Bitcoin is the best bet for cryptocurrency investors, says Wall Street trader

Bitcoin, with its established use cases, is still the best bet for investors, says Bart Smith of Susquehanna International Group.
The Wall Street crypto trader says bitcoin is the currency of the internet.

Bitcoin is still the best bet for crypto investors as people are "functionally using" it, Bart Smith told CNBC.

"If you want to own the asset that you can actually use today and that people are functionally using, it’s bitcoin," Smith, head of digital asset at trading giant Susquehanna International Group, said on "Fast Money" Tuesday.

"The use case for bitcoin is valid today, which is the currency of the internet," he added.

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has been just one of many digital coins in the crypto universe that has been under increased scrutiny in recent months as regulators try to determine how cryptocurrency should be used.

But the fact that bitcoin has established use cases is what gives it the competitive advantage over other cryptocurrencies, Smith said.

Last fall, when bitcoin futures were announced, "people got very excited about bitcoin," he said. "They got really excited about all these other tokens and use cases. And all of the sudden you saw all of these smaller tokens, as people got excited about them, massively outperform. We got way ahead of ourselves."

"If you’re looking at these other use cases, smart contracts, or lightning network or these different technological advancements, I think people are coming to realize, those things are very difficult and aren’t coming anytime soon," Smith said.

He pointed out that a lot of people work in one country and send money back to a different country — a situation that is very bitcoin-friendly.

"They use Western Union, traditional banks; It is slow and it is expensive," he said. "And there are people that can stop you from sending that money, whether that's good or bad. With bitcoin, I can send money. It's fast. It's cheap. And frankly, no one can stop me."

Bitcoin was priced around $6,300 Tuesday evening, 5:30 p.m. ET. Bitcoin fell below $6,000 in June — a 60 percent loss for 2018. At its high, in December 2017, it was priced around $19,500.

Author Kellie Ell

David

World’s Biggest VC Firms are Creating Cryptocurrency Funds, Market Enthusiastic

Historically venture capitalists do not own cryptocurrencies. They hold equity and invest in privately and publicly held companies but, with the potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain based technology companies to create unprecedented returns VC firms are exploring ways to restructure legally and financially to tap into that future revenue stream.

VC Firms Creating New Strategies for Crypto

Recode recently examined four different strategies some of the top venture capital firms have taken to re-orientate the way they do business.

Andreesen Horowitz, cofounded by Marc Andreesen creator of the first web browser (Netscape Navigator) and longtime Bitcoin enthusiast, for instance, has created a separate pool of money raised specifically for investment in cryptocurrency projects. This allows Horowitz to put together a group of investors whose main interest is in the nascent technology. It also allows the firm to sidestep laws that limit VC firms from having more than 20% of their investments in assets considered liquid securities such as cryptocurrencies.

Finding a middle ground between launching a separate fund such as Horowitz has and maintaining the traditional status quo allows LightSpeed Venture Partners to earmark a percentage from a general fund specifically for investment in crypto projects. This sends a message to the crypto world that they are dedicated to the space and attracts investors whose main interest is in crypto projects, while soothing partners still skeptical about the volatile industry.

The famous New York Venture Capital firm Union Square Ventures leads a handful of smaller funds putting money into crypto-specific funds set up by other firms. With this strategy, the firm doesn’t have to create a separate unit for crypto but, still gains plenty of exposure to the space without the time and resource commitment of owning any startups. It also allows them to invest simultaneously in multiple funds.

Fred Wilson from USV has advised investors previously about having at least some position in crypto saying:

“If I were a trader, a stock trader or hedge fund person, I might think of having 5% of my assets in something like this; it’s still early days; I don’t think you want to go all in on it, but I think you want to be in it.”

For most the Status Quo

Most VC firms so far have only made slight legal and financial tweaks to their traditional business models. This allows them to dabble in cryptocurrencies, to hold some coins or invest in ICO’s, without making radical changes that could upset partners or expose them to the ongoing legal troubles that crypto startups must negotiate. This is a safe hedge against a catastrophic shift in the crypto space that still allows them enough exposure to shift gears when the industry settles into a more traditional pattern.

Author JOHN MCMAHON | JUNE 22, 2018 | 5:03 AM

David

JPMorgan Looks Into Crypto Months After Their CEO Called Bitcoin âStupid’ and âDangerous’

JPMorgan Looks Into Crypto Months After Their CEO Called Bitcoin âStupid' and âDangerous'

JPMorgan Looks Into Crypto Months After Their CEO Called Bitcoin ‘Stupid’ and ‘Dangerous’

Back in September of 2017, JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon called Bitcoin “stupid” and “dangerous.” Dimon also said if he caught anyone buying or selling Bitcoin he would “fire them in a second.” His words carry heavy weight as one of the most prominent voices in the global finance world.

However, it appears his opinion changed. JPMorgan is looking into the use of cryptocurrencies despite their purported threat to the bank’s current business model.

Oliver Harris was the bank’s former head of developing new financial technologies – now, he is looking into the risks and rewards associated with digital assets and blockchain technology as Bitcoin moves towards mainstream adoption.

