When the website ArtStation announced plans to start offering NFTs, short for non-fungible tokens, the last thing it expected was backlash. But within hours of tweeting about its intentions, that’s precisely what it got.

Almost immediately, the site’s patrons loudly voiced their opposition to the move, citing concerns about the environmental impact of putting art on the blockchain. The uproar reached such a peak that, before the day was done, ArtStation decided to pull the plug on its NFT initiative before it had even launched.

“In light of the critical reception on social media regarding NFTs, it’s clear that now is not the right time for NFTs on ArtStation,” the company wrote in a blog post. “We are very sorry for all the negative emotions this has caused. Despite our attempts to validate our approach, we clearly made a mistake and admit fault.”

The people behind ArtStation aren’t the only ones who failed to consider the staggering carbon footprint of crypto art before attempting to cash in on the NFT gold rush.

Joanie Lemercier wishes he had known about it before he sold six of his light-bending artworks as NFTs. Lemercier, a French artist turned climate activist, has spent the last few years trying to cut his annual emissions by 10 percent with significant measures like ditching air travel and integrating rainwater into his studio. His NFT launch erased the progress of those efforts in a matter of minutes.

Austria-based architectural designer Chris Precht was far luckier. Right before he had made up his mind to sell 300 editions of his artwork as NFTs — with the added condition that he would plant enough trees to offset this technology’s emissions, his partner warned him: “You need Amazons, not trees to offset NFTs,” she told him.

The rise of NFTs, which are essentially certificates of ownership for any virtual asset, from pictures of a painting to tweets, has sent the art world into a frenzy — and understandably so. With artists facing a pandemic-fueled downturn in the absence of in-person exhibitions and auctions, NFTs have emerged as a much-needed saving grace for many.

While NFTs have been around for a while, they landed in the spotlight when one of them was bought for $69 million over a month ago. Since then, NFTs of memes, album covers, online articles, and more have racked in millions of dollars. But NFT fortune comes at a grave cost, as artists like Lemercier and Precht discovered: They’re spectacularly bad for the environment.

The end-to-end transaction of a single NFT, on average, is estimated to emit the carbon equivalent of a two-hour flight or a month of an EU resident’s electricity consumption. This is just for trading ownership for one digital asset. The figures only get worse when you consider the multi-edition sets artists are putting up for sale. In the last month alone, over 100,000 such transactions took place on some of the leading NFT marketplaces, per a tracker site called NonFungible.

Lecermier’s six-edition NFT drop, which sold out in a mere 10 seconds, for instance, consumed more electricity than what his entire studio consumes in two years.

Alex de Vries, a data scientist and creator of Digiconomist, a site that’s been tracking cryptocurrencies’ carbon footprint for years, says “cryptocurrency mining is already negating our entire net gains from deploying electric vehicles.”

But NFTs are only the tip of a (melting) iceberg. The reason an NFT’s carbon footprint is so vast is because of the way its underlying platform of choice, Ethereum, works. You see, creating, say, a JPG picture on your computer won’t take up a whole lot of energy. But to forge its NFT — a unique, nontradable token of ownership for it — its information has to be “minted” onto the Ethereum blockchain, which is not at all designed to be green. Access to this information is what the person who acquires the digital asset is paying for.

In order to successfully record an NFT’s information on Ehtereum and add a new block to its chain, miners need to use power-hungry computer hardware to crack complex cryptographic puzzles. The more power their computing rig has, the quicker it can solve the puzzle. The winner is rewarded with Ethereum coins, which at the time of writing, were trading for around $2,500 a pop.

That may not sound like much but these machines aren’t your usual run-of-the-mill PCs. Their computations involve breaking down large math equations that can take hours or even days to complete. Not to mention this takes place on thousands of machines as everyone attempts to reach the finish line before anyone else.

A single Ethereum transaction, therefore, ends up gobbling up the same amount of electricity as an average U.S. household would over 2.56 days. The NFT process from start to finish often involves multiple such transactions. To date, according to Digiconomist, Ethereum’s power consumption is equivalent to that of the entire country of New Zealand.

Aurora Sharrard, director of sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh, likens the virality of NFTs to fast fashion and believes it’s not in line with our sustainability targets.

“While NFTs and cryptocurrencies are means for various industries and artists to work around economic market hurdles,” she added, “environmentally speaking, they are the digital fast fashion of the day, requiring extreme amounts of electricity to produce nontangible items whose positive social benefits have not been demonstrated to exceed their negative environmental impact.”

