Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, IOTA, EOS – Price Analysis, 4th May

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, IOTA, EOS - Price Analysis, 4th May

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, IOTA, EOS – Price Analysis, 4th May

Goldman Sachs, one of the biggest investment banks in the world, is taking the plunge into the exciting world of cryptocurrency trading. The bank’s decision was made because of the overwhelming client requests.

This is a very positive sign for the crypto market’s future along with the news about analysts from BlackRock, an American global investment management company, leaving the firm to fund a Blockchain-focused venture capital fund. Other places where the banks or institutions are still pondering over their decision, the analysts are quitting to open their own ventures. Investors plowing money into these funds shows a growing interest.

After the decline from the frothy levels in December 2017, the investors are getting a favorable entry opportunity. In the past few weeks, the volatility has also reduced, which is an added attraction to get in early.

While the number of crypto optimists has increased, there is no dearth of the naysayers as well. Economist Nouriel Roubini continued his criticism of cryptocurrencies. While he may have forecast the 2008 Financial crisis correctly, his crypto prediction seems to be way off.
But there are positive predictions as well. Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit, claims that Ethereum is on its way to $15,000 this year.

We already hold a few positions. Let’s see if the charts present us any fresh buying opportunities?

BTC/USD
Bitcoin broke out of the small symmetrical triangle pattern and entered the ascending channel on May 03, which is a bullish sign. Currently, it is facing resistance close to the April 25 highs, but we remain bullish because it has not given up ground.

If the digital currency rises from the support line of the ascending channel, it increases the possibility of a break out above the immediate resistance zone of $9,800 to $10,000.

Following the breakout, the first target is $11,000, and the next target is $12,000. We anticipate a strong resistance at the $12,172.43 mark.

On the downside, if the BTC/USD pair breaks below the support line of the ascending channel, it can fall to $9,178 and then to the 20-day EMA, close to $9,000 levels.

The up move will be in danger only on a break below $9,000 levels. Therefore, we suggest raising the stops on the long positions from $8,600 to $8,900.

ETH/USD
Ethereum broke out of $745 on May 03, which completed a ‘V’ shaped bottom formation. This bullish set up has a pattern target of $1,130, with minor resistances at $900 and at $1,000.

On the downside, $745 will act as the first support. If this breaks, the bulls will defend the trendline close to $700 and the 20-day EMA at $645. The trend will turn bearish or range bound only if the ETH/USD pair sustains below $700.

Traders can wait for a retest of the breakout levels and buy if the $745 level holds. The stop loss can be placed just below the 20-day EMA at $640. Traders should confirm that the levels are holding before entering long positions. No trade should be initiated if the digital currency closes (UTC) below $700.

BCH/USD
Bitcoin Cash has reached close to the upper end of the range at $1,600, which should act as a stiff resistance. If the price fails to break out of this level, the range-bound action between $1,221 and $1,600 will continue.

The BCH/USD pair will become positive if the bulls break out and close (UTC) above $1,600. The immediate target objective is a move to $2,000; above it, the rally can extend to $2,400 levels.

Aggressive traders can buy on a close (UTC) above $1,600 and keep a close stop loss of $1,400. Due to numerous overhead resistances, we consider this as a risky trade, hence, keep the allocation size less than 50 percent of usual.

XRP/USD
Ripple continues to trade inside the range of $0.76 to $0.93777. A break out of this range will indicate bullishness, and a rally to $1.229 is likely.

If the XRP/USD pair fails to break out of $0.9377, a few more days of range-bound trading can be expected.

On the downside, support exists at the 20-day EMA and below that at the lower end of the range at $0.76.

The longer the cryptocurrency trades inside the range, the stronger will be the ensuing breakout. We propose waiting for it before entering any long positions.

XLM/USD
Stellar is facing a stiff resistance at the $0.47766719 mark. Though it has failed to cross above this level, it is undergoing a shallow pullback.

he XLM/USD pair should find support at the trendline, but if it breaks, a slide to $0.335 is probable. The negative divergence on the RSI is a bearish development, hence, traders should wait for a breakout and close (UTC) above the overhead resistance of $0.47766719 before initiating any long positions.

LTC/USD
After remaining in a tight range for the past few days, Litecoin finally scaled above the overhead resistance of $160 on May 03. However, it could not reach our target objective of $180, as the bears strongly defended the April 24 highs of $167.399.

If the LTC/USD pair doesn’t breakout within a couple of days, it will continue to be range bound. On the downside, any break of the $141 levels will be a negative sign.

Therefore, we suggest retaining the stops at $140. We shall trail the stops higher once the digital currency breaks out of $168.

ADA/BTC
Cardano has failed to extend its uptrend after breaking out of 0.00003445. We had suggested raising the stops higher if the virtual currency crosses above 0.000042 levels, but it did not happen.

The ADA/BTC pair should now find support at the 0.00003445 levels because there are three major supports close to it.

The first level is the horizontal support, the second one is the trendline support, and the third is the 20-day EMA.

We shall retain the stops at 0.000029 until we see a rally above 0.000042 levels.

Our target objective on the upside is a move to 0.000045, followed by 0.00005217 levels.

IOTA/USD
IOTA broke out of the overhead resistance at $2.2117 on May 02 and followed it with another up move on the next day. However, it couldn’t break out of the resistance line of the ascending channel.

Currently, the IOTA/USD pair is retesting the breakout levels of $2.2117. If the level holds, the bulls will try to break out of the channel and push prices towards $3 and $3.5.

If the digital currency breaks below $2.2117 but finds support close to $2 levels, then the ascending channel will be in play, and a move to the resistance line of the channel can be expected.

Due to the uncertainty, it is better to wait for a couple of days and then buy if the support levels hold. Presently, we don’t have any buy recommendation.

EOS/USD
EOS, after the recent rally, has entered into a period of consolidation. Though it found support at the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement level on May 01, it could not scale the $20 levels in the ensuing up move.

On the downside, $16 should act as a strong support, below which, the EOS/USD pair can slide to the 20-day EMA.

We shall wait for the consolidation to play out and a new buy setup to form before recommending any fresh long positions.

By Rakesh Upadhyay

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, April 02

The Chinese ban on cryptocurrency trading, the possibility of a similar ruling in South Korea and the fear of regulations around the globe were some of the reasons that started the current decline.

However, with the election of Yi Gang as the head of People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the country’s central bank, some market experts believe that the Chinese ban on cryptocurrency trading might be overturned.

