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The pseudonymous host of Coin Bureau says he’s excited about an up-and-coming decentralized payments platform.

Created by Korean blockchain company Terraform Labs, Terra utilizes stablecoins pegged to different fiat currencies to facilitate payments.

By partnering with protocols that leverage their U.S dollar-pegged stablecoin UST, Coin Bureau says that Terra’s UST has been able to double in the last month.

“Terra has found a unique way to mint stablecoins that are pegged to various fiat currencies in a decentralized manner. The circulating supply of Terra’s US dollar stablecoin, UST, has doubled over the last month and has consequently become one of the largest stablecoins by market cap.

This is because Terra has been building new protocols and partnering with existing ones that leverage the UST stablecoin for borrowing, lending, staking and even synthetic stock trading.” 

Terra’s reserve currency LUNA is up 319% in the past 30 days and is trading at $7.50 at the time of writing, according to CoinGecko.

The trader and analyst says he sees a lot of potential in LUNA and believes its price could soon reflect that – but still has some questions about the project, such as how it distributes its tokens.

“I think this is one of the most exciting cryptocurrency projects I’ve seen in some time and part of me regrets not covering Terra sooner. The founders are legit – Terraform Labs is constantly innovating, and a lot of progress has been made since the Terra mainnet went live in 2019.

The Terra blockchain has seen some real use and adoption by various e-commerce apps and platforms in Southeast Asia as well. 

That said, I don’t think that Terra will be the backend of the global payments system any time soon. With only a few hundred transactions per second, it’s a bit of a miracle that the Terra blockchain has not been completely clogged up by its existing user base.”

Featured Image: Shutterstock/Fernando Cortes

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction – March 4

Bitcoin (BTC) price increased considerably but despite the rejection, the bullish structure is still intact.

Resistance Levels: $55,000, $57,000, $59,000

Support Levels: $44,000, $42,000, $40,000

Looking at the daily chart, BTC/USD bears may be actively taking back control as they are seen forcing BTC/USD to bow down to fresh losses. The digital asset is correcting 1.24% lower on the day. At the time of writing, BTC/USD is changing hands at $49,737 after adjusting lower from $51,798 which is an intraday high. In addition, Bitcoin remains vulnerable to losses as long as it continues to stay under bearish movement in as much as the 9-day MA trades under the 21-day MA.

Looking at the coin from a technical angle, one can say that the market price may likely follow the downtrend. For example, the RSI (14) may confirm the bearish movement as it is seen moving below the 55-level. BTC/USD is still at great risk of dropping to levels close to $45,000. Yesterday, the coin moved below $52,000 before finding support at $48,161.

However, bulls are banking on the 9-day moving averages to ensure that in spite of a reversal, the Bitcoin price stays above the $48,000 level. Any further movement below $45,000 may push the coin towards the critical supports of $44,000, $42,000, and $40,000. Meanwhile, following the upward movement may allow the price to hit the nearest resistance levels at $55,000, $57,000, and $59,000 respectively.

BTC/USD is seen crossing below the 9-day and moving averages as the 4-hour chart reveals, the bears are still in control while the bulls are trying to defend the $47,000 support. If not, the $46,000, $41,000, and $40,000 support levels may come into play if the coin focuses on the downward movement.

Moreover, buyers may need to regroup and hold the support of $48,000, once this is done, traders may expect a cross above the moving averages, and breaking this level may further the king coin to $52,000, $54,000, and $56,000 resistance levels. The RSI (14) is seen moving into the negative side, suggesting a continuous bearish movement.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction – March 4, 2021 Bitcoin bulls fail to sustain above the $52,000 resistance level. Consequently, BTC/USD price is falling but the bulls are struggling to sustain the price above the psychological price level. Presently, sellers have shorted below the $51,000 and $52,000 resistance zones. Resistance Levels: $58,000, $59,000, $60,000 Support Levels: $40,000, $39,000, $38,000