What’s worse, Ethereum’s existing system, called proof of work, is built to progressively become more complex and demand even more power as people continue to compete for it — to make it increasingly more competitive, to prevent cheating, and to shoot up prices as new blocks get scarce.

Replacing this system with a more environmentally friendly one that doesn’t involve thousands of giant mining rigs guzzling energy is what most experts believe could prevent Ethereum (and other blockchain-based platforms) from killing the planet.

That alternative is already here and it’s called proof of stake. In this model, Ethereum’s algorithm simply picks a miner to authenticate the new block based on how many coins they already own — eliminating the need for miners to compete and emit an enormous amount of emissions to break down the puzzle.

Proof of stake has been in development for years, but the organization behind Ethereum has remained vague about its release and repeatedly postponed its launch timeline.

Fortunately, the proof-of-stake model isn’t exclusive to Ethereum, and a handful of NFT marketplaces have cropped up that take advantage of proof-of-stake blockchains to offer a more eco-friendly alternative to Ethereum-based services.

However, even though popular platforms like NBA Top Shot, where you can buy NFTs of NBA video highlights and trading cards, have found success in proof-of-stake blockchains, artists are wary of their volatility preventing such climate-first models from reaching the same level of popularity as Ethereum.

Alice Bucknell, a London-based artist, believes the timid response towardsgreener platforms is also partly because of the “generalized lack of awareness around Ethereum’s gigantic energy consumption” and points out that “neither the currency nor mainstream NFT auction platforms are interested in making these figures transparent for the exact fear that it would scare away potential buyers with an environmental conscience.”

Ethereum-based platforms like NiftyGateway and SuperRare have been unusually secretive about their carbon emissions and have refused to reveal them, forcing artists and everyone else to rely on third-party trackers. Nifty Gateway and SuperRare didn’t respond to requests fro comment from Digital Trends.

Christina Akopova, co-founder of a proof-of-stake cyrpto-art marketplace called Pixeos, is nevertheless optimistic. While she agrees there’s “still a lot of education and awareness to be raised,” NFT and the blockchain industry will ultimately turn to the green side as long as reliable alternatives exist.

Another approach to tackling Ethereum’s carbon-intensive process is to either power it all with clean energy or offset the emissions later. While both these options appear sound on paper, they’re easier said than done.

Despite accounting for such a minuscule portion of world transactions, Ethereum is already responsible for consuming as much energy as many countries combined and is notorious for putting power plants under heavy strain. If left unchecked, environmentalists have good reason to predict that even clean energy won’t be enough to make such cryptocurrencies sustainable.

“Using only renewable energy to produce cryptocurrencies is a good start,” Sharrard told Digital Trends, “but the overall energy intensity and demand of the sector also need to be considered and reduced.”

In his research on renewable energy and Bitcoin mining, Digiconomist’s de Vries argues that the infrastructure for supplying clean energy is simply not adequate to handle cryptocurrency’s growing appetite. He adds that electronic waste from piles of obsolete mining chips is projected to “massively outpace e-waste creation by the banking sector.”

For the time being, though, offsetting emissions may be the best way forward. On platforms like Offsetra, people can select the amount of carbon they’ve spent and directly invest in a pro-climate project of their choice.

Offsetra co-founder Brendan McGill claims offsetting is the most pragmatic solution right now since it’s something artists and miners can do right away instead of putting their NFT plans on hold and waiting for Ethereum’s proof-of-stake update. Environmental initiatives, McGill adds, are also in dire need of resources and they could use some from the ongoing NFT gold rush.

In the long run, however, a government reform that mandates eco-friendly systems and emissions offsets might be the only option for a sustainable future of technologies like NFTs. Otherwise, reckless mining ecosystems could end risking the fate of cryptocurrency. China, for instance, recently banned the world’s largest mining hub in Inner Mongolia over fossil fuel consumption concerns.

“The distraction of crypto methods that cause huge environmental and social damage isn’t good, fun entertainment — it’s wasteful fast fashion,” Sharrard said. “We only have one planet fit for human life and we need to make sure we’re not letting wasteful and harmful trends destroy the only place we can call home.”

MIDVALE, Utah – Bitcoin. Dogecoin. Ether. Digital dollar options are expanding. Their volatile values are setting record highs and lows. As more companies accept digital currency, are people actually spending it?

Bernie and Brothers Barber Co. in Midvale will take cash, cards, or if you like, Bitcoin.

“It’s the currency of the future,” said owner and barber, Bernie Hiett. “I wanted to be the first on it!”

Hiett loves the idea of cryptocurrency and its decentralized nature, specifically the part that allows her and her patrons to cut out the middleman.

