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Buying 0x (ZRX) in India is now easier than ever with India specific exchanges and international options.

In this article, we will detail how you can purchase 0x (ZRX) and other cryptocurrencies from anywhere in India.

WazirX

WazirX is India’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange and they have been in operation since early 2018. If you wish to purchase 0x (ZRX) from an Indian exchange then this is the best option.

There are over 100 different crypto trading pairs available through WazirX. This gives them one of the most varied asset selections in the Indian market. Of these pairs, you will find all of the major cryptocurrencies you would expect such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar Lumens, and of course 0x (ZRX). This exchange is also part of the Binance Group, which ensures a high standard of quality.

The company promotes access to trading across multiple platforms. This means you will have access to their web-based trading platform available on Windows or Mac devices, and their mobile app which is extremely popular and allows for trading on Android and iOS devices without any loss of functionality.

Transferring INR is easy with the MobiKwik app or instant bank deposit from any bank in India.

Read our WazirX review or visit WazirX

Binance

Binance is one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. As an Indian trader, you can also use Binance to purchase 0x (ZRX).

This exchange offers great value for you in terms of price and costs. Binance charges between 1% and 3.5% for direct 0x (ZRX) purchases using your credit, debit card, or bank transfer, though if you want to buy 0x (ZRX) using another crypto the fee can be as low as 0.1% from other traders on the exchange.

The process of getting started is also just as convenient. All you need to do is register with Binance and complete the KYC checks they have in place. For direct 0x (ZRX) purchases, they partner with Simplex as a payment provider that also ensures your transactions remain safe and secure. It should take no more than a few minutes to complete your 0x (ZRX) purchase with Binance.

For more details, you can see our Binance Review, or go directly to the Binance exchange to sign-up and start trading. Use Discount Code: EE59L0QP to claim a 10% cashback on trading fees.

Huobi

Huobi Global was established in 2013, they’ve since become one of the world’s largest digital asset exchanges with an accumulated trading volume of US $1 trillion. Having once accounted for half of the world’s digital asset transactions, Huobi now serves more than 5 million users in over 130 countries around the world including India.

They are one of the top exchanges that currently offers 0x (ZRX) trading opportunities to India residents.

Read our Huobi Global Review or visit Huobi Global.

Related Topics:0xZRX Daniel Martin

Daniel is a big proponent of how blockchain will eventually disrupt big finance. He breathes technology and lives to try new gadgets.

How to Buy 0x in Singapore

How to Buy 0x (ZRX) in Australia

How to Buy 0x (ZRX) in the UK

Investing In 0x (ZRX) – Everything You Need to Know

How to Buy 0x (ZRX)

Want to jump straight to the answer? You need Ethereum to buy NFTs, which you can get today on Gemini.

Generative AI Art, also known as GAN art, has exploded into the crypto space in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This progressive category of digital art has captured the minds of animators and the hearts of collectors. In contrast to traditional styles of art, the similarities and differences in each artwork make the collections more appealing and turn it into a community-driven art project, rather than a piece for a one-off collector. With GAN art, the artist uses their original work to train a machine that then generates a unique set of images based on a series of inputs. These images with a variety of unique traits are minted as NFTs and sold as a collection. 

Contents

What is The Heart Project?Brief History of The Heart Project NFTsPerks of Holding The Heart Project NFTsHow to Buy The Heart Project NFTsStep 1: Open an online account.Step 2: Buy or download a wallet. Best Hardware Wallet: LedgerBest Software Wallet: MetaMaskStep 3: Send ETH To MetaMask.Step 4: Make your purchase.Why Buy The Heart Project NFTs?Current Crypto PricesIs it Worth Getting an NFT in The Heart Project?What is The Heart Project?

The Heart Project released a collection of 10,000 NFTs living on the blockchain as collectibles. Every Heart was 0.08888 ETH at mint, but they’re now selling for around 1 ETH on the secondary markets. The “Heart” character has 235 unique attributes that have been plugged into a computer-generated AI with the possibility of creating over a trillion different combinations. Most buyers will choose the Heart that they identify with the most. In the first collection, the Heart project team sold 5,000 during a presale, and 5,000 were released on the NFT drop date. The team will reserve 250 NFTs for giveaways to the community. 

Brief History of The Heart Project NFTs

The Heart Project was created by Stefan Meier and Aidan Cullen in 2021. As two artists, they have come together to bring this unique project to life. Stefan had been working on a collection inspired by cartoons from his childhood, focusing on the heart shape as a universal message of love. He teamed up with Aidan, a fellow artist and cryptocurrency expert that helped to drive an active community to the project. 

The team behind this project plans to hold a percentage of all revenue from NFT sales for The Heart Project Fund. Every Christmas, the community members will decide on which charity will receive all the proceeds. Giving back is a core part of their mission with this collection.

Perks of Holding The Heart Project NFTs

When you become an owner of a heart within the collection you gain membership to the collaborative studio in The Heart Project’s Discord channel. With this unique membership, owners can contribute to future creations with shared ownership of NFTs. The membership acts like an organization where the members decide on the projects undertaken by the team. Essentially, the community of owners grows the community together. Starting with a music video, clothing project and game, every project will be shaped by the members. The team also partners with creators like musicians to develop creative projects and host exclusive events.

How to Buy The Heart Project NFTs

OpenSea is the most popular NFT marketplace where anyone with a crypto wallet can buy and sell their NFTs. As the largest marketplace for NFT collectibles, artists, sellers and buyers can browse the latest digital assets. Users can find anything from paintings to photographs to poetry available for purchase. The Heart Project NFTs are available to purchase on the platform. 

Browsing, buying and selling NFTs on the OpenSea platform is pretty straightforward. Once you have set up a crypto wallet with a popular wallet provider like MetaMask or Trust Wallet, you’ll connect it on the OpenSea platform. Once you connect your wallet, your account is ready. Within OpenSea, you can view the NFTs you have collected and customize your profile area. Be sure to add a secure email address and password. 

To buy an NFT, you can either make an offer in an NFT auction where you select the currency or buy an NFT out right at a fixed price. Note that you may have to pay a one-off gas fee. This is a transaction cost that must be paid to use Ethereum’s blockchain.

Step 1: Open an online account.

The first step in purchasing a Heart NFT is to open an account at a crypto exchange that sells Ether (ETH). You need ETH because the NFTs reside on the Ethereum blockchain. Two of the most reputable exchanges are Gemini and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN). Opening an account at either is easy, and both have well-designed, user-friendly trading platforms. 

Best ForEarning RewardsOverall Rating Read Review earn free cryptosecurely through Coinbase’s website More Details Best ForEarning RewardsN/A1 Minute Review

Coinbase is one of the Internet’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms. From Bitcoin to Litecoin or Basic Attention Token to Chainlink, Coinbase makes it exceptionally simple to buy and sell major cryptocurrency pairs. 

You can even earn cryptocurrency rewards through Coinbase’s unique Coinbase Earn feature. More advanced traders will love the Coinbase Pro platform, which offers more order types and enhanced functionality.

Though Coinbase doesn’t offer the most affordable pricing or the lowest fees, its simple platform is easy enough for complete beginners to master in as little as a single trade.

Best ForNew cryptocurrency tradersCryptocurrency traders interested in major pairsCryptocurrency traders interested in a simple platformProsSimple platform is easy to operateComprehensive mobile app mirrors desktop functionalityCoinbase Earn feature rewards you with crypto for learning about available coinsConsHigher fees than competitorsBest ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForNew investors looking for a simple mobile and web appExperienced investors who need a more advanced platform with more toolsUsers looking for a 1-stop-shop to buy, sell and store all of their coinsProsEasy and quick signups — can get started in as little as a few minutesMultitude of platforms to accommodate traders of all skill levelsHot wallets include insurance to protect your from theft and hacking attemptsConsCharges both a commission and a convenience fee for users buying and selling through the desktop or mobile appStep 2: Buy or download a wallet. 

Once you purchase Ether, you need a wallet to store your Ether and your NFTs. MetaMask connects to OpenSea. 

You may also want to invest in a good hardware wallet to securely store NFTs and cryptocurrencies. The Ledger hardware wallet is a great choice.

Best Hardware Wallet: Ledger

The best hardware wallet for storing your ETH and NFTs is the Ledger. The Ledger wallet comes in two models: the Nano S and Nano X. The Nano S is the less expensive model, but it cannot store as many apps as the Nano X. In addition, the Nano X is Bluetooth-enabled and works with the Ledger Live mobile app. 

Both wallets use an industry-leading specialized secure element chip for security. The secure element chip, which is used in credit cards and passports, provides the highest level of security for a chip. Regardless of the Ledger model you select, you are providing the highest level of protection for your crypto assets.

Best ForERC-20 tokensOverall Rating Read Review buy nowsecurely through Ledger Hardware Wallet’s website More Details Best ForERC-20 tokensN/A1 Minute Review

Launched in 2014, Ledger has transformed into a fast-paced, growing company developing infrastructure and security solutions for cryptocurrencies as well as blockchain applications for companies and individuals. Born in Paris, the company has since expanded to more than 130 employees in France and San Francisco.

With 1,500,000 Ledger wallets already sold in 165 countries, the company aims at securing the new disruptive class of crypto assets. Ledger has developed a distinctive operating system called BOLOS, which it integrates to a secure chip for its line of wallets. So far, Ledger takes pride in being the only market player to provide this technology.

Best ForERC-20 tokensAll experience levelsPros Easy to set up and use Supports more than 1,500 different digital assets Tamper proof Portable Long-lasting batteryBluetooth connectivity featuresCons Can be quite priceyBest Software Wallet: MetaMask

MetaMask is a browser extension that works with Chrome, Firefox and Brave browsers. Because MetaMask is a browser extension that is both Ethereum wallet and Web3.0 provider, it can easily interact with decentralized applications (dApps) right from your browser. 

To install MetaMask, hoose your browser or mobile operating system, click on install MetaMask and follow the instructions. The last step will be to transfer ETH from the exchange to your MetaMask wallet.

Step 3: Send ETH To MetaMask.

If you have never transferred cryptocurrency before, It is good to practice completing test transfers first. Test transfers refer to moving small amounts of crypto first to test the process. You will want to pay attention to the gas fees, though, especially when transferring anything on the Ethereum blockchain.

Also, be sure to triple-check your deposit address. If you copy and paste the address, try checking the first four and the last four characters. The last thing you want to do is make a mistake on your deposit address. If you do, you will never receive the deposit.

Step 4: Make your purchase.

You can choose from a couple of ways to purchase NFTs from OpenSea. To mint a new NFT, follow these steps.

1. Navigate to OpenSea and connect your MetaMask wallet. 

2. Click on the “All Projects” tab and select whichever project you want to buy.

3. Select an NFT from the collection and click on “Purchase.” Your MetaMask wallet will prompt you to confirm the transaction.

4. After confirming the transaction, the NFT will be sent right to your wallet.

BZBonus Section

Some of the reasons for buying Generative AI Art are the same as buying any piece of art. Buyers usually want to support artists and their projects. Another reason is that art has always been seen as a collector’s item and store of value. NFTs take this reason a step further with more utility, increased circulation and secondary marketplaces that are easily accessible to the general public.

Why Buy The Heart Project NFTs?

A key reason for today’s eager buyers is participation in the broader crypto community. A certain amount of fear of missing out (FOMO) is attached to a number of the Generative AI projects in the NFT space that is likely to continue. 

The Heart Project has a goal to give back to the creative community and support digital spaces where NFT projects come to life, offering a space for creators to collect feedback and collaborate. It certainly helps that the founders are creative themselves and understand the time commitment, isolation and hard work it takes to complete a project before it is put out for the world to see.

Current Crypto Prices

While the NFT markets have been gathering momentum, the cryptocurrency markets have been volatile for the start of 2022. Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with most altcoins, are down over 20%. However, they had gained unforeseen growth in 2021. Unlike the stock market, cryptocurrency markets are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To keep up to date with the latest cryptocurrency prices, check out Benzinga’s table below.

Bitcoin BTC$37,919.003.72% Trade Ethereum ETH$2,505.683.39% Trade Tether USDT$1.00-0.26% Trade Binance Coin BNB$385.564.01% Trade USD Coin USDC$1.00-0.35% Trade Cardano ADA$1.062.41% Trade Solana SOL$96.474.31% Trade XRP $0.634.80% Trade Terra LUNA$63.81-2.56% Trade Polkadot DOT$18.894.17% Trade ↓Is it Worth Getting an NFT in The Heart Project?

CryptoPunks have racked up record breaking revenue, and the Bored Ape Yacht Club has become a stamp of crypto approval for those who want to venture into the world of crypto and blockchain projects. In addition to the most popular collections, collections are using GAN art creation to connect with new audiences and deliver passion projects from creative collaborators. The Heart Project is one such project that uses technology to create a playful collection of artwork that is easily accessible by the crypto community at large.

0x Labs announces support for its free-to-use 0x API on the Celo blockchain, along with $4.5M in joint funding to bring 6 billion new users onto 0x-powered applications on the Celo network.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

0x Labs expands its 0x API multi-chain support to the Celo blockchain

0x and Celo partner to allocate $4.5 million in joint funding to bring billions of new users onto 0x-powered applications running on Celo

0x Labs, a global blockchain company building decentralized exchange infrastructure for the internet, today announced that in addition to launching its free-to-use 0x API service on the Celo blockchain, 0x and Celo have partnered to allocate $4.5M in joint funding to the community-owned 0x DAO. The funding, consisting of $3M in CELO and $1.5M in ZRX, will be used to bring 6 billion new users onto 0x-powered applications running on the Celo blockchain.

0x Labs' co-founder and co-CEO, Will Warren, commented, "We're excited to work even more closely with Celo to bring DeFi to 6 billion smartphone users on 0x-powered apps. With this additional 0x DAO funding, ZRX token holders have more empowerment to drive 0x adoption and enact positive change in the world through the use of community treasury funds."

"We're currently building an ecosystem making the benefits of DeFi accessible to the billions of mobile-first users around the world," said Xochitl Cazador, Head of Ecosystem Growth at Celo. "Our collaboration with 0x is more than simply promoting the development and adoption of 0x-powered apps on the Celo network. It's bringing together two like-minded organizations to continue fostering the rapid expansion of truly decentralized DeFi with the 0x community DAO."

Businesses use 0x API to power their DeFi applications across a growing number of blockchains, including Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, Fantom, and now, Celo.

Since launch, 0x API has facilitated over 22M trades from more than 1.8M unique traders that represent over $56 billion in volume. The 0x API makes it easy for DeFi developers to tap into fast and reliable aggregated DEX liquidity so they can focus on what matters the most: their product.

Businesses interested in using 0x API to power their applications can start building at 0x.org/docs/api.

About 0x and 0x Labs 0x is decentralized exchange infrastructure for the internet. Since its inception, the 0x Protocol has enabled the exchange of more than $107 billion in tokenized value across approximately 25 million crypto trades. Businesses can use 0x to easily incorporate exchange functionality into their applications and create new markets for cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets. 0x Labs is the creator and core developer of 0x.