Following the breakout above the psychological price level on March 3, the bulls failed to sustain the price above the $52,000 resistance zone. Before now the bullish scenario is that if the bulls are successful above the $52,000 resistance level, the market will rally above the $58,000 overhead resistance. The bearish scenario that was earlier anticipated was that the BTC price will fall or the price will be range-bound between $44,000 and $52,000. Bitcoin is falling as bears threaten to break the $50,000 support. The bottom line is that if the bears break the $50,000 support, Bitcoin will further decline to $48,000 support. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is trading at $49,327 at the time of writing. 1 in 5 Investors Don’t Trade in Crypto but Are Likely in Future, by JP Morgan A survey of more than 3,400 investors representing 1,500 institutions has been carried out by JP Morgan. It was discovered that 11% of respondents that work at firms trade or invest in crypto, while 89% do not. The other firms that don’t trade in cryptocurrency are likely to do so in the future. These include 22% of respondents from firms that do not trade or invest in crypto. Meanwhile, a good number of institutional investors lack faith in cryptocurrency. Out of the survey carried out,14% answered that it’s “probably rat position squared” and something to avoid, while 21% believe crypto is just a temporary fad. Just 7% of investors think it “will become one of the most important assets.” Nevertheless, some analysts believe that sustained institutional buying will keep the BTC price up to $50,000.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin is retracing after failing to sustain above the $52,000 resistance level. On March 3 downtrend, a retraced candle body tested the 50% Fibonacci retracement level. The retracement indicates that Bitcoin will fall to level 2.0 Fibonacci extension. The retracement will reach this low and perhaps resume upward,

Parity would work closely with Berkeley’s blockchain community on education and proficiency in blockchain and Substrate.

Today, the University of California, Berkeley ‘Blockchain Xcelerator,’ and Parity Technologies announced a collaboration in the development of the University’s blockchain curriculum, they said in a release to CryptoSlate.

One of the top schools in the US, UC Berkeley is known for its computer science, social science, and engineering majors. Parity, on the other hand, is one of the main developers and code maintainers of the high-speed blockchain networks Polkadot and Kusama, apart from their work on several Ethereum-related tools.

The move sees the inclusion of Parity’s Substrate blockchain-building framework as an educational tool, and to work together to raise the overall awareness of next-generation blockchain technologies in order to promote adoption among students and the community at UC Berkeley.

Parity Technologies will work closely with the Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator, advising students and entrepreneurs with the goal of launching high-value blockchain startups in general and in the Polkadot and Web 3.0 ecosystem.

For the 2020-21 academic year, Parity’s developer education team will engage with faculty, students, and the community studying blockchain technologies in their coursework. This includes involvement in curriculum preparation, project ideas, and resources to enrich the educational experience. 

Jocelyn Weber, director at the UC Berkeley Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology X-Labs in Berkeley Engineering and at the Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator, said in a statement:

“Our work with Parity and other Polkadot ecosystem startups has demonstrated  the potential of this technology in educating our community.”

Weber added the team strives to expose their students to the tools and skills they would need to enter the blockchain space and immediately start making significant contributions.” 

The Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator launched in January 2019 to support the creation of high-value blockchain startups from around the world and to become a leading source of blockchain educational programming on the UC Berkeley campus. 

Since its launch, the Xcelerator has accelerated 45 blockchain companies, including most recently Acala which has received $7 million series A funding to provide a DeFi ecosystem on Polkadot and Stake Technologies which provides smart contract capabilities on Polkadot. Partnering with Blockchain at Berkeley, the Xcelerator is also delivering educational programming on next-generation protocols such as Polkadot.  

Meanwhile, UC Berkeley’s students have a lot to look forward to. As a part of Berkeley’s blockchain coursework, Ethereum, Parity Technologies, and Polkadot co-founder Dr. Gavin Wood would be giving a lecture in March of 2021. You wouldn’t wanna bunk that class.

The most popular smart contract platform in the world is working diligently to solve its issues with scaling and user interface.

Polkadot emerged as one of the biggest “Ethereum killers” this year, with its high throughput, low-fee network, and the demand for such features booming as the DeFi sector surged in 2020.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin believes the protocol might play an important role in the future of state-backed digital currencies.

Commitment to Transparency: The author of this article is invested and/or has an interest in one or more assets discussed in this post. CryptoSlate does not endorse any project or asset that may be mentioned or linked to in this article. Please take that into consideration when evaluating the content within this article.

Disclaimer: Our writers' opinions are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of CryptoSlate. None of the information you read on CryptoSlate should be taken as investment advice, nor does CryptoSlate endorse any project that may be mentioned or linked to in this article. Buying and trading cryptocurrencies should be considered a high-risk activity. Please do your own due diligence before taking any action related to content within this article. Finally, CryptoSlate takes no responsibility should you lose money trading cryptocurrencies.

Polkadot has been rapidly growing from a niche blockchain project to one of the richest DeFi networks that have real potential to compete with Ethereum.

Polkadot is one of the most highly anticipated blockchain networks, forming a scalable ecosystem set to rival, or rather complement, the most established dApp platform, Ethereum.

Separate instances this morning saw a billionaire embrace the crypto sector and a regulator move away from it.

