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While Bitcoin has seen a significant resurgence, it was also the year where scams and fraudulent operations proliferated. However, authorities have also grown in their ability to crack these operations and crackdown against them. In the latest sweeping action, the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) has announced charges against 15 fraudulent schemes advertising false investments, according to an official press release. The agency confirmed that it had sent out at least three cease-and-desist orders targeting companies that sell fake crypto, forex, and binary options investments. In the TSSB’s first order, it identified ten investment platforms linked to one James Blundell. The fraudster allegedly used the companies to attract investors with the promise of returns in just a matter of hours. The Texas resident also reportedly promoted his scams on social media accounts, positioning himself as a thought leader in the investment world. He additionally advertised an official trading license from Texas State, although TSSB confirmed that he had no such thing. The second order accuses three firms – FX Trades, IQTrade, and Binary Trade Forex – which operate from Valentine, Texas. Like Blundell’s firms, the companies solicited funds from investors in exchange for lucrative returns on forex, cryptocurrencies, and binary options investments. They got fake testimonials to add to their credibility, luring investors with attractive rates. Also, like Blundell, the firms used fake registration claims. They touted themselves as “e-gaming” firms registered by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Company. However, the TSSB disclosed that they had not registered to sell securities in the state. As for the third order, the TSSB nailed GeniusPlanFxPro, a crypto and forex trading company that claimed to be from Austin. Along with claiming regulation with the TSSB, the firm also added that it had registered with the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority. The TSSB has been one of the United States’ most active regulators this year concerning cracking down against fraudsters. Along with these new firms, the agency already has its plate filled with Angus Jerrard, a South African resident who started three “double your money” businesses. In a press release from August, the TSSB alleged that Jerrard ran three firms — Liquidity Gold Trust, Liquidity Gold Solution LLC, and Liquidity Global Card Solution (PTY) LTD. The firms had run illegal ads on a radio station in Austin, promoting the Liquidity Card – a self-proclaimed crypto MasterCard that works with stablecoins. The fraudster and his company also claimed that they worked with several top stablecoins, including PAX and TrueUSD. Touting the credit card, the companies claimed that holders would get profits and spend them. They added that the card would help investors avoid the taxes they would otherwise pay when converting their cryptocurrencies to fiat. Along with the card, the Liquidity Group also sold a multilevel marketing scheme to investors. As the TSSB claimed, the firm hired marketed to promote their products. One of their most recent ads even claimed that investors could get a “portion” of the crypto project for $1,150. Buyers would get residual income from fees paid by Liquidity Card holders, and they could get up to $1,152 in returns after 18 months. 4.5/5 75% of retail investors lose money.eToro Reviews https://insidebitcoins.com/visit/etoro-newsCreate your account Hide eToro Reviews 4.5/5 80.5% of retail investors lose money.Plus500 Reviews https://insidebitcoins.com/visit/plus500-newsCreate your account Hide Plus500 Reviews Remember, all trading carries risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Article Info Author: Jimmy Aki Last Updated: 21 November 2020 Jimmy has been following the development of blockchain for several years, and he is optimistic about its potential to democratize the financial system. Show less

It is Bitcoin’s technical characteristics that make it an ideal, diversified corporate treasury holding. 11224 Total views 121 Total shares Listen to article 0:00 Opinion Holding Bitcoin () in treasury will soon become a corporate standard. Wall Street firm MicroStrategy recently made headlines when it decided to allocate a large portion of its treasury to Bitcoin, buying and , making its CEO, Michael Saylor, seem quite prescient already. MicroStrategy stock rallied just like BTC as well — by 50%. According to Saylor, Bitcoin was the best inflation hedge and store of value, and in his , “Cash is trash.” His wager has, so far, been handsomely rewarding. Related: Technically speaking, Bitcoin is, in fact, a. BTC is not just a United States or an Asian phenomenon — it is held and exchanged around the world via myriad local exchanges, making the available liquidity pool both global and capillary in granularity. There are many technical reasons for. BTC is a numerus-clausus asset class, meaning that there is a finite number in circulation (a maximum of 21 million coins) much like gold, high-end real estate and fine art. Furthermore, there is a dwindling new supply of Bitcoin — after the — and a culture of long-term holding among most crypto participants. All of this spells a small supply. Historically, BTC seems to replay its past bull run waves post-halvings. This is , and it doesn’t disappoint. On the demand side,. The world’s economies are entering strong expansionary monetary phases — generalized quantitative easing, so to speak — as a reaction to the. Bitcoin, so far, has outperformed every asset class throughout the crisis, spurring new demand and earning its wings as a global store of value. The fact that it is ethereal and not tied to real economic cash flows — unlike, say, stocks or real estate — plays to its advantage when the world’s economies sputter about. Related: Bitcoin provides an alternative,. Demand, then, is materializing on pure monetary considerations, and Bitcoin is, technically speaking, a natural inflation hedge in that regard. It will soon be a corporate standard like owning treasury notes is. There is also a