South Korean regulators are finalizing the taxation framework for cryptocurrencies and will most likely throw some light on the probability of a full-scale regulation of the cryptocurrencies after mid-June.

This has not deterred the Mayor of Seoul to announce the creation of ‘S coin’, the cryptocurrency of the city. He also wants to encourage the development of Blockchain projects as he foresees the widespread use of the technology in the city.

Let’s see if we find any buy setups on any of the digital currencies we track?

BTC/USD

Bitcoin broke below the $7,000 mark on April 01, but the dip was purchased aggressively by the bulls. As a result, the price has been back above the $7,000 level once again.

The 20-day EMA is the important resistance to watch out for during any pullback, which is just above $8,200 levels. The bears will strongly defend this level, while the bulls will attempt to break out of it.

We should wait for the BTC/USD pair to sustain above the 20-day EMA before recommending any long positions.

The trend remains down, hence, we don’t find any buy setups on the digital currency.

ETH/USD

The bulls are struggling to defend the $355 to $385 support zone on Ethereum. Even at such critical supports, there is lack of buying, which shows weakness.

Any pullback on the ETH/USD pair will face selling at the downtrend line and above that at the 20-day EMA.

On the downside, the bears will gain strength once they sustain below $355. The next lower target is $275 to $300.

We have been anticipating a sharp pullback because the RSI is deeply oversold, but it has not yet materialized. We’ll become positive in the short-term once the virtual currency closes above the downtrend line.

BCH/USD

Bitcoin Cash continues to be under pressure. Currently, it is attempting to pullback from the April 01 lows of $653, but the buying remains tepid.

f the bulls fail to break above the $778.2021 levels soon, the BCH/USD pair will slide to $600 and below that to $558 levels.

We’ll have to change our bearish view only after the virtual currency breaks above the 20-day EMA and the resistance line of the descending channel. We expect a pullback because the RSI is oversold, but we don’t find any buy setups to trade it. Hence, we are not suggesting any long positions.

XRP/USD

Ripple is trading weak for the past four days. It has extended its fall after breaking below the critical support of $0.56270. The next major support is way lower at $0.22, however, as the RSI is oversold, we expect it to pull back soon.

If the XRP/USD pair manages to scale above the $0.57 level, it will indicate that the markets have rejected the lower levels. Until then, all small pullbacks will be sold.

Hence, we shall wait for the bulls to sustain above $0.57 before suggesting any long positions.

XLM/USD

Stellar is attempting to bounce off the downtrend line. The positive divergence on the RSI is a bullish sign.

The current pullback will face resistance at the 20-day EMA and above that at $0.27 levels. If the bulls fail to break out of these two levels, the XLM/USD pair can slide to $0.16 and then to $0.11 levels.

We’ll attempt long positions once the price sustains above $0.27.

LTC/USD

Litecoin has been trading in a tight range for the past three days. The bears have not been able to break below the critical February 02 support of $107.102.

In the same way, the bulls have not been able to force a pullback, hence, the tight range. If the $107.102 level breaks, the next support is at $84.706.

However, as the RSI is in the oversold territory, we might get a pullback, which will face resistance at the 20-day EMA and the downtrend line.

Our goal is to wait for a buy setup to form before attempting a trade on the LTC/USD pair.

ADA/BTC

After a prolonged downtrend, Cardano has entered a range with support at 0.00001690 and resistance at 0.00002460.

The longer the ADA/BTC pair remains in the range, stronger the breakout will be, when it happens.

Hence, we retain the recommendation provided in our previous analysis to buy on a close (UTC) above 0.00002460 levels. The pattern target of this break is 0.0000323, which can easily be exceeded on the upside. The initial stop loss can be kept at 0.00001800, which can be raised later.

NEO/USD

NEO has broken below the March 18 lows of $49.04, which is a bearish development. The next support on the downside is at $31.15.

The RSI has again entered the oversold zone, hence, a pullback to the 20-day EMA is possible.

The NEO/USD pair will attract buyers once it sustains above $65 levels. Until then, every recovery will be sold into.

The digital currency needs to show sustained buying before we suggest any trade on it.

EOS/USD

For the past three days, EOS has been trading between $5.1 and $6.2. The 20-day EMA has been acting as a stiff resistance.

Once the EOS/USD pair breaks out of the 20-day EMA, the resistance line of the descending channel, and the 50-day SMA, it will become positive.

Hence, we have been recommending to buy the digital currency at $7.5, with a stop loss of $5. The target objective is a rally to $11.

Our bullish view will be invalidated if the virtual currency breaks below $5 and slides to $4 levels.

Author Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 21

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS - Price Analysis, March 21

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 21

The G20 considers cryptocurrencies risky, said the head of Italy’s central bank, but the broad consensus is that they should not be banned. After days of negative news, this is a positive shift for the cryptomarket. Led by Bitcoin, most cryptocurrencies are trying to pull back from their recent lows.

The plunge in cryptocurrencies from their December highs had scared off new wannabe cryptocurrency investors. Once the tide turns, we may see fresh money trickle back into the markets.

A recent survey by Finder.com shows that only 8 percent of the Americans own cryptocurrencies and another 8 percent plan to buy it in the future. With about 92 percent of the population still untapped, the markets have a long way to go. There is still enough skepticism and fear due to the huge volatile moves in the digital currencies. However, if traders plan properly, the risks are way less than made out to be.

Let’s watch the setups that are developing on the top coins.

BTC/USD

Bitcoin broke out of the descending channel on March 20, which is a bullish sign. It had broken out once earlier on March 02, but it could not sustain the higher levels. Within six days, the price was back inside the channel. Will the same thing repeat again?

Just above the resistance line of the descending channel are resistances from the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA. We expect the bears to strongly defend this zone because once the price breaks out of this, the BTC/USD pair will rally to $12,172.

The next dip towards the $8,800 levels should offer the traders a good entry opportunity. They should purchase 50 percent of the desired allocation around $8,800 with a stop loss of $7,600. The remainder of the position can be added once the cryptocurrency is clear of both moving averages.

The target objective on the upside is a rally to $12,000.

ETH/USD

Ethereum is trying to break out of the descending channel (marked 2 on the chart) and the overhead horizontal resistance at $565.54. If successful, we’ll see a rally to the 20-day EMA at $650, which will most likely trigger bears selling.

Above the 20-day EMA, the resistance line of the descending channel and the 50-day SMA are the other two significant resistance levels.