The move may be related to JPMorgan’s competitor Goldman Sachs’ decision to hire Justin Schmidt, a trader specializing in exchanging cryptocurrencies. However, JPMorgan’s decision to look into blockchain assets is surprising, especially considering Dimon’s harsh remarks towards Bitcoin only nine months ago.

In January of 2018, Dimon recanted his prior statements when he told Fox he is open-minded with regards to blockchain assets:

“The Bitcoin to me was always what the governments are gonna feel about Bitcoin as it gets really big, and I just have a different opinion than other people. I’m not interested that much in the subject at all. The blockchain is real. You can have crypto yen and dollars and stuff like that. ICO’s you have to look at individually.”

in addition to researching cryptocurrency assets for the banking giant, Harris will also be leading Quorum, the bank’s in-house blockchain project. According to a report from Reuters’ Anna Irrera, JPMorgan is considering turning Quorum into an independent company.

Bitcoin has been growing at a rate of 165% per year for the past six years, according to Pantera Capital’s CEO Dan Morehead. Cryptocurrencies are becoming a hot commodity, and institutions such as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs’ are finally looking for ways to get in on the action.

The CME and CBOE recently launched Bitcoin futures trading platforms– now, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are investigating cryptocurrencies as well. The acknowledgment of large banks and corporations toward the vast potential of blockchain technology is significant because it will increase awareness of the crypto scene.

Author Jacob Tuwiner

Posted by David Ogden entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin tide favoring bears and the coming April 17 brings really bad news

If you noticed lately, Bitcoin (BTC), the leading cryptocurrency, has been stuck below $7000.

As of Friday, it was in the $6,600 range, dangerously close to the $6,400 when the market ‘bears’ bet the crypto is on a downward path.

What’s worse is that the US tax season is upon us, and every Bitcoin holder living in America is taxed on their capital gains, and they will be unloading the crypto to be able to pay their taxes in cash to the US government, come April 17.

A major sell-off is coming which will impact crypto holders globally, but what is the state of Bitcoin today?

Not dead yet: Crypto coins have fallen but trying to get up

Stuck in purgatory

Coindesk reported that Bitcoin (BTC) fell below the $7,000 mark on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and neutralizing any bullish outlook.

“More worryingly for the bulls, a further decline towards $6,425 (recent low) would turn the tide in favor of the bears,” Coindesk said.

“Since late February, bitcoin and U.S. stocks have been moving more or less in tandem, indicating the cryptocurrency is still being perceived as a risk asset.”

But according to CNBC, Bitcoin is likely to fare worse than other assets in the coming months because it has no fundamental value, quoting London-based Capital Economics, Thursday.

The firm explained that the cryptocurrency has been quite closely correlated to the S&P 500 since the price started to fall from its record high $20,000 at the end of last year.

“But the correlation has been coincidental. For bitcoin, the recent fall in value has been due to concern over regulation, a ban on cryptocurrency advertising, ICO fraud, banks banning customers from buying it via credit cards, and others,” it said.

“Stocks meanwhile have been hit thanks to concerns over a U.S.-China trade war and potentially slowing growth.”

Capital Economics said that while stocks are likely to fall further this year, bitcoin will be worse off because it is essentially worthless “and simply not a credible long-run alternative to conventional currencies.”

That doesn’t say that bad news affecting stock markets, like an escalating rhetoric around potential trade war between the US and China, are not also affecting crypto prices.

ICO warnings

Governments and experts around the world have warned about Initial Coin Offering (ICO) fraud.

Some reports said 80% of ICOs are said to be scams.

The Financial Times (FT) said that there are nearly 1600 cryptocurrencies listed on Coinmarketcap, and that number grows every time a new startup sells a token.

According to tracking website Coinschedule, around 160 coins have so far been released this year via ICOs, raising more than $5bn.

“The money raised in the first three months of the year alone exceeds the total raised in the bumper year that was 2017, and that’s even if you strip out the money raised so far for the mega-ICO from Telegram, the encrypted messaging service,” said FT

FT warns that ICOs create swapping mechanisms between cryptos while existing cryptos can also be cloned, or “forked”.

“And it’s not as if all these digital tokens aren’t correlated to each other. When one goes up or down, they all tend to follow suit,” said FT.

Table 1

7d Price Change For Major Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrency %7d

Bitcoin -13.41

Ethereum -15.90

Ripple -13.28

Litecoin -11.65

Source: Coinmarketcap.com 4/4/18 at 2:30 a.m.

Table 2

Number of Cryptocurrencies That Advanced/Declined In The Top 100 Ranks

Cryptocurrencies Advance/Decline Number

Advance 12

Decline 88

Source: Coinmarketcap.com 4/4/18 at 2:30 a.m.

Bad news from India

Forbes reported that the Reserve Bank of India RBI) has banned banks from allowing people to transfer money from their bank account into Bitcoin wallets.

“Meaning if there is a Bitcoin market in India, it is going to move underground,” Forbes said.