slight ideological bent to the current corporate moves. For savvy chief financial officers, having a portion of the treasury held in digital currency provides a measure of regulatory hedge and arbitrage. No one controls the Bitcoin blockchain, and no government can hack it and seize operational funds. This added safety valve, a feature of most blockchains (censorship resistance), is in fact one of the main raisons d’etre of BTC. This feature may be a deterrent for most central banks, as they want to run their own currencies and blockchains, not Bitcoin’s, and they certainly want to control issuance, unlike Bitcoin’s programmatic and nondiscretionary issuance. And it is, in fact, why Bitcoin will find favor with many chief financial officers, ironically both conservative and avant-garde ones. What is surprising in the case of Saylor and MicroStrategy is the size of the bet. With a market capitalization of around $2 billion, a $425 million wager seems very consequential to the business. So far, it has paid off — dramatically. While waging everything may seem foolhardy, not waging anything is worse. What may seem foolhardy or extreme will seem run of the mill. With about a rough estimate of $10 trillion of corporate treasury worldwide, even a 3% allocation instead of cash represents $300 billion, which is about the aggregate of Bitcoin, in liquid cash. These orders of magnitude say that BTC’s new wave has arrived. The demand number gets big, and the supply gets smaller. Soon, every chief financial officer will be calmly asking not if the corporation needs exposure to the digital asset class but how to do it well and who to trust in the management of its digital assets. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. Show less

Bulls pushed Bitcoin price to as high as $18,400 on Nov.18, but the victory was short-lived, as Bitcoin flash-dropped to $17,234 before doing a slight recovery. But the higher Bitcoin goes, the more worried traders get, for they are afraid that Bitcoin could repeat a corrective downtrend in December 2017, which took Bitcoin from $20,000 to $10,100. Analysts have pointed out that several technical indicators suggest Bitcoin’s ride to 20K will not be as easy as some hope. What do technicals say about the trend? There exists a divergence between the Bitcoin price and its daily trading volume. Such divergence usually occurs when the buying power fails to further boost the price. One TradingView.com-based pseudonymous chartist commented as:” The volume has been falling while the price has been rising. This is a bearish indicator, showing that the trading activity is supporting the elevating prices at a decreasing rate.” Unlike the previous bull run, Bitcoin’s recent rally is less driven by FOMO sentiment. The continuing increase in prices could deter retail investors, whose risk tolerance tends to be lower than those of institutional investors, from investing more in Bitcoin.  As for the RSI, there exists a significantly overbought, signaling a potential sell-off.  According to Matthew Weller, head of market research at GAIN Capital, Bitcoin is in the overbought zone and we could expect some pullback or consolidation, but “the world’s oldest cryptocurrency has closed exactly three days above the current price near $18,000, so there’s little in the way of overhead resistance to prevent new all-time highs this year.” Can Bitcoin keep up the good work? Unlike the 2017 rally that drew strength from retail traders and the spot market, the momentum Bitcoin gained in the past few months mostly came from institutional investments and giant companies. Institutional giants such as Square Inc, Paypal and JPMorgan have sent positive signals for adopting bitcoin, which in turn boost investors’ confidence that bitcoin could act as a diversifier in times of uncertainty. A break above 16K could reignite retail investors’ enthusiasm and add fuel to the bull run; while retracements could cold off the market.  Friday came the news that Skybridge Capital may invest $3.6 billion in Bitcoin. Skybridge is just one of the many traditional investors who show a keen interest in Bitcoin. Jesse Proudman, CEO of crypto hedge fund Strix Leviathan, remarks that the sentiment surrounding Bitcoin has significantly improved in 2020: “Over the last few weeks, the sentiment around Bitcoin has dramatically improved, driven by a constant drumbeat of news of widening institutional interest.” In the long-term, Bitcoin’s bull run is almost unstoppable. Should it secure $17,200, the next resistance would be around $19,700. By then, we could know whether the post-halving rally is approaching.  In the short-term, bitcoin still has room to fall should the pandemic worsen, then we will experience bitcoin’s great volatility again. Any good news from the research of COVID-19 vaccines or stimulus packages will give bitcoin a boost.  Here are two options worthy of trying during the time: Option 1: A wallet designed for traders and hodlers You might want to continue to hodl your BTC and wait for a clear signal. However, as we don’t know how long it will be, meanwhile you could consider storing your BTC into an interest-bearing wallet, where your deposit could gain up to a 30% annualized interest rate.  Option 2: Take advantage of volatility As long as there is volatility, there are opportunities to make profits. Using leverage, traders can long or short Bitcoin by opening a position X times more than their actual capital. Bexplus, a leading cryptocurrency leverage trading platform, even offers a 100x leverage. Even at times of great volatility, you can generate profits with the help of Bexplus. And its Stop Loss & Take Profit options could help you lower the risks and lock in profits.  Bexplus – Recommended Leverage Trading Platform Disclaimer. This is a paid press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Cryptopolitan.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. News Stay Connected Facebook Twitter Telegram Youtube Company Terms and Conditions Crypto Portfolio Tracker Cryptopolitan brings you quality Blockchain and Cryptocurrency news, ICO reviews, crypto technical analysis, and other unique news insiders. We cover Bitcoin news, altcoins news, blockchain projects news, ICO news, regulatory developments and the confluence of news on the leading blockchain technologies. Show less