The foundational technologies underlying Bitcoin are a secure, distributed transaction ledger, timestamp server and proof of work algorithm implemented as a blockchain ledger. As Satoshi put it his seminal paper, these make it "computationally impractical for an attacker to change if honest nodes control a majority of CPU power" on the Bitcoin network. While Satioshi didn't invent blockchain technology, his implementation has proven particularly robust and led many technologists to see blockchain as a solution to all manner of problems. 

Sadly for the blockchain evangelists, enterprise successes have been elusive. Indeed, as is regularly pointed out here, blockchain often looks like a technology in search of a problem. Such cynicism is understandable, but unfortunate since blockchain includes several security technologies that can improve conventional databases and transactional applications. Oracle sees the potential and has embraced blockchain technology via several features added to its ubiquitous database to provide what it calls crypto-secure data management.

In making the case for Oracle's blockchain-based security technology, Juan Loaiza, the company's EVP of Mission-Critical Database Technologies, notes that conventional data security techniques like passwords, role-based access controls (RBAC), data encryption and network firewalls are designed to prevent unauthorized actors from reading data. Unfortunately, these methods are powerless to stop insiders or attackers that have acquired employee credentials from retrieving, modifying or deleting sensitive information such as financial or legal records, customer and employee personally identifiable information (PII), business transactions or intellectual property.

Oracle introduced blockchain tables for its eponymous database at OOW 2019 as a way to make existing databases tamper-resistant. It recently expanded blockchain features in Oracle 21c that it now markets as a four-pronged approach to cryptographically-secure data. The key capabilities and associated Oracle features are:

Similar features form the foundation of most blockchain systems and cryptocurrencies, however, integrating them into Oracle provides enterprise systems blockchain-class data protection without requiring significant changes to existing applications.

Many types of financial, government and logistics data serve as a permanent record of transactions, events or decisions that should not be altered, only updated. Oracle protects against such tampering via immutable and blockchain tables. Immutable tables prevent existing data from being changed or deleted by anyone, even database administrators. Specifically, immutable tables block the following actions:

Attackers could still try to exploit an unknown Oracle or OS vulnerability and bypasses immutability controls to directly manipulate an immutable database. Blockchain tables expose such post hoc modifications by adding a cryptographic hash to each table entry that cannot be forged. As the name suggests, Blockchain tables chain rows in sequence by using a SHA-512 cryptographic hash of the row contents plus (for all but the first row of a table) the hash value of the previous row. Thus, any attempt to modify existing data or insert (rather than append) a row) will break the hash validation of all subsequent rows. 

While immutability and blockchain-ing data thwart tampering, they don't address attackers adding bogus data under a stolen identity or prevent a group of conspirators from replacing the entire database. Oracle hinders unauthorized data additions by allowing users to cryptographically sign inserted data using public-private key cryptography and digital certificates. Users sign new data with a private key and since the database system validates signed entries against the user's certificate, attackers that have only stolen a user's login credentials, but not their private key, can't add data with a valid signature. 

Immutability, blockchain and data signing stymie the vast majority of data modification shenanigans, but they can't prevent Enron-style fraud by determined insiders. For example, conspirators with the right access rights might decide to replace an entire blockchain database with a phony replica. Such coordinated assaults are impossible to prevent without a Bitcoin-like peer-to-peer system, but Oracle can expose them by automatically distributing a cryptographic digest to trusted external repositories. Since the digest is a one-way hash that doesn't mathematically allow inferring the starting data from the hashed result, publishing the digest (as public blockchains and cryptocurrencies do) doesn't compromise database security. For example, a digest might be sent via email to an audit firm, published to an independent cloud store using REST APIs or added to a public Ethereum network. Coordinated rip-and-replace database attacks can easily be spotted by comparing the current contents to previously published digests.

As mentioned, entirely preventing illicit database-bypass changes requires a Bitcoin-like distributed blockchain that replicates a database to independent third parties that must reach consensus for every change. Most consensus algorithms entail solving the Byzantine Generals Problem using either a proof-of-work (PoW) (used by Bitcoin) or proof-of-stake (PoS) algorithm (used by BitShares and others, with Ethereum moving to this mechanism). Such systems have proven resistant to coordinate 51-percent attacks, but as Loaiza pointed out in explaining Oracle's blockchain technology, distributed consensus in a peer-to-peer system doesn't mesh with existing business processes and relationships.  He adds, "Overall, peer-to-peer provides very effective illicit change prevention, but at the expense of significant complexity for mainstream use-cases."

