not require any licences, degrees, lawyers or heavy capital. Anyone can enter the market with a small amount of money and internet access.

The market has typically been dominated by retail investors, however, in recent years institutional investment has been on the rise. The simple way in which anyone can enter the market provides an open invitation for volatility. 

All playing their own role, these factors contribute to market prices being thrown in seemingly random directions at unpredictable time intervals. Understanding the fast nature of price swings and what might be behind them will contribute to investors and traders gaining a tighter grip on what might happen next. 

Can the market stabilize?

Now that we've explored what factors are behind the volatility, let's dive into whether the markets could stabilize. Bitcoin maximalists claim that once Bitcoin reaches a level of adoption, the price will stabilize. While there are no clear criteria for what "adoption" is, the theory remains true. 

According to this data, Bitcoin is currently the 14th biggest currency in the world, sitting comfortably between the Swiss Franc and the Thai Baht. This illustrates the cryptocurrency's affirmative dominance despite its volatility. 

Will it improve with time, or will a seismic shift in the way people perceive cryptocurrency ultimately solve the volatility issues. At this time, one can't say for sure. So in the meantime, continue HODLing if that's what you came here to do, or leverage the swings as you trade, in the end, you can make gains either way and still come out smiling. 

How to maintain financial stability in volatile markets

First and foremost, never invest more than you're willing to lose. This is the golden rule of investment across all asset classes. The next universal rule is to not act on emotions, do not make impulsive decisions when it comes to your trading portfolio, rather expect volatility and have a plan. Below we outline several tips on how to remain calm in stormy markets.

• Do not pay attention to short-term fluctuations and rather stay invested for the long term.
• Create a limit order that will automatically execute if markets crash. This will create a safety net should things turn south.
• Consider that typically when volatility subsides, prices increase.
• Remember why you invested in the asset and refer back to its potential.

This year has seen a gradual but significant improvement in cryptocurrency prices from the chilly crypto winter of 2022. Factors such as cooling inflation and a more relaxed macroeconomic situation have given crypto the space to turn upward and settle in the green. While the road to recovery (to 2021 prices) might be long, there is definite hope on the horizon.

Before we dive in, let’s first review the previous crypto bull runs associated with halvings. When it comes to bull runs, there is a historical pattern of prices rising several months after a Bitcoin halving. This effect tends to take place twelve to eighteen months after the halving event.

This article tends to focus heavily on Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency holds a lot of weight in the industry. Bitcoin market trends tend to dictate the way forward for many other altcoins, while this isn’t black and white, it tends to be the norm. When Bitcoin enters a bull run, so too do other cryptocurrencies, and when the Bitcoin price is down, the same applies. 

What is a Bitcoin halving?

Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, strongly believed that scarcity creates value. When designing Bitcoin, it was decided that there would only ever be 21 million coins, and while these can be broken down into small decimal places, there is no changing that maximum supply. 

In order to leverage the scarcity and ensure an even distribution of new coins entering circulation, Nakamoto designed a halving mechanism. The mechanism ensures that the currency remains deflationary, controls how many new coins enter circulation, and plays little havoc on the market. 

To understand how a halving works, one must first understand how Bitcoins are mined. Through a decentralized network, new transactions are entered into a mempool while they await confirmation. Miners will then compete to verify them by completing a complex cryptographical puzzle. The first miner to successfully complete the puzzle is awarded the job of verifying the transactions as well as earning the rewards. 

Once all the transactions have been verified they are executed and the data from each transaction is added to a block, which is added to the blockchain in chronological order. The miner then receives a transaction fee from each transaction as well as a miner's reward for adding a new block to the blockchain. 

Every 210,000 blocks, roughly four years, this reward is halved, making it a significant factor in what is known as the halving experiences. In 2009, the miner's reward was 50 BTC, today it is worth 6.25 BTC. While the price tends to increase substantially, the reward is automatically halved at these intervals. Written into its code, the halvings are automated activities that cannot be altered.

Reviewing previous bull runs

Bitcoin's first mini bull run

The first recorded "bull run" in the crypto sector took place in April 2011 when the price of Bitcoin rose 3,000% over the space of three months. After reaching $1 in April 2011, the coin went on to reach $32 in June. However, this price increase was short-lived as the price returned to $2 in November.

The next year the cryptocurrency underwent its first halving in November, ending the year between the $13 and $14 price mark.

2012 halving / 2013 bull run

In the first few months after the halving, the price rose from $13 to $30. By April, one Bitcoin was trading for $100, its then all-time high, spurring interest from curious outsiders. By November, twelve months after the initial halving, Bitcoin broke the $1,000 barrier. This too was short-lived as the price dropped to around $530 a month later.

2016 halving / 2017 bull run

The next halving took place in July 2016, when the price was trading at around $600. After years of the Bitcoin price bouncing between $100 and $900, it finally hit the $1,000 mark again in January 2017, six months after the halving. By mid-May, the price had doubled to $2,000, and by December of the same year, the price sky-rocketed to just under $20,000.

Sparking a Bitcoin frenzy, the digital asset became a hot topic in mainstream media and many market participants hopped on the bandwagon. This also sparked widespread development within the industry, with many altcoins being launched and what has become known as the "ICO craze". Due to the quick ascent of this nascent technology, user adoption and regulation became prominent topics of discussion in financial and regulatory circles.

By December 2018, just a year later, the price had shrunk to $3,236, while in December 2019, Bitcoin was trading at $7,200.

2020 halving / 2021 bull run

In 2020 the world was struck by the Covid-19 pandemic, causing unprecedented damage to economies around the world. While Bitcoin and other digital currencies took a knock, the industry proved to be much more resilient than most other traditional markets.

Dropping almost 50% to lows of $4,900 in March 2020, the price gradually recovered to $9,000 in May when the next halving took place. The upward price trend continued its climb, reaching $29,374 in December, another all-time high.

In the early months of 2021, the Bitcoin price doubled in value reaching $64,000 in April. By July, it was trading around $30,000 again before skyrocketing to $68,000 in November. By January 2022 the price had corrected to $35,000 before the market was faced with several unfavorable factors.

Markets around the world took another hit when Russia declared war on Ukraine, sending the price of everyday items including fuel soaring. Governments increased interest rates to the highest they've been in decades, and global supply chain issues caused by the pandemic continued to drive upset.

With the world in financial uncertainty, not to mention the demise of several cryptocurrency networks and exchanges, many participants pulled their money from the crypto markets as well as tech-based stock investment markets. This saw the price of Bitcoin dip below the $20,000 mark for the first time in two years, causing widespread uncertainty and speculation.

2022 was officially declared a crypto winter and while prices rose roughly 29% year-on-date, 2023 wasn’t the promised land that crypto enthusiasts had dreamed of. 

Are we headed toward the next crypto bull run?

Price increases aside, the Bitcoin Fear and Greed meter observed ( at the time of writing) a hopeful incline from a state of “Extreme fear” to a “Greed” greed rating. This measure of market sentiment is a vast improvement from 2022 and, alongside expert analysis, indicates that the cryptocurrency has moved into the accumulation phase. According to the Wyckoff market cycles, this is the prerequisite to the mark-up phase and indicates the end of a bear cycle.

The digital asset market remains volatile and unpredictable, and one cannot predict what might happen in the coming months or even years. What we do know is that historically bull runs have succeeded halvings, so grab your popcorn we should be in for an interesting ride. 

When learning about cryptocurrencies you're likely to come across the term "smart contracts". First popularised by Ethereum, smart contract functionality is now a regular feature among platforms that allow developers to build decentralized apps (dapps).

In this article, we're breaking down what smart contracts are, how smart contracts work, and where they came from.

What is a smart contract?

A smart contract is a digital agreement that executes based on the terms of the agreement. The terms are predetermined and written into the smart contract's code, ensuring that no edits can be made once the smart contract has been executed. As the smart contract is written using blockchain, the transactions are transparent and irreversible.

Due to the nature of these digital agreements, they can be carried out by two anonymous parties without the need for a third party/ central authority.

Smart contracts generally require payment for their creation, as the execution of the smart contract will require energy from the network. Ethereum smart contracts, for example, require gas fees in order to be created and executed, which are paid directly to the platform. The more complex the smart contract, the higher the gas fees. Other smart contracts will require payment in the digital assets utilized by the platform.

Smart contracts work because they are automated and utilize powerful decentralized technology.

Benefits of smart contracts

First and foremost, the biggest benefit of smart contracts is that they are trustworthy as they cannot be tampered with, nor can a third party intervene. So smart contracts cannot be hacked as they use blockchain technology to encrypt the information.

Smart contracts are cost-effective as they eradicate the middleman and save the users both time and fees that would otherwise come with them. Once certain criteria are met, smart contracts automatically execute, requiring no time delays, paperwork, or room for error. A smart contracts accuracy is determined by the accuracy of the coding used to create the smart contract.

many industries including insurance companies are using smart contracts to streamline and automate their business processes, including fulfilling legal obligations and managing financial transactions. By utilizing if-then statements, the insurance company can create smart contracts that automatically execute the insurance payment to policyholders when certain conditions are met. This can be used to process claims, pay out benefits, and manage other contracts in the same way.

How do smart contracts work?

Smart contracts are digital agreements built using blockchain. Developers looking to create a smart contract will need to utilize a blockchain platform that provides such functionality.

Determine agreement terms

Developers will first need to determine what the agreement terms are as well as the desired outcome. For example, one might create a smart contract that stipulates when 0.5 BTC is received by a certain digital assets wallet the code to a keypad on a property will be sent to the renter.

Determine conditions of agreement

Establish the conditions of the smart contract such as payment authorization or shipment receipt.

Write code

Using a smart contract writing platform, developers will write the code. This will then be sent to another team, such as an internal expert, for security testing.

Smart contracts deployed

Once approved, the code is then deployed on the blockchain platform. The smart contract will then be alerted to any event updates.

Smart contracts executed

Once the terms of the agreement are met and communicated to the blockchain through an oracle (a secure streaming data source), the smart contract will then automatically execute the desired outcome.

One might liken a smart contract to a digital vending machine. The terms of the agreement are understood by both parties involved prior to the transaction. Through an automated process, one party will input the initial criteria (the funds) and the predetermined outcome will be executed automatically (the selected goods will be released).

History of smart contracts

Smart contracts were first conceptualized by American computer scientist, Nick Szabo, the creator of the first digital money "Bit Gold", in 1998. He created them with the intention to digitize transaction methods to replace traditional contract and defined these smart contracts as "computerized transaction protocols that execute terms of a contract."

"These new securities are formed by combining securities (such as bonds) and derivatives (options and futures) in a wide variety of ways. Very complex term structures for payments can now be built into standardized contracts and traded with low transaction costs, due to computerized analysis of these complex term structures."

Szabo's concept remained purely theoretical until the invention of public blockchain technology, which provided the necessary infrastructure for storing and executing smart contracts. In recent years, smart contracts have been used in a variety of industries, including finance, real estate, and supply chain management. While there are still some security concerns with the technology, the use of smart contracts could further increase the efficiency and reliability of transactions.

Conclusion

Smart contracts are digital a contracts between two parties that are automatically executed once certain conditions are met without time delay. Built on the blockchain, smart contracts are immutable, irreversible, and transparent, and require no third parties. Smart contracts are written in varying programming languages dependant on the blockchain network on which they are created. This technology ensures that the smart contracts are implemented correctly.

Playing an important role in the adoption of Web3, Enjin provides a platform of software products designed to allow anyone to harness the power of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) through the development, trade, monetization, and marketing of blockchain assets. 