Aggressive traders can buy if the price closes above $575 (in the UTC time frame). The initial stop loss can be placed at $500. If the cryptocurrency struggles to break out of $660, the positions can be closed.

On the contrary, if the ETH/USD pair turns back below $565, it will become weak, and the price will experience a retest of the recent lows.

BCH/USD

Bitcoin Cash has broken out of the downtrend line and is currently trying to move above the 20-day EMA. There are a number of resistances between $1,100 to $1,200.

Currently, the cryptocurrency remains in a downtrend, as both moving averages are falling and the price is still below them. Once it sustains above $1,200, we can expect the BCH/USD pair to attract buyers and rally towards $1,600. We should wait for Bitcoin Cash to break out of the 50-day SMA before suggesting any trades.

On the downside, $980 and $880 will act as strong support on declines.

XRP/USD

In our previous analysis, we had recommended a long position for Ripple at $0.71, which got filled on March 19. The stop loss for the trade is $0.53, which is just below the low on March 18.

On March 20, the XRP/USD pair formed an inside day candlestick pattern. The range has shrunk again today, showing indecision between the bulls and the bears.

If the consolidation of the past two days breaks out of $0.73, the pullback will gain strength.

On the upside, the bears will pose a stiff challenge in the zone between the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA. Once the price breaks out of the $0.9 levels, the cryptocurrency should rally to $1.1 and then to the upper end of the $1.2 range.

We need to close the position if the price struggles to break out of any of the above-mentioned resistances.

XLM/USD

Stellar has pulled back from the lows of $0.2 to the 20-day EMA. It has broken out of the downtrend line meanwhile, which confirms that the negative momentum is weakening.

Still, the bears will try to defend the 20-day EMA. If the bulls purchase the subsequent dip around the $0.23 mark, it will offer the traders an opportunity to initiate long positions. We are suggestingan aggressive trade on the XLM/USD pair because we find that the 20-day EMA, the resistance line of the descending channel and the 50-day SMA have not offered a strong resistance previously.

The position can be covered if the daily close (UTC) is below $0.18. On the upside, we can expect a rally to $0.35. If this level is crossed, a move to $0.47 can’t be ruled out.

LTC/USD

Litecoin looks strong as it has pulled back smartly from the lows of $144.544. It has broken out of the downtrend line, which is a positive sign. The current recovery might face a stiff resistance between the 20-day EMA and $187. We need to wait for the next dip to initiate long positions.

We find a large symmetrical triangle formation on the LTC/USD pair, which will break out above $205. Though the target objective is way higher, we can trade it for an up move to $240 and after that to $300.

Two possibilities are developing. Either buy on a dip towards $165 with a $142 stop loss or wait for a breakout above $205 to enter long positions with a stop loss at $180.

ADA/BTC

Cardano has broken out of the downtrend line for the first time since January this year. This is a major development as it shows that the trend is changing.

700

Right now, the ADA/BTC pair is facing resistance at 0.00002460. Once the bulls clear this resistance, a move to 0.000035 is possible.

Therefore, we suggest long positions if the price sustains at 0.000025 levels for four hours. The stop loss can be kept at 0.000016.

NEO/USD

NEO has pulled back sharply from its recent lows of $49.04. This shows that the markets have rejected the breakdown and the lower levels. We expect a stiff resistance at the $86 levels.

If the NEO/USD pair finds support at the $65 mark during the next dip, it will signal a bottom formation and can be purchased with a stop below $48.

But if the price continues to march higher, then $90 is a good level to enter long positions with an initial stop loss of $70, which can be raised later. Our first target objective is a move to $115, where we anticipate selling. If NEO breaks out of $120, the momentum should pick up and push prices towards $140 levels.

EOS/USD

EOS has risen sharply from its lows of $3.8723. For the past two days, it is facing selling at the 20-day EMA, but it has not given up much ground, which is a positive indication.

If the EOS/USD pair rallies above $6.3, it should move up to the resistance line of the descending channel.

Prices have turned down from the channel line on two previous occasions, hence, this will act as a stiff resistance. At the moment, we don’t have an attractive risk to reward ratio, that’s why we don’t recommend making any trades on it.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 16

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS - Price Analysis, March 16

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 16

Fundstrat's Thomas Lee believes that Bitcoin mining is an unprofitable venture at current prices. A model developed by his data science team has pegged the breakeven price at $8,038.

If prices fall further, the miners will start to lose money on their operations. Shone Anstey, co-founder and president of Blockchain Intelligence Group opines that this may force a few miners to stop their operations.

Technical analysts watch the 50-day MA and the 200-day MA closely to forecast the path of least resistance. A death cross, a situation where the short-term moving average falls below the long-term moving average, indicates weakness. Paul Day, a technical analyst and head of futures and options at Market Securities Dubai Ltd believes that if the cross occurs, Bitcoin can sink to $2,800.

It is common to see wild price forecasts on the downside when Bitcoin is falling. We saw similar outrageous forecasts on the upside when the cryptocurrency was rising.

Though we do keep those factors in mind, we should not be worried much by them. Let’s see what our analysis forecasts.

BTC/USD

Bitcoin fell to $8,066.61 levels on March 15. The bulls are trying to defend the $8,000 levels and pullback towards the $9,500 levels.

The BTC/USD pair remains in a downtrend as prices are trading inside the descending channel and below both moving averages. The 20-day EMA has broken below the 50-day SMA, which is another bearish move.

If prices fail to sustain above the overhead resistance zone of $9,500 to $10,000, the cryptocurrency can fall to $7,850 and after that to the February 06 lows of $6,075.04.

Our bearish view will be invalidated if the bulls manage to sustain above the $10,000 levels.

ETH/USD

Ethereum extended its downtrend as it fell to $568.29 on March 15, close to the February 06 lows of $565.54. This is major support.

We expect the bulls to attempt a bounce from these levels. The pullback will face selling pressure at the 20-day EMA and the resistance line of the descending channel.

If the bounce fails to gain strength, the next down leg in the ETH/USD pair will break below the $565.54 support and move lower to $500 and then to $430 levels.

Aggressive traders can buy a very small position, about 30 percent of the usual position size at $630, if the level sustains for about four hours. The stop loss can be kept at $560. If the price fails to break out of $700, positions can be closed, else please trail the stops higher.

BCH/USD

Bitcoin Cash fell to $910.6798 levels on March 15. Currently, the bulls are attempting a pullback from the supports.