Both immutable and blockchain tables are core Oracle 21c features and have been backported to 19.11 and 19.10, respectively.

Blockchain and related crypto features are an example of Oracle's single-database strategy I detailed an earlier column in which it adds new data types and capabilities within the familiar RDMS construct. Oracle illustrates the value of this all-in-one approach by repackaging features like immutability, blockchain tables, data signing and distributed hashes as security enhancements with broad applicability. While the label "crypto-secure data management" doesn't roll off the tongue, it's a reasonable way of categorizing these additions to core database functionality within Oracle's broader set of security features designed to keep attackers from accessing a database. However, once they've breached the castle walls, cryptography and blockchain can limit the damage. 

Enjin, the blockchain gaming platform, has announced its plans to launch new solutions designed to remove gas prices and support cross-platform Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Named JumpNet and Efinitiy, these solutions will be launched later this year to allow users to easily mint and transfer tokens between multiple networks without having to pay for gas in Ethereum.

Ethereum transactions have become increasingly troublesome in the blockchain gaming industry due to their reliance on a high volume of low-value transactions.

JumpNet, scheduled to be launched on April 6, will operate as a highspeed bridge network that will remove gas prices on on-chain transactions of Enjin Coin (ENJ) and ERC-1155 tokens while providing instant transactions.

The launch date of Efinity has not been determined yet but is scheduled to launch sometime in 2021. Efinity will be a decentralized blockchain network specifically designed for NFTs, offering support for digital assets of any network and “next-generation” token features.

Multi-chain interoperability has been a growing concern in the blockchain gaming industry and other niches due to the increasing congestion and gas prices in Ethereum resulting from the DeFi boom of 2020.

While Ethereum 2.0 is expected to solve some of these issues, it is still uncertain whether the update will be able to do so or not.

By working on its own blockchain network, Enjin is sending a clear message that the increasing market fragmentation marks an opportunity for the NFT industry to lower the entry barriers and provide a better experience that facilitates adoption by different industries.

JumpNet will be a private version of the Ethereum blockchain focused on enabling instant, secure, and gasless transactions on the network. It aims to provide these features by using a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus algorithm which operates based on a node’s reputation.

The first version to be deployed in April will have limited functionality as the team expects to improve it in the future based on user feedback.

However, it will provide multiple features that will allow users to move their Enjin Coin from Ethereum to JumpNet, transfer ENJ and ERC-1155 tokens, mint ERC-1155 tokens, distribute ERC-1155 tokens via QR, and automate the distribution of tokens from apps or games, all with no fees.

It is expected that the removal of fees on the minting and distribution of tokens will further boost the adoption of the Enjin ecosystem by developers as it will greatly reduce expenses for the development teams.

Players will also benefit from these implementations as the elimination of gas fees which have made blockchain gaming unacceptable in terms of costs for a long time, as gas prices are higher than any value they can get from game transactions more often than not.

Enjin has been around since 2009, 12 years before the launch of its Initial Coin Offering (ICO), and has since become a staple of the blockchain gaming niche by attracting over 8.7k creators and minting over 2.15 billion ERC-1155 assets, the token standard introduced by Enjin.

The project has partnered with companies like Microsoft, Atari, and Bancor, to expand its reach to different industries looking to take advantage of NFT technology, which is not only limited to the gaming industry.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, 75% of American households have at least one gamer living in it while 65% of all American adults play videogames, a trend that is also becoming more popular around the globe.

This increasing interest in gaming has made projects like Enjin so interesting for investors as gaming is seen as one of the major paths toward blockchain technology mass adoption. This is reflected by ENJ’s performance over the last year, experiencing gains of over 900% in value.

The news about the incoming products being developed by Enjin saw the value of its token reach an all-time high of $1.32 on March 3rd, experiencing a steep increase from $0.9 to $1.19 in a matter of 15 minutes after the announcement.

The road to recovery wasn’t tough to navigate for the world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin [BTC]. After multiple struggles to push past $49K, BTC was finally on the clear to move beyond $50K.

With its impeccable price change, the king coin managed to elevate its presence in the financial sphere. This fivefold surge in the asset’s price implanted a series of investors to pour into the industry. Over the last couple of months, Bitcoin remained in the overbought zone, which prompted a positive market sentiment. It seems like this trend could prolong.

During the writing time, the king coin was trading for a high of $51,033.45, with a 4.69% rise over the last 24-hours. While the asset is still quite far from its all-time high of $58,330.57, the bulls in the king coin’s market could speed up this journey. The market cap of the cryptocurrency was also seen figuring its way back to $1 trillion.