What is the Enjin platform?

The Enjin platform is an ecosystem of interconnected, blockchain-based gaming products designed for individuals, game developers and businesses to create, manage and trade virtual goods such as digital art, games, or virtual marketplaces using the Ethereum blockchain. Enjin aims to provide users with the tools to implement smart digital solutions for blockchain games within the gaming environment.

Through the platform's software development kits (SDKs) and APIs, users can build digital assets as well as seamlessly integrate them into their games and applications. 

Under the Enjin umbrella is the Enjin Network, a community gaming platform that allows users to create websites, chat, and host virtual stores. Over the course of a decade, the Enjin platform has accumulated over 20 million users.

Powering the ecosystem is the Enjin Coin (ENJ), a token used to back the value of NFTs and other assets minted on the platform. When an asset is minted it locks ENJ tokens into a smart contract and effectively removes the tokens from circulation.

It’s also worth noting that Witek Radomski, Enjin's co-founder and the brainchild behind the ERC-1155 Ethereum token standard, wrote the code for the first non-fungible token (NFT). By utilizing its cutting-edge technology, Enjin is revolutionizing the future of gaming and digital assets.

Who created Enjin?

Enjin was originally founded in 2009 as a gaming community platform by Maxim Blagov and Witek Radomski. Blagov took on the responsibility of being CEO and in charge of the platform's creative direction while Radomski took on the role of CTO, leading the technical development of the platform's products.

Following Radomski's interest in Bitcoin in 2012, the platform explored incorporating blockchain technology into its business model and embraced the world of tokenized digital assets.

Radomski went on to write the ERC-1155 token standard in June 2018, a token standard used for minting both fungible, semi-fungible and non-fungible tokens using the Ethereum network. This token standard is a critical building block in the platform’s design.

In 2017, the Enjin platform launched an initial coin offering (ICO), raising $18.9 million through ENJ token sales. A year later the project went live and in September 2019, the Enjin Marketplace was launched.

How does Enjin work?

The primary goal of the Enjin network is to facilitate the management and storage of virtual goods for games, anything from in-game currencies to unique in-game items. So, how does Enjin work? The process of creating and destroying these tokens involves five steps, as outlined below. 

• Purchase
  Developers purchase Enjin Coin. 
• Minting
  In-game items are designed and effectively minted with the appropriate amount of ENJ locked into a smart contract.
• Utilization
  Players use these tokens within the game.
• Trading
  Players trade the tokens between fellow players or on the internal or external marketplace.
• Melting
  Players sell the tokens for Enjin Coin, referred to as melting. The token is destroyed and Enjin Coin is released from the smart contract.

SDKs (software development kits) come into play here, with kits designed to fulfill certain functions, such as facilitating a payment platform or being wallet-focused. These kits are designed to minimize costs and simplify the process of creating these virtual goods. APIs (application programming interfaces) work alongside the SDKs to integrate these virtual goods (digital assets) into the game.

The Enjin platform utilizes JumpNet which is integrated with other products in the ecosystem, such as the Marketplace, Enjin Beam, and the Enjin Wallet to allow for gas-free transactions for ENJ and NFTs.

The Enjin ecosystem encompasses the Enjin smart wallet that allows players to store and trade their in-game items with ease. The Enjin wallet is designed to connect all the features, from managing inventory to conducting transactions and selling these tokenized digital assets for ENJ. 

What is the Enjin Coin (ENJ)?

Enjin Coin (ENJ) is the native token of the Enjin ecosystem. Built on the Ethereum blockchain and compatible with multiple gaming platforms, the Enjin Coin is an ERC-20 token that allows the in-game items created on the platform to be traded with real-world value. The ENJ token has a maximum supply of 1 billion coins.

The token also allows developers to mint these digital goods. The process requires the users to lock Enjin Coin (ENJ) into a smart contract that automatically assigns value to the in-game item. Players that later use these items can use them in the game, trade them or sell them for ENJ, equivalent to the original minting cost. Once sold, the item is destroyed (known as melting) and the ENJ that was locked in the smart contract is released to the seller.

How can I buy Enjin Coin?

Anyone can tap into the Enjin ecosystem by acquiring ENJ tokens through the Tap mobile app. Simply create an account and complete the verification process in order to gain access to your unique Enjin wallet, from where you can buy, trade and sell Enjin Coin. 

Fully licensed and regulated, Tap provides a secure and convenient means of managing your funds, allowing users to manage and store both crypto and fiat currencies in one location. With a wide range of supported currencies and services, Tap is revolutionizing the financial space.

Take advantage of the power of Enjin Coin on the Tap app - the ultimate platform to buy, sell or hold ENJ. With seamless integration and an intuitive interface, trading Enjin tokens has never been easier. Stay up-to-date with the latest market trends and keep your portfolio on track by monitoring the Enjin Coin price in real-time. 

In this article, we're covering what transaction fees are, and taking a look at which cryptocurrencies offer the lowest transaction fees.

While long-term traders are unlikely to get affected by transaction fees, short-term traders and people actively using cryptocurrencies are often plagued with excessive fee structures.

This complaint has led to layer 2 solutions, where transactions can most quickly and cost-effectively be executed, as well as new blockchain platforms entirely (as was the case when developers migrated away from Ethereum due to high transaction costs).

What are transaction fees?

Transaction fees are fees paid to the miner of the network to execute the transaction. While some networks differ in how they operate, transaction fees are consistent across the board. Looking at Bitcoin as an example, when a user sends BTC the transaction is entered into a pool of pending transactions known as a mempool. 

The miner will then pick up a batch of transactions and validate them, checking to see whether the original wallet does in fact have the funds to send and if the wallet addresses are valid. Once the transaction is executed, the data relevant to the transaction is added to a block, which is added to the blockchain chronologically. 

As compensation to the miner for their time and electricity, they earn a small crypto transaction fee from each transaction as well as a reward for adding the block, known as a miner's reward. This process also ensures the safety and integrity of the network.

When the networks are very busy, the cost of sending a transaction is increased. Users can then choose to add in a higher crypto transaction fee in order to prioritise their transaction in the mempool. 

Transaction fees for smart contracts are based on how much electricity will be needed to complete the task. Typically, transaction fees on smart contracts are much higher.

Generally, the terms transaction fee and network fee can be used interchangeably. They both refer to the transaction fee necessary by the network for the transaction to get processed.

Exchange fees refer to something else entirely. Exchange fees are fees charged by the exchange in order to conduct the service. Be sure to check before conducting a transaction on an exchange as you might be required to pay a transaction fee (or network fees) as well as exchange fees.

How to pay less for transaction fees

A transaction fee is imperative to your transaction getting executed so it cannot be avoided entirely, however, there are ways to reduce the amount you need to pay.

Transaction fees increase when the network is busy, so sending your transaction while the network is quieter is a great way to reduce the transaction fee. Typically the busier periods are during business hours in the United States. 

Look out for the Lightning Network for Bitcoin and layer-2 scaling solutions for Ethereum as these will provide a cost-effective solution to high transaction costs on those networks.

Which cryptocurrency has the lowest average transaction fee?

Let's take a look at some of the most popular cryptocurrencies and the average transaction fee associated with their platforms. 

XRP - $0.0002 per transaction

Developed by Ripple Labs, XRP is optimised for fast, affordable cross-border payments, with a focus on serving financial institutions and remittance providers. Thanks to its unique architecture, XRP has cemented its status as a key player in the payment processing space.

XRP's minimal costs and 4-second transaction times make it a preferred choice for users and institutions alike. 

Solana (SOL) - $0.00025 per transaction

Solana’s transaction fees cost just fractions of a cent ($0.00025), with complex transactions also coming in incredibly cheap. The network stands out for its lightning-fast transactions, typically wrapping up in about 2.5 seconds. Thanks to its scalable design, Solana can handle many transactions simultaneously, making it a hit for dapps and big blockchain projects.

This efficiency, coupled with its rapid speed, has made Solana a favourite among both developers and users, and a permanent feature in the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies based on market cap (currently number 5).

Litecoin (LCH) - $0.0025 per transaction

Litecoin stands out as one of the cheapest crypto options out there, costing around $0.0025 per transfer. As an early pioneer in the space, Litecoin was designed with fast, affordable payments in mind, borrowing and refining Bitcoin's underlying technology. Litecoin's speedy 2.5-minute transaction times add to this appeal.

The minimal fees on Litecoin are a huge plus, with its efficiency and speed making Litecoin an attractive choice for those seeking a cost-effective crypto.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) - $0.01 per transaction

Bitcoin Cash makes it onto the list with an attractive $0.01 average transaction fee. As a Bitcoin offshoot, BCH was engineered for faster, more affordable transfers via larger block sizes. 

The cost-effective fees on Bitcoin Cash have made BCH a viable option for those looking for a low-cost market entry and equally impressive low-cost transaction fees. 

Dogecoin (DOGE) - $0.04 per transaction

Dogecoin, born in 2013 as a playful take on crypto, has surprisingly become a significant player in the crypto space. Despite its lighthearted meme-inspired origins, Dogecoin's enthusiastic community and celebrity endorsements have propelled it into the mainstream. 

Its low $0.04 average transaction fees and fast 1-minute transaction times make it practical for frequent micro-transactions like tipping and donations, blending fun and function.

Trade smart, trade with Tap

Users can trade all the tokens mentioned above with equally low exchange fees directly on the Tap app. Adding to the cost-effective nature of the platform, it also offers heightened security and added convenience. It's time to trade smarter, download the Tap app and get started today. 
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In the age of neobanking, it seems counter-intuitive to be locked into a long-term relationship with an establishment that hasn’t changed in 300 years. With outdated processes and tedious hoops to jump through, it’s high time you said goodbye to the traditional financial institution and treated your finances with the love and respect they deserve.

From an outdated bank to an even more outdated credit union, you don't need to settle for financial institutions that make the rules and take your money. It's 2022, you have options. And we know, the process to switch from your current bank is tedious, but with the technological advancements of today, that's a thing of the past.

You deserve better from your financial institution

Knowing you deserve better is the first step toward claiming back your power. It’s time to say goodbye to high, complicated fee structures and hello to transparency, minimal fees, and knowing exactly where your money goes. 

As the world rapidly transitions into a more digital space, why keep the management of your finances stuck in the dark age? Fintechs are making big strides in providing the masses with new-age financial services with faster processing times and more transparent fees. Your financial livelihood deserves better.

Neobanking vs traditional banks

Let’s take a moment to define neobanking. Neo comes from the Greek word “new”, literally meaning “new bank”. These financial technology companies (fintechs) offer users access to financial services through online digital platforms, an online bank of sorts. While not all fintechs are created equal, the majority require special licensing and provide something similar to a checking account with web and mobile services.

A traditional financial institution refers to the age-old establishment that in all likelihood is the same bank that our grandparents used in their days. Innovation in the traditional bank sector has been stagnant over the last several decades, and little has changed in these money-making corporations. They also tend to have deep political, financial, and social roots in their countries of operation. Not to mention poor customer service.