“India is not a huge market for crypto, so Bitcoin was down only 2% upon hearing the news and probably not due to the RBI’s announcement. China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and the U.S. are the biggest markets for cryptocurrencies.”

Worse news from the US

According to the Coin Telegraph, Fundstrat’s and Wall Street expert Tom Lee has predicted a “massive outflow” of cryptocurrency to fiat money in the lead up to tax day in the US, quoting a CNBC report on April 5.

Lee notes that, since US households owe an estimated $25bn in capital gains taxes due to their crypto holdings, and crypto exchanges also will owe income taxes, both households and exchanges will be selling their crypto to pay the US government.

“We believe there is selling pressure by crypto exchanges who are subject to income tax in U.S. jurisdictions. Many exchanges have net income in 2017 [of more than] $1 bln and keep working capital in [Bitcoin]/[Ethereum], not USD — hence, to meet these tax liabilities, are selling BTC/ETH.”

According to Lee, “historical estimates are each $1 of USD outflow is $20-$25 impact on crypto market value.”

Author Hadi Khatib

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Crypto Week in Review – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Verge, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ripple Struggle

It has certainly been an up-and-down week for cryptocurrencies. Things started out relatively peaceful when allegations arose that the currency had somehow dominated its incoming “death cross,” and that the slump users had been witnessing over the past several days may be coming to end. This seemed to hold true when Bitcoin rose from $6,900 to $7,100 – a $200 jump from where it had long stood.

All Barricades Defied?

the currency rose to just under $7,500 following the announcement that Coincheck – one of Japan’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange platforms and the recent victim of a hack that saw over $500 million in NEM stolen last January – would likely be “rescued” by Tokyo-based exchange Monex Group.

The company issued a formal statement saying that it was in talks with Coincheck about a possible “takeover,” and that a deal could be reached by the end of the week. This sent the price of bitcoin surging, as hope and enthusiasm once again found themselves fluttering through the cryptocurrency arena.

This positivity was short-lived, however, as a near $600 drop in the price occurred the following day, and bitcoin fell to about $6,800. Now, the coin has settled for $100 less and is trading at approximately $6,800, suggesting that the currency is holding its ground, but has undoubtedly been affected by recent trends.

There appear to be several reasons for the latest drop, one being a hack that occurred on Verge’s blockchain.

Verge is a privacy-oriented cryptocurrency, and it’s alleged that hackers may have implemented several bugs in its system to walk off with anywhere between $15,000 and $1 million in company coins (sources differ greatly in how much the amount totals).

While the attack took place on an altcoin, the story raises several questions. Verge’s blockchain requires a proof-of-work validation mechanism, much like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which makes users wonder if these latter blockchains are also vulnerable to similar bugs and malware.

Larger news stemming from India likely took a larger toll on the coin’s position and current pricing. The country’s of India’s Reserve Bank has hinted that it plans to potentially ban Bitcoin trading on a whole while building its own digital currency. This has led to negative reactions among residents, who claim that a national virtual currency wouldn’t necessarily be threatened by Bitcoin and other forms of crypto.

The move could be especially damaging considering India accounts for roughly 10 percent of the world’s cryptocurrency trades. A full ban on Bitcoin by India may wind up affecting not only users but the country’s financial stability in the global blockchain market.

Not Much Help from “Experts”

In addition, several other leading cryptocurrencies have also experienced serious drops in their prices. Ethereum is down to about $380, while Bitcoin Cash is hovering at just over $630. Ripple is hovering around $0.50. Litecoin is trading at a new low of approximately $116.

Thus far, we have experienced mixed reactions from analysts, some of whom claim Bitcoin could encounter a solid bull run by the year’s end. Others feel that the coin’s final days are near, and the bubble surrounding Bitcoin has officially been popped.

Author Nick Marinoff April 6, 2018

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Despite Bitcoin’s ‘Sell-Off’ The Cryptocurrency Space Continues To Attract Investors

Despite Bitcoin's 'Sell-Off' The Cryptocurrency Space Continues To Attract Investors

Volatility, volatility, volatility. Traders certainly love it. But the volatility witnessed of late among many leading cryptocurrencies – including the ‘Big Daddy’ of them all in the shape of Bitcoin as well as Ethereum – has been a "double-edged sword" according to some pundits. Price swings can occur dramatically and result in big profits, should you catch it right.

Equally, significant losses can be sustained should your timing be all awry, there is negative newsflow around the crypto space and/or particular digital currencies.

Bitcoin’s Halcyon Days?

One might say you pays your money and takes your chances in the “Wild West” of crypto land. More succinctly, caveat emptor (buyer beware). And, according to Jordan Hiscott, chief trader at ayondo markets, a brokerage in The City of London, in a note from last week (March 27) said: “Certainly the halcyon days of performance gains [for Bitcoin] from 2017 seem long gone.”

Bitcoin moved lower early last week on Tuesday and was trading at around the $7,900 mark. However, this was in stark contrast to the level of $13,275 at the start of 2018. Hiscott’s view expressed at the time in late March was that the situation around the current soggy price level could persist for “at least six months.”