Bitcoin [BTC], one short-term price chart, announced that the bulls could help the asset push past an immediate line of resistance at $51,639. The Parabolic SAR indicator formed a dotted line below the candlesticks, further diminishing the asset plummeting chances below $50K. The Awesome Oscillator with green closing bars instilled the chances of an uptrend. This potential upward movement could help BTC hit $52,222.

The Relative Strength Index [RSI] indicator was in sync with the ongoing bullish trend in the BTC market as it suggested a buyers’ sentiment.

Just when the Bitcoin community took a sigh of relief, bear sightings were reported in the asset’s one-day price chart.

The Chaikin Money Flow was over zero and continued exerting a bullish momentum. The MACD indicator, however, was seen dwelling in a bearish crossover. Nevertheless, the MACD line was seen going in for a bullish crossover with the signal line. This could mean that BTC might be making its way towards its ATH of $58K anytime soon. But, the bears could slow this process down.

The Money Flow Index indicator was down south, exhibiting a sellers’ sentiment in the BTC market.

All signs look positive for Bitcoin to make its big comeback. While the king coin’s short-term price chart affirmed that the asset would indeed move past $52K, the long-term chart revealed that the asset’s journey to $58K could be interrupted by the bears for a bit.

Well, earlier in 2015, a group of Wall Street traders teamed up to create Bitcoin Digital, an automated trading platform. The fundamental aim was to offer the global populace a platform to create an extra income source by trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple. It is undeniable that these digital coins are being accepted within the global society.

Although the masses are yet to accept these coins, many indicators show that the phase for skepticism towards cryptocurrencies and mainly Bitcoin is on a countdown. Widespread acceptance of digital coins is witnessed in various parts. Still, the devastating impacts of the pandemic have driven the masses to explore optional means for the weakening fiat currencies as well as an investment tool. Several analyses show that trading cryptocurrencies have picked up momentum as many investors turn to the cryptocurrency market.

Bitcoin Digital has earned significant prestige in the last year because of the recent improvement in the network. With Bitcoin, the dominant cryptocurrency hitting an all-time high in a previous couple of weeks, and analysts estimating a market price of the coin at $100k by this year’s end, Bitcoin Digital traders appear at the helm of a large yield.

Bitcoin Digital is a trading platform that makes use of a robust algorithm to analyze the market on account of the trader. New traders may find it hard to steer through the cryptocurrency market while sets of risks surround the market. However, Bitcoin Digital claims a success rate for the new traders. According to analyses from several reviews, an Bitcoin Digital can help investors build an alternative means to generate extra cash.

The softwares executes functions independently on account of the trader. Basically, the application   analyses the market for reliable deals and performs the trades depending on the accurate information and orders given by the trader. Bitcoin Digital is powered by high-tech such as Artificial Intelligence, which means that it’s adept at frequently changing information. You can sign up for Bitcoin Digital here.

We extensively analyzed Bitcoin Digital. We discovered that it’s legit and reliable like the other platforms we have reviewed previously. Several new traders generate extra cash by leveraging Bitcoin Digital. 

The platform enjoys highly accurate levels, which is exceptionally recommendable as investors stand to get reliable deals. Bitcoin Digital is a renowned platform within the masses and has an excellent customer service team that is highly responsive. The platform also has countless positive reviews on TrustPilot.

Bitcoin Digital is fully accessible by investors and works in partnership with reliable brokers to execute the trade transactions. Well, the trading software sends signals to the underlying brokers to run the market orders. Without delay, these signals are closely analyzed to predict the trends in the cryptocurrency market. 

Generally, traders spend only a couple of minutes to get an account with Bitcoin Digital. Following a successful registration process, the system pairs each trader with a reliable underlying broker to aid them in activating their account. Some analysts suggest that novice traders have to monitor their trades for at least 30 minutes daily. Moreover, a trader will have to fund their account with a minimum deposit of $250 through a reliable broker to begin the trading. 

We find these steps quite easy and straightforward to follow through.

This is the initial step and involves creating an account through the official page of Bitcoin Digital. An online form is provided to users where they have to key in minimal details such as name, email address, contact number, and password. The account is activated quickly, and the system will pair the trader with a broker.

After activating the account, the trader has to provide capital investment to commence the live session. The amount is utilized to perform the market deals on account of the trader. The brokers receive a minimum deposit of $250 or an amount not exceeding $15,000.

Any trader can access this session after investing on the minimum deposit through the underlying broker. The platform enables traders to either choose the manual process or the auto trading feature. The auto trader is quite adept in analyzing the market because of its higher accuracy rate than the lengthy manual process, which can result in considerable losses in the event of market risks.