“You’re not really paying a bank or a credit card processor – anything like that,” she explained. “So, it’s a good way to kind of skip that.”

Cryptocurrency is sort of like cash, but instead of handing off a dollar bill, you hand off a piece of computer code. Unlike a dollar, which has a fixed value, crypto is decentralized, meaning it is not tied to any physical coins or bills and there is no central authority overseeing its value.

So how much is a bitcoin worth?

Good question, as we discovered when we tried to pay Bernie and Brothers the equivalent of $10.

In the time it took to open a cryptocurrency exchange app, scan a QR code and click send, the value went up by $0.07 – almost a 1% increase in just 90 seconds.

That volatility is the reason you have been hearing a lot about cryptocurrencies lately.

On April 1, 2020, a single bitcoin was worth $6,671 according to CoinDesk. By April 15 of this year, its value shot up nearly tenfold to $63,346. That value plunged to $48,542 just 10 days later.

While 7 extra cents on a $10 transaction isn’t a big deal, such flux does make cryptocurrency tough to spend.

Which begs the question: Is cryptocurrency really a practical currency?

“That has definitely dampened its adoption for currency purposes, like for paying for haircuts, buying pizzas and buying real estate,” said Scott Condie, associate professor of economics at Brigham Young University. “When someone gives you cryptocurrency, you don’t have a good sense for exactly what that will buy five minutes from now, or an hour from now, or a week from now,” he explained.

Investment vs. Currency Condie sees cryptocurrencies more as a long-term investment than a currency.

Most Bitcoin owners seem to agree. A recent MoneyMagnify survey found 62% of people who have cryptocurrency believe it is their ticket to wealth. Still, if you want to use it as a practical currency, no question – more companies will take it, including Starbucks, Tesla, and even Utah’s own Overstock.com, which has accepted it for years.

“I do think Bitcoin is a viable currency,” said Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson.

“At Overstock, we see people using it every day.” Though Johnson admitted, it is not a lot of people. “It is still a very small percentage of our sales, about a quarter of 1%,” he said.

Johnson explained the number of people buying their furniture, appliances, and other goods in Bitcoin fluctuates with the cryptocurrency market itself.

As its value drops, people spend the digital currency. When the value skyrockets – not so much.

“People view it as an investment holding, and I think they are hesitant to spend it because they want it to go up,” he said.

Exactly how many customers have paid with Bitcoin at Bernie and Brothers barbershop? Two, if you count me. Still, Hiett remains a believer that crypto will be a mainstream currency in the not-too-distant future.

“I think it will be pretty commonplace at some point,” she said. “It’s a workable currency right now so I don’t see why you wouldn’t take it.”

One thing you should know: If you decide to buy into cryptocurrency, you will get a key – a password of sorts.

If you forget it, tough.

In fact, a recent analysis by the cryptocurrency-data firm Chainalysis found $140 billion worth in bitcoin could be lost forever, due to forgotten passwords.

The crypto trade has witnessed a giant variety of new traders up to now six months. For some, it was the income from BTC and ether that attracted them, for others, it’s the probabilities in DeFi, and but for others, it was Elon Musk and lots of different celebs who’ve stormed the trade. However, for newbies, it’s by no means simple getting began. Many find yourself investing in scams, dropping their personal keys, transferring crypto to unsuitable addresses, getting swayed by social media campaigns and extra.

Here at CNF, we now have compiled a five-part collection to assist the newbies get began with crypto. For those that’ve been in crypto for years, it’s additionally a good time to refresh your data and remind your self in regards to the fundamentals. In half 1, we have a look at the 5 commonest investments in crypto, their deserves and what to be careful for:

Bitcoin (BTC) is likely one of the hottest cryptocurrencies within the market. On prime of being the very first open-source digital foreign money, it’s the largest one on the earth. Having confirmed to work for greater than a decade, most first-time traders selected to begin with it as a secure guess. However, its worth goes past this.

For starters, it has confirmed itself as a retailer of worth. While the US greenback has lost its buying energy due to rising inflation, BTC has gained massively. In 2011, one BTC was value $0.30. In the final decade, the digital asset has rallied to attain as excessive as $64K. It is value noting that in between, it climbed as excessive as $20K before consequently crashing as little as $3K. As a retailer of worth, BTC has outperformed most conventional belongings together with gold. For most institutional traders, this has been the principle attraction to digital foreign money.