He added: “My theory is based around the situation regarding the liquidation of the Mt Gox Exchange, and the appointed trustee to handle the bankruptcy. Colloquially, this individual is known at the "Tokyo Whale", and having already sold around $400 million worth of both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash, he is likely the main catalyst for this year’s move down.”

Interestingly, there still remains around three times that amount of Bitcoin to potentially to hit the market. “With this kind of volume yet to surface, in my view, prices on Bitcoin will remain depressed until this situation has been resolved,” ayondo’s Hiscott posited.

New Investors

The wild run on the crypto scene starting from late last year may have created a few sob stories for new investors, as those who bought in during the all-time highs are likely to have incurred losses due to February’s massive correction. Some might even be ruing the day they ever decided to dive in and invest.

In fact, recent statistics indicate that most people who got into bed with and invested in Bitcoin did so at a significantly higher price than the current market price, which is now well below the $10,000 market. This is a remarkable turnaround.

Having reached just slightly north of $19,000 a pop on December 17, 2017, in a something of a feeding frenzy from the month before (seeing the currency’s value almost quadruple from $5,857.32 on 12 November), Bitcoin’s price retreated and has fallen back to around $6,500 as of today (April 1) – and that’s no joke. Since the peak it equates to a decline of 65% in a matter of fifteen weeks.

Bitcoin was not alone in seeing a price a substantial correction from its peak.

Ethereum’s price, which was standing at around $366 as April 1 is down from over $1,330 – the currency's peak – reached on January 14 this year, while it’s a similar picture declining prices from their highs for Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and Ripple.

Top Cryptocurrencies: Trading Prices

Dec 17, 2017 April 1, 2018

Bitcoin

$19,086.64 $6,493.84

Ethereum

$717.29 $366.09

Bitcoin Cash

$1,939.93 $633.68

Litecoin

$332.59 $110.86

XRP (Ripple)

$0.76 $0.4713

Source: CoinDesk Inc. Prices in US dollars as of April 1, 2018, 15.20 UTC.

There were stories that many had invested using their credit cards. And, some plucky investors even re-mortgaged their homes. What they are thinking now is anyone’s guess. But if you play high risk markets then there is also the possibility of getting burned big time.

And, if there is one lesson from all this, it is not to believe in all the hype that surrounded cryptocurrencies when the prices were getting pretty frothy and frankly some people were getting ahead of themselves.

This was especially so just prior to Bitcoin futures being traded on the Chicago derivative exchanges, the CBOT and CME. Between the point when it was announced late last October that futures in the cryptocurrency would commence during the fourth quarter 2017 – until Bitcoin’s peak in December – the price had surged by 211%. And, now for Bitcoin we are broadly back at those levels seen when the announcement was made first disseminated to the market by the CME.

Looking back it was unrealistic and unsustainable to expect Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies to continue their explosive runs – ever upwards. And, while not wishing to say I told you so, it is something I had pointed out in some of my previous posts on Forbes. Namely that it didn’t exactly look too healthy or sustainable. Some out there think though there will be correction upwards to where it was before and well beyond, given the recent trading lows over the last 50-day trading period.

Now there has been a tightening of regulations. One of the latest examples being from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the Paris-based financial regulator, with its communique on 26 March concerning leverage on derivative products related to cryptocurrencies amongst other financial products. Regulators in South Korea and China have also weighed in with pronouncements on bans for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and other crypto prohibitions over recent months.

It was fortunate perhaps that the latest G20 meeting in Argentina did not bear down on the crypto space as they could have, which had been flagged up as a distinct possibility by French and German central bankers along with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England and head of the Basle-based Financial Stability Board (FSB).

Investor Appetite?

All of this, however, does not appear to have dampened investors’ drive to be part of the crypto space. Hundreds of millions of dollars in tokens continue to be traded on exchanges. ICOs also continue to rake in the big bucks. Indeed, just three months into 2018 and $4.8 billion in funding has already been raised through various token sales so far.

Blockchain is widely considered to be the next disruptive technology. As such, many believe that the crypto space is a high-potential growth area that could provide massive returns of investment. For early adopters of coins like Bitcoin and Ether, it most definitely has. Although for later ones the jury is out.

As pointed out above, if you bought when the mania gripped at the end of last year you will be nursing a hefty loss. Of course, one might see this as ripe time to buy back in and average out your crypto holdings.

Even established companies are making their respective plays in crypto investing. Trading platform eToro recently secured $100 million in a Series E funding round to support its global expansion and further support of crypto and blockchain. The platform already supports major tokens including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Ripple.

But the funding round hints at the adoption of blockchain technology for its own use. Crypto exchange Poloniex was also recently bought by Circle, a fintech firm backed by Goldman Sachs, which underscores how traditional institutions acknowledge crypto’s impact.

Such developments only help inspire investor confidence, or so some pundits argue. And, even if coins remain far from their all-time highs, backers continue to stake in blockchain and crypto.