Bitcoin Digital is predominantly created to assist novice traders in the cryptocurrency market. In light of this, several complete guides and outstanding customer service teams have been established since. This means traders can actively participate in crypto trading because they can reach the daily service through live chat, email, or Facebook in case of any emerging query.

Bitcoin Digital works closely with reliable and regulated brokers. It executes most functions as an automated platform , while reliable brokers play a crucial role in processing user transactions worldwide.

On a long-term basis, among many things a trader would anticipate is being able to cash out and receive their amounts quickly. After the end of the live session, traders can withdraw their amounts, which are processed in less than a day.

Several testimonials on the official page of Bitcoin Digital indicate that traders who joined the race earlier have amassed fortunes in their first months of trading. Still, many others are generating a substantial amount every day. However, experts suggest that traders should make up their minds once they join and make fair use of the demo trading feature. Although the cryptocurrency market may appear challenging, anyone can join by leveraging platforms such as Bitcoin Digital to help them make extra income.

Bitcoin Digital excels by a large extent in its excellent features, which, as many traders claim, are quite convenient. Moreover, the user interface is friendly, and thus, anyone can access the platform.

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Bitcoin was the first ever cryptocurrency in the world, that originated back in 2008. Since its rise to stardom many other virtual coins emerged, but none of them managed the same impact as the second most popular coin in the world, the Ethereum. ETH is a relatively younger addition into the mix, but straight away it captivated the attention of crypto enthusiasts with several major improvements that it brought to the table. So, why is Ethereum and ETH Gambling so popular and how does it compare to Bitcoin? Let’s dive into the details and dissect what Ethereum Gambling is all about.

How is Ethereum superior to BTC? 

Advantages of ETH Gambling

Aside from the previously mentioned blistering speed of transactions for both Deposits and Withdrawals, Ethereum gambling holds several other significant benefits. Security is another major factor in people switching massively towards the ETH Gambling segment. Due to the decentralized design of blockchain technology, Ethereum Gambling becomes increasingly safer, because it’s virtually impossible to be hacked by anyone. But probably the biggest benefit of Ethereum Gambling is the fact that you stay completely anonymous to any unwanted attention. No banks, governments or financial institutions will be able to track your activities during the ETH Gambling.  

Where to find the best Ethereum Gambling websites?

It’s fairly easy to find the best Ethereum Gambling websites for yourself, you just need to look at the casino review websites like BitcoinGamblers to understand which one holds the best offer for you. The main factors to take into account are the longevity, reputation and scores. Also, it’s important to understand the welcome bonuses and offers. Some provide much higher rewards for players compared to others. 

Cisco’s (CSCO) outstanding shares are currently at 4.23 billion, down from 7.04 billion at the end of September. In 2021, Cisco plans to return at least 50% of its free cash flow back to shareholders in the form of $6 billion in dividends and $6 billion to $10 billion in stock buybacks.

The company has $10 billion remaining on its authorized buybacks, while another $6 billion is spent on research and development. However, Cisco’s revenue growth is anemic, so one has to wonder about the value of this spend.

As a leading company in the networking space, Cisco’s management needs to take risks and demonstrate it is prepared to embrace disruption. Its $30 billion in cash could be used to reduce the share count further and increase the per share free cash flow and earnings per share. 

But after reducing the share count by about 3 billion shares since 2000, we can say that this use of capital does not solve the core problem. Cisco’s roots go back to the internet-of-things and its early success came from being at the core of connecting the globe through the internet. As the value of bitcoin reflects trends in blockchain, this should be at the core of Cisco’s future and should be at the core of the company’s ecosystem today.

Technologists or futurists want to work where new, exciting things are invented. Let’s face it: high IQ minds enjoy the challenge of learning from each other. Cisco used to be a company that took risks and thrived on pushing the envelope on what could be done.

Cisco’s venture capital portfolio reflected this concept and at times represented $13 billion on its balance sheet. It was also a constant source of innovation and inspiration. Remember the $3.2 billion WebEx deal that was going to connect all people virtually? Oops: That became Zoom, which is worth $126 billion today.

Holding bitcoin for employees can be also about messaging. Look at what Michael Saylor has done with MicroStrategy. Bitcoin ownership by the company is run separately from software solutions and therefore it is about capital appreciation, diversification and, yes, inspiration. Remember: MicroStrategy’s mission is to make “every enterprise a more intelligent enterprise.”

Keeping the two separate as businesses means both corporate assets stand on their own merit. But they can still find synergies independently in the blockchain ecosystem.   