• Neobanking companies are largely like a digital online baking providers, whereas traditional banks have a physical presence alongside online banking services.
• Fintechs offer standard services such as checking and savings accounts, money transfer and payment services, low to no overdraft fees and some financial education tools (budgeting tools, etc). On the other hand, traditional credit unions present a much wider selection of options like lines of credit, financial advisors, credit cards, etc.
• While all traditional banks are fully licensed and chartered, many fintechs do own different as significant licenses such as EMI licenses. In some cases, in order to insure their products, neobanks do choose to partner with a primary bank.
• Many banks focus more on developing strong, lasting relationships while neobanks typically provide more flexible accounts than just a simple bank account, which require less paperwork and can be used worldwide.
• Online banks tend to overwhelm clients with a variety of complicated fees while neobanks charge much lower fees for their services, including for most : no monthly maintenance fee.
• While banks provide you with a face to face agent, fintechs do not, however they still provide quality customer service representatives ready to help you online with anything you might need. In short both boast different yet great excellent customer service.

Fintech do provides a new-age approach with fewer fees and more transparency, but with all, if not most, of the bells and whistles that your current banking platform provides. 

One of the largest and oldest dapps in the DeFi (decentralized finance) space, Compound Finance has built a reliable reputation among traders looking for lending and borrowing services. Compound operates using its native ERC-20 COMP tokens which provide community governance as well as other services.

What is the Compound protocol (COMP)?

Built on the Ethereum blockchain, the Compound protocol provides liquid money markets offering services such as lending and borrowing. Supporting a number of crypto assets, the Compound protocol allows users to deposit crypto into lending pools providing capital for borrowers on the network and allowing them to earn interest in return.

After depositing funds into the lending pool, lenders are issued "cTokens" (cETH, cDAI, cBAT) which represent the deposit made. These tokens can then be traded or transferred within the platform, or redeemed for the original cryptocurrency deposited. This process is conducted by smart contracts and operates entirely automatically with interest rates algorithmically assigned based on the activity in its liquidity pools. 

The Compound protocol also uses the ERC-20 native COMP token which is distributed to traders that utilize the Compound market, i.e. borrowing, withdrawing or repaying the asset. COMP tokens are distributed each time an Ethereum block is mined proportional to the interest collected from each asset. The COMP cryptocurrency grants COMP token holders governance and voting rights.

Following notable investments from the likes of consulting firm Bain Capital Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and Polychain, the platform has grown and established a strong reputation within the decentralized finance space and the greater crypto world.

The history of Compound and who created it

Compound was founded in 2017 by Robert Leshner and Geoffrey Hayes, who both previously held high-profile jobs at PostMates, an online food delivery service. Leshner holds the CEO position while Hayes remains the CTO at Compound Labs, Inc, the software development firm behind the Compound protocol. Compound Labs is an open-source software development firm creating cutting-edge tools, products, and services for the innovative DeFi ecosystem.

In 2018, the platform raised $8.2 million from notable venture capital firms Bain Capital Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. A year later, Compound raised an additional $25 million from many of the same investors along with new ones including Paradigm Capital.

How does Compound work?

The Compound protocol leverages the power of Ethereum smart contracts and cryptocurrency incentives to benefit lenders and borrowers. Lend and borrow services make up the two main use cases for the platform, as outlined below.

Interest rates on Compound are dynamically managed based on the supply and demand of particular crypto assets within the coin pools. The higher the liquidity, the lower the interest rate. Prices are determined by using the Open Price Feed based on Chainlink's oracles which collect the data from numerous exchanges.

In order to use the Compound DeFi protocol to engage in lending or borrowing services, you will need to connect one of the supported crypto wallets. Currently, the app supports MetaMask, Ledger, WalletConnect, and Tally Ho. The interface has been designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, perfect for traders new to the space as well as seasoned DeFi participants.

Lending/supplying

The process of lending on the Compound platform is called supplying. Lenders are able to earn interest on their cryptocurrency by depositing cryptocurrencies into the Compound platform. Borrowers are also required to deposit digital assets into the protocol, which can earn interest but cannot be withdrawn for the duration of the borrowing period.

The platform currently supports roughly 20 crypto assets, from Basic Attention Token (BAT) to Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), with Ethereum (ETH) and a number of stablecoins (DAI, USDC, and USDT) being the most actively used.

Once users lend assets to the platform, they are issued with ERC-20-based cTokens corresponding to the cryptocurrency deposited (i.e. cETH, cDAI, etc.). These tokens confirm the liquidity providers' deposits and offer a number of other incentives.

Borrowing

After depositing a particular cryptocurrency into the decentralized finance protocol, users are assigned a "borrowing capacity". This is a limit set in USD based on the rate of the crypto asset which is determined by the Open Price Feed. When depositing multiple cryptocurrencies, the borrowing capacity will factor this in.

Users can also borrow cryptocurrencies supported by the protocol based on a coin's collateral ratio. For instance, if DAI has a collateral ratio of 70%, users can borrow DAI up to 70% of the total amount deposited. Typically, collateral ratios are between 60% and 85%.

Similar to the lending process, when borrowing cryptocurrency borrowers are issued cTokens. So when borrowing DAI for instance, borrowers will be issued cDAI tokens, with the interest payable based on these tokens as well.

Withdrawing

After paying back the borrowed debt, users can redeem their deposited funds. Without having to deal with other traders, the protocol seamlessly utilizes a dynamically maintained set of liquidity pools. The platform also does not charge any withdrawal penalties or hold users to minimum investment times.

When users redeem their funds, the cTokens issued are added to the accumulated interest and converted back to the originally deposited cryptocurrency. These funds can then be withdrawn into the connected wallet.

Account Health

The Compound platform uses a system called "account health" to establish whether accounts are in risk of liquidation. This system measures the sum of the deposited funds against the total amount borrowed. If a user's account health falls dangerously low, the account could be liquidated, and some of the collateral forfeited.

This process is managed in a decentralized way where platform users act as liquidators and monitor for risky accounts. Should they liquidate an account they earn a portion of the liquidated funds.

What is the COMP token?

The COMP token is the Compound platform's native token which mainly serves as a governance token, with a built-in incentive for users holding the token. Holders of COMP tokens are able to vote on all important decisions pertaining to the protocol, including interest rates. Much like the cTokens, COMP tokens are based on Ethereum’s ERC-20 token standard. 

Compound tokens have a total supply of 10,000,000 tokens, of which over 70% of Compound coins are in circulation (at the time of writing).

How can I buy COMP tokens?

With Tap's mobile app, users can easily acquire COMP tokens and store them in the integrated wallet with confidence, either to hold long-term, sell, trade or use on other DeFi platforms. Not only does Tap provide an effortless way of trading digital assets, but also a safe space to keep your investments secure over long periods of time.

In order to access the mobile app users will need to download the app and create an account. After a quick verification process, users have access to a wide range of vetted cryptocurrencies as well as fiat wallets where funds can be safely stored or used in the real world. Whether you're looking to buy Compound or sell Compound coins, Tap provides a seamless solution to your crypto needs.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Compound (COMP) on Tap!

COMP is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold COMP for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting COMP will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Built on the Ethereum blockchain, the Compound protocol provides liquid money markets offering services such as lending and borrowing. Supporting a number of crypto assets, the Compound protocol allows users to deposit crypto into lending pools providing capital for borrowers on the network and allowing them to earn interest in return.

The COMP token is the Compound platform's native token which mainly serves as a governance token, with a built-in incentive for users holding the token. Holders of COMP tokens are able to vote on all important decisions pertaining to the protocol, including interest rates. Much like the cTokens, COMP tokens are based on Ethereum’s ERC-20 token standard.

Get to know more about Compound (COMP) in our dedicated article here.

Crypto wallets are a critical tool for anyone looking to use, store, and manage crypto assets. Crypto wallets come in various forms, with different features and security options that cater to the needs of different users. Finding the right crypto wallet is essential if you want to get the most out of your cryptocurrency investments. 

No matter what type of crypto wallet you choose, it’s important to do your research before making a decision since each one comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It’s also important that you keep your private keys safe so no one else can access them, this will ensure that only you have control over your funds and crypto assets. 

What is a crypto wallet?

A crypto wallet is a digital wallet that stores manages and facilitates the use of various cryptocurrencies. In order to store and use crypto assets, one needs a digital wallet. Unlike traditional wallets that simply hold your cash or cards, crypto wallets facilitate transactions as well as store your funds. 

Each crypto wallet has a public and private key which are unique alphanumeric codes that grant the user access to the funds. Public keys are wallet addresses to which other users can send you cryptocurrencies, similar to your bank account number, while private keys are akin to a pin number and should not be shared with anyone. 

In essence, crypto wallets act as secure interfaces for users to access, store and transfer funds across different blockchain networks. In essence, it’s like a bank account for digital currencies. 

The different types of crypto wallets

Crypto wallets can be divided into two main categories: hot wallets and cold wallets. 

Internet connectivity is the defining factor between hot wallets and cold wallets. Hot wallets are connected to the internet, making them less secure but much more user-friendly. On the other hand, cold wallets are stored completely offline and do not require any internet connection. This provides a higher level of security, which makes them ideal for individuals who plan on storing their crypto assets long-term. 

Each of these categories can be further broken down into varying wallets. Under the hot wallets umbrella, there are desktop wallets, mobile wallets, and web wallets, while under the cold wallets umbrella, there are hardware and paper wallets. 

Hot wallets

As a hot wallet is easy to set up and constantly connected to the internet they are ideal for users looking to make daily or frequent transactions. Typically with hot wallets, funds are quickly accessible and they tend to be very straightforward to operate. Below we look at the three main types of hot wallets: desktop wallets, mobile wallets, and web wallets. 

Desktop wallet

A desktop wallet is a cryptocurrency storage solution that allows users to store, send, and receive crypto assets from their personal computers with the crypto wallet stored on the device’s hard drive. 

It is generally considered to be a secure way of managing crypto assets as it does not require the user to store their funds on an exchange, instead giving control over the private keys associated with the hot wallet to the user.

The downside however is that it may be vulnerable to computer viruses should someone gain access to your desktop. 

Mobile wallet

Mobile wallets are digital crypto wallets that allow users to manage their cryptocurrencies directly on their mobile devices. These crypto wallets are very convenient and secure compared to carrying large amounts of money around or keeping it in a traditional bank account.

Mobile wallets provide users instant access with more control over their funds and are particularly useful for quick payments that require a scan of a QR code. When downloading this type of hot wallet ensure that you use a link from the website directly to ensure that you are not falling for a fake wallet. This goes for all hot wallets and cold wallets listed here.

Mobile wallets are typically the best crypto wallets for users actively spending their crypto assets.

Web wallet

Web wallets are hosted by third-party services, which act as custodians for users' private keys. Web wallets provide an easy way to manage digital currencies, allowing users to quickly send and receive payments without having to download or install any software. 

Additionally, web wallets offer enhanced security features such as two-factor authentication and multi-signature transactions. With these features in place, web wallets can provide a secure environment for storing cryptocurrencies regardless of the user's level of technical expertise, an added bonus for hot wallets.

Cold wallets

Cold wallets are hack resistant and therefore are considered the best crypto wallets for hodlers. In order to facilitate trades, cold wallets need to connect to the internet in order to trade directly from their cold storage devices.

Hardware wallet

Hardware wallets store private keys on a physical device like a USB drive or an external hard drive. A common example of this is the Ledger Nano X, while secure it retails for roughly $150.

These crypto wallets provide maximum security but require more effort to set up and use compared to other types of crypto wallets. They typically are also more expensive as one needs to buy a physical device. 

Paper wallet

Finally, paper wallets are simply printed copies of public/private key pairs which allow you to securely store funds offline without having any digital device at all. While these are considered to be the best crypto wallets in terms of security, if the paper gets damaged then the funds are lost.