The downtrend line should act as the first level of resistance. Above this, the 20-day EMA and $1,150 will act as resistance. If the cryptocurrency turns down from these levels and breaks below $900, it can slide to $778.2021.

The BCH/USD pair will become positive in the short term once the price sustains above $1,150.

XRP/USD

Ripple found support at the $0.62681 levels on March 15. We believe that the support zone between $0.695 and $0.5627 will hold.

The bulls are attempting to pull back above the March 15 high of $0.72685. Once this level is crossed, a move to the 20-day EMA is possible where the cryptocurrency will face strong selling pressure.

During the next decline, if the XRP/USD pair does not break below $0.695, we can expect it to trade in a large range. We may try to trade this, but as we don’t see any buy setup, hence, we don’t recommend any trade on it at the moment.

XLM/USD

Stellar remains in a downtrend, and it continues to decline gradually. It is close to our first lower target of $0.22.

If the bulls fail to defend these levels, the XLM/USD pair can slide towards the support line of the descending channel.

We remain bearish on the cryptocurrency until it stays below the 20-day EMA, the downtrend line and $0.32.

LTC/USD

Litecoin is trying to pull back towards $186.823 levels, where we expect another bout of selling by the bears.

Both moving averages, the downtrend line and the horizontal line, all converge around $187 levels making it important resistance. If prices turn down from the resistance and break below $157.236, it might fall to $141.

The LTC/USD pair will indicate strength if it can sustain above $187 levels for a day.

ADA/BTC

We expected Cardano to trade in a range, but prices turned down from 0.00002482 levels on March 14 and are now on its way towards the next lower target of 0.00001690.

It continues to be in a strong bear grip as the cryptocurrency has not even touched the 20-day EMA for more than a month.

The ADA/BTC pair will become positive once prices break out of the downtrend line and the 20-day EMA. Until then, all attempts to recover will face selling at the resistance.

NEO/USD

The bulls are trying to hold the critical support level of $63.62 on NEO. We can expect a retest of the breakdown level at $86. If the bulls succeed in sustaining above this overhead resistance, it will indicate that the bears are losing strength.

If prices turn down from $86 levels, we anticipate the next down move to a breakdown of $63.62 and move towards the lower target objective of $49.

We should wait for a confirmed buy setup to initiate a long position on the NEO/USD pair.

EOS/USD

EOS has been declining gradually for the past few days. It fell to a low of $4.7484 on March 15. We can expect the bulls to attempt a pullback from the current levels, but the 20-day EMA has been acting as strong resistance since end-January of this year. If prices turn down once again from there, a fall to $3.26 is likely.

If the EOS/USD pair sustains above the $7 levels, we can expect it to rally to the 50-day SMA and then to $10 levels.

Currently, we don’t find any buy setups on the cryptocurrency.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 06

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, NEO, EOS – Price Analysis, March 06

Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff believes that Bitcoin’s value will drop to $100 in a decade. He stated that increased regulation is one of the aspects that will bring down the value of Bitcoin. We, on the other hand, have an opinion that in a decade, the cryptocurrencies will have much more use cases and that it will increase their demand, propelling prices higher.

Bitcoin’s entrepreneurs have taken up the task of rebuilding the Puerto Rico economy that has been hit by natural disaster, and a shortage of funds. This is a new experiment, and in case it succeeds, it will be implemented at many other places.

Additionally, increased involvement of large companies with the crypto world shows their growing acceptance, which is a bullish sign.

BTC/USD

We had been expecting Bitcoin to break out of the neckline of the inverse head and shoulders pattern and move towards the target objective of $13,000. But the bears strongly defended the $12,200 levels.

Yesterday, Feb.5, the BTC/USD pair reached a high of $11,934.08 but could not break out of the overhead resistance. Currently, the cryptocurrency is pulling back and is likely to find support at the trendline of the ascending channel at $11,100. If this support breaks, the next support lies at the 20-day EMA and below that at the 50-day SMA.

Therefore, traders can raise their stops to $11,000 on the remaining half-position. Once the price sustains below the channel, we expect it to stay range bound between $9,500 and $12,200.

ETH/USD

We had recommended traders to raise their stops on Ethereum to $830 in our previous analysis, which was hit today, Feb.6. The bulls have failed to break out of the 20-day EMA for the past nine days.

As the price is below both the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA and is turning down from the resistance line of the descending channel, the bears have an upper hand.

Now, chances are that the bears will push the ETH/USD pair towards the $780 levels. If this level breaks, the next support is at $723.

BCH/USD

We had recommended buying Bitcoin Cash on a breakout above the range, however, the bulls could not push prices above the 20-day EMA and the overhead resistance.

Now, the bears are likely to push prices to the lower end of the range at $1,150. If the BCH/USD pair breaks below this support, it is likely to fall to the pattern target of $950.

Our bearish view will be invalidated if the cryptocurrency breaks out of $1,355.

XRP/USD

In the previous analysis, we were unsure about Ripple’s price action. Yesterday, March 05, the price broke out of the overhead resistance, but it could not clear the 50-day SMA.

Prices turned down sharply, and the XRP/USD pair is now likely to continue trading in the range once again. If the bears push prices back below the $0.85 level, it can extend its fall to $0.72.

We don’t find any trade setups on it at the moment.

XLM/USD

Stellar continues to trade in the range because the bears were not able to break down below the $0.32 levels.

On the upside, the XLM/USD pair is facing resistance from the 20-day EMA. If it breaks down of $0.32, we might observe a fall to the support line of the descending channel at $0.22.

The bulls will continue to face resistance from the 20-day EMA, the 50-day SMA and the upper end of the range.

LTC/USD

Though Litecoin continues to trade above the 20-day EMA, it has lost its momentum. Both moving averages have flattened out, which points to a range bound action in the next few days. We recommend traders to retain the stop loss at $200, at breakeven.

Yesterday, March 05, the bulls attempted to break out of the downtrend line, yet, they could not sustain above the line.

The LTC/USD pair is likely to correct towards the 50-day SMA. If this level breaks, a move towards $175 is also possible, where we expect strong buying to emerge.

We should turn bullish if the cryptocurrency sustains above $225.

ADA/BTC

Cardano has been holding above the critical support level of 0.00002460 for the past four days, but a lack of buying at the support level shows that the bulls are not interested in buying even at these levels.