And, in that vein here are five reasons as to why the crypto space still continues to encourage more investors to participate.

1. The Promise of Blockchain

It’s tough to argue against blockchain as a technology since there is value in the immutable and transparent record keeping that it provides. But it should be pointed out that Blockchain projects and their protagonists have had a nasty habit of over promising and underdelivering. And, the number of ICOs that failed to deliver in 2017 isn't exactly something to shout about.

Several projects though have already made headway in the areas of finance, healthcare and security. Blockchain’s distributed nature also helps mitigate security and reliability issues that plague other technologies.

Blockchain’s appeal is even bolstered by the emergence of smart contracts and cross-chain interoperability. The possibilities for developing new applications based on blockchain now seem boundless according to the view of some. Because of this, there is no shortage of new and promising ventures building their projects on blockchain.

And, I for one can certainly vouch that hardly a day passes when I do not receive a slew of press release ICO launches in the crypto space. It seems never ending.

Traditional institutions and large enterprises are also committed to adopting the technology. Even banks are forming consortia that would enable them to use blockchain for their various services. Due to this demand, IT providers like IBM and Microsoft are even compelled to offer blockchain-related products and services and blockchain-as-a-service.

2. Unicorn Potential

This next wave of tech companies is attempting to bring disruption to a variety of verticals. New projects have now extended beyond blockchain’s typical use cases and have found their way even in sectors like social networks, media and gaming – all of which are billion-dollar industries.

Casting a wider net could help these ventures catch bigger fish. And, for investors, backing such companies early on could deliver significant returns down the line.

Some may be labeling this boom a bubble, in much the same way as happened with a whole host of dotcom ventures back in the naughtiest (2000’s). While this may be true in some regard, one should not dismiss the likelihood that winners can emerge – even if the bubble bursts.

And, in hindsight, who would not have wanted access to Google or Amazon stocks at pre-IPO or at IPO prices? There is always a chance that this slate of crypto-based projects may include future unicorns.

3. Early “In”

Clearly, not everyone is a venture capitalist (VC) or an angel investor who could find early “ins” to startups. This typically requires a certain amount of clout and reputation in the business community as well as significant wealth in the war chest. The only way ordinary people were able to invest in new companies was to wait for a public offering.

Today, ICOs have allowed just about anyone to invest early in new projects. ICOs now generates 3.5 times more capital than VC funding. This is largely due to how ordinary investors could invest even relatively small amounts right at the start, based on the promise of returns once the token hits exchanges or when the venture eventually flies.

4. Fundamentals Start to Matter

More investors are also realizing that they should not be rash in spending their money on any ICO that comes their way. It does take disciplined due diligence to spot potential unicorns. But even a good idea does not necessarily come to fruition until the service goes live and the market takes to it.

Fortunately, more investors are learning to look into a project’s fundamentals. The uniqueness and value of the concept, the token economy, the potential for target verticals to be disrupted by the technology, the strength of teams behind the projects, and other factors are now being considered by investors.

This rising focus on fundamentals can eventually help minimize speculation and the market’s volatility and even encourage traditional investors to participate.

5. Global Reach

Traditional investing has largely been geographically limited due to the regulatory constraints. ICOs, however, have opened up the game, allowing investors from all over the world to participate. This is also becoming increasingly easy given how established platforms are supporting more cryptocurrencies.

While some countries have already put up stringent regulations to limit and even ban crypto investing, many countries still only advise their citizens to be cautious when investing in crypto. Investors from these certain countries are otherwise unbridled to trade cryptocurrencies.

Risks and Rewards

At the end of the day, investing as a financial activity entails risks and rewards. While crypto investing seems to carry more risk due to the technology and space’s infancy, the rewards can also be significant.

Fortunately, the crypto space appears to be headed – some believe – towards normalcy as regulation and a focus on fundamentals are helping lessen speculation. Increasing support by traditional trading platforms and the participation of other established organizations also helps bring legitimacy to crypto activities, which ultimately should inspire investor confidence.

Add to all this, the space continues to make significant money. And, as long as this is the case, it will continue to attract enterprising parties from all over. But watch this space.

Roger Aitken , CONTRIBUTOR

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

5 ALTCOINS WITH MAJOR EVENTS THE WEEK OF APRIL 1, 2018 (GAINS LIKELY TO BEAT BITCOIN RETURNS!)

This past week has seen Bitcoin and many altcoins fluctuate dramatically. These significant fluctuations can be profited off of by trading or increasing one’s position in the underlying crypto. The upcoming week has major events for five cryptocurrencies: PRL, UKG, EOS, PKB, and BRD.

THE MARKET CONDITIONS

In December of 2017, Bitcoin was pushing the $20,000 mark with many experts predicting a run much higher. The bull market turned bear and BTC is currently priced at approximately $7,000 per coin. This sixty plus percent retraction has led altcoins to retract even further. Bitcoin’s dominance in the past three months has increased as the total market cap of all cryptos has decreased. BTC now makes up a greater share (percentage wise) of the total crypto markets than it did in December, when its price was 200% higher.