For more information about 0x, please visit 0x.org and follow @0xproject.

About Celo Celo is a mobile-first, open-source ecosystem of technologies, organizations, and individuals that all share a common mission of building a financial system that creates the conditions for prosperity of everyone. The Celo ecosystem includes a decentralized, Proof-of-Stake blockchain technology stack (Celo Platform), a native asset (CELO), stablecoins (cUSE, cEUR), and the Celo Alliance for Prosperity, with over 150 organizations around the world.

For more information about Celo, please visit celo.org.

Contact Brent Oshiro press@0x.org

View original content to download ers-onto-0x-powered-applications-301436913.html

SOURCE 0x Labs

The decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch has launched on Avalanche and Gnosis Chain.1inch Grows Multi-Chain Presence

1inch Network has announced another expansion.

The decentralized exchange aggregator has deployed its contracts on Avalanche and Gnosis Chain.

Launched in August 2020, 1inch is DeFi’s top decentralized exchange aggregator in terms of daily volume. By aggregating multiple decentralized exchanges on any one blockchain, the platform allows users to find the most favorable rates for swapping DeFi tokens.

According to Dune Analytics, 1inch has handled about $357.7 million in trading volume in the last 24 hours, far surpassing competitors like 0x, DODO, CowSwap, ParaSwap, Tokenlon and MistX.

1inch initially launched on Ethereum and has since expanded to several networks that offer compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, including Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism. Avalanche and Gnosis Chain (formerly known as xDai Chain) are the latest two additions to 1inch’s list of supported networks. As with the previous deployments, both networks are EVM-compatible. 

1inch is hoping that moving to Avalanche and Gnosis will help the project acquire users and grow its multi-chain presence. In a Thursday press release, 1inch co-founder Sergej Kunz said that the move would “offer 1inch users more options for cheap and fast transactions.”

Of the two new networks, Avalanche has more on-chain activity across a range of DeFi applications. According to data from DeFiLlama, the total value locked on Avalanche is currently $10.48 billion.

1inch will integrate many of the leading protocols running on Avalanche, including Aave, Curve, Trader Joe, Sushi, Pangolin, YetiSwap, Elk Finance, KyberSwap, Lydia Finance, Baguette, Canary Exchange, OliveCash, and WAVAX. 

On Gnosis Chain, meanwhile, 1inch will integrate Curve, Sushi, Elk Finance, Honeyswap, LevinSwap, Swapr, Symmetric, and wxDai. Gnosis Chain, which acts as an Ethereum sidechain, has seen significantly less adoption than Avalanche. According to DeFi Llama, the total value locked on the network is around $206.6 million today. 

Disclosure: At the time of writing, the author of this piece owned ETH, MATIC and other cryptocurrencies.

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It is a common observation that as the world is moving towards complete digitalization, everything that has value will be tokenized. Tokens are unique digital assets that a person can own and store in a digital wallet, and in the future, someone’s house verification will be a token stored in an online wallet instead of a paper.

We are already seeing fiat currencies and securities getting tokenized. For example, US Dollar is now available on digital tokens called stablecoins like Tether (USDT), TrueUSD, and USDC. According to an estimate, there is a total of $256 trillion worth of assets in the world, everything from property to art, to stocks to oil. With the help of blockchain technology, they all can be tokenized.

The idea of tokens began to take shape during the 2017/2018 ICO boom. At that same time, a team believed that there will be thousands of Ethereum tokens in the future and there will be a need to trustingly and efficiently exchange them. That team, led by Will Warren and Amir Bandeali, created a protocol on Ethereum with a tokenized future in mind. The protocol is named 0x Protocol. In the following text, Crypto Economy will provide you a brief overview of 0x Protocol.

0x whitepaper describes 0x as an open protocol for decentralized exchange on the Ethereum blockchain. The project is the brainchild of Will Warren, co-founder and current CEO, and Amir Bandeali, co-founder and current CTO of 0x. The protocol is developed by 0x Labs and the team is based in San Francisco, California.

0x Protocol aims at powering the decentralized exchange where all kinds of assets, stocks, currencies, precious metals, could be traded publicly on the blockchain as tokens. It uses Ethereum smart contracts for anyone in the world to operate a decentralized exchange. With 0x Protocol, 0x Labs is creating an open-source infrastructure that will enable frictionless peer to peer (P2P) exchange of tokens.

0x is fundamentally a network protocol used to facilitate signaling between buyers and sellers rather than a crypto-economic protocol. It is a publically accessible smart contract that any dApp that incorporates exchange functionality can hook into.

0x refers to their model as an “off-chain order relay with on-chain settlement” that combines the efficiency of state channels with the fast settlement of on-chain order books.

0x is implemented with Ethereum smart contracts. The main idea for 0x is to be used by other projects as a back-end transaction protocol. Thus, the 0x protocol itself is application-agnostic and helps decouple the transaction protocol layer from the application layer.

The meaning of “off-chain order relay with on-chain settlement” means that order books are hosted and maintained by separate entities called Relayers. Only the transactions are settled on the Ethereum network.

The 0x’s decentralized exchange (DEX) contract processes the exchange on the blockchain. According to the whitepaper, the entire 0x DEX contract is approximately 100 lines of code and it costs approximately 90k gas to fill an order. 0x DEX serves two relatively simple functions: fill and cancel.

In 0x, the one who creates order is called “Maker” and the person who fills that order is called “Taker.”

By combing these things, one can explain the 0x workflow as:

Tokens on 0x Protocol are traded in two types of order: Point-to-Point order and Broadcast orders.

These trade orders are just like peer-to-peer messaging that allows two parties to directly exchange tokens with each other using just about any communication medium they prefer to relay messages.

In 0x Protocol, if a maker wants to trade Etherem token with a taker whom he knows to trade with, he can simply send a 0x order via instant message or email. A taker just has to accept the trade and trade will be executed. According to the 0x whitepaper, these orders are called point-to-point orders.

0x messages are similar to the SWIFT messaging system that banks use to communicate with each other about money transfers. This P2P exchange of tokens is powered by a consumer-facing product called 0x OTC. Since 0x order messages are relayed off-chain, the link can be sent through any method the person issuing the order prefers, ranging from email to Twitter to even writing it down on a piece of paper.

Each point-to-point order message contains order parameters and an associated signature. Order parameters are concatenated and hashed to 32 bytes via the Keccak SHA3 function. The order originator signs the order hash with their private key to produce an ECDSA signature.

Broadcast orders are used when there are no direct takers. In broadcast orders, buyers and sellers post orders on decentralized marketplaces called Relayers in 0x Protocol.

If a direct taker is not available, Makers can visit 0x Relayers. Relayers are marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers. On Relayers, anyone can place their buy or sell orders. Every order on these marketplaces contains everything needed to make a transaction happen. When a taker finds an order he likes, he just has to confirm it with his crypto wallet and 0x Protocol securely completes the trade.

Several kinds of Relayer exist in the 0x ecosystem, each with their different kind of marketplace. Any developer can create its Relayer by using 0x’s open-source software. The benefit of these relayers is that they can serve an endless number of communities. For example, a music fan can create a marketplace for concert tickets or a game relayer can create a marketplace for in-game items. In this way, the 0x team hopes to create millions of unique global marketplaces, thus enabling a truly global economy. Thanks to blockchain technology, this is now possible to create a more secure and efficient global economy.

Relayers host and maintain an off-chain order book in exchange for transaction fees.

ZRX is a native token of 0x Protocol. It is primarily a governance token but is also used for relayers to charge fees for hosting broadcast orders. Transaction fees are moved from the Maker and/or Taker to the Relayer upon settlement of a trade.

Token holders can also participate in decentralized governance where they can vote on upgrade proposals. In October of 2019, the team released Version 3.0 of 0x that also featured a new ZRX staking mechanism.

In ZRX Staking, market makers can create staking pools. Market makers in 0x are a special category of traders that provide a significant amount of orders in 0x orderbooks. Their function is to make it possible to have liquid markets with tight spreads between bid and ask, and low slippage when executing large orders.

Market makers are entitled to receive rewards in exchange for their activity, which is crucial for the good functioning of 0x markets. To collect these rewards, they need to stake ZRX tokens. To do so, they create staking pools, which allow them to stake their ZRX and attract other tokenholders’ ZRX, provided that they share a portion of rewards with them.

ZRX staking mechanism gives market makers monetary rewards in ether and additional ZRX voting power for providing liquidity.

Important Links

Website: https://0x.org/

Whitepaper: trong> https://0x.org/docs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/0xproject

0x Cryptocurrency is currently on bullish momentum by 40.67% in the last 14 days. At 20:42 EST on Thursday, 6 May, 0x is at $2.12.

Currently, 0x has 212367 Twitter followers and 19056 Reddit subscribers.

As of now, on Github, there are 470 forks, 1341 stars, and 84 subscribers.

S&p dow jones brings Bitcoin, ethereum to wall st with cryptocurrency indexes. According to FX Empire on Tuesday, 4 May, "The new indexes, S&P Bitcoin Index, S&P Ethereum Index and S&P Crypto Mega Cap Index, will measure the performance of digital assets tied to them."

Goldman offers new Bitcoin derivatives to wall street investors. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 6 May, "While Dimon later softened his tone, the banking world has long seen Bitcoin as a plaything for criminals, drug dealers and money launderers.", "For years after its creation in 2009, Bitcoin was shunned by Wall Street banks, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon once threatening to fire any of his traders caught buying and selling the digital currency. "

Bitcoin traders in U.S. lack investor protections, gensler says. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 6 May, "U.S. investors lack protections when they trade Bitcoin on cryptocurrency exchanges, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler told lawmakers.", "The SEC has signaled that Bitcoin is a commodity under U.S. law and therefore not subject to the agency’s toughest rules."

More news about 0x.

Following a slight and short-lasting improvement, the market sentiment dropped once more over the past week. The average 7-day moving crypto market sentiment score (sentscore) for ten major cryptoassets stands today at 5.06, while a week ago it stood at 5.16, according to the market sentiment analysis service Omenics. Notably, there are no more coins in the positive zone among the first 10 coins, and only one among all the rated coins.

Unlike a week ago, when all but one coin were green, this week, all but two are red. The two winners are USD coin (USDC), which is up by 18%, and chainlink (LINK), the sentscore of which increased 5%.

Among the red coins, the largest drop was almost 20%, recorded by XRP. Another double-digit fall is tether (USDT)’s 14%. Ethereum (ETH), bitcoin (BTC), crypto.com coin (CRO), binance coin (BNB), and cardano (ADA) – all saw drops in their respective sentscores between 9% and 7%. Lastly, polkadot (DOT) fell less than 1%.

The decrease in the overall market sentiment is further reflected in the number of coins within the positive zone – there being none this week. The drops in BTC’s and ETH’s sentscores pushed both below the score of 6. The list is now led by bitcoin’s 5.9, followed by USDC’s 5.8, and then ethereum’s 5.7. Additionally, only one other coin has a score above 5, that being DOT with 5.5. The rest have sentscores between 4.1 and 4.9.

Sentiment change among the top 10 coins*: Interpreting the sentscore’s scale: - 0 to 2.5: very negative - 2 to 3.9: somewhat negative zone - 4 to 5.9: neutral zone - 6 to 7.49: somewhat positive zone - 7.5 to 10: very positive zone.

The 24h sentscore for these same 10 coins has also seen a decrease. The average sentscore for the past day stood at 4.76, compared to 5.72 recorded last Monday. That said, only four coins’ sentscores are down, and by relatively low percentages: ETH, DOT, BTC, and XRP fell between 2.5% and 1.6%. On the opposite side is the highest increase of 5.5%, seen by LINK, while the others went up between 5.2 (USDT) and 0.8% (ADA). There is one coin in the positive zone here, and it is USDC with a sentscore of 6.2. Bitcoin is down to 5, and Ethereum fell even lower, to 4.9. DOT and LINK recorded 5 and 5.6, respectively, while others have scores between 4.2 (USDT) and 4.4 (ADA). XRP, however, is in the negative zone today, with a score of 3.7.

Now taking a look at the 25 coins outside the top 10 list, we see that only 10 out of the 25 have gone up over the past week. The highest among these is 0x (ZRX) with 10%, while the lowest is tron (TRX)’s 0.2%. As for the drops, the lead here is taken by maker (MKR) and its 13% decrease. The least to fall is nem (XEM) with 0.3%. Unlike the top 10 list, this one has a coin in the positive zone – cosmos (ATOM) with 6.3, making it the only coin there among the 35 coins rated by Omenics. Nine others sit within the 5-5.8 range, twelve have sentscores between 4.4 and 4.9, while three are in the negative zone: XEM and QTUM with 3.9, and OMG with 3.8.

____

* - Methodology:

Omenics measures the market sentiment by calculating the sentscore, which aggregates the sentiment from news, social media, technical analysis, viral trends, and coin fundamentals-based upon their proprietary algorithms. As their website explains, "Omenics aggregates trending news articles and viral social media posts into an all-in-one data platform, where you can also analyze content sentiment," later adding, "Omenics combines the 2 sentiment indicators from news and social media with 3 additional verticals for technical analysis, coin fundamentals, and buzz, resulting in the sentscore which reports a general outlook for each coin." For now, they are rating 35 cryptoassets.

Folks Finance, the leading capital markets protocol for borrowing and lending built on the top of Algorand blockchain, announces the closing of its $3 Million Seed Funding Round, led by Borderless Capital with participation from Jump Crypto, ParaFi Capital, Coinbase Ventures, OKX Blockdream Ventures, Genesis Capital, the Algorand Foundation and many others.

Folks Finance is the result of extensive research and engineering conducted by Blockchain Italia, a blockchain software house strongly focused on Algorand. The company dedicated its best minds to the project, designing a disruptive economic lending model and introducing unique features such as staking of rewards, safety margins for cryptocurrency pairs, and an innovative liquidity provision system.

Round leader, Borderless Capital is the largest Algorand ecosystem investor and is committed to provide a higher multiple of the invested capital into the Folks.Finance lending pools.

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David Garcia, who is CEO and Managing Partner at Borderless Capital as well as an angel investor personally supporting Folks Finance, said:

“We are proud to join Folks Finance as the lead investor in this round. Folks.Finance is a key pillar of the Algorand DeFi ecosystem. The team has done an amazing job developing their protocol and building a network of highly strategic partners, setting them up to hit the ground running at launch. The debut of Folks Finance will enable unprecedented amounts of composability among Algorand DeFi dApps and decentralized communities, empowering projects to actively participate in more inclusive and fair capital markets on-chain ”

Alongside Borderless, two mainstay crypto investing firms supporting the Folks Seed Round include Jump Crypto and ParaFi Capital.