Customers in the emerging markets and Asia use bitcoin as a means to transact. We do not expect large U.S. companies to pay Cisco in bitcoin, but offering the option of doing so demonstrates Cisco is not limited by U.S. standards and embraces the change that is ubiquitous in the emerging markets and Asia. Companies abroad are looking for brands like Cisco and IBM to show leadership. Payment in bitcoin could even be accretive to the bottom line. 

Cisco would not necessarily have to hold the bitcoin beyond a certain portfolio value. When payments are made, it could sell it and book a gain or a loss similar to currencies. Note that the futures markets are arguably developing into a deep enough market that hedging is possible in the case of such transactions. Cisco could limit bitcoin payments to between $50 to $100 million initially and easily accomplish hedging, especially given Cisco’s gross margins.  

Most investors in technology companies want risk and growth. They don’t want technology firms run by management teams who think of themselves as running banks or dividend growth stories. This is why Cisco did not pay a dividend at all for years. 

Today, the stability of the dividend is clear and comforting for a certain type of investor, but to say the best use of capital is a continuation of the buyback while growth is not evident sends a message of defensiveness rather than confidence in the future. 

See also: MicroStrategy Bets Another $1B on Bitcoin

A new, invigorated Cisco would excite and earn the confidence of investors willing to pay more in the form of a higher multiple. In 2012, Cisco’s free cash flow multiple was at its cheapest point at about 4.8x and today it is north of 11.5x. I understand that reducing the share count to increase the amount of the ownership of a company by its shareholders is tax efficient, but how does this help the company grow, innovate and lead in its industry?

Are there other companies for Cisco to buy in different verticals that make more sense than bitcoin? Maybe! Of course, that would require the company to take integration risk and shake things up. Should such an acquisition be aligned with the blockchain? Yes! We all agree blockchain will be a growth engine for technology. If that is true – and a blockchain acquisition makes sense – what should the follow-on value of bitcoin or even ethereum be as a result? However, why is an investment in bitcoin considered to be a diversifier rather than an investment in Cisco stock by the company? Isn’t diversification designed to lower risk? 

I was a shareholder when Roger Biscay, Cisco’s current corporate treasurer and head of Global Corporate Security, joined the company in 1999. I know the pain of poor risk controls. At the time, Barron’s predicted Cisco was going to be the first company to reach a trillion-dollar market value. Clearly, it failed in this ambition so a change is necessary. 

I do know that Scott Herren, the CFO, only joined the firm in December and CEO Chuck Robbins took over in 2017. My point is that something needs to change. The plan to buy back the company stock over the coming 10 years is not a strategy that enhances shareholder value any more than a plan to shrink and not innovate.  

If Cisco continues to spend $6 billion in R&D, $6 billion in dividends and $6 billion in buybacks, it could still buy $2 billion to $4 billion in bitcoin. To spend $10 billion on buybacks only follows the path of reducing the share count for the benefit of value investors, who are a narrow section of the buyers in the stock market. Respectfully, I think value investing makes sense. 

However, it must be followed by innovation to be really successful. A value investment that grows to become a growth investment is a recipe for a doubling in price. After spending hundreds of billions of shareholder money shrinking the float by three billion shares, management does not seem to be preparing the company for the future and is failing to take proper risk. 

Disclosure

Transformative processes that are taking place against a background of blockchain technologies have already demonstrated their advantages and continue to develop across various industries. Tokenization is opening up new business opportunities and is helping to create a new reality in the digital environment. Thus, we’re witnessing the emergence of new tools, and today I’d like to discuss NFT (non-fungible token) assets, which perfectly combine investment potential, gamification and even art.

But first, theory

NFTs are non-fungible tokens, that is, these assets are unique, and their exclusivity is confirmed by the blockchain. Most often, they are developed on the ERC-721 standard. To understand the essence of NFT tokens, I suggest comparing fungible and non-fungible assets. For example, your friend bought you coffee, and you are not used to being in debt, so you return the $7 that your friend spent on the drink. Of course, these will not be the same dollars that were spent in the coffee shop, but there is no difference between them since they are equivalent. Thus, fiat money is a classic example of fungible assets.

Imagine another situation –  a painting by a famous artist sold at auction, but after a few days, it magically appeared on some wall. However, this version didn’t bear the artist’s signature, and therefore, the new painting cannot be passed off as the original. Even if such an attempt is made, the scam will be exposed in a matter of minutes because the painting was unique, and the artist didn’t paint the exact same copy. This is its value. Accordingly, an object of art is a non-fungible asset.