Finding the right crypto wallet for you

In order to find the right crypto wallet you will need to establish what specifically you wish to do with your funds. If you are looking to hold them long-term, cold wallets are by far the more secure solution, however, if you are making payments and using cryptocurrencies in your day-to-day life, a hot wallet or even a mobile wallet might be better suited to your needs. 

Many crypto users utilize a combination of two or three, using the more secure crypto wallet option to hold their funds long-term while also having a portion of funds in a preferred hot wallet allowing them quick and easy access to their funds when they need them. 

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Kyber Network was launched in 2018 with the aim of being the main liquidity hub for the DeFi space. KyberSwap is the platform's interface, a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator that provides convenient and secure value exchange within the crypto market. Overall, the Kyber Network platform provides a smooth token-swapping experience while boosting earnings for liquidity providers. 

What is Kyber Network (KNC)?

Kyber Network is a decentralized multi-chain liquidity hub that provides instant, secure transactions on any decentralized application (dapp). Its main goal is to provide deep liquidity pools that offer the best rates for DeFi dapps, decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and other users. Kyber Network is built on the Ethereum blockchain and makes use of intricate smart contracts.

KyberSwap is its flagship DEX aggregator and liquidity platform. KyberSwap sources liquidity from multiple DEXes to provide the best swap rates for traders in DeFi. KyberSwap is decentralized and permissionless, allowing users to conduct transactions on any of its supported 12 chains, including Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain. 

Kyber Network seeks to solve the liquidity issue in the DeFi industry by allowing developers to build products and services using the platform's protocol, while KyberSwap acts as the trustless trading platform that also provides rewards for liquidity providers. With over $1 billion in total volume from over 1 million user transactions, Kyber Network is a growing player in the DeFi space.

Kyber Network's governance structure is managed by holders of its native Kyber Network Crystals (KNC) token through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) called KyberDAO. This allows KNC token holders to have a say in the network's decision-making processes and contribute to its development and growth.

Who created Kyber Network?

Kyber Network was founded by Loi Luu, Victor Tran, and Yaron Velner in 2017. The project created 226 million KNC tokens, most of which were sold to buyers and investors during its initial coin offering. This raised Kyber Network 200,000 ETH (roughly $50 million at the time) to launch the platform. The protocol went live on the Ethereum blockchain in February 2018, with Vitalik Buterin as an advisor. 

In October 2017, the Kyber Network burned over 10 million KNC tokens, bringing the maximum supply down to roughly 215 million KNC.

Victor Tran is the current CEO of Kyber Network, while Loi Luu is the current Chairman. Yaron Velner stepped down as CTO in October 2019 but remains as an advisor. The Kyber team has over 50 employees globally, and its headquarters is in Singapore, with a large presence in Vietnam.

How does Kyber Network work?

Kyber Network is a decentralized protocol that enables users to instantly trade tokens without intermediaries. KyberSwap is the user interface for Kyber Network, with two protocols: Classic and Elastic. 

Classic features the Dynamic Market Maker (DMM) protocol and the Amplification (AMP) programmable price curve. Elastic is a tick-based AMM (automated market maker) with concentrated liquidity, allowing liquidity providers to specify the price range for adding liquidity and earn fees for swaps processed at a specific price. 

KyberSwap also has features like the Reinvestment Curve, multiple fee tiers, JIT Protection, and liquidity mining farms. The Kyber Network aggregates liquidity from various sources into a single liquidity pool on its network, and anyone can provide liquidity. The protocol is integrated into dApps (decentralized applications), DeFi (decentralized finance) platforms, and crypto wallets, enabling users to utilize any Kyber Network-supported token and allowing platforms to receive payment in their preferred token. 

The Kyber Network protocol relies on reserves to provide liquidity for its decentralized exchange platform, KyberSwap. When a user initiates a trade, the platform searches for available reserves to find the best available rate being offered by takers. 

There are three main types of reserves: Price Feed Reserves (PFR), Automated Price Reserves (APR), and Bridge Reserves. PFRs use price feeds to calculate conversion rates using smart contracts acting as an alternative to market makers, APRs provide rates for available crypto assets through smart contracts, and Bridge Reserves access other decentralized exchanges to deepen liquidity. 

Previously, reserves were required to participate in the Kyber protocol by staking KNC to pay for network fees, but a recent upgrade removed this requirement, making it easier for reserves to participate. Kyber Network collects fees in ETH, with a portion of them going to reserves based on the amount of liquidity they provide.

The reserves model is a critical component of KyberSwap, enabling the platform to offer fast and competitive token trading services to its users.

What is the Kyber Network Crystal (KNC) token?

Kyber Network Crystal (KNC) is the native coin for the platform and acts as both a utility and governance token. Users can stake it to vote on upgrades and policies or delegate their tokens to other validators and earn a portion of the block reward. 

Users who stake KNC receive rewards in ETH, and network fees paid in KNC will be burned over time, gradually reducing its supply. KNC holders can participate in the DAO and governance proposals by staking their assets or delegating their vote. 

They can also earn liquidity-mining rewards by staking their tokens in eligible Rainmaker farming pools or participating in various activities such as Trading Contest, Gleam Giveaway, and AMAs.

How can I buy KNC tokens?

Tap's mobile app offers a user-friendly platform for users to purchase, trade, and safely store Kyber Network's KNC token in an integrated wallet. The app supports a variety of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies, which can be used for buying and selling KNC tokens. The app also makes use of a smart router which finds the best Kyber Network price at any given time.

Additionally, users can securely store not only KNC tokens but also other digital assets on the app. Downloading the Tap mobile app provides users with access to verified cryptocurrencies and fiat wallets, allowing them to take advantage of a wide range of investment opportunities.

Investing is a great way to grow your wealth and reach financial goals, but it is important to understand the potential risks as well as the rewards. Knowing how to identify capital gains and losses in investments is essential for any investor who wants to make informed decisions about their money. 

Gains and losses will determine whether or not an investment has been successful, so understanding them is critical to making wise choices when investing. Not only that but being able to recognize capital gains and losses can help investors decide when it’s time to get out of an investment before they incur too much damage. 

By learning to spot a gain or loss quickly, investors can protect their funds from unnecessary harm while reaping the benefits of investing. Here we break down how to calculate capital gains and losses.

The basics: how to calculate capital gains/loss

Investors will need to first identify the original cost or purchase price of the investment in order to calculate the percentage capital gain on an investment. You can get this from your broker, or any electronic trade confirmations you might have received. 

The next step is to subtract the original cost of the same investment from the selling purchase price (current value) to arrive at the gain or loss amount. If the amount is negative, this will indicate a loss while a positive amount will illustrate the profit. 

Then take this amount (the gain or loss) and divide it by the original purchase price. Multiply this by 100 and this will establish your gain or loss as a percentage.

Gain/loss ($ amount) = selling price - purchase price

Gain/loss percentage = [(selling price- purchase price) / purchase price] x 100

When the market value of an investment is lower than its cost basis, leading to a negative percentage return, it constitutes a loss on that particular asset.

When the market value or selling price surpasses your initial investment, you'll get a positive percentage that reflects this gain.

Why calculating gain/loss is important

Calculating the loss or gains you've made on an investment is crucial not only for staying on top of your financial situation but also when it comes to monitoring your investment strategy. If you are continuously making losses on an investment it might be time to change course, however, you will only know this by doing the calculations. 

Calculating the capital gains or losses on an investment as a percentage is important because it shows how much was earned as compared to the amount needed to achieve the gain.

Additionally, calculating the gains or losses of an investment are important when calculating any capital gains tax. Having a clear understanding of the financial situation will ensure that you are not underpaying or overpaying on capital gains tax. Be sure to check the capital gains tax rate in your jurisdiction as this will change from area to area.

Additional aspects to consider

As with anything, there are additional costs to factor in. For investments, this might be commissions, broker fees, taxes, etc. Below we look at how to factor in transaction costs, dividends, and trading fees.

Transaction Costs

Take your final gain/loss amount and subtract and transaction costs incurred from this amount.

Gain/loss ($ amount) = (purchase price - selling price) - transaction costs

Dividends

When calculating your gains, any additional income or distributions should be factored in. Dividends, whether from specific stocks or mutual funds, are the most common form of investment income and are paid to investors on a per-share basis. Not all shares pay out dividends so be sure to confirm this prior to making the trade.

Say an investor owns 100 shares and the company pays out $5 per share annually, this equates to $500 in dividends in a single year. Let's say that each share was bought at $20 and is now worth $40.

Gain/loss percentage 

= [((selling price - purchase price) + dividends) / purchase price] x 100

= [(($4,000 - $2,000) + $500) / $200] x 100

= 125%

Therefore, the dividends payout increased the gains on this investment by 25%. In this example, we have not included trading fees, commissions, etc.

Trading fees

Trading fees or brokerage fees are often an unavoidable aspect of trading and should be factored into your investment calculations. Using the above example, let's say the broker charges $50 in fees for its services and any transaction costs incurred. This amount will need to be subtracted from the original gain/loss amount before dividing it by the original purchase cost.

Gain/loss percentage 

= [((selling price- purchase price) - fees) / purchase price] x 100

= [(($4,000 - $2,000) - $50) / $2,000] x 100

= 97.5%

Here the trading fees dropped the investment gains by 2.5% from 100% to 97.5%.

Capital gains tax rate and mutual funds

Calculating capital gains or losses in a mutual fund is important for several reasons, but one key example is for tax purposes, known as capital gains taxes.

When an investor sells shares of a mutual fund, they may realize a capital gain or loss, which is the difference between the sale price and the purchase price of the shares. If the sale price is higher than the purchase price, the investor realizes a capital gain, and if the sale price is lower than the purchase price, the investor realizes a capital loss.

Capital gains are typically taxable, meaning that the investor must pay capital gains tax on the amount of the gain. However, if the shares were held for more than one year before being sold, the gain may be taxed at a lower rate known as the long-term capital gains rate, depending on the specific tax laws in your country. In contrast, capital losses can be used to offset capital gains, reducing the investor's overall tax liability.

Calculating capital gains or losses in a mutual fund can be more complex than for individual stocks, as mutual funds may buy and sell securities frequently, resulting in multiple tax lots with different purchase prices and holding periods. To accurately calculate gains or losses, investors must track each tax lot and determine the cost basis of each lot, which is the original purchase price plus any reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions.

Failing to properly calculate capital gains or losses on one's investments can result in overpaying or underpaying taxes, which can be costly and potentially lead to penalties. Therefore, it is important for investors to carefully track their mutual fund investments and accurately calculate their capital gains or losses for tax purposes.

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We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Balancer (BAL) on Tap!

BAL is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold BAL for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting BAL will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Balancer, a popular choice for traders and liquidity providers in the crypto space, is an AMM platform built on the Ethereum network that functions as a self-balancing weighted portfolio, liquidity provider, and price sensor. 

Balancer allows users to create liquidity pools of digital assets using smart contracts. These self-balancing index funds automatically adjust the proportion of assets in the Balancer pools to maintain their desired ratios, even as individual coin prices fluctuate.

The BAL token is the native utility token for the Balancer protocol, which is used to govern the platform and incentivize liquidity providers. The token was launched three months after the initial platform launch following the success of the COMP token on the Compound network. 

Get to know more about Balancer (BAL) in our dedicated article here.

Having an investment IQ is crucial for anyone who wants to build long-term wealth and financial security. An investment IQ refers to the knowledge and understanding of the principles, strategies, and risks associated with investing in financial markets. 