Anjan Vinod, VP at ParaFi Capital, an alternative investment firm focused on blockchain and decentralized finance markets, also commented:

“As large DeFi users, we see money markets as critical infrastructure for any DeFi ecosystem. We believe Folks Finance is well-positioned to unlock liquidity for a variety of Algorand native assets and become a composable building block. From our first conversation with the Folks Finance team, we noticed how talented Benedetto and team were in designing and building DeFi applications. We are excited to support Folks’ vision in building a scalable money market.”

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Folks Finance’s list of seed investors also includes leading venture capital firms such as Coinbase Ventures, OKX Blockdream Ventures, Genesis Capital, Youbi Capital, Algorand Foundation, Meld Ventures, Eterna Capital, 0x Ventures, Polymorphic Capital, Valhalla Capital, ZBS Capital, and Gains Associates. Crypto veteran angel investors supporting Folks Finance include David Garcia, CEO of Borderless Capital, and  Calvin Liu, former Strategy Lead at Compound.

Several of the leading DeFi and Financial protocols of the Algorand Ecosystem also joined the seed round including Algomint, Tinyman, StakerDAO, MyAlgo, Venue One, xBacked, Prismatic, among others.

Folks Finance is currently in its smart contract security verification phase, after successfully completing a protocol design review, and early this year is planning the official launch for Folks Finance on the Algorand TestNet, along with the release of Folksy Guys, the official NFT collection dedicated to the Folks Finance community. The team will officially publish the research paper for the protocol economic model soon, and it is already working to establish the milestones of version 2.0. Intending to outline community-centric governance, the ASA-token FOLKS will offer its holders participation in protocol decision-making power, an incentive and staking strategy, and much more.

“We are delighted and excited about the outstanding portfolio that we have been onboarding on this investment round. The team’s excellent work has resulted in an innovative design that will make Folks Finance a mainstay in capital markets protocols. We are proud to be supported by the Algorand ecosystem, making us feel part of a strong developing and expanding family. 2022 will be the year of Algorand, and the imminent protocol launch will achieve an important milestone. We are enthusiastic about showing the outputs of a year of hard work behind the scenes.”

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[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]

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As the pandemic continues to rage throughout Europe, governments are forced to navigate a tricky path with competing forces on different sides. In a bid to avoid the kind of all-out draconian lockdown measures that were widely deployed early in the pandemic, many European governments are now staking all their hopes on the success of their respective vaccination program. 

However, this approach comes with its own set of challenges, which we’re seeing play out in real time. Most governments have been reluctant to impose vaccine mandates, instead opting to make life more difficult for the unvaccinated with the use of health passes. For example, France, Italy, and Switzerland all introduced a health pass that people are required to show in order to eat or drink in restaurants and bars or use public transport or leisure facilities. 

While this worked to an extent, no country has yet managed to achieve a fully vaccinated adult population. Now, with the Omicron variant tearing through the continent, governments are running out of patience with the unvaccinated. Germany and Austria have gone to the extent of issuing vaccine mandates for all adults, which will take effect within the coming weeks. France has just passed a law that will switch its “health pass” into a vaccine pass, removing the concession that allowed the unvaccinated to obtain a pass by producing a negative Covid test. 

There is one major problem with this approach. In every country where governments have attempted to introduce a vaccine certificate, fraud is rife. Vaccine refusers are finding ways around the restrictions by purchasing fake certificates from the black market. Reporters from the BBC uncovered sellers who claimed they could offer a fake certificate from 22 European countries. These included the QR codes necessary to obtain a digital certificate using the relevant country tracking app. 

In many cases, these certificates are finding their way onto the black market from within legitimate vaccination facilities. Swiss police told reporters that they believed up to 8,000 fake certificates had come from a vaccination center in the east of the country. In Germany, one investigation found that a pharmacy employee in Munich had made over €100,000 ($113,000) from selling certificates on the dark web. 

NFTs are currently making headlines thanks to the celebrity appeal of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, but could they also be the solution to the vaccine certificate fraud problem? NFTs as an identity token is a relatively new concept, but it’s one that the founders of PhotoChromic believe has legs. The project uses the NFT as a vehicle for individual biometric data as “proof of life” together with verified government identity documents and other unique personal attributes – which could also include their vaccination status. 

In terms of reducing or eliminating avenues for fraud, governments would see an immediate benefit in switching to such a solution. NFTs are probably unique – there is no way that someone can copy one or create one fraudulently without it being tied to a real person. If operators attempted to collude to create a fake identity or vaccine pass, they would be leaving a clear, untamperable line of evidence behind them—less a trail of breadcrumbs and more footprints in still-wet concrete. 

The next evolution of a Homosapien…is a #PhotoSapien.

Our journey towards digital self-determination begins, as the HomoSapien takes control over their digital identity:

https://t.co/643akeqfmi

Join our waitlist now – https://t.co/5XrDTgkctg pic.twitter.com/xXWk9WR56j

— PhotoChromic (@photo_chromic) January 13, 2022

There are other benefits to using a blockchain-based identity system. PhotoChromic’s unique offering is generative art, which creates a unique image for the NFT seeded by the individual’s face. The image may be recognizable as the individual, or it could also allow them to remain pseudonymous. The pseudonymity could be an important factor in making the vaccine pass checking process less intrusive and more secure. 

Currently, France has one of the biggest challenges with fake certificates, with over 180,000 thought to be in circulation. However, France also has a law that states only a government official can ask to see someone’s ID, meaning that someone can easily use a fake pass or even borrow a legitimate pass from someone else. 

However, if there was an opportunity to scan a pass that’s already attached to an official identity, then the identity check loophole disappears entirely. But most importantly, the user’s privacy is even more secure, as their identity NFT would negate the need to disclose any of their personal details, even their name, to verify their vaccine status. 

Another key benefit of using a solution like PhotoChromic’s is that it’s ready for integration with Web3 applications, and users can also tie their on-chain assets, including cryptocurrencies and other NFTs, to their NFT-based identity. The platform runs on Ethereum, Polygon, and Cardano and will soon integrate with other platforms, meaning it can support a broad array of Web3 apps. 

Of course, we all hope that the pandemic will come to an end, and the need for vaccine certificates and testing will eventually disappear. However, even when it does, the world is still crying out for robust, secure, and private identity solutions. It’s time to make the leap into blockchain-based solutions to combat fraud while safeguarding our privacy.

Related posts:South Korea Eyes Blockchain Technology for FinTech PlansBored Of Vanilla 0x? Here’s 7 More FlavorsCoinGecko "Beam" Launched for Improving Transparency of Blockchain ProjectsPwC, Others Launch Blockchain-Based Luxury Goods Authentication Solution Like BTCMANAGER? Send us a tip!Our Bitcoin Address: altcoinblockchainNFTPhotoChromatic

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Avalanche enters Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index, replacing Uniswap; Loopring re-enters the Bitwise Decentralized Financial Crypto Index, replacing Ren; Bakkt Holdings, Iris Energy, Greenidge Generation Holdings and BIT Mining replace Ebang International Holdings, BIGG Digital Assets, EQONEX and Arcane Crypto in Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index.

SAN FRANCISCO, January 04, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bitwise Index Services, the indexing subsidiary of Bitwise Asset Management, today announced the results of the monthly reconstitution of the Bitwise Crypto Indexes, which took place on December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET.

There was one change to the constituents of the Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index as a result of the December 31, 2021 reconstitution: Avalanche entered the index, replacing Uniswap. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index held the following constituents: 58.69% Bitcoin (BTC), 29.33% Ethereum (ETH), 3.52% Solana (SOL), 2.98% Cardano (ADA), 1.76% Avalanche (AVAX), 1.19% Polygon (MATIC), 0.71% Algorand (ALGO), 0.68% Litecoin (LTC), 0.60% Chainlink (LINK), and 0.54% Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

There was one change to the constituents of the Bitwise Decentralized Finance Crypto Index as a result of the December 31, 2021 reconstitution: Loopring re-entered the index, replacing Ren. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise Decentralized Finance Crypto Index held the following constituents: 31.32% Uniswap (UNI), 14.95% Aave (AAVE), 11.65% Loopring (LRC), 10.09% Maker (MKR), 9.95% Curve (CRV), 5.43% Compound (COMP), 5.30% SushiSwap (SUSHI), 5.08% Yearn.Finance (YFI), 3.30% Bancor (BNT), and 2.93% 0x (ZRX).

The Bitwise Crypto Indexes are reconstituted on a monthly basis according to the rules of the Bitwise Crypto Index Methodology as applied by the Bitwise Crypto Index Committee. Minutes of the December 2021 Bitwise Crypto Index Committee meeting are publicly available here.

The Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index of equities reconstitutes quarterly on the third Friday of the last month of each quarter. As a result of this reconstitution, on December 17, 2021, Bakkt Holdings, Iris Energy, Greenidge Generation Holdings and BIT Mining replaced Ebang International Holdings, BIGG Digital Assets, EQONEX and Arcane Crypto as constituents of the index. As of December 31, 2021 at 4pm ET, the following were the 10 largest constituents of the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index: 10.71% Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN), 10.17% Silvergate Capital (SI), 9.73% MicroStrategy (MSTR), 4.86% Voyager Digital (VOYG CN), 4.67% Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY CN), 4.28% Hut 8 Mining (HUT CN), 4.06% Northern Data AG (NB2 GR), 4.00% Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), 3.96% Riot Blockchain (RIOT), and 3.89% Hive Blockchain Tech (HIVE CN). The index methodology for the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index of equities is available here.

The Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index of NFTs reconstitutes quarterly on the last business day of each quarter. As the index initially launched on December 14, 2021, there are no new entrants or changes to constituents of the index. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index held the following constituents: 32.69% CryptoPunks, 30.67% Bored Ape Yacht Club, 10.27% Mutant Ape Yacht Club, 4.90% VeeFriends, 4.52% Cool Cats, 3.93% Autoglyphs, 3.88% Fidenza, 3.30% Chromie Squiggle, 3.12% Meebits, and 2.71% CyberKongz Genesis. The index methodology for the Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index is available here.

About Bitwise Asset Management

Based in San Francisco, Bitwise is one of the largest and fastest-growing cryptoasset managers. As of December 31, 2021, Bitwise managed over $1.3 billion across an expanding suite of investment solutions. The firm is known for managing the world’s largest crypto index fund (OTCQX: BITW) and pioneering products spanning bitcoin, ethereum, DeFi and crypto-focused equity indexes. Bitwise focuses on partnering with financial advisors and investment professionals to provide quality education and research. The team at Bitwise combines expertise in technology with decades of experience in traditional asset management and indexing, coming from firms including BlackRock, Blackstone, Facebook and Google, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Bitwise is backed by leading institutional investors and asset management executives, and has been profiled in Institutional Investor, CNBC, Barron’s, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.

RISK DISCLOSURE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Carefully consider the investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses of any Bitwise investment product before investing. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee or assurance that the methodology used by Bitwise or any of the Bitwise investment products will result in any Bitwise investment product achieving positive investment returns or outperforming other investment products. There is no guarantee or assurance that an investor’s investment objectives will be met through an investment into any Bitwise investment product, and an investor may lose money. Investors into any Bitwise investment product should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of such investment product and the possibility of significant losses. Bitwise investment products involve a substantial degree of risk. Certain Bitwise investment products may be available only to institutional and individual accredited investors.

Certain of the Bitwise investment products may be subject to the risks associated with investing in crypto assets, including cryptocurrencies and crypto tokens. Because crypto assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are a highly speculative asset. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a crypto asset. The price of a crypto asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such crypto asset. Crypto assets may decline in popularity, acceptance or use, which may impact their price. The technology relating to crypto assets and blockchain is new and developing. Currently, there are a limited number of publicly listed or quoted companies for which crypto assets and blockchain technology represent an attributable and significant revenue stream.

NFTs are an extremely new artistic and cultural phenomenon, and interest in such artwork could wane. If the demand for NFT artwork diminishes, the prices of NFT items could be negatively affected. The market for NFTs can be subject to shallow trade volume, extreme hoarding, low liquidity and high bankruptcy risk. NFTs are also subject to risks and challenges associated with intellectual property rights and fraud.

The opinions expressed herein are intended to provide insight or education and are not intended as individual investment advice. Bitwise does not represent that this information is accurate and complete and it should not be relied upon as such.

This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding the funds or any security in particular. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Diversification may not protect against market risk. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market.

Bitwise may attempt to have shares of its investment products quoted on a secondary market. However, there is no guarantee this will be successful. Although the shares of certain Bitwise investment products have been approved for trading on a secondary market, investors in any other Bitwise investment product should not assume that the shares will ever obtain such an approval due to a variety of factors, including questions that regulators such as the SEC, FINRA or other regulatory bodies may have regarding the investment product. Shareholders of such investment products should be prepared to bear the risk of investment in the shares indefinitely.

This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be illegal, nor shall there be any sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. The offer and sale of these investment products have not been registered with or approved or disapproved of by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the securities commission or regulatory authority of any state or foreign jurisdiction.

View source version on businesswire.com: tacts

Frank Taylor/Ryan Dicovitsky Dukas Linden Public Relations Bitwise@DLPR.com

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bitwise Index Services, the indexing subsidiary of Bitwise Asset Management, today announced the results of the monthly reconstitution of the Bitwise Crypto Indexes, which took place on December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET.

There was one change to the constituents of the Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index as a result of the December 31, 2021 reconstitution: Avalanche entered the index, replacing Uniswap. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index held the following constituents: 58.69% Bitcoin (BTC), 29.33% Ethereum (ETH), 3.52% Solana (SOL), 2.98% Cardano (ADA), 1.76% Avalanche (AVAX), 1.19% Polygon (MATIC), 0.71% Algorand (ALGO), 0.68% Litecoin (LTC), 0.60% Chainlink (LINK), and 0.54% Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

There was one change to the constituents of the Bitwise Decentralized Finance Crypto Index as a result of the December 31, 2021 reconstitution: Loopring re-entered the index, replacing Ren. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise Decentralized Finance Crypto Index held the following constituents: 31.32% Uniswap (UNI), 14.95% Aave (AAVE), 11.65% Loopring (LRC), 10.09% Maker (MKR), 9.95% Curve (CRV), 5.43% Compound (COMP), 5.30% SushiSwap (SUSHI), 5.08% Yearn.Finance (YFI), 3.30% Bancor (BNT), and 2.93% 0x (ZRX).

The Bitwise Crypto Indexes are reconstituted on a monthly basis according to the rules of the Bitwise Crypto Index Methodology as applied by the Bitwise Crypto Index Committee. Minutes of the December 2021 Bitwise Crypto Index Committee meeting are publicly available here.

The Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index of equities reconstitutes quarterly on the third Friday of the last month of each quarter. As a result of this reconstitution, on December 17, 2021, Bakkt Holdings, Iris Energy, Greenidge Generation Holdings and BIT Mining replaced Ebang International Holdings, BIGG Digital Assets, EQONEX and Arcane Crypto as constituents of the index. As of December 31, 2021 at 4pm ET, the following were the 10 largest constituents of the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index: 10.71% Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN), 10.17% Silvergate Capital (SI), 9.73% MicroStrategy (MSTR), 4.86% Voyager Digital (VOYG CN), 4.67% Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY CN), 4.28% Hut 8 Mining (HUT CN), 4.06% Northern Data AG (NB2 GR), 4.00% Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), 3.96% Riot Blockchain (RIOT), and 3.89% Hive Blockchain Tech (HIVE CN). The index methodology for the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index of equities is available here.

The Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index of NFTs reconstitutes quarterly on the last business day of each quarter. As the index initially launched on December 14, 2021, there are no new entrants or changes to constituents of the index. As of December 31, 2021, at 4pm ET, the Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index held the following constituents: 32.69% CryptoPunks, 30.67% Bored Ape Yacht Club, 10.27% Mutant Ape Yacht Club, 4.90% VeeFriends, 4.52% Cool Cats, 3.93% Autoglyphs, 3.88% Fidenza, 3.30% Chromie Squiggle, 3.12% Meebits, and 2.71% CyberKongz Genesis. The index methodology for the Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Collections Index is available here.

About Bitwise Asset Management

Based in San Francisco, Bitwise is one of the largest and fastest-growing cryptoasset managers. As of December 31, 2021, Bitwise managed over $1.3 billion across an expanding suite of investment solutions. The firm is known for managing the world’s largest crypto index fund (OTCQX: BITW) and pioneering products spanning bitcoin, ethereum, DeFi and crypto-focused equity indexes. Bitwise focuses on partnering with financial advisors and investment professionals to provide quality education and research. The team at Bitwise combines expertise in technology with decades of experience in traditional asset management and indexing, coming from firms including BlackRock, Blackstone, Facebook and Google, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Bitwise is backed by leading institutional investors and asset management executives, and has been profiled in Institutional Investor, CNBC, Barron’s, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.

RISK DISCLOSURE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Carefully consider the investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses of any Bitwise investment product before investing. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee or assurance that the methodology used by Bitwise or any of the Bitwise investment products will result in any Bitwise investment product achieving positive investment returns or outperforming other investment products. There is no guarantee or assurance that an investor’s investment objectives will be met through an investment into any Bitwise investment product, and an investor may lose money. Investors into any Bitwise investment product should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of such investment product and the possibility of significant losses. Bitwise investment products involve a substantial degree of risk. Certain Bitwise investment products may be available only to institutional and individual accredited investors.

Certain of the Bitwise investment products may be subject to the risks associated with investing in crypto assets, including cryptocurrencies and crypto tokens. Because crypto assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are a highly speculative asset. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a crypto asset. The price of a crypto asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such crypto asset. Crypto assets may decline in popularity, acceptance or use, which may impact their price. The technology relating to crypto assets and blockchain is new and developing. Currently, there are a limited number of publicly listed or quoted companies for which crypto assets and blockchain technology represent an attributable and significant revenue stream.

NFTs are an extremely new artistic and cultural phenomenon, and interest in such artwork could wane. If the demand for NFT artwork diminishes, the prices of NFT items could be negatively affected. The market for NFTs can be subject to shallow trade volume, extreme hoarding, low liquidity and high bankruptcy risk. NFTs are also subject to risks and challenges associated with intellectual property rights and fraud.

The opinions expressed herein are intended to provide insight or education and are not intended as individual investment advice. Bitwise does not represent that this information is accurate and complete and it should not be relied upon as such.

This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding the funds or any security in particular. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Diversification may not protect against market risk. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market.

Bitwise may attempt to have shares of its investment products quoted on a secondary market. However, there is no guarantee this will be successful. Although the shares of certain Bitwise investment products have been approved for trading on a secondary market, investors in any other Bitwise investment product should not assume that the shares will ever obtain such an approval due to a variety of factors, including questions that regulators such as the SEC, FINRA or other regulatory bodies may have regarding the investment product. Shareholders of such investment products should be prepared to bear the risk of investment in the shares indefinitely.

This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be illegal, nor shall there be any sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. The offer and sale of these investment products have not been registered with or approved or disapproved of by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the securities commission or regulatory authority of any state or foreign jurisdiction.

Contacts

Frank Taylor/Ryan Dicovitsky Dukas Linden Public Relations Bitwise@DLPR.com

Matcha, a decentralized exchange from 0x that launched today, wants to become the new standard in cryptocurrency exchanges. The 0x team believes there is an opportunity to raise the bar and create a new, simpler trading experience that will usher the next wave of crypto traders into the greater DeFi ecosystem.

With Matcha, 0x is attempting to provide a better and easier-to-use experience similar to Robinhood, but for decentralized finance, said Matt Taylor, 0x’s head of marketing.

“Robinhood gave people a very clean user-friendly way to trade these assets,” he told Decrypt. “We feel part of the opportunity for us—and how we are going to differentiate between Matcha and other DEXs—is by creating much better design and user experience.”

Image via https://matcha.xyz/[/caption]

0x was founded by Amir Bandeali and Will Warren as a platform to build decentralized exchanges. In a 2018 post, Warren described 0x’s mission as “building public infrastructure, making assets more accessible, more liquid, and empowering enterprising teams around the world to build a new financial system.”

While there are already DEX online based on the 0x Protocol, such as Tokenlon and Bamboo Relay, Matcha is the first one produced by the 0x team.

Taylor said that until recently, 0x has been focusing on developing its core protocol and building out its ecosystem. So why now? "We strongly believe there is an opportunity to substantially improve the DEX trading experience, both in terms of design and pricing,” he said. “Matcha's UI/UX is more intuitive than other DEXs because it abstracts away the complexities involved with trading on Ethereum. Additionally, the 0x team recently created a solution for aggregating the best prices from across DEX networks like 0x, Kyber, Uniswap, and more.”

Matcha utilizes 0x API under the hood, which uses smart ordering routing to split orders across 0x Mesh, Kyber, Uniswap, Oasis, Curve, and a variety of RFQ providers.

The Matcha DEX offers a variety of ERC-20 tokens as well as stablecoin-based trading pairs: ETH, WETH (Wrapped ETH), USDT, LINK, COMP, USDC, MKR, BAT, ZRX, NMR, KNC, REP, ENJ, SNT, REN, TUSD, DAI, MANA, WBTC (Wrapped BTC), ANT, and SNX.

DEXes, which facilitate peer-to-peer trading, are popular in part for skirting the KYC and AML requirements of regulated exchanges. Their number continues to grow, with over thirty DEXs currently online, built on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, EOS, Stellar, and now 0x protocol.

Since funds transfer peer to peer, DEXes are prized for a variety of other features too, including privacy and security. With no single point of failure, they tend to be less susceptible to hackers, and have no need for custodial service.

However, decentralized exchanges do have risks. If something goes wrong with a transaction, or the site crashes, users can be out of luck. Very few provide dedicated customer service that can step in to resolve issues. Likewise, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission looks askance on them. In 2018, the SEC filed charges against Zachary Coburn, founder of the decentralized exchange EtherDelta for operating an unregistered national securities exchange.

https://matcha.xyz/[/caption]

Day traders and other investors often prefer centralized exchanges because they offer higher liquidity and the ability to margin trade.

Matcha currently does not charge fees for transactions, “but perhaps in the future—may be far future—we will decide to start to implement a business model to take fees or another route to monetize that business,” Taylor said.

With the crypto market experiencing bearish momentum, many Metaverse crypto coins are currently on sale. Some of the more popular choices for investors and traders are Metaverse crypto coins with a high circulating supply; this usually means that the unit price of each currency is lower, with a higher chance of significant price increases. This article looks at the top 10 Metaverse crypto coins with the highest circulating supply, ordered by current supply, lowest to highest.#10 DEAPcoin (DEP) – 3.6 billion

Minted initially in August 2019, DEAPcoin’s full name is The Digital Entertainment Asset Pte. Ltd, a Singapore-based company. Its vision is to create a new culture and future economy with the power of entertainment and technology.

DEAPcoin features three primary services, PlayMining, the NFT Marketplace, and DEAPcoin.

Play Mining features a host of blockchain-based play-to-earn games, with some notable titles including the PlayMining Puzzle, Lucky Farmer, and JobTribes.

The NFT Marketplace features auctions where users can buy and own NFTs, and DEAPcoin is the token native to the platform.

You can purchase DEP on Bittrex, OKEx, Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and more.

Launched in 2019, Verasity describes itself as the future of Esports, Digital Entertainment, and AdTech. Verasity is a blockchain-based platform enabling users to earn VRA tokens by viewing videos with its proprietary Proof-of-View (PoV) protocol that ensures that traffic is organic, increasing advertising revenue for publishers.

Verasity includes three main products, VeraEsports, VeraWallet, and VeraViews.

VeraEsports’ goal is to accelerate the evolution of Esports with blockchain. VeraWallet is an ultra-secure all-in-one digital currency wallet for people who love esports and NFTs. VeraViews is an end-to-end ad-stack solution combining aspects of transparency and accountability with VRA’s proof of view protocol.

You can purchase VRA on KuCoin, Bittrex, Uniswap, and more.

Launched in June 2021, Metahero describes itself as the gateway into the Metaverse. Metahero is building a next-generation Metaverse that allows users to scan themselves and real-world objects into the digital world.

To achieve this, Metahero has partnered with Wolf Digital World (WDW), the inventors of 16k 3D modeling technology used by CD Projekt, the team behind Cyberpunk 2077. Metahero will bring the next 10 million new users to crypto through Ultra-HD photogrammetric scanning technology.

HERO tokens are BEP-20 tokens hosted on the Binance Smart Chain and are used as the native currency for the Metahero ecosystem.

You can purchase HERO on PancakeSwap, KuCoin, LBank, Gate.io, and more.

Launched in October 2021, Bloktopia is a virtual Metaverse built with Unreal Engine 5 on Polygon. It features a 21 story skyscraper in honor of Bitcoin’s supply, and its residents are called Bloktopians.

Players will earn revenue through multiple income streams, some of which include real estate ownership, advertising revenue, play-to-earn games, and much more.

There will also be an NFT collection, which is currently in development. BLOK is the native token to the platform, which will be the main currency in Bloktopia.

You can purchase BLOK on KuCoin, Gate.io, OKEx, QuickSwap, DODO Polygon, ZT, and more.

Launched in January 2020, inSure DeFi is a world-first crypto-insurance ecosystem with staking power. Think of inSure token as an insurance policy for your crypto portfolio.

InSure DeFi includes a multichain token called SURE that lives on both the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain and acts as the native cryptocurrency on the platform.

inSure offers a wide variety of coverages for your portfolio. For sizes up to $1000, users can purchase a policy for 2,500 SURE, roughly $19 at writing. The coverages go as high as $140,000 for 500,000 SURE, approximately $3,762 at writing.

In addition, currently, inSure offers an APY of over 60% for those that decide to stake its SURE token.

You can purchase SURE on Uniswap, PancakeSwap, QuickSwap, and more.

Launched in September 2021, Medacoin is the native token to the project called Medabots; a blockchain-based NFT enabled strategy game currently in development.

Holders can stake MEDA using a platform like Banker Doge, which currently offers 199% APY! If you decide to use Banker Doge, you can stake your MEDA for any number of days, with an early withdrawal fee of 20%.

Keep in mind there’s an entry and exit fee of 5% when staking and unstaking your coins.

Users can get a head start by purchasing Medabots on PancakeSwap, LBank, or DODO BSC ahead of the launch. With a market cap of $16 million, Medabots is currently quite an undervalued project.

Launched in November 2021, DeFi Degen Land is a community-focused Metaverse platform featuring play-to-earn games for the Cronos network and Binance Smart Chain. Its goal is to make DeFi safer with its auto-claim features and BTC reward distribution.

Currently, users can check out their red light green light game available on BSC and CRO, similar to the one featured in Netflix’s Korean drama Squid Game.

The DeFi Degen team consists of three team members, each contributing their skills to the platform. The team is anonymous to the public but has been Doxed by Blockpass & KYCastle.

The DDL token, it’s a BEP-20 deflationary token that lives on the Binance Smart Chain. It’s worth noting that DDL has a 15% buy and 16% sell tax.

You can purchase DDL on PancakeSwap and CoinTiger.

Launched in August 2021, Radio Caca is a decentralized organization operated by internet-native individuals worldwide. RACA is also Maye Musk’s exclusive NFT manager and the native token for the Universal Metaverse (USM).

The USM metaverse is a 3D planet world where users can own lands, build stores on their properties, and play or create various games.

RACA features the Metamon game launched in October 2021, with the USM chain mainnet launch scheduled for June 2022. Metamon is a mini-game that will be integrated into the USM as a 3D experience.

You can purchase RACA on Poloniex, Gate.io, PancakeSwap, MEXC, and more.

Launched in July 2021, Starlink features the STARL Universe, a blockchain-based virtual Metaverse enabling users to explore, play, trade, and socialize with other players.

What separates Starlink’s Metaverse from the others is its vision of a fully decentralized Metaverse.

STARL will be used as the native currency on the platform for users to interact with the Metaverse, including interactions with virtual concerts, clubs, media, education, entertainment, and more.

You can purchase STARL on Uniswap, OKEx, MEXC, LBank, Gate.io, and more.

Launched on June 30th, 2021, UFO Gaming is a fully decentralized ecosystem including an intergalactic social gaming token. It also features its blockchain, play-to-earn Metaverse, NFTs, Gaming, and more.

In addition, UFO Gaming features a virtual environment called the Dark Metaverse, where players can buy virtual land. Each game in the UFO Gaming Metaverse will have its governing planet, featuring a separate DAO.

You can purchase UFO on Uniswap, Gate.io, MEXC, LBank, 0x Protocol, ShibaSwap, and more.

Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency.

Also Read:

What Is the Metaverse and How Can I Invest in It?

Follow us on Twitter @thevrsoldier to stay updated with the latest cryptocurrency news!

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Decentralized applications (DApps) are digital programs that promise to cut out the intermediaries — entities that control the information on a typical app — and run on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network or a blockchain. This means that the data cannot be controlled by a single person or an organization and the information must be public and transparent.

Contents

How do Decentralized Applications Work?Types of DApps on EthereumCryptocurrency AirdropsHow to Use Decentralized ApplicationsPros of Using Decentralized Apps (dApps)Cons of Using Decentralized Apps (dApps)Centralized vs. Decentralized Crypto Apps

DApps can be computer or mobile applications or a webpage that operate similar to other applications. Their data is not hosted on a single server but on a blockchain and uses crypto to keep the network secure. Once a DApp is live on a blockchain, usually, Ethereum but others have been in the forefront lately, its code cannot be changed, not even by the owner or creator because it is solidified on the written open-source code.