Markets in turmoil usually scare investors away. However, the savvy investor is keenly aware of the opportunities markets in turmoil provide. There are buying opportunities galore with many altcoins having major events on a weekly basis. Rotating one’s holding from one altcoin to another week to week is a timely task but if accomplished in a sophisticated manner can lead to substantial returns outpacing Bitcoin and the rest of the crypto markets.

This week has 5 altcoins with major events: PRL, UKG, EOS, PKB, and BRD.

PRL – OYSTER PROTOCOL (SHL AIRDROP, EXCHANGE SUPPORT)

The SHL airdrop to PRL holders is finally a week away! On April 6, 2018, each holder of PRL will receive a 1:1 ratio of SHL for each PRL crypto held. Last week no exchanges had announced support for the airdrop. However, this week, the exchange PRL is predominantly traded on expressed their support for the airdrop. Now holders of PRL in their wallets or on the main PRL exchange can easily attain the SHL tokens.

PRL is planning to revolutionize the way web hosts earn an income. Instead of advertising revenue making up the majority of income for web hosts; PRL intends to replace ad revenue. Web hosts will soon be able to input a line of code into their websites that allow for no advertisements but still provide revenue based on total views/visitors. How is this completed? Well, the visitor to the website is unaware but a miniscule amount of their spare computing power is used to confirm transactions on the PRL network, rewarding the webhost in PRL tokens.

The amount of revenue attained from removing advertisers is expected to surpass the amount received from running advertisements. PRL is a great crypto without having to airdrop SHL, but SHL adds any entirely new degree of value in the form of an airdrop. SHL intends to decentralize the internet and if it comes even close to its ambitions should increase exponentially in value.

As airdrops approach the underlying crypto usually increases until exchange support is announced or declined. If a major exchange supports the airdrop the value of the underlying crypto tends to increase until the date of the airdrop. If an exchange declines support for the airdrop the crypto generally retracts significantly as individuals have to decide to move the crypto to a desktop/application based wallet or to sell at the current price. PRL received support for their SHL token airdrop on the main exchange PRL is traded.

This week should be a very positive week for PRL. Following the airdrop, there should be a significant correction in the price of PRL as many are currently holding for the SHL token.

UKG – UNIKOIN GOLD (ESPORTS LIVE BETTING, SPECTATOR BETTING)

Unikoin Gold (UKG) is an ERC-20 token that has been incorporated into the Unikrn platform. The Unikrn platform specializes in licensed, legal betting on eSports tournaments and matches. UKG provides a reward and incentivization structure for teams, players, and the participants of eSports. One of the biggest backers of the Unikrn project is the infamous Mark Cuban, billionaire, investor, Dallas Mavericks owner, and television personality. With investors such as Mark Cuban and a major upcoming week UKG should see a strong rally in the short term.

UKG is fairly useless without its Esports live betting and spectator betting platforms. Well, these platforms allegedly go live this week, on April 6, 2018. If UKG achieves this deadline the price of UKG will respond accordingly in a positive manner. Similarly, if UKG misses this deadline the public will lose faith regardless of the importance of Mark Cuban. What UKG is “supposed” to be, a major aspect of their roadmap, and the backbone of the platform is supposed to go live in less than a week. The ability to access spectator and Esports betting is what gives UKG utility. Utility adds value more than anything else in the crypto space.

If UKG is able to implement spectator and Esports live betting this week UKG should see a nice boost in sentiment regarding the coin, and the underlying value of UKG.

EOS – EOS (DAWN 3.0 RELEASE)

EOS is a similar cryptocurrency to Ethereum (ETH) but excels in areas ETH fails. EOS specializes in scalability, an area where ETH suffers greatly. However, ETH has attained the most important thing of all: market penetration. The overwhelming majority of ICOs from the past year were ETH based on the ERC-20 platform. This sheer quantity led to many scaling problems for ETH and this is specifically where EOS excels.

For those that are not technology advanced understanding what Dawn 3.0 is will be fairly difficult. To summarize, Dawn 3.0 is finally stable enough to release as an Alpha and will soon become the GitHub master branch for EOS. This substantial development for EOS ensures its relevancy in the future as long as ICOs continued to be launched.

EOS is on the cusp of being fully implemented and functioning. Once these benchmarks in their roadmap are met, EOS will have an inherent advantage when compared to other cryptos that specialize in ICOs. It is expected by many crypto enthusiasts that EOS is the only capable platform able to handle full-scale commercial decentralized applications. Once this is achieved developers and investors will flock to the EOS platform for its advantages over other ICO platforms. Dawn 3.0 is the beginning of being able to understand what these advances truly include.

BRD – BREAD (IOS AND ANDROID UPDATES)

The BRD token was sold during an ICO to raise money for the Bread App (a great mobile wallet for iOS and Android). It seems curious but currently, the Bread App only can buy, sell, and transfer Bitcoin (BTC). The Bread application currently does not have the ability to hold the BRD token. This will obviously change in the short term with April 7, 2018, being the targeted date. The plan according to BRD is to update the iOS and Android applications to support ETH, ERC-20 tokens, and Bitcoin Cash (BCC). BRD currently has no utility and cannot even be held in the Bread application.