If the price breaks down of 0.00002460, it can slide to 0.00001690 levels.

On the upside, the ADA/BTC pair will face resistance at the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA.

We need to wait for buying to emerge before recommending a trade on it.

NEO/USD

We expected the $108 levels to provide strong support but we were proven wrong, and NEO broke below our suggested stop loss of $105.

700

The NEO/USD pair is now likely to fall to $93.5 levels. The zone between $86 to $93.5 might offer strong support. If it breaks, the cryptocurrency will become negative.

On the other hand, the price will become positive on a sustained move above $140.

EOS/USD

EOS has broken down of the symmetrical triangle, which is a bearish development. Currently, the price is holding at the horizontal support of $7.5.

If this level also breaks, a retest of the Feb. 06 lows is likely. On the upside, the bulls will face resistance at the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA.

We shall turn bullish when the EOS/USD pair breaks out of $10.1190 levels.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 25

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano - Price Analysis, Jan. 25

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 25

The massive upwards movement in cryptocurrencies over 2017 has not gone unnoticed. The participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos are being questioned about cryptocurrencies and Cointelegraph has been one of the main voices representing the fraternity.

The traditional investors are still not willing to accept the rising clout of the cryptocurrencies and are pushing for tighter regulation. Only recently, Nordea Bank banned its employees from owning Bitcoin by Feb. 28. However, this move is facing strong opposition from the large unions.

Even the fears of a cryptocurrency ban by South Korea gathered a massive petition opposing the move. Finally, the Korean government only banned the traders from using anonymous bank accounts for cryptocurrency trading.

The classical investors and regulators fail to understand that these kinds of bans are unlikely to dent the popularity of the cryptocurrencies.

BTC/USD

Bitcoin is currently in no man’s land. It is facing resistance at the down trendline one. If the bulls succeed in breaking out of this resistance, we can expect a rally towards the down trendline two. Aggressive traders can trade this pullback.

Others should wait for a confirmation of a bottom formation because, if the bulls fail to sustain above the down trendline one, the likelihood of $10,000 levels breakdown increases.

Unlike the previous falls, this time, the BTC/USD pair is struggling to hold on to higher levels. With the price quoting below both the 20-day EMA and the 50-day EMA, the trend remains down to range bound.

The downtrend will reassert itself if the price breaks down to $10,000 levels. So, the swing traders should wait and watch for the next few days for the trend to change from down to up before initiating any long positions.

ETH/USD

Ethereum is in a pullback in an uptrend because it is still quoting above both the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA. Additionally, it has successfully held on to the uptrend line, which is another positive sign.

But the 20-day EMA has flattened out, which points to a range bound trading action for the next few days. The support of the range is likely to be at $900 levels, whereas, the resistance will be at $1,160 levels.

The ETH/USD pair will become negative only after it breaks down of the trendline and the 50-day SMA, which is at $845.

Long positions for the medium-term can be initiated on dips to $1,000 levels, with a stop loss at $840. We believe that if the 50-day SMA holds, the cryptocurrency will attempt to resume its uptrend and rally to the highs. This is a risky trade, hence, please keep the position size small.

BCH/USD

The traders, both the bulls and the bears, are not taking any keen interest in Bitcoin Cash. As a result, it has been trading in a small range since Jan. 23.

Support on the downside exists at the Jan. 17 low, $1,364.9657. On the upside, as the moving averages have completed bearish crossover, the 20-day EMA is likely to act as a resistance. Additionally, the $2,072 levels and the downtrend line will also act as a strong overhead resistance.

We don’t find any tradable setup on the BCH/USD pair.

XRP/USD

Ripple has formed a doji candlestick pattern on both Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. Even the price action currently points to a very small range day.

As forecast in our previous analysis, the XRP/USD pair is likely to remain range bound between $0.87 and $1.74. A trading opportunity will pop up only if the supports of the range hold or if the cryptocurrency breaks out of the overhead resistance. We should wait until then.

IOTA/USD

IOTA’s range has been shrinking for the past two days. It has formed successive inside day candlestick patterns on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. Today, it is trying to resume the downtrend.

On the downside, support exists at $1.9232 levels. If this breaks, the IOTA/USD pair can extend its losses to the Dec. 22 low of $1.1.

The first signs of a recovery will be seen once the price breaks out of $3.032 and the down trendline of the descending triangle.

If the support and the overhead resistance levels hold, we may see a few days of range bound action.

LTC/USD

Litecoin has held on to the critical support level of $175.199. However, the bounce doesn’t have any strength, which shows a lack of interest in buyers.

If the bears succeed in breaking down the supports, a fall to $140.001 is likely.

On the other hand, the first signs of a recovery will be on a breakout above $215 levels.

Aggressive traders can buy the LTC/USD pair at $187, which is just above the high of past couple of days. The stop loss for the trade can be kept at $163 and the target objective is $215.

However, this is a very risky trade, hence, please place it only with less than 50 percent of the usual allocation.

XEM/USD

NEM has held on to the 0.86 levels for the past few days, but the bulls are unable to push prices above the down trendline.

This is likely to lead to another attempt to break down of $0.86 within a couple of days. If the bears succeed, a fall to the Jan. 16 lows of $0.55134 is likely. The 20-day EMA has turned down and is likely to complete a bearish crossover if the support breaks.

We don’t find any bullish setups on the XEM/USD pair with price trading below the trendline and both the moving averages. A change in trend will be signaled once it rallies above $1.21.

ADA/BTC

Cardano is again attempting to break out of the 0.00006 levels. If successful, it is likely to rally to the overhead resistance at 0.00006915. A very short-term trader can buy at 0.00006 with a stop loss of 0.00005. This is a risky trade, hence, please attempt it with less than 50 percent of the usual position size.

Swing traders should wait for a breakout of the 0.00006915 levels to initiate any long positions. We believe that unless the sentiment turns bullish for the cryptocurrencies, the ADA/BTC pair will find it difficult to breakout of the overhead resistance and may drift down to 0.000047 to 0.000049 levels again, which can be a good level to initiate long positions.

Author Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted By David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 23

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano - Price Analysis, Jan. 23

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 23

When the markets are bullish, a lot of traders only focus on high target levels. This leads to a left out feeling among the ones who have missed out on the rally, and they rush to buy at elevated levels. This results in a huge loss of capital to the uninformed traders.

The opposite works when the market falls. One starts to hear bearish voices with the analysts forecasting apocalypse and novice traders get scared and dump their holdings. They buy when they should be selling and sell when they should be buying.