There are more than 3,800 DApps in the DeFi ecosystem, of which over 2,900 are created on Ethereum, according to live data presented by the State of The DApps. DApps can fall into any category just like typical applications but with a key difference: decentralization. Here are the most common types of DApps on Ethereum:

: DApps like Aave let you stake your assets for interest by lending your cryptocurrency. Other popular examples are Compound and Oasis with almost the same features for earning interest on lent tokens.Token Swap: Uniswap, the most popular DApp, is a decentralized exchange (DEX) with a market cap of more than $15 billion. It’s the first permissionless DEX with a modern user interface (UI) for trading altcoins through a Web 3.0 wallet.Digital art marketplaces: These markets let users buy, sell, trade, or even create non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Some notable names in this niche are OpenSea, Rarible and CryptoPunks.Gaming: This category ranges from creating virtual worlds to battling other players to gambling using NFTs and tokens that have real-world value. Axie Infinity, The Sandbox and CryptoKitties are well-known in the industry.Technology: The main focus is to expand decentralization while rewarding users. This category contains utilities like Ethereum Name Service (ENS), developer tools such as Golem and radical.xyz, browsers for example Brave and Opera, and more.

Many new startups use the airdrop marketing strategy to get extra coverage by distributing native ERC-20 tokens to users’ wallets. These tokens could be UNI for Uniswap or ENS for ENS domains, for example. Airdrops are usually done for free but they might sometimes ask for certain criteria like sharing on social media in exchange for crypto, but be wary of the many scams out there.

Many decentralized apps will give tokens out to anyone who uses the application. For instance, Metamask, a browser extension and token wallet, may be launching a token soon for those who use the swap feature within the wallet. According to Airdrops.io, users need to download and create a Metamask wallet and do a swap on all possible chains to qualify for the airdrop.

To qualify for Airdrops, you need to use ETH on dApps before they release tokens. To do so, buy Ethereum on a credited platform like Coinbase, Gemini or Voyager and transfer your Ether to your Metamask wallet.

Best ForEarning RewardsOverall Rating Read Review earn free cryptosecurely through Coinbase’s website More Details Best ForEarning RewardsN/A1 Minute Review

Coinbase is one of the Internet’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms. From Bitcoin to Litecoin or Basic Attention Token to Chainlink, Coinbase makes it exceptionally simple to buy and sell major cryptocurrency pairs. 

You can even earn cryptocurrency rewards through Coinbase’s unique Coinbase Earn feature. More advanced traders will love the Coinbase Pro platform, which offers more order types and enhanced functionality.

Though Coinbase doesn’t offer the most affordable pricing or the lowest fees, its simple platform is easy enough for complete beginners to master in as little as a single trade.

Best ForProsConsBest ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForProsConsBest ForMobile TradersOverall Rating Read Review claim free Bitcoinsecurely through Voyager’s website More Details Disclosure: *Other fees may apply.Best ForMobile TradersN/A1 Minute Review

Voyager is a leading name in the sphere of cryptocurrency investing, giving you access to over 50 tokens and coins. Buy, sell and swap assets using Voyager Crypto’s simple mobile platform available as a free download for iOS and Android users. 

When you invest through Voyager, you’ll pay nothing in commissions, which is a major benefit when compared to other cryptocurrency brokers. Voyager is also one of the only brokers we’ve seen that allows users to earn interest on their crypto investments. 

Though the broker could do more to improve its customer service, it’s an excellent option for beginner investors and seasoned professionals alike.

Best ForProsCons

Every DApp has a certain way of using it with instructions provided on their websites. Here is a common step-by-step process to access most dApps:

Download and register for a crypto wallet.Deposit or buy Ether (if on Ethereum) or SOL (if on Solana). If you buy crypto from an exchange, send it to your Ethereum wallet. Find a DApp from websites like dappradar.com or ethereum.org.Connect to the wallet and start using the DApp.

There are several compelling factors to the expansion of DApps:

: Compared to centralized applications (CEXs), DApps are more reliable because their data is stored on a decentralized network. It’s almost impossible for individuals and companies to control or manipulate the network.No downtime: DApps are built on top of a P2P network instead of a single server so they continue to operate even if some parts of the network go down.Open-Source: All DApps are built with a transparent code that is available for anyone who desires to verify the developer’s claim on what it does.Cost reduction: Unlike centralized applications, companies don’t need to set up expensive servers to host a DApp. No server means no need to hire experts to ensure its uptime.

With good comes bad. Some weaknesses come with dApps, such as:

: There are still many challenges with creating a clean and user-friendly UI. It’s also one of the main reasons why DApps do not have many users worldwide. Updates: DApps are built in a complex environment, making it harder for developers to access their code. Less debugging, maintenance and updates create room for hackers to exploit their vulnerabilities.Slow speed: Serving real-time data and retrieving the information from every node can sometimes slow down the overall speed of processing the payments, especially with high gas fees on Ethereum. As many are used to instantaneous and cheap results, this makes DApps less effective to use for them.

Centralized apps are less reliable overall since they are controlled by a person or organization, usually collecting users’ personal data without consent. This is one of the main problems that DApps are seeking to fix by the execution of an open-source code. 

On the other hand, most traditional applications operate faster than DApps, thanks to their dedicated servers. However, DApps allow users to make transactions with each other without relying on a central authority. 

DApps are still in the early stages and it’s hard to tell if they’ll scale with their competitors. They have evolved but are still young and have a lot of room for improvement. With the growing number of users, DApps have innovative uses from gaming and exchanging tokens to governance of decentralized ecosystems — all of which show the bright future of DeFi.

Methodology

Benzinga crafted a specific methodology to rank cryptocurrency exchanges and tools. We prioritized platforms based on offerings, pricing and promotions, customer service, mobile app, user experience and benefits, and security. To see a comprehensive breakdown of our methodology, please visit see our Cryptocurrency Methodology page.

The cryptocurrency market has had a shaky start to 2022. While bitcoin (BTC) lost more than 12% in the previous week, ether (ETH) lost more than 17%, trading at $41,901 and $3,115, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap.

THORChain’s price has fallen 17.05% from the start of the year to $6.08, at the time of writing (10 January).

Can it break its falling trajectory and recover in 2022? This article includes both fundamental and technical analysis to assist you in building a plausible RUNE coin price prediction.

What is a RUNE coin?

THORChain is a decentralised liquidity protocol built on Tendermint and Cosmos that enables users to seamlessly trade crypto assets across various networks in a non-custodial manner.

THORChain's primary goal is to be decentralised and to promote cross-chain liquidity.

“Providing liquidity on THORChain creates an opportunity for holders of stagnant assets (e.g. BTC, ETH, BNB) to earn a return or yield on their asset”, THORChain stated on its website.  “Traditionally, with a CEX or 0x style exchange, trades require an order book of bids/asks (buys/sells) at a specific price, because if an investor wants to trade one asset for another, you need a buyer and a seller. Decentralised exchanges like UniSwap and THORChain utilise liquidity pools to provide more fluid access to trades. Liquidity pools are the way decentralised exchanges maintain a reservoir of assets, enabling buyers and sellers to exchange assets on demand.”

The THORChain network is powered by its native utility token RUNE, which serves four critical functions as outlined below:

Liquidity: The RUNE token serves as the main settlement layer for all transactions.

Security: RUNE secures the THORChain network by providing Sybil resistance. Sybil resistance refers to the capability to prevent someone from overcoming a network by impersonating several identities.

Governance: During the liquidity pool listing procedure on THORChain, the asset with the greatest RUNE commitment is listed first.

Incentives: RUNE token is used to pay transaction fees and gas fees, and be distributed as prizes and incentives.

Additionally, the THORChain network incorporates an Incentive Pendulum, which ensures that the network remains balanced. It prevents the network from becoming insecure or inefficient by altering how node operators and liquidity pools are rewarded.

It boosts incentives for node operators and decreases payouts for liquidity suppliers when the network becomes insecure. When a network becomes inefficient, incentives for liquidity suppliers increase, while rewards for node operators decrease.

According to the latest monthly stats published on 9 January, THORChain had a total value locked (TVL) of around $378m. Total liquidity in all pools accounted for $181m. It had 6,400 monthly active users, which is 1.8% down from the previous month.

RUNE/USD price analysis

THORChain has been one of the most rewarding cryptocurrencies since its inception, delivering a ROI of 19,003.23% as of 10 January, according to CoinMarketCap’s data.

THORChain's first coin offering occurred in July 2019. The RUNE token did not gain traction until October 2019.

RUNE coin spiked 718% in less than four months, rising from $0.016 on 23 October 2019 to $0.131 by 14 February 2020. Prices plummeted to $0.044 by 16 March 2020, a 66 percent drop from the February high.

An unprecedented bull run followed the March low. As a result, the RUNE coin value rose to $1.08 by 30 August 2020, a tremendous increase of 2,354% between March and August 2020.

Bears gained a minor edge, as prices fell to $0.33 on 23 September 2020. On the other hand, Bulls continued their massive rally, and the second bull run drove the THORChain’s token RUNE to the all-time high of $21.26 by 19 May 2021, a 6,342% increase between September 2020 and May 2021.

By 25 July 2021, it had fallen to $3.51, a drop of 83% from the all-time high. After that, prices gradually increased on a positive trajectory, reaching $16.56 on 2 November, then bottoming out at $6.05 by 14 December. It ended the year at $6.80, as of 31 December 2021.

At the time of writing (10 January), the RUNE coin was trading at $6.08 and had a market capitalisation of $2.01bn, ranking it 63 among the top 100 cryptocurrency projects, according to CoinMarketCap.

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Create account RUNE coin news and price drivers

RUNE coin’s developing team has shared several significant news items lately that could drive the token price:

Partnership with Synthetix

THORChain announced a strategic collaboration with Synthetix in November 2019. Both projects benefited from the other's development tactics inside the Ethereum ecosystem due to their partnership.

Additionally, due to this arrangement, Synthetix's native token, SNC, became one of the qualifying assets for listing once THORChain debuted on Ethereum. It allowed holders of SNX to stake their coins and have access to all other supported assets on all other chains.

Audit by CertiK 

CertiK performed a system audit of THORChain in April 2020 to identify any system vulnerabilities and discovered 34 minor flaws in its code, which were resolved by THORChain's developers, according to an official blog post.

CertiK concluded that THORChain's conceptual framework and master-branch Cosmos SDK implementation were well-designed and displayed an understanding of key benchmarks.

While CertiK did not remark on the final performance of the mainnet, they did find the modelling and mathematical rationale to be solid.

Launch of THORName service

In June 2021, THORChain launched the THORName service, a distributed, open, and extensible name system that bridges human-readable names to machine-readable identifiers, such as cryptocurrency addresses and metadata.

A THORName address would cost ten RUNE tokens, and users could bid on them or even sell them later in a marketplace of names.

$8 million hack 

THORChain was the target of an $8m cyberattack in July 2021. The hacker duped the network into thinking it had deposited funds when it had not and subsequently secured a refund. However, the hacker sent a message warning that the hack could have been far more damaging.

THORChain has suffered a sophisticated attack on the ETH Router, around $8m. The hacker deliberately limited their impact, seemingly a whitehat. ETH will be halted until it can be peer-reviewed with audit partners, as a priority. LPs in the ERC-20 pools will be subsidised.

— THORChain #DOGEFI (@THORChain) July 23, 2021 THORChain (RUNE) price prediction: Targets for 2022, 2025 and 2030

CoinCodex’s short-term RUNE crypto price prediction was bearish, with four indicators showing bullish signals and 25 showing bearish signals, as of 10 January 2022.

All the daily and weekly simple moving averages (SMA) and exponential moving averages (EMA) gave sell signals, except for the 100-week EMA, which signaled a buy. The hull moving average (HMA) and the volume-weighted moving averages (VWMA) were also bearish. 

The stochastic RSI (Stoch RSI) was giving a buy signal. Meanwhile, average directional index (ADX) and moving average convergence divergence (MACD) were neutral.

According to a RUNE crypto price prediction from CoinCodex, the coin’s price could increase by 6.62% to reach $6.29 by 15 January 2022.

Meanwhile, as of 10 January, various algorithm-based forecasters shared long-term RUNE forecasts:

According to Wallet Investor, the average price could reach $13.187 by the end of 2022 and $36.854 by the end of 2025. The five-year estimate for RUNE/USD indicated that it could reach $45.341 in January 2027.

According to DigitalCoin’s THORChain (RUNE) price prediction, the average price of RUNE in 2022 could be $7.9, moving up to $9.4 in 2023, $12.92 in 2025, and $25.37 in 2029.

According to Price Prediction, the average price of RUNE could reach $8.91 in 2022, $27.32 in 2025, and $182.11 in 2030.

When looking for RUNE forecasts, bear in mind that analysts and algorithm-based predictions can be wrong. Their RUNE projections are based on fundamental and technical studies of a cryptocurrency’s past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

It’s essential to do your research and always remember your decision to trade depends on your attitude to risk, your expertise in the market, the spread of your investment portfolio, and how comfortable you feel about losing money. You should never invest money that you cannot afford to lose.

FAQs

THORChain was ranked 63 among the top 100 cryptocurrency projects by market capitalisation, according to CoinMarketCap, as of 10 January. Its native token, RUNE, gained traction in 2021, but fell from its highs by the end of the year.

Whether the RUNE token is a good fit for your investment portfolio depends on your circumstances and risk tolerance. You should estimate the level of risk you are ready to take before investing. And never invest money that you cannot afford to lose.

According to the RUNE/USD forecast of Price Prediction (as of 10 January 2022), it could hit $182.11 by 2030.

The cryptocurrency market has undergone a massive correction, with many prominent cryptocurrencies turning negative in recent weeks. Similarly, other cryptocurrencies, such as RUNE coin, might follow the negative price trend.

Algorithmic forecasting tools, including Wallet Investor, DigitalCoin and Price Prediction (as of 10 January) suggested the coin had potential for gains. Their price targets varied greatly. Price Prediction estimated that RUNE could exceed $100 by 2029.

Read more: WOO Network (WOO) price prediction: Will it attract investors? Rate this article Rate this article: 72% 28% Ready to get started? Capital.com Download The difference between trading assets and CFDs The main difference between CFD trading and trading assets, such as commodities and stocks, is that you don’t own the underlying asset when you trade on a CFD. You can still benefit if the market moves in your favour, or make a loss if it moves against you. However, with traditional trading you enter a contract to exchange the legal ownership of the individual shares or the commodities for money, and you own this until you sell it again. CFDs are leveraged products, which means that you only need to deposit a percentage of the full value of the CFD trade in order to open a position. But with traditional trading, you buy the assets for the full amount. In the UK, there is no stamp duty on CFD trading, but there is when you buy stocks, for example. CFDs attract overnight costs to hold the trades (unless you use 1-1 leverage), which makes them more suited to short-term trading opportunities. Stocks and commodities are more normally bought and held for longer. You might also pay a broker commission or fees when buying and selling assets direct and you’d need somewhere to store them safely. Capital Com is an execution-only service provider. The material provided on this website is for information purposes only and should not be understood as an investment advice. Any opinion that may be provided on this page does not constitute a recommendation by Capital Com or its agents. We do not make any representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information that is provided on this page. If you rely on the information on this page then you do so entirely on your own risk. Share Article

Who would have guessed that the crypto universe contains black holes? That may seem impossible, but in a way it does. A crypto wallet that accepts coin or token deposits but is otherwise inaccessible is a black hole’s digital equivalent. You might be asking yourself why someone would send cryptocurrency to a wallet that only accepts deposits. 