The head of institutional coverage at Coinbase, Brett Tejpaul, says institutional interest in crypto assets has grown more than threefold since he joined the crypto exchange in April of 2020. In an interview with YouTube channel Heidrick & Struggles, Tejpaul details some of the main growth areas at Coinbase under his tenure. The Coinbase executive emphasizes that institutional interest in the space is multiplying week after week. ADVERTISEMENT “We’ve had an explosion of activity… I joined in April of this year. At that time, our institutional assets under custody were $6 billion. Today, we stand at over $20 billion. So more than a three-time increase… We’re now measuring the fresh capital coming into crypto principally being allocated to Bitcoin in the billions and so week after week after week we’ve had an explosion of incoming capital.” Tejpaul explains how the exchange has been preparing for the onslaught of institutional money in its partnerships and philosophy on how to deal with governmental regulation of the crypto sector. “Earlier in the summer we acquired an execution platform called Tagomi and it radically transformed our ability to cater to institutional clients that want to use smart order routing and algorithmic execution. So the stat there is that our trading volumes are 20 times what they were at the beginning of the year… When I joined in April this year, we upgraded our banking and auditing partners and we’ve got JP Morgan and Deloitte. It’s really important because both of those firms went through a one to two-year period of due diligence to satisfy themselves that we have the right KYC (know your customer) and AML (anti-money laundering) and the fact that we sort of posture ourselves and act like a bank and we’ve opted into being regulated. We’re a safe on-ramp.” Tejpaul also highlights the importance of visible institutional support for the crypto asset space that came from big players like hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones and Michael Saylor’s business analytics firm MicroStrategy. Tejpaul claims that he has seen direct results from the likes of PayPal jumping into the crypto space, saying that when these highly regarded entities enter the space publicly, it encourages other institutions to follow suit. “For people sitting on the sideline that are now looking at the major banks, the major accounting firms, major hedge funds, major endowments, and now PayPal is getting into the space. It’s really unleashed a second wave of institutional adoption.” l ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us on Twitter Facebook Telegram Check out the Latest Industry Announcements   ADVERTISEMENT Featured Image: Shutterstock/jamesteohart Show less

A new working group aims to create standards that will ensure secure Ethereum smart contracts are used by businesses and DeFi projects. 12868 Total views 48 Total shares Listen to article 0:00 Analysis Decentralized finance continues to make its impact on the crypto market, and with over $13 billion of total value of assets locked, DeFi projects are clearly resonating with eager crypto investors. Yet while the DeFi space has been progressing over the last year, a number of illegitimate projects have come to fruition, reminding some of the 2017 ICO boom and its subsequent bust. For example,. The attacker made away with $24 million from Harvest Finance pools. Most recently, Value DeFi, the decentralized finance protocol,. And of course, one of the biggest events of the year for DeFi involved SushiSwap, where the creator . It’s important to point out that the majority of DeFi projects are built on the Ethereum blockchain. According to the website DeFiPrime, there are currently over 200 DeFi projects on the Ethereum network. Yet while Ethereum appears to be the most suitable platform for DeFi projects, the network’s vulnerabilities have played a large role in hacks and fraudulent activities. Specifically speaking, the smart contracts that power Ethereum are known for being fraught with security issues, which, in turn, have greatly impacted DeFi projects. In addition, smart contracts being applied to DeFi projects worth billions of dollars are often not audited beforehand. Tom Lindeman, a previous veteran researcher at Microsoft and the former managing director of the Ethereum Trust Alliance — a group of blockchain companies working on a security system for smart contracts — told Cointelegraph that there is currently no good ways to identify whether a smart contract is secure before initiating a transaction: In an attempt to solve the security challenges related to smart contracts, Lindeman has joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance’s newly formed “EthTrust Security Levels Working Group” as its co-chair. According to Lindeman, the working group’s mission will be to continue the advances initially started by the Ethereum Trust Alliance, or ETA, which are aimed to set standards for secure, smart contract transactions conducted on the Ethereum blockchain. Lindeman explained that the ETA has been working on its EthTrust project for close to a year, even before the DeFi space started to expose the vulnerabilities of Ethereum smart contracts. Coincidentally, the EthTrust project joined forces with the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance just as the DeFi space was gaining traction. Daniel Burnett, executive director of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, told Cointelegraph that the timing for the new working group has been purely coincidental in regards to the rise of DeFi. According to Burnett, the new EthTrust project further demonstrates that the Ethereum network is maturing. “We want to help solve the problems many of our members have expressed in regards to Ethereum,” he said. Specifically, the new working group plans to address security vulnerabilities in smart contracts by creating a standard and registry system to help users gain greater awareness of how to differentiate which contracts have