Hence, it is always better to take these forecasts with a pinch of salt. We, therefore, avoid giving unrealistic target levels to our readers and try to keep them on the right side of the trade.

BTC/USD

In our previous analysis, we had predicted that Bitcoin would turn down from the $13,202 levels and that is what happened. The cryptocurrency topped out at $12,988.89 on Jan. 20. It is currently retesting the critical support zone of $10,704.99 to $9,300.

For the past two days, the bulls are defending the $10,000 levels. If this level holds, we may see another attempt to pull back. The trend will turn positive in the short-term only when the BTC/USD pair breaks out of the down trendline 1.

This trade should be taken with only 50 percent allocation because on the way up, Bitcoin will face resistance at the neckline of the head and shoulders pattern and at the down trendline 2.

On the downside, a break of $10,000 is likely to hurt sentiment, resulting in a decline to $8,000 levels.

ETH/USD

We had forecast a rally to $1174.36, which is the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement level of the recent fall from $1424 to $770 and Ethereum topped out at $1,160 on Jan 20.

The price has returned to the trendline support, which has offered strong support since Dec. 10.

The bulls have been attempting to hold the trendline support for the past two days. We believe the support zone between $900 and $845 is likely to be defended strongly by the bulls. The ETH/USD pair will indicate a change in trend only after it breaks out of the down trendline.

If the above-mentioned support zone breaks, the decline can extend to $770 levels. We don’t find any buy setups; hence, we are not suggesting any trade on it.

BCH/USD

In our previous analysis, we had anticipated Bitcoin Cash to return from the $2,072 levels, and it topped out at $2,112.11 on Jan. 20.

The moving average has completed a bearish crossover, and the price is quoting below the 20-day EMA and the 50-day SMA; which is advantageous to bears. If the retest of the recent lows at $1364.96 fails, a fall to $1194 is likely.

If the bulls defend the $1364.96 levels, the BCH/USD pair is likely to become range-bound for a few days.

As the trend is still down, we are not suggesting any trade on it.

XRP/USD

Ripple returned from the 20-day EMA on Jan. 18. It currently has support at the $0.87 levels.

We believe that the XRP/USD pair will become range bound for the next few days between the support of $0.87 and the resistance of $1.74.

We shall wait for a breakout above the overhead resistance to initiate any long positions. On the downside, though we expect the $0.87 to hold, it might be reasonable to wait for a bounce before buying. As the trading inside the range is likely to be volatile, we shall only try to buy closer to the supports.

IOTA/USD

We had mentioned that $3.032 is the critical level for IOTA and a failure to break out above it will attract another bout of selling and that is what happened.

The cryptocurrency is currently attempting to hold the Jan. 16 low of $1.923. If the bears succeed in breaking down this support, a fall to the lows of Dec. 22 of $1.10 is likely.

If the bulls hold the $1.923 levels, the IOTA/USD pair is likely to remain range bound for the next few days. It will become positive only if the price breaks out of the down trendline of the descending triangle.

LTC/USD

Litecoin broke above $205, but could not reach $225, as we had expected. It turned down from $214.48 levels on Jan. 20.

The bears are trying to break down of the critical support level of $175.19. If successful, a fall to $140 is likely.

In the short-term, the first sign of bullishness will be when the LTC/USD pair breaks out of $215. Currently, we don’t find any trade set up on it.

XEM/USD

On Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, the bulls could not sustain above the downtrend line. As a result, NEM has resumed its decline.

Currently, the bulls are attempting to hold the $0.86 level. If this breaks, a fall to the Jan. 16 lows of $0.551 is likely.

On the upside, the down trendline is likely to offer strong resistance. The first signs of bullishness will be when price breaks out of the $1.21 levels.

We don’t find any trade setups on the XEM/USD pair.

ADA/BTC

Cardano could not break out of the 0.00006 levels. It is now likely to gradually fall to the support levels of 0.000047, and after that to 0.00004070.

For the next few days, we expect the ADA/BTC pair to remain range bound between 0.00004070 on the downside and 0.00006915 on the upside.

We shall wait for the pair to bounce from one of the support levels before initiating any trade. At the present levels, we don’t find any bullish setups on it.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted By David Ogden Entrepreneur
David ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David

Price Analysis, Jan. 19 – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano

Price Analysis, Jan. 19 - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano

Price Analysis, Jan. 19 – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano

After a sharp fall, the aggressive bulls jump in and buy at lower levels. This strategy has resulted in huge gains for the cryptocurrency traders in 2017. However, unlike previous occasions, we have not seen a sharp rise this time. This shows that the traders are not confident of a huge rally from the current prices.

In the next few days, we expect a range bound action in most of the top cryptocurrencies.

BTC/USD

We had expected a pullback from the $10,704.99 levels. But Bitcoin overshot on the downside and fell to $9,300 levels.

Currently, the bulls are attempting a reversal, which is likely to carry the cryptocurrency to the neckline of the head and shoulders pattern at $13,202 levels.

We expect another round of selling from those levels, which is likely to sink the BTC/USD pair back to the support zone of $10,704.99 to $9,300. If this support zone breaks, a fall below $8,000 is likely.

On the other hand, if the bulls succeed in holding the support zone, it will lead to a start of a new uptrend. Nimble-footed traders can play the rise, but others should wait for more clarity to develop.

ETH/USD

We expected the support zone between the trendline and $940 to hold. On Jan. 17, Ethereum broke below the trendline and fell to a low of $770.

The bulls bought the dip aggressively, which has resulted in a pullback that carried the cryptocurrency towards the 50 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the recent fall from $1424 to $770.

For the past three days, the ETH/USD pair has been struggling to cross above $1097. If the price breaks out of the $1100 levels, we expect a move to $1174.36 and $1284.28 levels. As the stop loss is $930, which doesn’t offer a good risk to reward ratio, we are not suggesting any trade on it.

BCH/USD

We expected the $1733 levels to hold. Still, the bears easily broke through it and Bitcoin Cash fell to a low of $1364.96 on Jan. 18.

The current increase is likely to face resistance at the $2072 levels, which was the support of the range previously. We shall get a confirmation of a bottom during the next downturn. If $1364.96 breaks, a fall to $1194 is likely.

Our bearish view will be invalidated if the BCH/USD pair sustains above $2072 for a day.