BTC, being the preferred crypto additionally affords the very best liquidity of any token. This means there are ample patrons and sellers on exchanges. In reality, lately Tesla offloaded BTC value over $200M to show BTC has liquidity. Additionally, the digital foreign money has seen numerous business adoption. After years of persistent development, there are actually 1000’s of companies that settle for BTC as a type of fee, together with Tesla.

Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and in contrast to BTC whose creator is unknown, this was the brainchild of Vitalik Buterin. The Ethereum project is an open-source blockchain with good contract performance. This has seen it collect numerous adoption as conventional infrastructure is changed by superior good contracts. With its application nearly infinite, a majority of crypto tasks are constructed upon the Ethereum blockchain, bringing good options in conventional industries. ETH permits these tasks to run on the blockchain, gaining worth with the rise in its demand.

Unfortunately, its development has lately led to excessive transaction charges and sluggish transaction speeds. The builders are eager on upgrading the blockchain with the discharge of ETH 2.0 later this year. Ethereum additionally enjoys excessive liquidity and is out there in most crypto exchanges.

In Ethereum’s rise, quite a lot of blockchains noticed alternatives to enhance on what Ethereum created. These have come to be referred to as ‘Ethereum killers’ as some have recorded large adoption that market observers have instructed will overtake Ethereum in adoption.

The hottest ones are Cardano and Polkadot. Their native cash, on this case, ADA and DOT respectively, which gasoline the blockchain, acquire large worth because the tasks develop. More lately, the trade has seen the rise of the Binance Smart Chain with its native token (BNB) and Solana (SOL).

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is a comparatively new market born out of good contracts. DeFi tasks carry a standard banking method to the crypto space. These are lending, borrowing and staking with cryptocurrencies. Clients can deposit tokens into good contracts from which they will earn curiosity. Through the identical, customers may borrow crypto to commerce or fund tasks.

This observe has change into so fashionable and tasks constructed upon it have gained numerous traction. In reality, they now make up a substantial variety of prime 25 tokens by market cap. Among the preferred are UniSwap (UNI), PancakeSwap (CAKE) and SushiSwap (SUSHI).

Every at times, some cryptocurrencies are on-trend. This might merely be as a result of it’s a new thrilling blockchain, an current blockchain present process main growth that presumably improves its adoption or just because an influential particular person helps it. The most up-to-date to go on a pattern is Dogecoin (DOGE). Since Elon Musk, the second richest particular person got here out in help of the meme coin, it has recorded large earnings.

In some instances, like DOGE, the inherent blockchain carries little worth. However, the demand for the coin retains pushing costs up. In others similar to Ethereum, the worth is pushed by the blockchain and/or its growth.

The ‘money makers’ are fashionable with day merchants since they will make fast money before the bubble bursts. For long run merchants, they’re the riskiest kind of funding.

I wrote A Feminist Manifesta of the Blockchain, on Easter Sunday, April 6 as a part of an paintings made for Feral File, the NFT platform of media artist Casey Reas. The manifesta, although summary in its considering, emerged from political occasions in the true world that introduced me to the conclusion that blockchains characterize a dramatic shift in the way in which we make representations. They symbolize a sure method we take into consideration artwork and the ethics and cultural worth that we assign to it, and the way we people stand in relationship to the fabric world. 

On March 11, Beeple’s “The First 5000 Days” (2021) non-fungible token (NFT) artwork went for $69.3 million on auction at Christie’s. This sale and the following NFT insanity witnessed and promoted by the press and on social media appear to characterize the crystallization and apotheosis of a disaster of illustration that to me discovered its beginnings within the “id artwork” area of interest I occupied as a younger artist within the late Nineties.

I hope, surprisingly sufficient, that this huge NFT growth is the primary stage within the blowing up of web hegemonies to strip the bottom for what remains to be not clear is coming. To me, this explosion factors towards a brand new blockchain-based mythology of illustration, versus an earlier one which seized on mechanical replica and the precise expertise of images. This blockchain paradigm is knowledgeable by concepts a couple of nonetheless propositional web 3.0 — the subsequent section, distributed web that may sit on blockchain applied sciences, the identical expertise used to create crypto currencies however primed to use the various different prospects inherent to it. Web 3.0 expertise can be encrypted, distributed throughout a community, and safe. A part of its promise is the potential of a decentralized identifier (DID), a safe digital id, written by a topic, and changing the algorithmic, branded, selfie product, a representational trope that marks the closure of the outdated, materialist photographic one. This DID can be encoded on a blockchain, protected by “sensible” contract, secured by cryptology, essentially clear, and distributed instantly peer to see. NFT id on the blockchain impressed me as a result of it appears to embody an developed model of the liberation politics of my youth, after I was an idealistic “id” artist.  