But let’s get back to the digital world. Interestingly, classic cryptocurrencies and NFT tokens have the same differences that we discussed above. The point is that NFT tokens are exclusive and indivisible assets. While Bitcoin is divided into satoshi, we cannot send only a part of the NFT token to someone – it’s either all or nothing.

Application of NFT tokens

When the conversation turns to the use of NFT tokens, of course, we immediately think about gaming. And no wonder, because with the help of these assets, you can ensure the ownership of digital objects. Gamers spend a lot of money on various attributes, but unfortunately, developers can make multiple changes to their functionality or even remove them. Tokenization is great for eradicating such situations, especially if in-game items have been digitized in NFT format. This method guarantees the ownership and safety of custom skins since all information is stored in the blockchain and cannot be changed or deleted.

However, in addition to the gaming industry, NFTs will be useful in tourism, art and even real estate. For example, when it comes to tourism, you can issue NFT tickets. As for art, you can digitize all unique items, and in real estate, you can prove your ownership of the asset.

According to the NonFungible platform, the total NFT market volume has exceeded $23.8 million. Most of these funds are used for the gaming industry, collectible items, real estate and collectible card games.

Investing in NFT

The blockchain industry has one amazing property –  you can earn money on each instrument, and NFT tokens are no exception.

Consider the Cryptokitties game built on the Ethereum blockchain, which made many enthusiasts nervous in 2018. Unique NFT cats sold like hotcakes and were actively growing in price. The most expensive virtual pet sold for 600 ETH, and this may have been far from the limit.

At the moment, there are many games where you can earn on the growth of an NFT token’s price, but as I wrote above, the use of NFT is not limited to gaming. Many brands have implemented this tool in their businesses, and it has paid off. Nike sneaker fans loved the idea of tokenized shoes. NFT token holders have discovered the possibility of exchanging and selling these assets. Moreover, an exchange for a real pair of sneakers is available too.

Another use case for NFT tokens was provided by Formula 1, which signed a partnership with video game developer Animoca Brands. This step was the start of the F1® Delta Time blockchain game development, where players can create an NFT collection and even verify ownership of their cars and other in-game items.

Forecast time

Instead of summing it up, I’d like to make a few assumptions about the NFT market which is enjoying a new wave of popularity.

Undoubtedly, this direction will grow in the next year or two in view of an indisputable fact –  the future belongs to the digitalization of assets. Thanks to NFT tokens, global ecosystems can be built. For example, the values that are stored in the world’s museums can be purchased by anyone, with no doubt about the property rights. The convenience lies in the fact that the artifact doesn’t need to be moved. It remains in the museum, constantly increasing in price.

Moreover, this tool’s implementation perfectly suits the concept of events and exhibitions in virtual and augmented reality. Such ecosystems will be entirely transparent for investors and accessible to visitors. Each artifact is unique and has its own digital counterpart in the form of an NFT token. At the same time, all values are stored in suitable conditions and recorded in the blockchain. The exchange, sale and purchase of unique items has never been so perfect.

Featured Image: Shutterstock/Dudarev Mikhail/Andre Boukreev

A major Bitcoin mining hub in China, Inner Mongolia, will be shutting down its extensive cryptocurrency mining operations by April of this year, and will also not be granting approvals for new mining farms to be established.

Per a CNBC report on the matter, Inner Mongolia’s efforts to stop new cryptocurrency mining projects and shut down existing ones is in an effort to cut down on the energy-consuming operation.

The cryptocurrency mining activities from Inner Mongolia have given Beijing a great concern, as the region, geographically located in Northern China, has failed to meet the government’s energy efficiency assessments. While the decision by Inner Mongolia to stop its mining operations is entirely a regional one, it aligns a lot with the central government’s push toward becoming more environmentally friendly.

China’s Dominance in Bitcoin Mining

China is by far the country where mining operations abound the most, accounting for as much as 65% of all such operations globally. Of these, Inner Mongolia alone accounts for as much as 8%, attributable to its cheap energy provisions.

Bitcoin is known to be an energy-intensive operation, and the effort to clamp down on these activities, irrespective of the country’s stance on blockchain technology is age-long. Back in December 2019, Blockchain.news reported that Chinese authorities particularly in the Sichuan province pressured Bitcoin miners to scale down their operations.

The bulk of the total Bitcoin hash power, representing about 65 percent, comes from China. To truly actualize its energy efficiency plans, more regions may have to follow Inner Mongolia’s path, a move that is unlikely going by the increasing valuation of Bitcoin in general.