With a strong investment IQ, you can make more informed decisions about how to allocate your money and build a diversified portfolio that can weather market volatility and generate solid returns over time. It will also help you to avoid common mistakes, such as chasing “trendy” stocks or trying to time the market. 

The investing quiz below is about testing and building your investment IQ, designed to give you the confidence and competence needed to manage your finances effectively and achieve your financial goals.

Question 1

Who famously said, "The four most dangerous words in investing are: 'this time it's different'"?

a) Warren Buffett

b) Peter Lynch

c) Benjamin Graham

d) Ray Dalio

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a) Warren Buffet

Warren Buffett famously said, "The four most dangerous words in investing are: 'this time it's different'" to highlight the risk of complacency and overconfidence among investors. The phrase is often used to describe the belief that the rules of investing have somehow changed and that the past is no longer relevant to current market conditions. 

However, as Buffett has emphasized, this mindset can lead investors to make risky decisions based on false assumptions, ultimately leading to significant losses. By recognizing that the fundamental principles of investing remain constant over time, investors can avoid being blindsided by unexpected events and make sound, informed decisions based on a long-term perspective.

Question 2

What is the most important factor to consider when evaluating a company's stock?

a) Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio

b) Its revenue growth rate

c) Its market capitalization

d) Its dividend yield

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a) Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio

The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is a widely used metric in evaluating a company's stock because it provides insight into a company's valuation and potential growth prospects.

A high P/E ratio may suggest that the market has high expectations for the company's future earnings growth, while a low P/E ratio may indicate that the market is not optimistic about the company's growth prospects. This makes P/E ratio a valuable tool in assessing the relative value of a company's stock and its potential for long-term growth.

Question 3

Who famously said, "In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable"?

a) Jim Rogers

b) Jack Bogle

c) Peter Lynch

d) John Paulson

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a) Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers meant that investors often seek the safety of familiar, comfortable investments, such as blue-chip stocks or low-risk bonds. However, these investments may not always offer the highest returns, and may even lead to missed opportunities for growth.

By stepping outside of one's comfort zone and exploring new, potentially riskier investments, investors can potentially reap greater rewards and achieve more profitable outcomes in the long run.

Question 4

What is the primary goal of diversification in investing?

a) To maximize returns

b) To minimize risk

c) To beat the market

d) To invest in a variety of industries

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b) To minimize risk

The primary goal of diversification in investing is to minimize risk by spreading investments across different assets and sectors. This strategy aims to reduce the impact of any single investment's poor performance by offsetting losses with gains from other investments. By diversifying a portfolio, investors can potentially reduce their overall risk and increase their chances of achieving long-term financial goals.

Question 5

Who famously said, "The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient"?

a) Benjamin Graham

b) Peter Lynch

c) Warren Buffett

d) Jack Bogle

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c) Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet said these words to emphasize the importance of patience and long-term thinking in investing. Many investors are often tempted to make quick trades or chase short-term gains, but these actions can be risky and result in losses. 

On the other hand, investors who are patient and willing to hold onto their investments for the long-term are more likely to see their portfolios grow in value. By recognizing that successful investing requires a patient approach, investors can avoid impulsive decisions and focus on achieving their long-term financial goals.

Question 6

What is the difference between a stock and a bond?

a) Stocks represent ownership in a company, while bonds represent a loan to a company.

b) Stocks pay interest to investors, while bonds pay dividends.

c) Stocks are guaranteed by the government, while bonds are not.

d) Stocks are generally considered lower risk than bonds.

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a) Stocks represent ownership in a company, while bonds represent a loan to a company.

A stock represents ownership in a company, while a bond represents a loan to a company or government entity. Stocks offer the potential for capital appreciation and dividends, while bonds offer fixed interest payments and return of principal at maturity. Stocks are generally considered riskier than bonds but also have greater potential for reward.

Question 7

Who famously said, "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No.1"?

a) Warren Buffett

b) Ray Dalio

c) Peter Lynch

d) John Paulson

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a) Warren Buffet

Warren Buffett said, "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1," to emphasize the importance of risk management and capital preservation in investing. By avoiding losses, investors can protect their capital and avoid the difficult task of having to recoup losses. 

Buffett's approach focuses on investing in high-quality companies with strong fundamentals, which are less likely to experience significant declines in value. By following these two simple rules, investors can potentially achieve greater long-term success and avoid costly mistakes in their investment decisions.

Question 8

What is a mutual fund?

a) A type of stock that pays dividends to investors

b) A pool of money from many investors that is used to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities.

c) A type of bond that is issued by the government

d) A certificate of deposit (CD) issued by a bank

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b) A pool of money from many investors that is used to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities.

A mutual fund is a professionally managed investment account that pools money from multiple investors to invest in a diverse range of assets. They offer diversification and professional management, making investing more accessible and convenient for individual investors.

Question 9

Who famously said, "The investor's chief problem and even his worst enemy is likely to be himself"?

a) Warren Buffett

b) Benjamin Graham

c) John Templeton

d) Jack Bogle

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b) Benjamin Graham

Benjamin Graham said, "The investor's chief problem and even his worst enemy is likely to be himself," emphasizing the role of emotions and behavioral biases in investment decisions. Many investors are prone to making impulsive decisions based on fear, greed, or other emotional triggers, which can lead to poor investment outcomes. 

By recognizing one's own tendencies towards emotional decision-making and by practicing discipline and rationality in investment decisions, investors can potentially achieve greater long-term success and avoid costly mistakes.

Question 10

What is dollar-cost averaging?

a) Buying stocks only when they are at their lowest price

b) Investing a fixed amount of money in a stock or mutual fund at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions.

c) Selling stocks when they reach their highest price

d) Investing a lump sum of money in a stock or mutual fund all at once.

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b) Investing a fixed amount of money in a stock or mutual fund at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions.

Dollar-cost averaging is an investment strategy where an investor invests a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions. This can potentially reduce the impact of market volatility on investment returns.

In conclusion

That concludes our investing quiz. Did you learn something new? As mentioned above, Investing IQ is essential for building wealth and achieving financial security. It involves understanding the principles, strategies, and risks of investing. With a strong investment IQ, investors can make more informed decisions, build diversified portfolios with an appropriate asset allocation that can withstand market volatility, and avoid common mistakes. 

Key factors to consider when investing include a company's P/E ratio and the importance of diversification to minimize risk. Famous investors like Warren Buffet and Jim Rogers have emphasized the importance of patience, long-term thinking, and avoiding losses.

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In today's fast-paced world and ever-evolving financial landscape, cryptocurrencies have emerged as a revolutionary digital asset class. With their blockchain technology, decentralized nature, and potential for high returns, there’s no denying that cryptocurrencies have captured the attention of both novice and seasoned investors. 

In this article, we will delve into the advantages and disadvantages of cryptocurrency, shedding light on their accessibility, potential returns, and security, as well as the challenges they pose to beginners. If you’re curious about cryptocurrencies or are on the fence about whether they’re a viable addition to your portfolio, we hope the following can shed some light on the matter.

The pros of cryptocurrency

Accessibility and inclusivity

Cryptocurrencies have democratized financial systems, providing individuals around the world with access to previously inaccessible financial services. Powered by blockchain technology, their core aim is inclusivity.

By eliminating intermediaries like financial institutions, digital currencies offer greater financial freedom and empowerment to anyone, anywhere. This includes lower transaction fees and around-the-clock operations as cryptocurrency markets never close.

Additionally, the reduced transaction costs associated with cryptocurrency transactions make them an attractive alternative for cross-border payments, for both individuals and businesses alike. Transactions that previously took days to complete through financial institutions can now be executed in minutes for a much lower cost thanks to cryptocurrency markets and the ability to transfer funds directly.

High-risk, high reward

Cryptocurrencies are renowned for having volatile price movements, however, this isn’t always a negative thing. The volatile nature of cryptocurrencies presents unique investment opportunities. While this volatility comes with risks, it has also been the catalyst for the success stories of early adopters who have seen substantial returns on their investments. 

For beginners with an appropriate degree of risk tolerance willing to navigate the market carefully, cryptocurrencies can offer the potential for significant financial gains.

Security and privacy

Cryptocurrencies make use of cryptographic encryption to ensure secure crypto transactions and protect user privacy. The underlying blockchain technology provides a transparent and immutable ledger that safeguards against fraud and tampering thereby giving users greater control over their financial information. With the use of a private key system, retrieved when creating a crypto wallet, users have sole access to their cryptocurrency at all times.

Due to the nature of blockchain, cryptocurrency transactions are pseudonymous (and on some decentralized networks offering private transactions, anonymous) allowing for greater privacy when it comes to one’s financial matters. This means that when conducting Bitcoin transactions, for instance, the wallet address of the sender and receiver will be stored on the blockchain ledger as opposed to the names associated with the accounts.

The cons of cryptocurrency 

Volatility and risk

While discussed as a pro of trading cryptocurrencies, volatility can also be a con. The biggest one is that the unpredictable price fluctuations of a digital currency can be intimidating for beginners. Market uncertainty, driven by factors like regulatory changes and investor sentiment, can result in significant losses. 

Additionally, the lack of regulations in the cryptocurrency market makes it susceptible to scams and fraudulent activities such as money laundering, which can pose a risk to unsuspecting investors. Always ensure that you are using a reputable platform to trade and manage your digital currency.

Technical complexity

As cryptocurrencies operate on complex technological frameworks, it's often assumed that there is a big learning curve for beginners entering the crypto markets. Understanding concepts such as how a digital wallet works, what a private key is, and blockchain can be overwhelming initially but with our library of informative and easy-to-digest content, users can bypass the overwhelm. Our content is created to empower crypto enthusiasts looking to navigate the world of digital assets and decentralized currency.

Ensuring the security of cryptocurrency holdings and managing wallets require a certain level of caution and online security to prevent loss or theft. To bypass this obstacle Tap has created an easy-to-use app that allows for the management of multiple crypto and fiat currency in one hyper-secure place. 

Limited acceptance and adoption

Perhaps the greatest hindrance to the world of cryptocurrency is its slow-paced adoption. While the acceptance of cryptocurrencies is growing, it remains limited compared to traditional fiat currencies. 

Not all merchants and businesses accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment, which restricts their usability in daily financial transactions. On top of this, the lack of mainstream recognition and regulatory frameworks presents challenges for the wider adoption of crypto transactions.

Conclusion

As a beginner exploring the world of cryptocurrencies, it's crucial to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before diving into the cryptocurrency market. While digital assets offer accessibility, the potential for high returns, and enhanced security and privacy, there are also the disadvantages of cryptocurrency such as risks related to volatility, technical complexity, and limited acceptance. 

When investing or trading cryptocurrency, it's essential to proceed with caution, conduct thorough research, and consider personal risk tolerance and investment goals. By staying informed and always conducting their own research, beginners can navigate the digital asset landscape effectively and make informed investment decisions.

Remember, cryptocurrencies are a rapidly evolving space, and continuous learning and adaptation are key to staying ahead. Stay informed, monitor market trends, and explore reputable resources to expand your understanding of digital assets and blockchain technology and their potential in the ever-changing financial landscape.

Here we discuss what dividends are and how they work so you can make informed decisions when investing in dividend paying stocks. As a company, regular dividend payments create an incentive for shareholders to remain invested and keep the business growing, while for investors a dividend payment can increase the overall ROI and provide additional income streams. Learn the difference between stock dividends and cash dividends below.

What is a dividend?

Dividends are a way for companies to share their profits with shareholders. When a company earns profits, it can choose to distribute those profits back to its shareholders in the form of dividends. Dividend payments are typically made in cash and are usually paid out every quarter or semi-annually. Dividend paying companies can also choose to pay stock dividends, which is essentially dividend income paid out in shares.