XRP/USD

We had forecast a fall to 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the latest rally, however, Ripple fell close to the 78.6 percent retracement levels, which coincided with the lower end of the descending channel.

The cryptocurrency has broken out of the descending channel, which suggests that the downtrend is over. However, the present increase is facing resistance at the 20-day EMA, above which a move to $2.20 is likely. At that price, the XRP/USD pair will face resistance from the trendline that had previously acted as a strong support.

However, if the cryptocurrency fails to break above the 20-day EMA, the bears will attempt to resume the downtrend. Support lies at $0.87.

We expect a few days of range bound trading.

IOTA/USD

IOTA broke down of the bearish descending triangle pattern on January 16, which gives it a pattern target of $1.10.

However, the cryptocurrency took support at $1.93 levels on Jan. 17.

Currently, the IOTA/USD pair is retesting the breakout levels of $3.032. If the bulls breakout of the overhead resistance and the downtrend line, our bearish view will be invalidated.

However, if the bears defend the $3.032 levels, we are likely to see another bout of selling, which will retest the lows.

We don’t find any clear pattern; hence, we are not recommending any trade.

LTC/USD

We had forecast a likely fall to $100 if Litecoin broke below $175.19. It rose from a low of $140.00 on Jan. 17.

For two days in a row, Jan. 16 and Jan. 17, the bears broke down below $175.19 but were unsuccessful in holding prices down.

If the bulls breakout of $205, a move to $225 is likely, where both the moving averages converge. This level is likely to act as a resistance.

We don’t find any reasonable trades on LTC/USD pair.

XEM/USD

NEM fell close to the 78.6 percent retracement levels on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17. Thereafter, the bulls have commenced a pullback, which is likely to face a strong resistance at the downward trendline.

If the price moves above the downtrend line, an increase to $1.45 can’t be ruled out.

The next fall towards the recent lows of $0.55134 will confirm whether the bottom is in place or is there further to go.

Until then, we shall remain on the sidelines on the XEM/USD pair.

ADA/BTC

Cardano broke below the trendline support on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17, however, the bulls defended the support and pushed prices higher quickly.

The ADA/BTC pair broke out of the downtrend line yesterday, Jan. 18, however, it could not pick up momentum. It is struggling to rally above 0.00006. Once bulls breakout of 0.00006, a move to 0.00007 and thereafter to the 0.00008 levels is likely.

The cryptocurrency pair will become negative below 0.00004730.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 12

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano - Price Analysis, Jan. 12

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA, Litecoin, NEM, Cardano – Price Analysis, Jan. 12

The South Korean government has confirmed that it has no plans to ban cryptocurrency trading in the short-term. This is a major relief to the markets, which were reeling under selling pressure.

Warren Buffet’s warning that the cryptocurrencies will have a “bad ending” also did not have any noticeable effect on the prices.

During the recent decline, instead of being perturbed, many traders saw this as a buying opportunity and rushed to open new accounts. The cryptocurrency exchange Binance saw a whopping addition of 240,000 users in just an hour on Jan. 10.

However, unlike the previous occasions, the pullback from the lows has been muted. Is this a sign of waning momentum? Let’s find out.

BTC/USD

Bitcoin broke below the 50-day SMA on Jan. 11 and since then, it has been struggling to climb above it. It has managed to hold on to the critical support level between the trendline of the symmetrical triangle and the neckline of the head and shoulders pattern.

If Bitcoin fails to rally within the next two days, chances are that it will turn down and break below $12,500, sinking it to $8,000 levels.

On the other hand, if the cryptocurrency clings on to the support and moves above the 20-day EMA, it will indicate a short-term bottom.

Very aggressive traders can buy on a breakout above $14,500 and keep a stop loss of $12,500. The target objective of this trade is $16,500. This is a very risky trade, hence, should be attempted with only 25 percent of the usual position size.

Risk-averse traders should wait for a reliable setup to form as there is no clear trend on the BTC/USD pair as long as it trades inside the triangle. It’s better to wait for a breakout or breakdown from the triangle before initiating any positions.

ETH/USD

Ethereum has been comparatively strong during the South Korean ban episode. This shows that its owners are not in a hurry to sell their holdings.

The buyers jumped in at the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the latest rally from $640.43 to $1,382. The uptrend remains intact and the bulls are likely to make another attempt to break out of the recent highs at $1,382.

If the price breaks out of the overhead resistance zone of $1,382 to $1,434, it will signal the start of the next leg of the up move, which can carry the ETH/USD pair towards its target objective of $1,814.67.

On the downside, support exists at the 20-day EMA and at $965.18, which is the intraday low on Jan. 8.

However, as we expect a strong resistance between $1,382 and $1,434, we are not recommending any fresh long positions in it.

BCH/USD

Bitcoin Cash broke out of the range on Jan. 10, however, contrary to our expectation, it could not rally to $3,249. It faced strong resistance at $2,950 and turned down from there.

It continues to be range bound but in a larger range. On the upside, $2,950 is the critical resistance and on the downside, $2,291 continues to be a strong support. If this support breaks, it has another support at the $2,072 level.

Traders should wait for a breakout above $2950 to initiate long positions. The breakout is likely to carry the BCH/USD pair towards the highs.

On the other hand, a breakdown below $2,072 can result in a decline to $1,733 and thereafter to $1,200.

XRP/USD

For the past three days, Ripple has been attempting to hold the uptrend line. The bulls continue to buy the dips close to the $1.5 levels.

The cryptocurrency is currently correcting inside a descending channel. If the bulls succeed in breaking out of the resistance line of the channel, a move to $2.85 is likely.

Strong support exists between $1.76978 and $1.40463, which are 50 percent and 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the recent rally from $0.22255 to $3.317.

But we don’t find any reliable buy setups on the XRP/USD pair. Hence, we are not recommending any trade on it.

IOTA/USD

IOTA has continued its range-bound trading between $3.032 and $4.34. Yesterday, Jan. 11, the bulls again defended the lower end of the range.

We expect the range to hold. Hence, traders can buy on weakness towards $3.1 and keep a stop loss of $2.7.

The IOTA/USD pair should attempt to move towards $4.34 once it breaks out of the downtrend line. A move above $4.34 is likely to propel it towards the upper end of the range at $5.59.

Our bullish view will be invalidated if price breaks down and sustains below $3.032.

LTC/USD

Litecoin is still stuck inside the symmetrical triangle. Yesterday, Jan.11, the bears failed to break down of the triangle.