This week should be the last week the Bread application cannot hold BRD tokens. By incorporating BRD, ETH, ERC-20 tokens, BTC, and BCC all in one mobile wallet many individuals may begin using Bread for its overwhelming benefits. Once BRD can be held on the Bread application the plan is to allow BRD to be used to “unlock” special features within the app. If a wallet user has 10,000 BRD for example, they may be able to purchase BTC for a 1% fee instead of the industry standard of over 4%. The more BRD you hold in your wallet, the more benefits the user will receive for possessing them.

BRD’s token is about to be given significant utility by being able to provide the holder special benefits within the Bread application. This system creates an environment where holders of BRD are not selling but continuing to acquire as their will be benefits based on quantity held. By decreasing supply on the open market while increasing utility of BRD, the price should correspondingly increase.

PKB – PARKBYTE DELISTING (BITTREX, SHORT)

Not all news is “good” in crypto. PKB is being delisted from Bittrex on April 6, 2018. PKB was unable to provide all the documentation Bittrex requested in the 7-day time frame they were given. Unfortunately for PKB holders, this resulted in their delisting by Bittrex. Other cryptos like MTL have rebounded following their delisting but it seems PKB may fall into the majority category and fade into oblivion unless they can create positive sentiment very quickly. Being delisted from Bittrex generally is a “nail in the coffin” unless significant changes, public outreach, and a strong team remain.

PKB has a solid team but with a market cap of under $500,000, it seems unlikely they can revive their project following a Bittrex delisting. However, if they are able to this very small market cap crypto that can still be purchased on Bittrex will skyrocket in value. Of the coins on this list this is the only one that is reasonably expected to continue fading into oblivion. There is no real ability to short this crypto which would be the recommendation but if you are feeling risky do the opposite of what the public does! This is crypto, anything can happen.

If PKB can get themselves relisted or provide project updates that change market sentiment, expect this very small market cap crypto to increase dramatically in value. With the current negative news regarding a delisting, this is a very risky coin to hold but provides more upside than any on this list.

EVERY WEEK HAS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, FINDING THEM IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

This week has four coins with great upcoming news and one with very negative news. This is a very exciting time for crypto as a whole as many projects started six months ago are finally coming to fruition this week. With such important events in the upcoming week it is important to stay diversified while keeping an eye on five coins for the upcoming week. These five coins should fluctuate dramatically depending on the developments over the next week.

Author JAKETHECRYPTOKING · MARCH 31, 2018 · 5:00 PM

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin Price Surges 10% as G20 Will Not Crackdown on Cryptocurrencies

The G20’s announcement that it will pivot away from creating new regulations in favor of examining existing rules gave the cryptocurrency market a much needed seeing Bitcoin surge by $1000.

No New Regulations

The anticipation of what new regulations might come of the G20 meeting this week in Buenos Aires added to a rocky cryptocurrency market over the past week but the news as reported by Reuters is that there will be no new regulation recommendations handed down.

Some of the nervousness of cryptocurrency market watchers coming up to the G20 was due in part to the fact that Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank Of England and outspoken critic of Bitcoin heads the Financial Stability Board which coordinates financial regulation for the Group of 20 economies.

Carney has been very vocal about his doubts concerning the credibility of cryptocurrency in the past speaking as the head of the Bank of England.

Deciding that there was not enough of a consensus to create radical new regulation among the 20 countries that make up the G20 the FSB issued a letter to the central bankers and finance ministers who will convene in Buenos Aries on the 19 and 20 saying

“The FSB’s initial assessment is that crypto-assets do not pose risks to global financial stability at this time,”

Carneys singing off on this letter shows an increased willingness in his attitude towards accepting cryptocurrency as part of the worlds financial system. Noting that this would be his last year as both chairman of the FSB and Governor of the Bank of England he said his successor would be reviewing existing rules as opposed to pushing through new standards.

Scaling Down

President Donald Trump set a mood for scaling back regulatory powers when he ordered American regulators to relax post-banking crisis reforms in order to encourage lending in the economy.

This made world regulators speculate that America, already reticent to join global regulatory bodies would reject any new suggestions and possibly fragment markets.

In reaction, the FSB membership vowed to make a complete review of whether the watchdog is still “fit for Purpose” for evaluating and amending rules.

Having already scrapped a quarter of its working groups in an effort to make the FSB more efficient and dedicated Carney said “As its work to fix the fault lines that caused the financial crisis draws to a close, the FSB is increasingly pivoting away from design of new policy initiatives towards dynamic implementation and rigorous evaluation of the effects of the agreed G20 reforms,”

This seemingly good news for cryptocurrency regulation and the hangover effects of the latest Mt. Gox bulk sale wearing off gave the faltering Bitcoin price a nice boost, up $1000 recovering nearly 8% of its value in 24 hours.