gone through rigorous security checks. While the project is still a work in progress, the goal is to define certain requirements that smart contracts must exhibit in order to be deemed secure. For example, Pierre-Alain Mouy, an Enterprise Ethereum Alliance member, former ETA product owner and managing director at NVISO Security in Germany, told Cointelegraph that there are three levels of validation that a smart contract can achieve to help individuals understand its level of trust: Mouy shared that in order for a smart contract to achieve a level one badge, an automated security scanning tool will be run against the contract. The AI-powered tool is designed to check for a specific set of requirements that the working group is currently defining. If a smart contract continues to level two, individuals will perform a security audit. “There will be definitions for audit companies, explaining how long they need to dig into these smart contracts,” said Mouy, adding further: “Eventually, an audit report will be created for the working group to manually review. We are not auditors, however. The working group serves as a router to verify that these steps are taken.” Finally, if a smart contract makes it to level three, additional specifications and test cases written to verify properties in the contract will be performed. According to Mouy, this is called the “formal verification process.” Once a smart contract has undergone this step-by-step verification process, the initiative’s registry system will enable exchanges, for example, to request a specific rating level before new tokens are listed. This system could also be applied to a multi-member consortium that relies on smart contracts for business purposes. According to Lindeman, the EthTrust project has already sparked interest from daily Ethereum users who want to see new things, such as . He further shared that Big Four firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has expressed interest in using this system to provide smart contract ratings for companies interested in the blockchain space. The growing interest in secure smart contracts is especially important as the Ethereum infrastructure progresses and the. Burnett believes the Ethereum ecosystem will see increased trust moving forward, which will be exhibited by new projects being used by businesses, such as the. While innovative, it’s important to point out that the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance’s new working group and the EthTrust project are not the first to tackle challenges related to the security of smart contracts. For example, blockchain security firm Quantstamp has been performing smart contract audits and security checks for blockchain companies since 2017. The firm’s clients include major players in the space such as Binance and eToro. Quantstamp recently announced that it will. In addition to security firms performing audits, companies are also finding ways to ensure secure smart contracts. For example, Vaiot, a blockchain company that uses artificial intelligence to create digital services for enterprises, leverages AI to provide software security and performance in smart contracts. Jakub Kobeldys, the lead developer at Vaiot, told Cointelegraph that while no amount of AI can fully protect against flaws in code, the technology can aid developers significantly: Show less

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here is not investment advice – it is provided for informational purposes only. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of U.Today. Every investment and all trading involves risk, so you should always perform your own research prior to making decisions. We do not recommend investing money you cannot afford to lose. Cover image via www.tradingview.comBulls have seized the initiative as all Top 10 coins have come back to the green zone. Polkadot (DOT) is the top gainer among them, rising by 16% since yesterday. Top 10 coins by CoinMarketCapEven though the altcoins are showing a significant price rise, the market share of the main crypto keeps going up and is now 65.6%. BTC’s market shareThe relevant data of Bitcoin is looking the following way today: The data is relevant at press time. Yesterday, in the first half of the day, sellers pierced the support of the hourly EMA55 but failed to consolidate below average prices. In the second half of the day, buyers restored the pair above the psychological mark of $18,000; however, by the end of the day, the volume of purchases decreased, and the growth failed to continue at night. BTC/USD chart by TradingViewThis morning bulls are trying to continue the run using the support of the EMA55 moving average. If market participants believe in growth and support the growth with large purchases, then a new annual maximum is possible around $19,000. On the other hand, it should be taken into account that bears can increase the onslaught at the level of $18,500, and then they may break through the support of the average price level, returning the pair to the area of ​​$16,600. BTC/USD chart by TradingViewBitcoin (BTC) managed to catch very strong support in the $17,400- $17,500 zone and tested it several times already, which may indicate that the bulls are not planning to give up before taking a historic high. The descending triangle, which earlier could have indicated a decline, has also broken upwards. Thus, from the technical point of view, everything looks relatively safe. The only resistance on the way to $20,000 is $19,000, which may be an obstacle for bulls. BTC/USD chart by TradingViewOn the weekly chart, a false breakout of the $19,000 zone may lead the rate of Bitcoin (BTC) to the closest support at $16,000. However, that would be just a correction and not a start of the bearish cycle. Such a scenario is relevant for the upcoming weeks. Bitcoin is trading at $18,281 at press time.   With more than 5 years of trading, Denys has a deep knowledge of both technical and fundamental market analysis. Mainly, he has started his blog on TradingView where publishes all relevant information and makes predictions about top coins.Thus, his experience is backed up by working in top blockchain related companies such as W12, Platinum Listing & ICO Advisory, ATB Coin, and others, can be contacted at denys.serhiichuk@u.today. Show less