By investing in dividend paying stocks, investors have the potential to earn regular income from their investments as well as benefit from capital appreciation when stock prices rise.

Dividend paying stock and the stock exchange

Investors in the stock market can earn returns in two ways, one is through an increase in the stock price from when they purchased it, and the other is through dividends. A company can decide whether they pay out dividends or not, and it's worth noting that not every company on the stock market does pay out dividends. The ones that do are typically mature ones. 

Companies might instead decide to use the profits to reinvest in the company, hire new employees, or expand their business. Start-ups and newer companies are more likely to take this approach as their goals are more aligned with growth. 

These payments are made in cash and generally occur at regular intervals, be it quarterly or annually. The amount per share, and when and how often dividends are paid out are determined by the company's board of directors.

Why a company might pay dividends 

When a company is profitable, it might do one of these three things with its profits:

• pay off debt
• chase a growth opportunity by reinvesting the money into the business
• pay dividends to their shareholders, attracting new ones and rewarding current ones

Companies pay dividends to reward their shareholders, generating a steady income stream, and increasing the overall value of their stock. Additionally, dividend payments can be used to attract new investors and signal financial strength. Only profitable companies will pay out dividends, and typically ones without significant debt. 

Stocks that pay dividends

Whether a company pays dividends is directly related to its goals and priorities. As mentioned above, younger companies typically use profits to reinvest in the business as the current goal is growth, while more mature, established companies opt to reward (and attract) shareholders. 

Growth stocks

Companies looking to capitalize on growth opportunities might make the wiser move by reinvesting their earnings instead of offering dividends to shareholders. 

Let's use retail as an example. If a company has just released a new product, it'd likely benefit more from hiring additional salespeople who can promote it than partaking in payouts for investors. In doing so, this allows the business to seek out maximum returns and drive the stock price up instead of giving away potential gains prematurely.

Mature stocks

As companies reach their peak and shift to a sustaining stage, they are more likely to prioritize dividend payments for shareholders over investing any additional funds into growth. 

Ultimately, leaders must determine what is best for the company's shareholders depending on its size and age: paying dividends, funding development opportunities, or debt reduction. The ideal choice depends heavily upon the organization’s state of expansion as well as other considerations.

Mutual funds and ETFs

Investors in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds can also tap into dividend income provided that the stocks pay dividends. These are typically paid out on an annual basis, however, this will be determined by the shareholder's brokerage account.

Timeline of dividend payouts

Whether a company pays out dividends at regular intervals or on a once-off basis, below are several dates to note with regard to the when and how of these payments. From the declaration date to the ex-dividend date to the payment date, these all play an important role for investors looking to benefit from dividend yield.

• The Declaration Date

When the Board of Directors announces the value, record date, and payment date for the upcoming dividend.

• Ex-Dividend Date

The ex-dividend date is the final date by which you can buy the stock and earn dividends. If you purchase stock after the ex-dividend date you are not liable to receive dividends. Stock purchases can sometimes take two days to clear so ensure that you do so at the right time. 

• Record Date

The date that you need to be an official shareholder in order to receive dividends. If your stock purchase is not settled by this date you are not liable for the payouts. The record date is typically one date after the ex-dividend date.

• Payment Date

When payments are made to all registered shareholders (as of the record date). Depending on the preferences specified in your brokerage account, the dividend could either be credited to you as cash (cash dividends) or reinvested back into the issuing business, distributed as stock dividends. 

How dividend payments can affect the share price

Due to dividends being paid out by profitable businesses, when a business does pay out dividends this sends a signal to the market that the business is doing well and could drive the stock price up. However, it could have the opposite effect too, driving the price down when there is no dividend payout. 

• when dividends drive the stock price up

Dividends can be a celebration of a company's profits and act as rewards to shareholders for investing in the company. This makes the stock more attractive to investors looking to earn passive income and will ultimately drive the price up. 

• when dividends drive the stock price down 

Companies generally pay dividends only when they are assured that the rate of return can be sustained, thanks to reliable profits. Therefore, if a company announces any reduction in this rate of dividend payment, it is likely because their business is encountering certain difficulties, sending out a negative signal instead.

In conclusion: what is a dividend payment?

A dividend is a payment that companies make to their shareholders, usually in the form of cash or stock. It's a type of reward for investors who have held onto the company's shares for a certain period of time. Usually companies pay dividends on a quarterly basis, often based on a portion of the company’s profits.

Because dividends are usually paid in cash, they can be a great source of income for investors. This extra income comes with less risk than other types of investing, which makes them attractive to many people who are looking for reliable returns on their investments. Dividend stocks also tend to outperform the overall stock market.

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If you're looking to tap into the world of earning passive income in the cryptocurrency space, you've come to the right place. While both yield farming and staking provide this service, they offer slightly different means of getting there. In this article, we're exploring yield farming vs staking, and how to get started. 

Both yield farming and staking fall under the DeFi (decentralized finance) umbrella. This aspect of the industry allows users to lend and borrow cryptocurrencies, similar to the traditional banking system. DeFi lending platforms and liquidity pools provide users with an alternative way to earn passive income, offering varying interest rates and methods of doing so. 

What Is Yield Farming?

Yield farming involves users lending their tokens to DeFi lending platforms. Investors can decide which cryptocurrencies they would like to use, and where they would like to invest their funds. The options range from lending platforms like Compound and Aave to decentralised exchanges (DEXs) like PancakeSwap and Uniswap. 

On a lending platform, the process typically involves a user depositing their funds on the platform, receiving both an APY (annual percentage yield) and tokens native to the platform. 

On DEXs, this alters slightly in that users need to provide one of the pair of coins as per the liquidity pool they wish to engage in. Users will then receive a percentage of the rewards of the pool based on the amount provided.

Passive income from yield farms comes from the interest paid to the borrower or the users of the liquidity pool. Yield farming is considered to be a more reliable option than trading cryptocurrency as yield farming uses smart contracts or automated market makers (AMM) to facilitate all trades. Top yield farms can be found on Ethereum, Polygon, Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and Fantom.

What Is Staking?

Staking involves locking your cryptocurrencies in a smart contract. In order to properly understand staking one will need to have a brief understanding of the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus. 

While Bitcoin uses a Proof-of-Work mechanism to validate transactions through miners solving computational problems, PoS instead uses a less energy-intensive mechanism based on validators staking their cryptocurrency and generating new blocks. This is typically done in a selective process, with each validator getting a turn based on the amount that they stake. By staking in the network the validators are providing collateral to prove they are not bad actors. Ethereum is currently moving to a PoS consensus, with several other big cryptocurrencies already there.

To earn a passive income through staking users can opt to become validators on a network or participate in liquidity pools, alternatively, they can do so through a wallet or exchange that supports such activities. Pools vary in their conditions, lock-in periods (the amount of time the funds are required to stay there) and APYs.

As each staking process changes from cryptocurrency to platform, ensure that you do thorough research on the one you wish to take part in. Here are a few of the top staking coins: Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), PancakeSwap (CAKE), and Polygon (MATIC). 

Yield Farming vs Staking

While both offer excellent means of earning a passive income in the crypto space, the main difference is that yield farming involves depositing one's funds onto a DeFi platform while staking typically involves using one's funds to support a blockchain network or help validate transactions. 

Profits

Staking usually yields profits of around 5% and is expressed with a definite APY. Yield farming on the other hand can provide up to 100% returns but will require a well throughout investment strategy. 

Rewards

Staking rewards are given to validators as incentives for generating new blocks while yield farming rewards fluctuate with the token's price changes and are determined by the liquidity pool. 

Lock-In Periods

Some staking pools require users to lock in their funds for a certain period of time, often also stipulating a minimum amount. Yield farming does not require either of these. 

Security

Staking criteria are determined by the network and tied to the blockchain's consensus, users staking their funds are only at risk of losing them if they have ill intentions or act badly. Yield farming is less secure in that it relies on smart contracts and DeFi protocols, which can be susceptible to hackers if not created correctly.

Which Is Better: Yield Farming vs Staking?

Both yield farming and staking provide options in which one can earn passive income in the crypto space. While each has its advantages and disadvantages, the one offers a safer course while the other a more high-risk high reward endeavour. When it comes to deciding between the two, users should first establish how much risk they are willing to take and how comfortable they are in the DeFi space, followed by what kind of investors they would like to be.

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We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) on Tap!

ENS is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold ENS for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting ENS will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Ethereum Naming Service is a branch from the original blockchain network which aims to make the crypto space, particularly within the DeFi and Web3 sectors, more user-friendly and accessible. Similar to how Domain Name Service made the internet more accessible, Ethereum Name Service aims to do the same and become a fundamental component of these sectors.

Users can register a name through various ENS domain registrars or directly through the ENS manager. Once registered, the name is added to the Ethereum Name Service Registry, and the user becomes the owner of that name. ENS uses a hierarchical system of domains similar to the DNS system used for the internet. 

Once registered, the user can then set the resolver, which is a smart contract that provides information about the Ethereum wallet address associated with the ENS name.

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) system is similar to the DNS (Domain Name System) used on the internet. Users can register an ENS domain name under the .eth top-level domain and associate them with their Ethereum addresses by using the platform's smart contracts.

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) did not have its own token until recently. In 2021, the ENS team announced the launch of a new governance token called ENS, which is separate from the old ERC-20 token with the same name.

Get to know more about Ethereum Name Service (ENS) in our dedicated article here.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Loopring (LRC) on Tap!

LRC is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold LRC for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting LRC will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Addressing the speed and cost concerns associated with the Ethereum platform and decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges, Loopring delivers a new layer to the DeFi space. Describing itself as “an open-source, audited, and non-custodial exchange protocol,” Loopring is bringing something new and innovative to the space.

The Loopring Exchange aims to offer a hybrid platform combining the best features of centralized exchanges and decentralized exchanges, addressing issues like structural limitations and transparency. The platform combines centralized order matching with decentralized blockchain order settlement, using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) for enhanced privacy, reduced costs, and high speeds.

The Loopring cryptocurrency, LRC, plays a crucial role in the operations of the protocol.
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To operate a decentralized exchange on Loopring, a minimum of 250,000 LRC needs to be locked up. This allows the exchange operator to utilize on-chain data proofs. Alternatively, an operator can stake 1 million LRC to run an exchange without this feature.

LRC serves as an incentive for the proper utilization of the Loopring network. Exchange operators who deposit LRC may face confiscation of their deposits by the protocol if they operate exchanges poorly. These confiscated funds are then distributed to users who choose to lock up LRC.

Get to know more about Loopring (LRC) in our dedicated article here.

Harnessing a wealth of security strategies, fintechs and banks employ several safeguarding measures to protect your hard-earned money. But, as one might expect, fraudsters continually strive to discover ways to exploit these protections.

In this article, let's delve into the tactics used by criminals to attempt to manipulate you into authorising card transactions inside the Tap app. These aren't transactions that originate from your usual activity, instead, they are crafty attempts at transactions initiated by nefarious individuals looking to exploit your finances.

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Stolen card schemes
The initial phase of this deception involves a criminal acquiring credit or debit card details. Such information could either be procured during genuine organisation data breaches or through responding to deceitful texts or emails, which is widely known as phishing or smishing. These messages often pose as credible businesses. In certain cases, they could even resort to physically stealing your card.