While it’s possible to lose coins by sending crypto to one of these wallets, this article isn’t about coins and tokens lost by mistake. It might be even more puzzling to find out it is done intentionally. This practice, known as coin or token burning, is typically conducted by coin creators or developers. They deposit the crypto they intend to burn into these specialized wallets, also known as an eater address. 

So, why are these one-of-a-kind wallets only accepting deposits and not withdrawals? Because these unique wallets have public addresses but no private keys. No one can access a wallet without a private key. Coins or tokens sent to this type of wallet are permanently lost.

Contents

How Does Burning Coins Work?Ethereum Burn With EIP-1559Does Bitcoin Burn Coins?Cryptocurrencies That Burn TokensMemecoin Reflection FeesWhere To Buy Ethereum and Binance CoinHow To Store Cryptocurrency SafelyDoes Coin Burning Affect Price?

To burn coins, you deposit them into a wallet with no private key. Anything that makes the coins inaccessible would be considered coin burning. Developers primarily carry this out, as it would make little sense for anyone else to throw away their coins or tokens.

A variety of reasons exist for someone to burn cryptocurrency. Burning coins serves as a supply control and price stabilization technique, particularly in the case of a stablecoin. Coins are also occasionally burned to reward investors and raise the value of the coin or token. The circulating and total supply of coins and tokens decrease as they are burned. This decrease in supply promotes scarcity, which might result in a price increase. Coin and token burning can have a comparable effect to stock market buybacks.

Image Credit: Binance

Ethereum (ETH) began burning a portion of each transaction fee in August 2021. This token burn is a built-in component of the London Hard Fork’s Ethereum Improvement Proposal-1559  (EIP-1559) protocol. Another large market cap cryptocurrency burning coins is Binance (BNB). In late 2017, Binance initiated a burn program that would burn coins every quarter until 100 million coins are destroyed. The 100 million coins represent 50% of the total of BNB ever issued. To date, there have been 17 quarterly coin burns destroying 33,199,679 coins.

Binance announced an update to its burn program on December 23. This update would immediately take effect and convert quarterly burns to continuous auto burns. Instead of basing the burn off quarterly profits, the auto burn software will burn coins dependent on the price of BNB. Once the overall supply is decreased to less than 100 million, the auto burn will cease.

Because of the implementation of EIP-1559 as part of the London Hard Fork on August 5, a large portion of each Ethereum transaction fee is now burned. According to Watch the Burn, 1,298,671 ETH has been destroyed since then. This built-in protocol has acted as a deflationary force, lowering ETH’s inflation rate from around 4% to roughly 1.25%.

Bitcoin developers do not burn their coins. However, many Bitcoin have been purposely and mistakenly burned over the years. In 2014, Counterparty destroyed 2,124 Bitcoin in a procedure known as proof-of-burn to produce their own native token XCP. The Bitcoin was transferred to a wallet with no private key, rendering it unrecoverable. Counterparty is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading platform. It is a free and open-source protocol built on the Bitcoin network.

According to current estimations, up to 20% of all Bitcoin mined so far has been lost. They may still be viewed on the blockchain but never accessed. In a variety of ways, this Bitcoin has been rendered useless. The owners may have died, or investors may have lost their private keys. In the early days of crypto, Bitcoin private keys were sometimes saved on hard disks that were later lost.

In one prominent case in 2013, a British man named James Howells claims to have thrown away a hard disk containing 7,500 Bitcoin. Also, Satoshi Nakamoto is thought to have mined between 750,000 and 1 million Bitcoin, which was transferred to multiple wallets. It does not appear as if that Bitcoin has been spent to date.

Here is a partial list of cryptocurrencies that burn coins or tokens.

Ethereum (ETH): EIP-1559 protocol.Binance (BNB): Auto Burn Program (a total of 100 million will be burned).Stellar (XLM): Burned 55 billion XLM tokens in 2019. Shiba Inu (SHIB): 1.14 billion tokens were burned Christmas weekEinsteinium (EMC2): Burned 50 million coins in December 2017.INVAO (IVO): 20% of annual operating profits will buy back and burn tokens.Filecoin (FIL): The Filecoin burn mechanism burns a part of each gas fee.

Reflection fees are taxes that are applied to each transaction. The amount of tax varies depending on the coin. The revenue from the reflection fees is distributed between all holders, liquidity pools and sometimes burner wallets. A smart contract manages the reflection mechanism, making it trustless and decentralized.

This approach can compensate investors for holding coins or tokens. Long-term hodlers may be rewarded if coins or tokens are transferred to a burner wallet. One issue is that meme coins typically have huge coin supplies, so while burning helps, it is unlikely to significantly impact the coin or token price.

You can purchase ETH on any cryptocurrency exchange through various brokers or PayPal. Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN) is available in over a hundred countries and is particularly popular among beginners. It features an easy-to-navigate trading platform and a sizable cryptocurrency variety. Additionally, you can purchase ETH using eToro, Webull, Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) or Voyager.

If you’re looking to purchase BNB, the list of exchanges that support it is a little more limited. Naturally, you can buy BNB on Binance (Binance.US for U.S. investors). Additionally, you can purchase BNB through eToroX (eToro’s crypto exchange) and FTX.

Best ForEarning RewardsOverall Rating Read Review earn free cryptosecurely through Coinbase’s website More Details Best ForEarning RewardsN/A1 Minute Review

Coinbase is one of the Internet’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms. From Bitcoin to Litecoin or Basic Attention Token to Chainlink, Coinbase makes it exceptionally simple to buy and sell major cryptocurrency pairs. 

You can even earn cryptocurrency rewards through Coinbase’s unique Coinbase Earn feature. More advanced traders will love the Coinbase Pro platform, which offers more order types and enhanced functionality.

Though Coinbase doesn’t offer the most affordable pricing or the lowest fees, its simple platform is easy enough for complete beginners to master in as little as a single trade.

Best ForProsConsBest ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForProsConsBest ForMobile TradersOverall Rating Read Review claim free Bitcoinsecurely through Voyager’s website More Details Disclosure: *Other fees may apply.Best ForMobile TradersN/A1 Minute Review

Voyager is a leading name in the sphere of cryptocurrency investing, giving you access to over 50 tokens and coins. Buy, sell and swap assets using Voyager Crypto’s simple mobile platform available as a free download for iOS and Android users. 

When you invest through Voyager, you’ll pay nothing in commissions, which is a major benefit when compared to other cryptocurrency brokers. Voyager is also one of the only brokers we’ve seen that allows users to earn interest on their crypto investments. 

Though the broker could do more to improve its customer service, it’s an excellent option for beginner investors and seasoned professionals alike.

Best ForProsConsBest For N/A get startedsecurely through FTX’s website

It is generally not a good idea to hold significant amounts of cryptocurrency on exchanges. Cryptocurrency exchanges are periodically hacked, so leaving your crypto on an exchange exposes you to the danger of loss. For the ultimate in security, you’ll want a hardware wallet.

Hardware wallets are the most secure because of the security features built into them and the fact that when you are not using them, they can be isolated from the internet. Internet isolation makes it virtually impossible to hack them.

One of the best hardware wallets on the market is the Ledger, available in two models, the Nano S and the Nano X. Both models can be purchased directly from Ledger or Amazon. 

Best ForERC-20 tokensOverall Rating Read Review buy nowsecurely through Ledger Hardware Wallet’s website More Details Best ForERC-20 tokensN/A1 Minute Review

Launched in 2014, Ledger has transformed into a fast-paced, growing company developing infrastructure and security solutions for cryptocurrencies as well as blockchain applications for companies and individuals. Born in Paris, the company has since expanded to more than 130 employees in France and San Francisco.

With 1,500,000 Ledger wallets already sold in 165 countries, the company aims at securing the new disruptive class of crypto assets. Ledger has developed a distinctive operating system called BOLOS, which it integrates to a secure chip for its line of wallets. So far, Ledger takes pride in being the only market player to provide this technology.

Best ForProsCons

Each coin or token that is burned diminishes the supply and may have an effect on the price. When scarcity is increased, prices typically appreciate. Of course, the result depends on other things, too, such as the coin’s demand. The initial supply size will also determine whether or not the price is significantly impacted. Typically, burning coins is a long-term process, not something that would dramatically increase the price with a single burn.

Methodology

Benzinga crafted a specific methodology to rank cryptocurrency exchanges and tools. We prioritized platforms based on offerings, pricing and promotions, customer service, mobile app, user experience and benefits, and security. To see a comprehensive breakdown of our methodology, please visit see our Cryptocurrency Methodology page.

The term “metaverse” was first used in 1992 by Author Neal Stephenson in his science fiction novel Snow Crash. In his novel, Stephenson drafted a world where lifelike avatars would meet in realistic 3D virtual reality environments. 

The metaverse is now a reality. It is a shared digital reality where digital representations of people can interact with each other. Decentraland and The Sandbox both offer versions of metaverse. But what’s the difference? Learn more now with Benzinga’s guide.

Contents

What is The Metaverse?Decentraland vs. The Sandbox: What’s The Difference?History of Decentraland & The SandboxThe Sandbox vs. Decentraland BackingWhere to Buy SAND and MANA TokensOther Competition in The MetaverseWhich is Better? What is The Metaverse?

It is difficult to provide a concrete definition for “the metaverse” due to its early development and postulation. It is possible that attempting to define the metaverse in 2022 could be similar to attempting to define the Internet back in the 1980s. A new form of communication is being built, but no one is really sure what this technology will ultimately look like in the future. 

It is important to note that there will not be just one metaverse. There will be many metaverses serving many different functions. Some of these functions could include gaming, business, education and much more. 

Additionally, there are many different companies interested in building metaverses. The most famous currently may be the tech giant formerly known as Facebook, which chose to rebrand its company as Meta in October 2021.

A current and intuitive example of a metaverse could be Roblox. Roblox is a gaming platform and game creation system that allows players to play games and create games for others to play. The platform claims that it has 47 million daily users and that over half of American children use the platform. 

Decentraland and The Sandbox are another example of current day metaverses. Unlike Roblox, both are fully decentralized metaverses. This means that there is not a controlling centralized entity governing the platforms. Both virtual worlds are built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. 

The code behind the platforms are not run on centralized servers controlled by a single entity. Both platforms plan to govern themselves through the use of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations or DAOs. The Decentraland platform is governed by its users through the Decentraland DAO. Users who hold the crypto currency MANA or land NFTs may choose to vote on proposed changes to the platform. 

The Sandbox does not currently have a DAO and is being run by a centralized entity at the moment. However, it plans to launch a DAO in the near future, with the SAND cryptocurrency serving as a governance token. 

Decentraland vs. The Sandbox: What’s The Difference?

Decentraland has 90,601 parcels of land. These parcels of land are grouped into individual parcels, estates (multiple parcels), districts (parcels with similar themes) and plazas (untradable community owned parcels). Decentraland has three types of tokens: MANA, WEAR and LAND. 

The Sandbox has 166,464 plots of land and they can be grouped into estates (owned by one person) or districts (owned by 2 or more people). The Sandbox has four types of Tokens: SAND, ASSETS, GAMES and LAND.

Decentraland$3.070 Buy DecentralandJOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

Our team is diligently working to keep up with trends in the crypto markets. Keep up to date on the latest news and up-and-coming coins.

MOONBUST31 votes

One of the main differences between the 2 platforms is age. Decentraland is the older of the two and was the pioneer of the 3D Blockchain Metaverse. It was the first to create a working proof of concept and currently has a game that is available to the public. The Sandbox only has an Alpha version available to the public. 

Decentraland is currently run by a DAO, while the Sandbox is not. An interesting thing to note is that The Sandbox seemily has a more detailed and concrete plan for the future than it’s competitor Decentraland. This may be a benefit of being run by a centralized authority who has experience in the gaming industry rather than a DAO. 

The Sandbox currently has better graphics than Decentraland. However, users must download a windows application to access The Sandbox. Decentraland also allows peer-to-peer communications without any way for a centralized server to hear what you are talking about. 

History of Decentraland & The Sandbox

The Decentraland Foundation was founded by Esteban Ordano and Ariel Meilich in 2015. The Decentraland Foundation is the organization behind the development of the Decentraland software. 

The Decentraland Foundation holds the intellectual property rights and maintains the Decentraland website. The team held an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) in 2017 and raised 86,206 Eth (about $26 million at the time) to fund the development of decentraland. Decentrand was released to the public in January 2020. 

The Sandbox$5.12 Buy The SandboxJOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST

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MOONBUST27 votes

The Sandbox was originally a mobile game released on May 15, 2012. This mobile game was developed by gamestudio Pixowl. The 2012 mobile game was titled The Sandbox because it provided users with tools to create their own nonlinear gameplay, commonly known as a sandbox mode. 

The Sandbox brand was acquired by Animoca Brand in 2018. Animoca Brands then started the development of the well known blockchain 3D open world metaverse we know today, using the same brand as the previous mobile game. 

In 2019, The Sandbox raised $2.01 million dollars in cash and crypto to fund the development of The Sandbox. In November 2021 SoftBank led another $93 million dollar investment for The Sandbox.

The Sandbox has yet to be fully released to the public. However, the alpha version of The Sandbox Metaverse was launched for the public on November 29, 2021. The original mobile game of The Sandbox is still available as The Sandbox Evolution. 

The Sandbox vs. Decentraland Backing

Decentraland is backed by many well known and respected firms. These firms include the likes of FBG Capital, CoinFund and Digital Currency Group. Furthermore, Decentraland has partnered with Cyberpunk, Polygon, Samsung and the South Korean Government.

SoftBank is one of the largest backers of The Sandbox. SoftBank is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo and focuses on investment management. Softbank primarily invests in companies operating in technology, energy and financial sectors. Softbank is one of the largest investment companies in the world and has been the backers of various other firms such as Uber, WeWork and Slack. 

Where to Buy SAND and MANA Tokens

Cryptocurrencies play an important role in both Decentralad and The Sandbox. They are the fuel for these metaverse economies. 

Visitors to these metaverses may use their respective cryptocurrencies to purchase various items, services or experiences. These items can include virtual land, wearables and unique names. 

Purchasing experiences could range from buying tickets to a live concert, paying admission to an art museum, going on a hot-air balloon trip, or even trying your luck at a casino. You may also choose to trade items in Decentraland’s Bartertown, purchase digital art or go learn at Decentraland University. All of these activities require cryptocurrencies to participate. 

You can easily purchase MANA using centralized exchanges such as Coinbase, eToro and Gemini. If you’re looking to purchase SAND, the best place to do so is on Gemini. This is because SAND is currently not available to purchase using Coinbase. 