We are proud to introduce the Files Authentication Manager! The beautiful city of Argos-Mycenae in Greece is the first European municipality to use this solution. This momentous occasion came to pass after months of hard work by a collaboration between Blockchain2050, LTO Network and VIDT Datalink. The challenges facing the public sector are enormous. All have squeezed budgets as never before. Also, with money so tight, society’s tolerance of corruption in its government is at an all-time low. Municipal fraud by elected officials or public employees is an everyday reality — not only in developing countries — but also in the Western world. According to the fraud triangle theory, opportunity is one of the driving forces of fraud. By implementing strong controls, one can reduce opportunities for fraud to take place. However, close oversight can be a costly endeavor. This is usually a problem for small municipalities. This is where automation and the blockchain come to the rescue! The Files Authentication Manager fulfills the need for reliable digital services towards Argos-Mycenae’s citizens. It does so with the least possible amount of input needed from the citizen and the public servants, reducing time spent and opportunities for errors. With this blockchain-based document application, involved parties can verify and sign off on each other’s actions in a process flow. All steps will be recorded on the blockchain on a so called “Live-Contract”, LTO Networks proprietary technology for process flows. By using a Live-Contract it ensures that all steps taken become transparent and immutable. At any time it will be visible who took which action. This helps to keep the entire process as honest as possible. All relevant documents will be digitally anchored on LTO Network’s public blockchain. This blockchain was chosen because it enables lightweight, cheap and fast transactions.VIDT Datalink will create digital certificates to further secure the files. The certification of the documents follow all European security standards and are in full agreement with the GDPR. The ‘Files Authentication Manager’ application is commercially available for all interested parties. About VIDT Datalink VIDT Datalink provides a service that detects any unlawful manipulation of any digital file. In order to make files verifiable, they must be validated. VIDT Datalink’s validation process involves extracting the fingerprints of files and saving them in the blockchain. If a file is changed with just one byte, pixel, character or anything else, the fingerprint is changed and VIDT Datalink will detect it 100%. About Blockchain2050 BV Blockchain2050 BV is a dynamic SME that implements the latest improvements in Blockchain technology into secure and innovative solutions with the use of standard open-source implementations and provides the needed transparency. The company is a member of the international ARATOS Group and is located in CIC Rotterdam, the MIT business ecosystem. Blockchain2050 also has offices in Athens, Greece and Sofia, Bulgaria. Learn more about how organizations can use the blockchain: Website | Telegram | Twitter | Reddit | LinkedIn | Documentation CMO of LTO Network No results for your search, try something different. Show less

By Eleonora Spagnolo - 20 Nov 2020 The Italian Banca Mediolanum has used three blockchain platforms to notarize the 2019 DNF-Consolidated Declaration of a Non-Financial Nature. This document outlines the activities of banks on environmental, social, personnel, human rights and anti-corruption issues. In the case of Mediolanum, the DNF was written in two versions, Italian and English, and was notarized on the Ethereum, Bitcoin and EOS blockchains to demonstrate authenticity and transparency.  Blockchain has been chosen as a solution able to guarantee traceability and security, as well as transparency, making the document accessible to anyone who wants to consult it. The information is therefore made available to customers, shareholders, suppliers and institutions. The Consolidated Declaration of a Non-Financial Nature summarizes what has been done in terms of sustainability. In particular, Banca Mediolanum has based its actions on six factors: Banca Mediolanum claims to have pursued its commitment in terms of sustainability. The 2019 financial year ended with the best economic result ever: a net profit of 565 million euros, an increase of 121% compared to the previous year.  In addition, performance fees of 425 million euros were generated. This enabled an extraordinary bonus of 2,000 euros to be paid to the 2,900 employees and 5,000 family bankers, thus giving due recognition to human capital.  In terms of sustainability, new policies were issued, analyzing also non-financial risks linked to environmental impact.  But why insert all this information on the blockchain? Oscar di Montigny, Chief Innovation, Sustainability and Value Strategy Officer of Banca Mediolanum, explains: Banca Mediolanum is one of about 100 banks that are experimenting with the use of the blockchain with the Spunta Banca DLT project. This is an initiative of ABI (Italian Banking Association) to increase the use of blockchain in the banking sector, in particular to address the issue of banking reconciliation.  This shows that blockchain is a technology that is proving to be particularly useful in the sector, both in terms of transparency and the relationship with clients.   Previous article Deutsche Bank: bitcoin used against inflation Next article Bitcoin: a new peak of active addresses Journalist passionate about the web and the digital world. She graduated with honours in Multimedia Publishing at the University La Sapienza in Rome and completed a master's degree in Web and Social Media Marketing. An attack against Bitcoin Cash ABC? Bitcoin at $20,000: is it still a good price? More Stories Ethereum Marco Cavicchioli - 23 Nov 2020 Show less