There are some preventive measures you can take to safeguard your personal and financial data: 

1. Cultivate a healthy scepticism when it comes to text messages or emails containing links, especially those urging for payment details or requesting account login.

2. Instead of immediately clicking on links in messages that appear to be from “reputable companies”, consider an alternative method. Use Google to search for them independently (without using the provided link in their message) to ensure their credibility. Conducting your own research can effectively protect you against possible scams.

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Safe account fraud schemes
Scammers get creative to try to trick you out of your money. A common trick is to make you worry about your bank account's safety. They might call you, making it look like it's from a real bank or fintech pretty convincingly — a trick usually known as 'spoofing.'

During such a call, they might ask you to approve a card transfer, suggesting it will move your money to a 'secure place' as protection. To sound convincing, they might even tell you that any payment you can see on your app isn't real and is instead a 'test' of your account's safety.

However, it's crucial to remember that legitimate financial institutions will never prompt you to relocate your finances or process payments to ensure your account's security. Instead, they already have stringent security measures in place to protect your money.

If you receive such a call, take a moment and think. You're better off hanging up and checking things out. Tap support and security team will never call you over the phone. It's always smarter to take a moment to be safe than regret being in a hurry later.

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Impersonating refund scams
An additional technique employed to deceive individuals into authorising a card payment through their app involves fraudulent calls wherein the caller pretends to represent an online store. Picture this: You receive a call with the caller claiming an unauthorised purchase has been made using your card. 

Naturally, your immediate reaction is denial, because you didn't make that purchase.

But here comes the twist. The tricksters would insist that in order to rectify the error and process your refund, you need to confirm the payment in your app. It sounds counterintuitive, right? That's because it is!

In both instances, the authenticity of these scams lies in the detailed knowledge that the fraudster already possesses your card – they have all the information required to initiate a payment (refer to the previous section named 'Stolen card schemes'). 

The illusion of their credibility sparks a false sense of security, leading you to authorise the payment. Unfortunately, when you authorise the payment within the application, you're effectively granting permission for the funds to be debited from your account.


How criminals try to bypass security measures
Criminals continually seek ways to evade security measures, particularly those designed to protect online financial transactions. One such protective measure is 3DSecure, deployed to fortify the safety of your online card transactions. 

3DSecure functions by prompting the cardholder to authenticate certain transactions using their Tap application. This verification process ensures that the individual carrying out the payment is indeed the card's legitimate owner and not an unauthorised party.

Intriguingly, scammers have constructed a strategy to bypass this safeguard. Their preferred method is a telephonic approach, attempting to manipulate unsuspecting individuals into authorising transactions on their behalf.

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What steps can I take to safeguard myself?

When finance meets technology, the world is your oyster - until you encounter a scam. Spotting a scam is your first line of defence. If a random individual approaches you, pressuring you to approve a card payment through your app, hug your inner sceptic. This rings alarm bells for a scam. Should you find yourself in such a pickle, don’t hesitate - hang up, firmly dismiss it, and message the Tap support team to report the incident.

Fortifying your financial fortress is an easier task than before, thanks to the accessibility of financial apps. The Tap app puts the power of financial security in your hands - literally! Located under the 'Cards' tab, you'll find a freeze card toggle. A quick press of this nifty control will lock your card, thus preventing unauthorised transactions.

Just like you wouldn't let a stranger inside your home, it's wise not to accept card payments that you never asked for. This could leave you susceptible to scams, meaning your hard-earned money risks vanishing into thin air.

Despite your best efforts, if you find yourself entangled in a fraudulent scenario - don’t despair. Our customer service team is there for you. Contact them through the Tap app live chat or via email immediately. 

Finally, pay a visit to the security section of our blog, where you will find tips to be armed with extra tips for dodging scams as you proceed on your personal finance journey. Remember, stay savvy, stay safe, and keep nurturing your financial know-how.

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Porter’s 5 forces is a model that helps to identify the weaknesses and strengths of an industry, empowering the potential investor with insights. In fact, the model is used by more than just investors, companies and analysts also make use of its structure, allowing them to analyze the competitive forces in an environment and build an appropriate business strategy.

Below we outline how the Porter’s five forces model works, where it came from, and how you can use it to your advantage. 

What is the Porter's Five Forces model?

Porter’s Five Forces focuses on identifying and analyzing five competitive forces within an industry that can be used to establish what the industry’s strengths and weaknesses are. The five forces analysis can be applied to any segment of the economy and can determine a company’s business strategy, level of competition, or long-term industry profitability. 

The Five Forces are:

• Competitive forces in the industry
• Potential of new entrants into the industry
• Power of suppliers
• Power of customers
• The threat of substitute products

This model is designed to help analysts and managers comprehend the competitive landscape that a particular company faces and how the company is positioned within it.

Where did Porter’s Five Forces model come from? 

The five forces analysis model was created by and named after Michael E. Porter, an established Harvard Business School professor. The model was introduced in Porter’s book, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors.

Developed in 1979, the five forces analysis model was created to provide industry outsiders with insight and knowledge into the positioning and competitive strength of an organization. The business analysis model has become an important tool in the financial sector and is still widely used today, over 40 years later.

Breaking down Porter’s Five Forces

Below is a breakdown of the Five Forces analysis model which is universal across almost every market and industry in the world. The model looks at the company’s positioning within the market to determine how much power it holds. 

1. The competition in the industry

The first of Porter's Five Forces analysis model focuses on the number of competitors a company has and its ability to undercut them. The more existing competitors and competitive rivalry a company has, along with the number of similar products and services they offer, the less power the company holds. 

When the company has a high level of competitive rivalry, suppliers and buyers will gravitate toward the lower prices, while when competition is low, companies have more control over the prices they charge and the terms of their deals.

More power equates to a competitive advantage which typically equates to more sales and profits. Hence, why industry competition and competitive forces shape strategy.

2. The potential of new entrants into an industry

Of course, new entrants into the market also pose a threat to a company’s power. This can be measured by looking at the amount of time and cost it would take to be a potential competitor. The more resources needed, the more established the company’s position. 

The stronger the barriers to entry, the better for companies already positioned in the market. 

3. The power of suppliers

This point in Porter's five forces analysis model looks at the power the suppliers hold in terms of driving up the costs of resources. This can be determined by looking at the number of suppliers available, how unique their products are, and the cost of a company switching to another supplier. 

The fewer the number of suppliers, the more a company depends on them in turn driving up the supplier’s power. The supplier then has more control over their input costs which can result in lower profits for the company. 

4. The power of customers

The power of customers looks at how much control the consumer has to drive a company’s prices down. This looks at the number of customers a company has, the impact of each customer, and the cost of finding new customers or markets to sell to. 

The smaller the customer base, the more power they have to negotiate lower prices. While a larger customer base with many smaller clients is able to charge higher prices and in turn increase profitability. 

5. The threat of substitutes

The final of Porter’s Five Forces analysis model is the threat of substitutes and looks at the threat that substitutes goods and services can pose to a company. The more unique and more difficult a product or service is to substitute, the better the company’s positioning. As consumers will have little else to turn to, the company automatically accumulates more power. 

These Five Forces analysis can assist a company in building a strategy that ensures well-utilized resources and boosted profits, however, this strategy will need to be consistently visited to ensure that any changes in the external environment are factored in. 

What are the downsides of Porter’s Five Forces?

The most pressing downside of the Five Forces model is that it was designed to look at an individual company, as opposed to the wider industry. Additionally, this proves difficult when the company falls into two or more industries, making the framework less impactful. 

The final downside is that the model is designed to measure all five aspects equally against each other which isn’t always the case. Some factors might be more prevalent in one industry but less relevant in another. 

Porter's Five Forces Model vs SWOT analysis

Another tool used in the business sector is SWOT analysis, which looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of existing companies. When comparing the two the most prominent differentiation is that Porter’s Five Forces model tends to examine the external environment and competitive strategy of a company while SWOT looks at the internal aspects of an organization. 

In conclusion

This business analysis model aids in assessing the competitive landscape within a company's industry. The level of influence a company wields across these factors could potentially shape future profitability.

Porter’s Five Forces forces company’s to look beyond their organization and at the greater industry structure in order to map out future plans and strategies. While this framework still plays a valuable role in the business sector, it should not be the only tool used by a company to determine its strategy. 

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BAT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold BAT for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting BAT will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Basic Attention Token (BAT) is an Ethereum-based utility token integrated into the privacy-focused Brave browser. Launched in 2016, Brave aims to revolutionize the digital advertising industry by promoting fairness and transparency between advertisers, publishers, and users.

Users receive cryptocurrency rewards in the form of BAT for viewing ads, which allows publishers to deliver more impactful advertisements. This empowers advertisers to make better use of their budgets and better target their target audience. Users then have the flexibility to hold, exchange, or use BAT to support their favorite content creators.

BAT acts as a settlement currency for publishers within the Brave browser ecosystem, facilitating transactions between advertisers, publishers, and users based on their web activity. This token streamlines business between the three parties

Get to know more about Basic Attention Token (BAT) in our dedicated article here.

Welcome to the exciting world of NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets that have taken the internet by storm. Unlike cryptocurrencies, NFTs represent one-of-a-kind items, from NFT digital art to virtual real estate, making ownership and authenticity easily verifiable thanks to blockchain technology.

Playing a big role in the Web3 movement, the NFT ecosystem is proving its potential when it comes to revolutionizing how we value and trade digital creations. Below we explore the concept, explain how to navigate NFT marketplaces and take a look at the advantages and disadvantages that the NFT market is faced with.

What are NFTs?

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets built on blockchain technology that have transformed the way we perceive ownership and value in the digital world. Before we get into it, “non-fungible” means that something is unique and cannot be exchanged on a one-to-one basis with any other item, as it possesses distinct attributes or characteristics that set it apart from others. 

Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are interchangeable and hold equal value, NFTs are indivisible and represent distinct items, each with its own verifiable identity and scarcity. 

This uniqueness is what makes NFTs special and highly sought after in various industries. From digital art pieces to real estate, NFTs have opened up a realm of possibilities, with some fetching jaw-dropping prices at auctions and marketplaces. 

The most expensive piece of NFT art ever sold was in December 2021, when digital artist Pak's NFT creation "Merge" sold for an astonishing US$91.8 million.

NFTs have empowered creators, artists, and even gamers, as these assets grant exclusive ownership and authenticity of their work or collectibles, sparking a revolution in the way we trade and appreciate digital creations.

How do NFTs work?

NFTs are essentially a digital file created using a blockchain network, meaning that once minted its history of ownership will be permanently stored on that specific blockchain (i.e. Ethereum). 

Blockchain technology forms the backbone of NFTs, operating as a decentralized, tamper-resistant ledger that records transactions across a vast network of computers. It enables transparency and immutability, ensuring each NFT's ownership history and authenticity can be traced and verified by anyone at any time.

Smart contracts, self-executing digital agreements stored on the blockchain, play a pivotal role in NFTs by automating the creation, ownership, and transfer of these unique tokens. These smart contracts encode the rules and conditions governing NFT transactions, enabling seamless interactions and ensuring that creators receive royalties each time their NFT is resold.

NFTs adhere to specific standards, like ERC-721 and ERC-1155, which dictate their structure and functionality on the Ethereum blockchain. ERC-721, the original NFT standard, ensures the uniqueness and indivisibility of tokens, while ERC-1155 allows for the creation of both fungible and non-fungible assets, enabling efficient batch transfers and reducing gas costs.