You may also purchase MANA and SAND using many popular decentralized exchanges. Both the MANA token and SAND token are Ethereum ERC-20 tokens. You can easily swap for these tokens on decentralized exchanges using Eth or other popular ERC-20 tokens. Some popular decentralized exchanges for these tokens include Uniswap, Metamask Swap and Sushiswap. 

Best ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForNew investors looking for a simple mobile and web appExperienced investors who need a more advanced platform with more toolsUsers looking for a 1-stop-shop to buy, sell and store all of their coinsProsEasy and quick signups — can get started in as little as a few minutesMultitude of platforms to accommodate traders of all skill levelsHot wallets include insurance to protect your from theft and hacking attemptsConsCharges both a commission and a convenience fee for users buying and selling through the desktop or mobile appBest ForEarning RewardsOverall Rating Read Review earn free cryptosecurely through Coinbase’s website More Details Best ForEarning RewardsN/A1 Minute Review

Coinbase is one of the Internet’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms. From Bitcoin to Litecoin or Basic Attention Token to Chainlink, Coinbase makes it exceptionally simple to buy and sell major cryptocurrency pairs. 

You can even earn cryptocurrency rewards through Coinbase’s unique Coinbase Earn feature. More advanced traders will love the Coinbase Pro platform, which offers more order types and enhanced functionality.

Though Coinbase doesn’t offer the most affordable pricing or the lowest fees, its simple platform is easy enough for complete beginners to master in as little as a single trade.

Best ForNew cryptocurrency tradersCryptocurrency traders interested in major pairsCryptocurrency traders interested in a simple platformProsSimple platform is easy to operateComprehensive mobile app mirrors desktop functionalityCoinbase Earn feature rewards you with crypto for learning about available coinsConsHigher fees than competitorsBest ForCrypto TradingOverall Rating Read Review get startedsecurely through eToro’s website More Details Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.Best ForCrypto TradingN/A1 Minute Review

eToro, headquartered in Cyprus, England and Israel, has provided forex products and other CFD derivatives to retail clients since 2007. A major eToro plus is its social trading operations, including OpenBook, which allows new clients to copy trade the platform’s best performers. Its social trading features are top notch, but eToro loses points for its lack of tradable currency pairs and underwhelming research and customer service features

Best ForU.S. based cryptocurrency tradersSocial and copy tradersSimple user interfaceCommunity engagement and following other tradersPros25 cryptocurrenciesExpansive network of social trading featuresLarge client base for new traders to imitateConsU.S. traders can only buy cryptocurrencyOther Competition in The Metaverse

Other decentralized metaverses to keep an eye on are Somnium Space and Enjin. Somnium Space is a virtual reality world built on the Ethereum blockchain. It is similar to Decentraland and The Sandbox in the sense that it also allows users to purchase digital land, items and services. Somnium Space is an open-source platform. 

The Enjin Network is an interconnected ecosystem of blockchain-powered games. Facebook, or now Meta, is also busy building a metaverse. However, this metaverse will most likely not be a decentralized metaverse, but a centralized world like Roblox. 

Which is Better? 

It is difficult to say which decentralized metaverse is better”at the moment. The Sandbox is still in Alpha mode and has not been as battle tested as Decentraland. The Sandbox has better graphics and runs more smoothly than Decentraland, and The Sandbox is much more centralized than Decentraland at the moment. 

Having a metaverse built on top of Ethereum with large amounts of centralization kills the benefits and purpose of building on the Ethereum blockchain. Still many blockchain projects start out centralized and decentralize over time, which is something that The Sandbox claims to wish to do in the future.

The future direction of the blockchain is rapidly revealing itself, and it will have ramifications for a variety of industries beyond finance, its first home run.

Blockchain technology, which originated as the foundation for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and can now be used across a wide range of businesses, is simply a virtual ledger capable of recording and validating large volumes of digital transactions.

The question is, is there enough impetus for change to accommodate its use - and will that change be marked enough to overthrow the power central authorities hold in so many areas of our lives?

If the financial services industry is an indicator, it certainly looks as though there is a rapid change blowing through the old established norms

Despite slipping from a record high in 2018, annual financing to blockchain startups has more than quadrupled since 2017, compared to its origins in banking and cryptocurrencies.

According to CB Insights' Market Sizing Tool, annual expenditure on all blockchain solutions will reach over $16B by 2023.

Blockchain has uses in a wide range of fields, including insurance, gambling, and even marijuana.

However, because of the success of its use with Bitcoin, blockchain's potential outside of finance was obscured to investors and entrepreneurs for ages. They are only just catching up with all the possible applications for blockchains.

Transparent, verifiable registers of transaction data have nearly limitless applications, thanks to blockchains' decentralized foundation, which eliminates the need for central oversight and makes them impervious to fraud.

The increased openness and authenticity that blockchain is bringing to the digital information ecosystem is increasing interest in blockchain technology across a wide range of industries and policy areas.

Some of the most cutting-edge ways businesses are using blockchain to their advantage today.

The financial sector is way out in front when it comes to already utilizing the blockchain in a number of applications.

For example, Credit Suisse employs blockchain technology to settle US stock transactions in partnership with New York-based firm Paxos.

JPMorgan Chase, on the other hand, has launched the JPM Coin, which it plans to utilize to make transfers between institutional accounts more seamless.

Other financial institutions, such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, have dabbled with blockchain technology.

All of the above are experimented with by using Axoni's Axcore blockchain to conduct a seamless equity transfer test between them.

Generally speaking, blockchain has the potential to totally disrupt the $5T+ banking sector by disintermediating the fundamental services provided by banks, such as payments, clearing, and settlement.

Financing cross-border transactions generate $224 billion in payments income for banks each year.

Blockchain technology provides a safe and low-cost method of moving money that eliminates the need for third-party verification and reduces the processing time compared to conventional bank transfers.

Companies like Santander and Western Union are working with Ripple to make cross-border payments more efficient.

Ripple has over 300 clients.

Its xCurrent solution offers a two-way communication protocol for banks, allowing for real-time messaging and settlement to take place . The central bank of Switzerland employed R3's distributed ledger technology for a pilot to settle big transactions between financial institutions using digital currencies.

R3 is a significant participant in distributed ledger technology for banks going forward.

Blockchain will be used by banks for anything from trade financing to customer KYC and fraud prevention - blockchain technology is also reshaping the world of stock trading and hedge funds. Recently, new blockchain-focused firms are attempting to automate and safeguard the stock trading process in a way that hasn't been possible with any previous solution.

Overstock subsidiary T.com plans to use blockchain technology to facilitate stock trades online.

Transparency and auditability are improved by integrating the tZERO platform's cryptographically secure distributed ledgers with current trading operations.

Existing trade networks and exchanges will help blockchain gain traction in the marketplace.

As a result of Chain, a blockchain business bought by Stellar in 2018, the Nasdaq stock market and Citibank's banking system have been securely linked.

The hedge fund concept, which employs a slew of traders and quants, is being decentralized by Numerai.

Numerai, sponsored by First Round Capital and Union Square Ventures, delivers encrypted information to its thousands of dispersed quants and asks them to create predictive models, and the top contributors are rewarded with Numeraire, Numerai's token.

The approach is then used by Numerai to build a trading meta-model.

A new Numerai project dubbed Numerai Signals will take signals from models trained on any dataset, the company has revealed.

In order to reward "the most unique signals," the corporation has put aside $50 million in Numeraire tokens.

Crowdfunding blockchain technology is reshaping crowdsourcing too.

By allowing supporters (also known as "pledgers") or private investors direct access to artists and entrepreneurs, the crowdfunding sector has evolved to help "disintermediate" capital formation.

BRAID, for example, was the first major feature film to be funded through an Ethereum blockchain "crowd sale" of tokens via its $1.7M campaign on Weifund.

Another form of blockchain-powered crowdfunding is Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), in which corporations sell cryptocurrency-backed tokens in their companies in the same way that a publicly listed company sells the stock.

In order to assist blockchain startups to build legal and compliant ICOs, businesses like Coinlist — which originated as a partnership between Protocol Labs and AngelList — are bringing digital assets into the mainstream.

Waves, a platform for storing, managing, and issuing digital assets, and Republic's crypto project are two more firms developing in the ICO industry that seek to allow individuals to engage in ICOs for as little as $10.Decentralizing the process allows 

Pledgecamp, is a Kickstarter and Indiegogo rival, which boosts transparency (via smart contracts) and provides "Backer Insurance." When a project's financing goal is met, monies are sent to an escrow wallet and unlocked over time.

Investors may track the progress of their funds and have a say in how the project is doing, such as voting on whether or not a new phase of development should be started.

Exchanges for cryptocurrencies blockchain technology are causing havoc on cryptocurrency markets.

Enigma, a well-known initiative in this area, has the backing of MIT and Flybridge Capital.

Catalyst, an off-chain decentralized exchange, and investing platform, was created by Enigma with the goal of eliminating the requirement for a third-party clearinghouse to facilitate transactions.

0x, an Ethereum-based decentralized exchange is also well-known.

In the decentralized exchange arena, centralized exchanges like Binance and Coinbase have made inroads, establishing Binance DEX in 2019 and purchasing Paradex in 2018, respectively.

The use of blockchain technology has the potential to upend traditional wills and inheritances as well.

Using smart contracts for wills makes perfect sense since they're so narrowly defined.

Litigation over a will sometimes entails questions about the "genuineness," or whether the court's interpretation matches the deceased's wishes, as well as verification of the death itself.

However, the use of blockchain technology will make it simpler to discover accurate information, offer verifiable transaction data and discard assertions that are not supported by the facts.

Japanese start-up Zweispace is working on a blockchain-based self-executing will system that distributes assets from an inheritance trust to beneficiaries immediately upon confirmation of the trustee's death, removing the need for executors and court disputes over the validity of a will.

As you can see, there isn’t an area where blockchain technology isn’t making an impact:

AccountingLoans and creditInsuranceAutomotive manufacturingCar leasing and salesRide hailingTruckingAerospace and defenceAir travelHospitalityIndustrial IOT3D printingConstruction architecture and buildingReal estateEnergy managementHealth information exchangesClaims managementPharmaResearch and clinical trialsGovernment and public recordsVotingGun trackingLaw enforcementFederal mailPublic transportationWaste managementPublic assistanceRetail and CPGE-commerceFood and beverageGift card and loyalty programs

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are thousands of other areas where the brightest minds on the planet are making sure that the blockchain is being applied where it will have an effect.

As we have seen, some areas are far more advanced in their implementation than others.

The depth of penetration into traditional industries like law, insurance, and accounting shows how versatile and all-encompassing the blockchain can be.

Combined with AI (artificial intelligence) technology, on balance, humanity is completely capable of casting aside central authorities and “de-fi-ing” convention.

The next decade will witness the dissolving of the power of central authorities by sheer force of numbers if nothing else.

We live in interesting times.

All statements presented in this website are the exclusive opinions of NOBLE GOLD, INC. and no other party. It must be emphasized that the performance of investments or purchases that have occurred previously may not be taken as predicting future performance or results. Investing in precious metals, including gold coins, gold or silver bars, involve risks, and may not be appropriate for all investors. The value of these items may change depending on various conditions, and may fluctuate, accordingly. NOBLE GOLD, INC. makes no representations or guarantees that metals purchased will appreciate in value. Any decision to buy or sell precious metals must be that of the customer, acting alone, and should be made with caution, on the basis of the customer’s own personal investigation and research, and exclusive judgment. By accessing the information presented on this website and utilizing the services of NOBLE GOLD, INC. you hereby agree to be bound by the terms of service and privacy policy of the Company.

Cryptos feed-->  Latest Crypto News Latest Crypto News & Analysis Editors’ PicksCardano Price Prediction: ADA to retrace 17% after recent uptrend

Cardano price witnessed an exponential increase over the past week and showed signs of slowdown as it approaches a massive hurdle. Investors can expect ADA to retrace and recuperate before it embarks on another leg-up.

More Cardano NewsAxie Infinity price headed for a 13% plunge if key support level fails to hold

Axie Infinity price is at risk of sliding lower if a crucial support barrier fails to hold. Slicing below $75.07 could spell trouble for the bulls as a governing technical pattern projects a 13% plunge toward $66.61.

More Axie Infinity NewsLawyers state Ripple is giving SEC more trouble than anyone in crypto, including Elon Musk

Proponents believe that the outcome of the SEC vs. Ripple case is of consequence for the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem. Ripple has been embroiled in a battle with the SEC since December 2020, and the payments giant secured a win in a recent ruling by Judge Netburn. 

More Ripple News Ethereum Weekly Forecast: ETH plans to restart new bull rally

Ethereum price witnessed a minor uptrend as it bounced off a crucial support level. This bull rally failed to catch traction, leading to a steep correction back to the aforementioned foothold. Here, ETH contemplates its next course of action with its odds slightly skewed in favor of bulls.

More Ethereum NewsBTC eyes retest of $50,000

Bitcoin price shows a resurgence of retail interest as it bounced off a crucial psychological level. The recent uptrend is preparing a base on a short-term time frame so BTC can kick-start a larger leg-up. Interestingly, on-chain metrics are lining up with the bullish outlook portrayed from a technical perspective. An uptrend now seems inevitable for BTC and, therefore, the larger ecosystem.

Read full analysis BTC ETH XRP Crypto partners in your location

Vauld is a robust platform that provides an excellent user interface — especially for beginners. The site is easily navigable while creating an account and depositing funds is simple. In addition, there is a variety of cryptocurrencies and tokens for individuals to choose from.

The company allows you to earn interest — at rates up to 12.68% — on the cryptos in your account. It offers different rates, such as a savings rate and a fixed deposit rate. Interest is calculated daily, and Vauld makes weekly payouts on all your tokens. You can withdraw your funds at any time.

Fixed-term deposits benefit consumers as opting into one helps earn higher interest and is a straightforward process. It offers competitive rates against their counterparts. You can opt-out with no penalties at any time after entry. 

Compounded interest is earned every week. Additionally, you can borrow against your tokens. This entails taking a low-interest loan that goes against your crypto assets. With instant approval and no hidden fees, it is paid back at any time in any number of installments. APR will vary based on the crypto asset.

The crypto space has grown tremendously, and Vauld has further improved the access for new users. However, trading crypto may not be for everyone. Be sure to research before deciding if it is best for you.

The customer service from Vauld is limited. However, you can speak with one of their team members by selecting the chat function on the website if you have a query. 

For users at prescribed levels of AUM, Vauld provides premium services at no extra cost. Users who have more than $10,000 on Vauld can schedule phone calls with the support team for an even more seamless experience. Account holders over $100,000 on Vauld get a dedicated account manager.

If they are unavailable, you can leave a message with your email, and they will get back to you. In addition, Vauld offers links for a community portal (which is a forum where you can share thoughts and feedback or talk about crypto), a public roadmap (that tells you what the company is working on), and its Telegram community. 

The forum is an excellent way to ask other people questions in the crypto space and learn from their mistakes. You can also find out how you can best utilize Vauld’s platform. 

At the bottom of Vauld’s website, it provides links to its multiple social media accounts, which offers an alternative method of reaching out to the company. 