Home » Editorial » DeFi on the rise: analyzing the digital currency bubble Despite all of the exploits, the DeFi honeypot continues to grow. There is now over $14 billion locked away in DeFi platforms, and outstanding digital currency loans taken out via DeFi platforms have reached $3.08 billion. Interestingly, the DeFi sector is experiencing this growth at a time when DeFi related hacks and theft are on the rise. But why? The bubble is back It’s safe to say that the digital currency bubble is back. From year to date, we have seen the total market cap for the digital currency industry rocket from roughly $208 billion to $522 billion, a 151% increase in market cap. We are even seeing coins that have absolutely no utility or use experience significant price increases as a result of the new money pouring into the digital currency industry.  But this new cycle is very different from the 2017 “crypto-mania.” This time around, a majority of the money entering the markets is coming from corporations and institutions rather than retail investors. Each group is betting that the value of the USD will decline which means that assets priced in USD will become pricier–such as digital currencies. However, long-time digital currency investors–most likely those who made their fortune on altcoins in 2017–continue to invest in DeFi coins and tokens with the belief that they will soar in value similar to altcoins back in 2017–however, that’s not going to happen. Why won’t it happen? The new money entering the space will most likely be investing in the coins and tokens that have easy onramps and offramps–DeFi coins and tokens do not fit this bill. There is a barrier to entry when it comes to using DeFi platforms because it requires the user to have a compatible digital currency wallet, knowledge regarding where to find the tokens, and an understanding of how to use decentralized exchanges. Regardless, neither the tokens that will be invested in during this new hype cycle or the DeFi tokens that digital currency enthusiasts are investing in will survive into the future. None of those tokens have utility or real-world use cases. Instead, the corporations, institutions, and individuals investing in them are merely speculating on the coins and tokens increasing in value because they anticipate others to invest in the coins and tokens after they do.  In the distant future, only the blockchain with real utility, unbounded scalability, a stable protocol, and low transaction fees–Bitcoin (BSV)–is going to be used by both enterprises and consumers daily because it will be the only feasible way to increase operational efficiency while reducing operational costs via a blockchain. In the meantime, invest wisely. The digital currency industry is in a bubble, but as we know from past experience, there is no use in trying to tilt against a bubble, especially when it is at its beginning stages. New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain. Show less

The price of Bitcoin has stabilized above $18,000 and broken out of the critical $18,500 level. Analysts discuss short-term bull and bear cases. 21052 Total views 228 Total shares Listen to article 0:00 Analysis There are both bearish and bullish scenarios for Bitcoin in the foreseeable future. The bear cases surround two key data points: rising BTC deposits from whales to exchanges and BTC’s lack of retests of crucial support levels. The bull cases are based on HODLer activity, address activity, the market capitalization gap between BTC and gold, and the favorable technical structure of Bitcoin. Bitcoin surpassing $18,500. There were large sell orders right above $18,500, which acted as a strong resistance area. In prior attempts to break past $18,500, BTC dropped substantially within a short period. This time, it exceeded the resistance level with ease, marking a clean breakout. Despite the technically strong uptrend of BTC, whale data indicates that the selling pressure on Bitcoin could intensify. Cole Garner, an on-chain analyst, cited CryptoQuant’s Bitcoin Exchange Whale Ratio to say: “It’s likely there’s one more blow off leg left in the tank.” The price of Bitcoin saw a blow-off top on Nov. 18 when it abruptly dropped from $18,476 to $17,214 within two hours. Garner emphasized that the Bitcoin Exchange Whale Ratio has a “history of topping here.” The price of Bitcoin () has stabilized above $18,000 as the market demonstrates strong momentum above what was once a heavy multiyear resistance level. On Nov. 20, BTC price hit a new two-year high at $18,828 on Binance, surpassing the previous peak from Nov. 18. Following the breakout of Bitcoin, analysts are divided on its future price trend. The Bitcoin Exchange Whale ratio is an important metric to gauge selling pressure from whales because it shows the estimate of the amount of BTC that high-net-worth investors are depositing to exchanges. Typically, investors move funds into exchanges when they want to sell. High-net-worth investors prefer to store their funds in noncustodial wallets that they fully control. Hence, analysts track exchange deposits as a potential signal for a sell-off. Atop the whale data that signals a minor pullback, the monthly chart of Bitcoin shows an overextended upside price movement. Sasha Fleyshman, a trader at the institutional cryptocurrency investment firm Arca, said on Nov. 1 that the $13,716 level is a crucial area. It marked the open and closing prices of the December 2017 and January 2018 candles, when Bitcoin price hit a new all-time high at almost $20,000. Hence, surpassing that level means $13,716 will serve as the major macro support area. Albeit unlikely, if a deep correction does occur, Fleyshman said that he expects the “palpable” support level at $13,716 “to be the line in the sand support wise to maintain structure.” Whether BTC will see a major correction in the near term still remains uncertain. But in the case of a correction, Fleyshman said BTC has a big support area to defend the ongoing bull run. Denis Vinokourov, head of research at crypto exchange and broker BeQuant, told Cointelegraph that similar price drops to the recent abrupt crash have happened before, and the recent dip was met with significant buyer demand. Hence, although BTC saw a major downside movement in a short period, he believes it’s not necessarily bearish: Due to the breakout of Bitcoin above $18,500, analysts have said that the market sentiment around Bitcoin is generally optimistic. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Guy Hirsch, managing director of the United States at eToro, said it would be surprising to see Bitcoin not challenge the all-time high soon. There are many positive narratives — such as the support for BTC from PayPal and Cash App, alongside rising institutional adoption — that brighten the outlook for Bitcoin: While there have been discussions around the high time frame charts of Bitcoin, such as the weekly and monthly charts throughout November, technical analysts have said lower time frame charts also seem optimistic. Before the breakout of Bitcoin above $18,500, a pseudonymous trader known as “Benjamin Blunts” said that BTC left a sideways structure that formed in the previous 48 hours. After the breakout, the trader said this rally “should be the one to take us to $20k and back to all-time highs.” In addition to the numerous technical and fundamental catalysts for Bitcoin, there is a strong argument to support an exponential growth trajectory for BTC in the long term. Mike McGlone, a senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, said that at a market cap of just $300 billion, Bitcoin is far from reaching gold’s $10 trillion market cap. But, this also shows that there is a large valuation gap between Bitcoin and gold: “Bitcoin is on track to be a digital version of #gold, but remains far from it in 2020.” Considering various trends Bitcoin has seen in the eight months since the March crash, Hirsch told Cointelegraph that there is a high probability Bitcoin will test $25,000. If Bitcoin breaks past $20,000, it would mean that BTC will look to explore a new ceiling. Hirsch has pinpointed the $25,000–$30,000 range as the potential top for Bitcoin in the near term: However, when Bitcoin surpasses $20,000, there is no longer any historical context to predict the next move of BTC. Hence, above the current all-time high, it’s nearly impossible to predict BTC’s next top until it peaks at a certain level. Another variable is that retail investors are likely to enter after BTC breaks past $20,000, which would add to the high level of interest and fear of missing out, or FOMO, that the cryptocurrency market is already seeing. Show less

The bull cycle in the cryptocurrency market seems poised to take matters to the next higher level. Over the last 24 hours, crypto assets in the top ten have posted considerable gains, with Litecoin (LTC) and Polkadot emerging the biggest gainers. Bitcoin has not been left behind either, especially now that it has reclaimed the ground above $18,000. Ethereum is up 4% over the last 24 hours to exchange hands at $492. On the other hand, Ripple is battling the uphill task of regaining the position above $0.3. Bitcoin is trading at $18,216 after making a remarkable recovery above the critical $18,000 level. The flagship cryptocurrency's bearish outlook to $16,500 discussed on Thursday was invalidated, allowing bulls to assume control over the price. For now, the path of least resistance appears to be to the upside and has been reinforced by the Relative Strength Index renewed uptrend towards the overbought territory. An incoming constriction of the Bollinger Bands hints at a possible breakout. If Bitcoin closed the day above $18,500, more buy orders are likely to come into the picture, as investors anticipate new yearly highs above $19,000. BTC/USD 4-hour chart On the flip side, closing the day underneath the Bollinger Bands' middle boundary may culminate in a 50 Simple Moving Average breakdown. If Bitcoin slides further, panic selling and the rush to cash out for profit could drive it to the 100 SMA and the 200 SMA. The smart contract giant is about to flip $500 into support after brushing shoulders with the level for the first time since July 2018. Our predictions have suggested that Ethereum is on a trajectory to $520, perhaps before ETH 2.0 launches, which might elevate it to $900. At the time of writing, ETH/USD is trading at $498 while battling the seller congestion at $500. The ongoing bullish momentum has been validated by a breakout above the ascending parallel channel. If Ether closes the day above $500, the next rendezvous for the bulls would be $520. Here, they will work on a plan to lift the token to a higher price level. ETH/USD 4-hour chart On the other hand, if the resistance at $500 remains intact, Ethereum may lose traction and slide back into the channel. An increase in selling pressure is likely to send ETH/USD downstream towards $480, the 50 SMA and 100 SMA, marginally above $450. XRP is sitting above $0.3 after recovering from the accelerated ascending trendline support in conjunction with the buyer congestion at $0.28. It is not certain that Ripple will continue with the uptrend to $0.31 but holding above $0.3 would be a bullish sign. All the three applied moving averages, the 50 SMA, 100 SMA and 200 SMA, are trying to catch up with the up-trending price, which is another bullish indicator. Moreover, the RSI is not oversold at the moment, presenting room for growth. XRP/USD 4-hour chart The TD Sequential indicator has just presented a sell signal on the daily chart, which might invalidate the bullish outlook. The sell signal manifested in a green nine candlestick. Usually, if validated, this signal could see the price fall in one to four daily candlesticks. XRP/USD daily chart Simultaneously, if XRP fails to hold the ground above $0.3, bears will likely start exploring the rabbit hole towards $0.22. The recent support at $0.28 (50 SMA) will come in handy when stopping declines. Other key levels traders can keep in mind are the main ascending trendline, the 100 SMA and the 200 SMA. Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. Bitcoin has lived through the best week since February 2018. The pioneer digital currency price gained over $2,000 in less than seven days. The bullish momentum allowed it to reach a new multi-year high of nearly $18,800, marking November 2020 one of the strongest bullish months ever.  Show less