These standards have paved the way for the vibrant NFT marketplace, supporting various creative and commercial use cases within the digital realm. From digital artists being able to more seamlessly sell their digital artwork to empowering users through trading NFTs, the NFT space is a growing and impressive ecosystem.

How to buy an NFT and navigate NFT marketplaces

Buying and owning NFTs is an exciting journey into the world of digital ownership. To begin, you will need to set up a digital wallet, a secure digital space that stores and manages NFTs. These wallets are available in various forms, from web-based to hardware options, and must support the network on which your NFT was created. Metamask is a common option.

Next, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with several NFT marketplaces. You'll want to find one that offers the NFT projects or NFT collections that you're after, although it is equally important to prioritse security and ease of use when selecting from the range NFT marketplaces. OpenSea and Rarible are two of the largest NFT marketplaces to explore digital artwork and browse NFT collections.

Once you’ve chosen the digital collectibles you wish to purchase, follow the instructions specific to that platform and enter the digital wallet address to where you want the Non-Fungilbe Tokens to be sent. Once the transaction is complete, the NFT will be sent to your wallet and the blockchain will note and verify ownership of that digital asset. 

Should you wish to sell NFTs, you will need to create the digital asset or NFT collections and follow the instructions specific to the marketplace you wish to sell them on.

Digital assets use cases across various industries

NFTs have unlocked a large number of innovative use cases across diverse industries. From real estate to art to gaming, these assets are changing the way data ownership is both viewed and managed. 

In the realm of art and collectibles, artists can tokenize their work into NFT art, proving authenticity and enabling direct sales to collectors, cultivating a new era of digital art ownership. 

NFTs within the gaming and virtual reality platforms allow players to own rare in-game items or virtual land, enhancing the gaming experience and creating vibrant virtual economies. 

While in the music and entertainment industry, these digital assets empower musicians to tokenize albums or concert tickets, transforming fan engagement and royalty distribution. 

Even real estate has seen a shift as NFTs streamline property ownership, fractionalizing investments, and simplifying title transfers. As NFT adoption continues, expect many more industries to embrace this transformative technology.

The pros and cons of NFTs

NFTs bring a host of advantages that are reshaping the digital landscape, however, they are not without their challenges and risks. We explore both sides of the coin below. 

Advantages of NFTs

Firstly, they offer indisputable ownership and authenticity verification, as each NFT is stored on the blockchain, providing a transparent and immutable record of its origin and ownership history. 

This instills trust in both collectors and investors, elevating the value of digital assets to new heights. Secondly, NFTs open up new horizons for artists and creators, granting them unprecedented opportunities to monetize their work directly, without intermediaries, and earn royalties from subsequent resales. This empowerment has fostered a flourishing digital art scene and enabled emerging talents to gain recognition globally.

Additionally, NFTs make digital assets more interactive and engaging by letting creators add special features. For example, gamified NFTs enable users to take part in virtual worlds where in-game items have real-world worth, completely changing how we experience games and encouraging more active involvement.

Disadvantages of NFTs

One major concern is their environmental impact, as the blockchain's energy-intensive nature raises questions about sustainability. Market volatility is also a potential risk, with NFT prices subject to speculation and sudden fluctuations, leading to potential financial losses for investors. 

Additionally, the relative novelty of NFTs has attracted scammers and fraudulent schemes, making it essential for buyers and sellers to exercise caution and conduct thorough research before engaging in transactions.

NFTs have also raised copyright and legal concerns. While they provide proof of ownership for digital assets, they may not necessarily address copyright infringement or unauthorized usage of underlying intellectual property. This requires a careful balance between empowering creators and protecting their rights, ensuring the fair and ethical use of NFTs in the digital ecosystem.

Overall, the advantages of NFTs hold immense promise for the digital world, but addressing the associated challenges and risks is essential for responsible and sustainable growth in this transformative domain.

In conclusion

Thanks to blockchain technology, NFTs have revolutionized digital ownership and value, empowering users through the ability to create, buy and sell NFTs. They provide indisputable ownership verification and empower artists and creators to monetize their work directly. The interactive and gamified aspects of NFTs enhance experiences, but challenges include environmental impact, market volatility, and copyright concerns. As NFT adoption continues, understanding both advantages and challenges is crucial for their responsible and promising future.

As we delve deeper into understanding the global financial market and the investment opportunities within it, here we break down the difference between the capital market and the money market. Together, these two markets make up a large portion of what is effectively known as the financial market.

Capital market vs money market

As we break down the money market vs capital market debate, let's first cover the basics of what each entails.

The capital market is where stocks and bonds are traded between financial institutions, professional brokers, and individual investors with a focus on long-term price appreciation.

The money market centers around the exchange of short-term debt between governments, commercial banks, corporations, and other financial institutions. It entails borrowing and lending for a limited amount of time - anything from an overnight transaction to up to a year at maximum.

What is the money market, exactly? 

The money market refers to the market where short-term debt securities are traded among financial institutions, commercial banks and corporations. These securities typically have maturities of one year or less and are considered to be very low-risk investments.

Money market securities include instruments such as Treasury bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit (CDs), and repurchase agreements (repos). These securities are issued by governments, corporations, and financial institutions as a way to raise capital quickly and at a relatively low cost.

How to participate in the market

Investors can participate in the money market by purchasing these financial assets directly or through a money market mutual fund. Money market funds invest in a variety of short-term debt instruments and are designed to provide a safe and liquid investment option for individuals and institutions looking to park their cash reserves or earn a modest return while maintaining a high level of liquidity.

What is the capital market, exactly?

The capital market refers to the market where long-term securities, such as stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, are bought and sold among investors and institutions. Unlike the money market, which deals with short-term debt securities, the capital market deals with longer-term investments that typically have maturities of more than one year.

The primary market and secondary market are two different stages of the capital market where securities are bought and sold.

Stages: primary market and secondary market

The primary market is where securities, such as stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, are first issued by companies or governments to raise capital. This is often referred to as an initial public offering (IPO) or a new issue. In the primary market, the securities are sold directly to investors through underwriters or investment banks.

The secondary market, on the other hand, is where previously issued securities are bought and sold among investors. This market allows investors to buy and sell securities with other retail investors, rather than directly with the issuing company. Stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange is an example of a secondary market where investors can trade stocks that are listed on the exchange.

Equity market

The capital market can be divided into two main segments: the equity market and the debt market. The equity market, also known as the stock market, is where shares of publicly traded companies are bought and sold. 

Investors can purchase shares of stocks, which represent ownership in a company and entitle the shareholder to a portion of the company's profits, known as dividends. Investors can also profit from capital appreciation, which is the increase in the value of the stock over time.

Debt market

The debt market, on the other hand, is where companies and governments issue bonds to raise capital. Bonds are essentially loans made by investors to the issuer, which promises to pay back the principal amount with interest over a specified period. Bonds are generally considered to be less risky than stocks, but they also offer lower returns.

How to participate in the market

Investors can participate in the capital market through various means, such as buying capital market instruments like stocks or bonds directly, investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or through alternative investment vehicles such as private equity or hedge funds. 

The key differences between the capital market and money markets

The capital market can be more volatile than the money market due to the longer-term nature of investments, but it can also offer the potential for higher returns over time. It is an important component of the global financial system and can play a significant role in economic growth and development.

On the other hand, the money market can be an attractive option for investors who prioritize safety and liquidity over high returns. Because money market securities are short-term and typically low-risk, they offer a lower yield than other investments, such as stocks or corporate bonds.

However, money market instruments can be an important component of a diversified investment portfolio, particularly for those who are looking to minimize risk and maintain a stable source of income in the financial market.

Which is best for you?

Determining which market to engage in will depend on each person’s financial goals, risk management levels, and interest in the markets. Speak to your financial advisor or conduct the research on your own to establish which investment options best align with your needs and goals. Both options present strong pros and cons, the ultimate decision will come down to your unique preferences.

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With inflation rates soaring across all corners of the globe, the rising cost of living is taking its toll on everyone involved. Before we dive into how you can stay afloat in these uncertain times, let's first cover the basics.

When inflation occurs, the prices of goods and services go up, which in turn decreases the buying power of consumers. This leads to a decline in economic growth as people now have less spending power and high costs to contend with. 

Everything is more costly than it was a year ago—and even a few months ago. The cost of living has been going up dramatically, with costs for basic expenses like household goods and services on the rise. So, how can you stay ahead of the curve?

Below we cover three important steps to take in order to stay ahead of the rising cost of living. Protect your finances and protect your livelihood with these three top tips:

1. Safeguard your finances from inflation

While saving is vital to anyone's financial health, in periods of increasing inflation it's best to diversify and not keep all your savings in a fiat currency. This is due to fiat currencies depreciating in value during inflation, equating to a reduced amount of money in several weeks or months. 

Instead, try to move some of your savings into vetted investments, this allows you to keep your funds safe and grow their value at the same time. This might also lead to capital appreciation and dividends, should you invest in dollar-based investments. 

Explore alternative options that protect your funds from inflation but also allow them to grow. 

2. Increase your income

For a while now, consumer prices have been increasing steadily. It's unfortunate but it doesn't look like things will be getting any cheaper in the near future. You can't keep waiting and hoping for a better situation - you need to take action. 

The best way to do this is by focusing on ways to increase your income. Here are three options below, however, there are plenty more available online. Consider spending some time exploring this avenue. 

Apply for a promotion

Ask for an increase/promotion: If you're currently earning a salary, it's probably time to talk to your employer about boosting your earnings. Make a thorough account of what you've achieved and why you deserve a raise—and present it to the correct person. Look for resources on how to ask for a raise if you don't feel confident to do so right now. 

Learn a new skill

Add a new skill to your resume: With thousands of free tools online, look for a new skill that both interests you and leverages your current skillset. Learning a new skill is not only great for your mind but can also contribute to that promotion you are after or a high-paying job. Find an in-demand skill and get learning. 

Monetize new skill

Turn your skill into an income: Whether it's your new skill or something you're naturally talented in, consider turning your skills into income-generating products. From creating online classes to consulting to publishing online books, turn your skill/s into money. Again, there are plenty of resources online that can assist you in this endeavor. 

Focus on building wealth through avenues already accessible to you, from asking for a raise to creating an online course, these new avenues of income can help you stay afloat in periods of inflation.

3. Be wise with your money

This goes without saying, but no matter how much money you make, you want to stick to your budget and follow your financial plan. Now isn't the time to be spending lavishly. Also ensure that you have the resources in place to fall back on should you experience any unexpected hard times, like losing a job or emergency. healthcare costs 

A great 3-step plan for preparing for, and then overcoming, inflation is to:

• Create a budget to cover basic expenses and lifestyle expenses, and stick to it.
• Pay off debt. Interest rates are going to increase meaning that you will be paying more for your current loan.
• Keep building your emergency fund. This is the first port of call when starting to save. Aim to have six months of living expenses saved up in an accessible account. 

What is the cost of living index?

A cost-of-living index is a price index that measures the relative cost of living over time or in different regions. The index takes into account changes in prices for goods and services, as well as substitution with other items when prices vary.

As an example from the U.S. according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), between March 2021 and March 2022, the cost of living index rose by 8.5% (before seasonal adjustment). This is the highest 12-month increase that has been reported since December 1981.

The bottom line on the cost of living

While inflation doesn't need to cause mass hysteria, it is a time to be more consistent and cautious with your money. Be mindful of what you're spending your money on, be aware that loan repayments will increase, and be prepared for increases in everyday goods and services. By following these three steps above (safeguard, increase, and be wise with your money), you should be able to stay ahead of the curve. 

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