The bulls will now try to push prices towards the resistance line of the triangle at $280. The move will gain momentum above $254. The support is way lower at $215.

At the moment the risk to reward ratio is not attractive for trades.

The LTC/USD pair will become bearish if price breaks down and sustains below the 50-day SMA.

XEM/USD

As forecast in our previous analysis, the decline to the trendline support prompted buying. NEM is currently in a pullback. Should we trade this?

The traders bought the dip below the trendline support yesterday, Jan. 11. We now expect the XEM/USD pair to rally to $1.56949 and $1.68590, which are 50 percent and 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the recent fall from $2.06278 to $1.07619.

The aggressive traders can buy at the current levels of $1.38 and keep a stop loss at $1.06, below yesterday’s lows. Though the initial risk to reward ratio is not attractive, we believe that buying near the strong support of the trendline is a good strategy.

ADA/BTC

Buyers bought the dip below the trendline on Jan. 11. We had forecast a pullback from the trendline in our previous analysis but advised waiting for a confirmation of a bottom before buying. So, can the traders buy now?

If the pullback sustains above the 0.000057 levels, we expect the move to extend to $0.00006616 and $0.00007221, which are 50 percent and 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the recent fall.

Traders can buy the ADA/BTC pair at the current levels and keep a stop loss at 0.00004. Here too, we are recommending a trade without an attractive risk to reward ratio because we are buying close to the strong support of the trendline from where the price can surprise on the upside.

Author: Rakesh Upadhyay

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin is passé: these are the cryptocurrencies to look at in 2018

Bitcoin had a monumental 2017, with its price rising by more than 1,400pc over the past year. However, it was far from the best-performing cryptocurrency.

Of the 10 most important digital currencies by total value at the time of writing, six have been around for more than a year. All six have experienced price rises that eclipse Bitcoin, ranging from 2,870pc for Monero to 31,560pc for NEM.

As the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency, Bitcoin contains many flaws that later rivals have aimed to iron out. Transaction numbers per second are severely limited, “mining” – producing – Bitcoin consumes huge amounts of energy, and the transaction fees required for a payment to be processed quickly have been spiraling out of control.

All of these problems place doubt on Bitcoin’s ability to become a widely adopted means of payment, and ultimately on its value.

Gary McFarlane, a cryptocurrency analyst at investment shop Interactive Investor, said: “Bitcoin is the benchmark for the cryptocurrency market – other coins are judged by what they do differently to it, and how they address its flaws.

“No cryptocurrency has achieved mass adoption as a means of payment yet, so later projects that can address earlier technological issues are in a better position.”

So, aside from Bitcoin, which cryptocurrencies do those who analyse the fledgling cryptocurrency “market” have their eye on in 2018? Before you part with any money, bear in mind that any cryptocurrency investment is highly speculative, so only risk cash that you could afford to lose in its entirety and will not need in the short term.

Iota

Total value: $9.5bn

Iota stands for Internet of Things Application, and differs significantly from Bitcoin.

Instead of transactions being bundled together into “blocks”, those blocks being verified by a “miner” and then added to a blockchain ledger, as happens with Bitcoin, Iota uses a different technology called the “Tangle”.

Each transaction remains separate, is not amalgamated into blocks, and there are no separate miners who compete to verify transactions.

Instead, for a transaction to go through, the computer, smartphone or other device the transaction originated from must complete a mathematical problem to confirm two other random transactions.

There are no transaction fees, as the only cost is the amount of electricity a device uses to verify those transactions, which is borne by the user. In theory, this system could attain huge scale, as the more transactions that are put through, the more capacity there is to verify new transactions.

Mr McFarlane said there was a “good team” behind Iota and there were major companies interested in the technology, including Microsoft.

It is intended to be used as part of the “internet of things” – where homes, appliances and other day-to-day items are connected and communicate via a network. Its creators envisage that Iota will be used to enable micro-transactions and to allow almost anything, from a bicycle to computer processing power, to be rented out in real time.

Cardano

Total value: $10.2bn

Mr McFarlane said Cardano was sometimes described as an “Ethereum killer”. Like Ethereum, it is a platform that digital applications can be run on, with its own digital currency. Cardano is the name of the platform, while Ada is the currency.

“The person who heads Cardano was part of the core Ethereum team and the Cardano team are trying to address some of the problems they see with Ethereum,” he added.

Instead of using a “proof-of-work” system to verify transactions, where “miners” dedicate computing power to solving complex mathematical problems, Cardano uses a “proof-of-stake” system.

The power to verify transactions is determined by the number of coins a user holds, which also determines whether they can vote on proposed upgrades to the system. Those who verify transactions are rewarded with transaction fees.

The idea is that this system negates the need for a power-hungry proof-of-work system like that used by Bitcoin, and that those with larger stakes are incentivised to maintain a functioning system.

Critics say that in theory proof-of-stake systems are more open to certain kinds of attack, although penalties can be applied to discourage such abuse. They also point out that the largest stakeholders receive the most in transaction fees, which could give them more and more control over time.

Other Bitcoin rivals

David Drake, a professional investor who serves ultra-high net worth families, said he had high hopes for Verge and EOS, in addition to Iota.

He said the focus over the next six to 12 months would be on transaction speeds and the technology that underlies cryptocurrencies – areas in which Verge and EOS perform well.

Verge is focused on privacy, intending to offer completely anonymous transactions. EOS is similar to Ethereum in that it is a platform on which developers can build digital applications. EOS coins are the currency of the platform.

They are the 11th and 21st largest cryptocurrencies respectively, at $5.4bn and $1.8bn in total value.

How to buy

None of the currencies mentioned above is currently offered by the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges, Blockchain.info and Coinbase. That may change in the future.

Buyers will therefore require more technical knowhow and will need to carry out more research. You will need to find a cryptocurrency exchange that offers the currency you wish to buy, and a wallet service that will let you store it.

Watch out for the large number of scam outfits that appear in search engine results in this area; they may be difficult to distinguish from legitimate businesses.

You can also choose to store cryptocurrencies offline in a "hardware wallet", essentially a hard drive.

Be sure to check the fees charged by any exchange or wallet provider and the difference between the actual price of a coin and the price being offered to you.

You may be able to purchase some coins only with larger cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, rather than with cash. In that case, you will need to buy some of the required currency first.

Author James Connington 29 DECEMBER 2017 • 12:09PM

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David

Tag: cardano