By Crypto Advertising - 20 Nov 2020 SPONSORED POST* As crypto investors we are always looking for the best return on our Bitcoin and Ethereum. But, while, for me, profits remain the number one priority, an opportunity that doesn’t eat into my day, requiring hours of hands-on management will always be an attractive investment option. When I’m evaluating a platform, I want a pre-coded system that is programmed with a smart high-return strategy that doesn’t expose me to unmanageable risk. The algorithm also needs to be agile enough to respond to real-time market shifts and change tactics in response to crypto exchange volatility.  One system that I really like for exactly this reason, is ArbiSmart.com. It is an EU regulated, fully automated platform that performs crypto arbitrage trading on behalf of investors. You simply sign up, deposit either fiat or crypto, and then the platform does the rest of the work. Crypto arbitrage is generally agreed to be an exceptionally low risk strategy. The way it works is that it takes advantage of crypto exchange price inefficiencies.This means that for a short space of time, a single cryptocurrency can be available on multiple exchanges, at different prices, at the same time. Eventually, the price inefficiency will resolve itself, but it is possible to exploit this temporary window of opportunity, purchasing the coin on the exchange where it is available at the lowest price and then instantly selling it on the exchange where it is offered at the highest price to make a profit on the spread. ArbiSmart’s platform is connected to 35 different exchanges. It scans them 24/7 to find and then take advantage of crypto arbitrage opportunities, with no programming, research, or trade management required. In addition, although the system is fully automated, the company isn’t asking you to place your savings completely in the hands of a machine. There is a risk management team that is tracking the markets and the system around the clock to provide human intervention in cases of extreme market upheaval.  As I’ve mentioned, while being able to sit back and let my bitcoin work on my behalf is essential, my main concern is seeing my account grow steadily. There is no reason that the volatile crypto exchange can’t provide a steady, reliable return. Here too, ArbiSmart is killing the competition, with profits reaching up to 45% a year! On the website, ArbiSmart details precisely how much you can expect to earn annually and monthly, based on your deposit amount. There is also a handy investment calculator that lets you know exactly how much you need to invest to make your target profits. Let’s say you want to earn €5K a month- then you need to invest €160K. With this deposit, you will bring your balance up to €220K within a year. Equally, if you have €300K to invest, you can make €10K a month, meaning you will net €120K clean profit in just a year – for doing nothing! Also, keep in mind that the ArbiSmart native token RBIS, also generates additional capital gains.  When you sign up and deposit, your funds are converted into RBIS to be used for crypto arbitrage trading. I should mention here that you can access the profits you have made up to the day of the withdrawal, in EUR, at any time.  So far, since the company was established in early 2019, the RBIS token has risen in value by over 120%. If it maintains its current trajectory, the RBIS token is projected to go up by 3,000% by the end of 2021. This seems likely, considering that the platform is steadily rising in popularity, experiencing continuous global growth as the company develops additional financial products and services, such as its interest-bearing crypto wallet. This leads me to another factor that is really important to consider when picking a platform and that is sustainability and credibility. You can never be a hundred percent sure how reliable and trustworthy a company is, but there are some questions you can ask that will help you find the safest home for your Bitcoin and Ethereum. For example, have you heard of them before? How well established are they? What kind of reputation do they have across various online channels? Security is key whenever you enter the crypto space. Jumping on board with a platform that appears out of nowhere, offering deals that seem too good to be true should make you think twice.  Here, the fact that ArbiSmart is fully EU licensed makes a huge difference, as regulation translates to transparency and security. Compliance involves submitting to regular auditing and criminal background checks, implementing AML and KYC procedures, as well as strict IT data security protocols and providing client insurance to cover all operational capital.  In addition, you can find a lengthy history of positive global media coverage of ArbiSmart from crypto industry news outlets as well as an excellent Trustpilot rating and supportive feedback across Reddit Telegram, Twitter and other social channels. The company’s reputation for accessible, in-person support, steady profits that deliver on the company’s promises and hassle-free, rapid withdrawals, make it a great choice for the cautious crypto investor. Basically, ArbiSmart is meeting investors’ money-making needs by offering a low-stress, low effort bitcoin investing experience, while still generating hugely competitive returns. The company is also fully regulated and has a solid reputation for dealing fairly and transparently with its clients, making it an increasingly popular choice for bitcoin investors. To find out exactly how much you can earn on your deposit, you can check out the ArbiSmart’s Accounts page, or you can simply register and start making a profit on your bitcoin right away.  *This article is a paid post. The Cryptonomist has not written the article nor tried the platform. Previous article Binance: Bitcoin at $18,000 due to macroeconomic uncertainty Next article Bitcoin: the second-best week ever Do you want an article to be published on Cryptonomist? Do you want to advertise your project? Send an email at An attack against Bitcoin Cash ABC? Bitcoin at $20,000: is it still a good price? More Stories Ethereum Marco Cavicchioli - 23 Nov 2020 Show less