Finally, the company has an FAQ page with a broad range of questions and answers that may help solve any queries you may have. However, no phone number is provided, and the only email address found was via another website.

Vauld offers the chance for investors to earn interest on their investments. However, the rates can change depending on the token or crypto asset you own. 

The company allows users to take out a loan against their existing crypto assets, with a minimum loan amount of $1,000. You can borrow up to an LTV of 66.67%.

Vauld does not charge any deposit or withdrawal fees, and there are no hidden fees to worry about. However, the company does charge a maker and taker fee for many assets, but this is affordable and charged at the same rate as most competitors. Vauld also has minimum trade amounts, which vary depending on the crypto. 

Vauld offers a mobile application that can be accessed through the Apple app store and Android play store. It has a great layout which you can navigate with ease. It mirrors the company’s website, which is slightly limited, but can keep track of your account from anywhere.

One of the main benefits of Vauld involves using your crypto assets to grow your portfolio further. The company has also created a user-friendly website and app that helps people develop and keep track of their portfolio at any time. It takes minutes to set up an account and deposit your funds, and you can access the Telegram channel to learn more about trading and investing in cryptocurrencies.  

The variety of crypto assets on offer and the rates charged helps give people flexibility in terms of where they invest their money. In addition, Vauld allows you to use your crypto holdings to apply for a loan. 

While Vauld does provide a couple of contact options, they are not plenty. However, when contacted, the customer service provided was helpful. 

Unfortunately, while Vauld is a new and growing platform, which is sure to improve over time, it is unable to achieve full marks for the full user experience at this moment in time.

Vauld has proven to be a promising company and stands out against most competitors. Positives of the platform include the weekly payouts on all your tokens, with interest calculated daily. In addition, higher interest can be earned depending on the plan for the user, as it offers fixed-term deposits that can be left with no charges. 

Borrowing against your tokens is another excellent example of the benefits you can receive, taking a low-interest loan that can get instant approval and be paid back at any time, in any number of installments. 

Best ForBeginner InvestorsOverall Rating get startedsecurely through Vauld’s website More Details Best ForBeginner InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Founded in September 2018, Vauld is a cryptocurrency platform based in Singapore. It enables customers to buy, lend, borrow and trade crypto assets in a simple and straightforward method. The company aims to “treat your cryptocurrencies as a separate asset class and offer services to ensure technology based on blockchain is usable today”. 

If you currently own a portfolio of crypto assets, Vauld is an excellent platform enabling users to build wealth centered around a unified platform. For new investors, it is crucial to have a platform that is easy to navigate. Vauld helps new investors navigate the crypto markets. If you are holding crypto assets for the long term, the company also offers you the opportunity to earn interest or borrow money. Vauld offers different interest rates such as a saving rate, fixed deposit rate and borrowing rate.

As well as investing in your favorite crypto assets, the addition of making interest is a significant development to help improve an individual’s wealth, especially in times of low volatility. Vauld’s interest rate is paid on an annual percentage yield (APY) basis, and the rate offered is the total amount you can make in a year (including the compounding in your principal amount). The company compounds your principal amount at the end of a weekly payout or a fixed deposit payout.

The company is highly secure and offers an authentication system to elevate your security. It is transparent with no hidden fees and insured by Bitgo.

Best ForPeople who hold crypto assetsBeginner investorsProsYour current crypto assets can help you earn up to 12.68%* in interestIt offers loansNo deposit or withdrawal feesThe ease of crypto and fiat exchangeHighly secureConsA new platform: With crypto being a highly volatile market, most people prefer to be with a platform they know and trust. With Vauld being reasonably new, there isn’t an extensive amount of information available on the company yet. However, it does seem to be building a solid reputation. Best ForCrypto TradingOverall Rating Read Review get startedsecurely through eToro’s website More Details Disclosure: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.Best ForCrypto TradingN/A1 Minute Review

eToro, headquartered in Cyprus, England and Israel, has provided forex products and other CFD derivatives to retail clients since 2007. A major eToro plus is its social trading operations, including OpenBook, which allows new clients to copy trade the platform’s best performers. Its social trading features are top notch, but eToro loses points for its lack of tradable currency pairs and underwhelming research and customer service features

Best ForU.S. based cryptocurrency tradersSocial and copy tradersSimple user interfaceCommunity engagement and following other tradersPros25 cryptocurrenciesExpansive network of social trading featuresLarge client base for new traders to imitateConsU.S. traders can only buy cryptocurrencyBest ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForNew investors looking for a simple mobile and web appExperienced investors who need a more advanced platform with more toolsUsers looking for a 1-stop-shop to buy, sell and store all of their coinsProsEasy and quick signups — can get started in as little as a few minutesMultitude of platforms to accommodate traders of all skill levelsHot wallets include insurance to protect your from theft and hacking attemptsConsCharges both a commission and a convenience fee for users buying and selling through the desktop or mobile appBest ForNo or Low FeesOverall Rating Read Review get startedsecurely through BlockFi’s website More Details Best ForNo or Low FeesN/A1 Minute Review

Maybe you think cryptocurrency is the future, or perhaps you were swept up in the initial waves of Bitcoin. BlockFi may be your next step if you’re ready to evolve as a crypto investor.

Whether you’re a native crypto user or curious enough to start investing, BlockFi seeks to bring institutional-grade financial products to crypto markets that often face restricted access. It strives to bring clients low-cost, simple applications designed to maximize the potential of crypto assets. Learn more in our BlockFi review.

Best ForCrypto native clientsCrypto curious clientsProsMostly fee-free platformMarket-best interest ratesEarn interest, trade and borrow from a centralized hub using the BlockFi appConsMostly restricted to those with a base knowledge of cryptocurrencyNo dedicated relationship with an investment advisor, so best for those who have a solid handle on crypto trading

Vauld gets an attractive rating due to the variety of services it provides, such as borrowing, earning interest and purchasing crypto-assets through its platform. The company has also considered its customers when it comes to loan repayments. Allowing users to make any number of installments and pay the loan back anytime is great for customers. 

An added bonus is its users being able to interact via the community portal. It provides an extra layer of help and information should it ever be needed.

QIs the Vauld crypto app safe?1Is the Vauld crypto app safe?asked Sam Boughedda, Stock Market AnalystA1

Vauld is a very safe app. It uses multi-factor authentication to secure your account, creating a dynamically changing passcode that you must enter whenever you perform an action on the platform. Its partner BitGo is among the most trusted custodians in the crypto industry.

Answer Link answered Benzinga QIs Vauld available in the U.S.?1Is Vauld available in the U.S.?asked Sam Boughedda, Stock Market AnalystA1

Vauld is available in the U.S. for anyone to open an account and use. 

Answer Link answered Benzinga Methodology

Benzinga crafted a specific methodology to rank cryptocurrency exchanges and tools. We prioritized platforms based on offerings, pricing and promotions, customer service, mobile app, user experience and benefits, and security. To see a comprehensive breakdown of our methodology, please visit see our Cryptocurrency Methodology page.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have taken the world by storm as some of the most famous celebrities have started to join the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. These digital assets have changed the game for digital communities and networking in general. Within these communities, some projects offer free mints or airdrops to qualifying holders, providing an exciting way for new investors to receive free NFTs. 

Contents

What Are NFTs, Anyway?NFT PricesHow To Get Free NFTsNFT AirdropsFree NFT MintsMake Your Own NFTPlay-to-Earn NFT GamesHow to Get Started With NFTsWhere To Store NFTs SafelyBest Hardware Wallet: LedgerAre NFTs a Bubble?

An NFT is a digital asset that is unique and cannot be recreated. Each NFT has its own address on the blockchain that cannot be changed or faked. This process allows for proof of ownership among the community and invalidates concerns that someone could take a screenshot of the art to try to claim ownership. 

NFTs allow individuals to own digital assets such as art, music and virtual real estate. These assets also have the ability to promote different artists or musicians as some creators are able to earn royalties off future purchases. 

The cost of different NFT collections can vary drastically. Some projects offer free claims to qualifying individuals; others have a value well over $100,000. The number of different collections is growing exponentially, so don’t feel discouraged if you can’t afford $100,000 for an NFT.

Blockchains like Ethereum typically have higher gas fees than other competing networks like Solana. Using less-expensive blockchains provides a great opportunity for traders hoping to spend minimal cash on gas fees. Although fees may be higher on Ethereum, the quality of artwork is generally superior to other blockchains. 

In order for some projects to get off their feet, they provide free NFT mints or airdrop NFTs to individuals. The best way to find free mints would be to get active in the NFT community. Browse OpenSea and Twitter to find upcoming mints. 

When browsing for upcoming NFT mints, stay cautious of malicious projects or individuals. Research as much information as possible about the creators and the intentions of the project.

NFT Airdrops

NFT airdrops occur when an NFT is given to a qualifying individual, typically holders of other projects. One of the most popular examples of an NFT airdrop is the mutant veils for BAYC holders, where those who owned one Bored Ape NFT were gifted with an exclusive drop of Yuga Lab’s second project, Mutant Ape Yacht Club. As of January 2022, this free airdrop to Bored Ape holders is worth around $50,000.

This process allows for quick adoption of the project and promotes growth as individuals are often excited to receive free assets. The concept of airdrops among the NFT community is also important because it gives investors something to look forward to when purchasing an NFT. 

Free NFT Mints

In order to grow quickly and raise interest, some projects offer free mints. Giving out free mints incurs no upfront cost except for the gas fee to mint the piece to the blockchain. Keep in mind some blockchains may cost more than others; for example, free mints on Ethereum may be over $100 due to increasing gas fees. 

Make Your Own NFT

Some decentralized applications (DApps) allow you to create your own NFT by minting it onto a blockchain. It’s important to consider that although anyone can create an NFT, it does not necessarily give it value. 

The value of owning an NFT is completely subjective, although some benefits are proof of ownership and community perks. By purchasing these assets on the blockchain, you gain a verified ledger of all transaction history, making ownership and overall history completely transparent. 

Play-to-Earn NFT Games

Play-to-earn video games reward users with crypto for completing tasks or beating opponents within the game. These decentralized games are usually an upfront investment as it requires the purchase of NFTs in order to start playing the game. Although the upfront cost may be large for some games, the ability to earn free NFTs or crypto can make it a worthwhile venture. Some top NFT games are Axie Infinity and The Sandbox. Another play-to-earn game is Sorare, which combines Fantasy Soccer with NFTs and Ethereum rewards.

Best For N/A Get startedsecurely through Sorare’s website

The first step to purchasing an NFT would be to acquire ETH or whatever coin is native to the network you want to buy the NFT from. To accomplish this step, you’d open an account on a trading platform like Gemini or Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN). 

Once you verify your account on a trading platform, you fund it with your preferred payment method. The most common methods of funding are debit or credit cards as well as a direct bank transfer. 

Best ForNew InvestorsOverall Rating Read Review try for freesecurely through Gemini Crypto’s website More Details Best ForNew InvestorsN/A1 Minute Review

Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that offers investors access to 26 coins and tokens. Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally, in particular into Europe and Asia. Offerings include both major cryptocurrency projects like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and smaller altcoins like Orchid and 0x.

Gemini is 1 of the only brokers with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love the streamlined interface of Gemini’s mobile and web apps, while advanced investors might appreciate all the tools that come with ActiveTrader. 

In addition to a host of platform choices, Gemini users also have access to insured hot wallets to store tokens without worrying about digital asset theft. Learn more about what Gemini can do for you in our review.

Best ForNew investors looking for a simple mobile and web appExperienced investors who need a more advanced platform with more toolsUsers looking for a 1-stop-shop to buy, sell and store all of their coinsProsEasy and quick signups — can get started in as little as a few minutesMultitude of platforms to accommodate traders of all skill levelsHot wallets include insurance to protect your from theft and hacking attemptsConsCharges both a commission and a convenience fee for users buying and selling through the desktop or mobile appBest ForEarning RewardsOverall Rating Read Review earn free cryptosecurely through Coinbase’s website More Details Best ForEarning RewardsN/A1 Minute Review

Coinbase is one of the Internet’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms. From Bitcoin to Litecoin or Basic Attention Token to Chainlink, Coinbase makes it exceptionally simple to buy and sell major cryptocurrency pairs. 

You can even earn cryptocurrency rewards through Coinbase’s unique Coinbase Earn feature. More advanced traders will love the Coinbase Pro platform, which offers more order types and enhanced functionality.

Though Coinbase doesn’t offer the most affordable pricing or the lowest fees, its simple platform is easy enough for complete beginners to master in as little as a single trade.

Best ForNew cryptocurrency tradersCryptocurrency traders interested in major pairsCryptocurrency traders interested in a simple platformProsSimple platform is easy to operateComprehensive mobile app mirrors desktop functionalityCoinbase Earn feature rewards you with crypto for learning about available coinsConsHigher fees than competitors

When determining where to keep your NFTs, it’s best to consider a hardware wallet for maximum security. A software wallet like Metamask is common for holding NFTs, as it’s compatible with Opensea and other DApps, but you could get hacked if you connect your wallet to an untrusted third-party website.

Best Hardware Wallet: Ledger

Ledger is one of the top hardware wallets currently available. The device is primarily an offline hardware wallet that also connects to Bluetooth and USB depending on if you want to use your computer or mobile phone. Ledger also has an app to make it easier to secure, store and manage your digital assets.

Best ForERC-20 tokensOverall Rating Read Review buy nowsecurely through Ledger Hardware Wallet’s website More Details Best ForERC-20 tokensN/A1 Minute Review

Launched in 2014, Ledger has transformed into a fast-paced, growing company developing infrastructure and security solutions for cryptocurrencies as well as blockchain applications for companies and individuals. Born in Paris, the company has since expanded to more than 130 employees in France and San Francisco.

With 1,500,000 Ledger wallets already sold in 165 countries, the company aims at securing the new disruptive class of crypto assets. Ledger has developed a distinctive operating system called BOLOS, which it integrates to a secure chip for its line of wallets. So far, Ledger takes pride in being the only market player to provide this technology.

Best ForERC-20 tokensAll experience levelsPros Easy to set up and use Supports more than 1,500 different digital assets Tamper proof Portable Long-lasting batteryBluetooth connectivity featuresCons Can be quite pricey

Considering how new and incredibly popular NFTs have become, they are most likely in a bubble. These digital assets are so new and heavily traded that it’s hard to determine the true value of an NFT in most circumstances. 

Although NFTs may be a bubble, revolutionary innovation lies behind the core technology. Looking beyond the aspect of the art, NFTs provide an entirely new way to verify ownership and authenticity of assets. The future holds endless possibilities for the application of NFTs, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds over the next few years.

Methodology

Benzinga crafted a specific methodology to rank cryptocurrency exchanges and tools. We prioritized platforms based on offerings, pricing and promotions, customer service, mobile app, user experience and benefits, and security. To see a comprehensive breakdown of our methodology, please visit see our Cryptocurrency Methodology page.