Author JOHN MCMAHON • MAR 19, 2018 • 05:03

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur

David

Bitcoin WARNING – EU Commission says crypto is NOT currency ahead of imminent crackdown

Bitcoin WARNING - EU Commission says crypto is NOT currency ahead of imminent crackdown

Bitcoin WARNING – EU Commission says crypto is NOT currency ahead of imminent crackdown

BITCOIN and other cryptocurrencies do not have a "guaranteed value" and should come with a "clear and frequent" warning to investors in order to safeguard them from possible risks to their investments, EU financial services commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have attracted a growing number of investors since their value began skyrocketing shortly before Christmas 2017.

Mr Dombrovkis warned that speculation could pose risks to investors, suggesting the European Union stands ready to regulate cryptocurrencies in months to come.

He said: "Cryptocurrencies – which are not currencies in a traditional sense and whose value is not guaranteed – have become subject to considerable speculation: this exposes consumers and investors to substantial risk, including risks to lose their investment.

"This is why our conclusion is that warnings about those risks to consumers and investors are important and must be clear, frequent and across all jurisdictions."

Speaking to the press following a roundtable discussing the challenges and opportunities of crypto trading, Mr Dombrovkis said: "We do not exclude the possibility to move ahead by regulating crypto-currencies at the EU level if we see, for example, risks emerging but no clear international response emerging.”

But despite calls for caution from investors, the EU Commissioner suggested Brussels recognised the technological importance of the structure driving the trade of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies – the blockchain.

He said: "We concluded that blockchain technology holds strong promise for financial markets and to remain competitive Europe must embrace this innovation."

Bitcoin’s underlying blockchain technology has been repeatedly championed as the foundation for a new kind of global finance. However after nearly a decade of hype, real working examples of its value have been few and far between.

Last month a massive trade deal between the US and China renewed hopes that the technology was finally peaking above the parapet of the cryptocurrency community and gaining mainstream traction.

The deal used a blockchain-based digital platform to complete terms between the US and China for the sale of 60,000 tonnes of US soya beans.

The blockchain is broadly understood as an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.

Author : AURORA BOSOTTI UPDATED: 22:16, Mon, Feb 26, 2018

Published by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David

Tesla Billionaire Elon Musk Reveals How Much Bitcoin He Owns

Billionaire Elon Musk is a huge fan of cutting-edge technology and is usually ahead of the curve when it comes to finance, but he's not a bitcoin bull. The co-founder of Tesla Inc. revealed on Twitter that he owns only a tiny fraction of one bitcoin token.

"I literally own zero cryptocurrency, apart from .25 BTC that a friend sent me many years ago," Musk confessed. Using today's bitcoin price of about $10,000 a coin, that translates to $2,500.

The serial entrepreneur – whose net worth tops $20 billion – made the revelation in response to a question about a Twitter scam where random users posed as celebrities (like Musk) in a bid to steal people's cryptocurrencies.

Musk's indifference to bitcoin probably wasn't a shock to his fans, since he recently told his 19.8 million Twitter followers that "a friend sent me part of a BTC a few years, but I don’t know where it is." (See also: Elon Musk: Education, Success Story and Net Worth.)

In November 2017, Musk denied rumors that he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious inventor of bitcoin. The brouhaha erupted after a former SpaceX intern claimed in a blog post that the serial entrepreneur was "probably" Nakamoto.

Is Elon Musk Satoshi Nakamoto?

In a blog post on Medium, Sahil Gupta, who had interned at Musk's space company SpaceX in 2015, said "Satoshi is probably Elon."

Gupta reasoned: "Elon is a self-taught polymath. He’s repeatedly innovated across fields by reading books on a subject and applying the knowledge. It’s how he built rockets, invented the Hyperloop (which he released to the world as a paper), and could have invented Bitcoin."

The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has never been confirmed, but there has a steady stream of rampant speculation about who he really is ever since bitcoin quietly launched in 2009. (See also: Has Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Been Found?)

Meanwhile, Elon Musk isn't the only billionaire who's skeptical of bitcoin and the crypto phenomenon. Bitcoin cynics are put off by the virtual currency's erratic price movements, lack of regulation, and absence of a valuation guarantee because it's not backed by a central bank.

Billionaire Charlie Munger, the second-in-command at Berkshire Hathaway, slammed bitcoin as a "noxious poison" and called the media hype surrounding digital currencies "totally asinine."

Similarly, Munger's boss, mega-billionaire Warren Buffett, predicted that cryptocurrencies will almost certainly "come to a bad ending." (See more: Bitcoin Is 'Poison,' Says Berkshire Billionaire Charlie Munger.)

And in its latest letter to clients, the Paul Singer-led Elliott Management, which oversees $34 billion in assets, excoriated cryptocurrencies as a bubble, a scam and a fraud. “This is not just a bubble," Elliott wrote. "It is not just a fraud. It is perhaps the outer limit, the ultimate expression, of the ability of humans to seize upon ether and hope to ride it to the stars."

Author Samantha Chang | Updated February 23, 2018 — 6:50 PM EST

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

David