As a result of it’s encoded, blockchain id prioritizes the written — which means it may be imagined as an inscription of the “voice” inside one’s head. Writing is manifesting one’s voice, and is due to this fact internally motivated, subjective, and conceptual. I really feel that the encoded sensible contract and the DID will exchange an earlier, materialist notion of authenticity and fact in our imaginations — a notion physicalized by the photographic doc or the act of photographic seize. In up to date life, the failure of images to stay dominant as the important thing signifier of a modernity of constructive, regular, technological progress is epitomized by the notion of the algorithmic “selfie” that we’re culturally pressured to undertake. Social media situations us to provide fluid adaptable selves, made to maximise herd approval. We turn into performers for an all-seeing eye, our on-board laptop cameras; we’re the objects of its patriarchal gaze; in our digital representations we’re shaped by it. Our skill to undertake an efficient, algorithmic web self appears to be an adaptive requirement, essential to reach an period in disaster, experiencing pandemics and high-speed social change. Selfies are an illustration of the precarious steadiness between utilizing a brand new expertise and being utilized by it.

January 6 was a second of perception for me, after I watched with horror as beloved digital-art colleagues continued to put up their algorithmic selfies, attempting to advertise their work, on an apparently regular day in quarantined life, as Rome burned. My perception about cryptographically encoded, safe id, was knowledgeable by that have, watching the revolt live and in real time on internet 2.0. The web that had been our public sq., and likewise the positioning of commerce, banking, love, and social life, was now dominated by a mob. On January sixth it turned blindingly obvious to me that we as a tradition had misplaced management of our knowledge, and as a direct outcome, of virtually all the pieces else. Surveilled on a social media the place companies monitor our habits and patterns, blithely contributing the patron identities we provide to web suppliers through bank card, we now have misplaced management of our knowledge but in addition of our “selves.” As a direct results of social-media knowledge scraping and its weaponization and implementation by the far proper — the story of Cambridge Analytica being the obvious living proof — our algorithmic selfies, our “manufacturers,” have transmogrified into creatures. We’re brainwashed, manipulated, flooded with misinformation, enflamed to unfold chaos, and efficiently exploited by these whose intention is to put in Donald Trump as an autocratic emperor. 

What turned so frighteningly clear to me on that day, was that the thought of digital fluidity expressed by Donna Haraway’s notion of the Cyborg] within the Eighties and an emblem of gender liberation to me within the ‘90s, when made manifest in on a regular basis life on the web, has turn into so anxiousness scary and hectic to a big a part of the US inhabitants, that they’ve been pushed Q-Anon-mad. Now they’re propelled towards an anchor: the inflexible, hierarchical logocentrism of Trump’s politics. The potential of utilizing nature and pure forces that seduced me after I began working with reconstructions of algorithmic knowledge culled from the pure world — which means simulations applied sciences — as a result of I might manipulate them for symbolic, conceptual, and expressive functions, was now being weaponized by social media as a software to unfold pretend information. What we now have left of a putative democracy now appears to hold within the steadiness of an excessive rift between progressive change — which means that which is fluid and adaptable — and historic hierarchies. And democracy isn’t enduring the stress of this rift very properly in any respect. What we reside now isn’t the result I had hoped for, not the liberation that I as soon as envisioned. 

I’m due to this fact upholding the paradigm of the blockchain and the self-encoded, encrypted, sensible contract as a tenet and a mannequin for a post-photographic digital age. Having lived by means of the previous 30 years as an artist pondering problems with illustration and finding out its historical past, I’m placing it forth: A Feminist Manifesta on the Blockchain.

As arts communities around the globe expertise a time of problem and alter, accessible, impartial reporting on these developments is extra essential than ever. 

Please think about supporting our journalism, and assist maintain our impartial reporting free and accessible to all.

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Cryptocurrency is a possibly extraordinary digital resource for investment. Among different commodities, cryptocurrency will keep on being in the buzz for investment this year. If we pick the profits graph of the most recent ten years, cryptocurrencies have been among the most maximum yielding investment items. In this article, we provided a list of the top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies in 2021. 

May 2021 | AtoZ Markets – There is no single cryptocurrency we can bring up as the most elite. Numerous cryptocurrencies offer very pleasant opportunities for investment, relying upon what you’re searching for and what your investment objectives are. The height of the experience you have is a nother interesting point. For instance, cryptocurrencies may be a wise investment for the novice. While others appropriate for further developed crypto traders.

Moreover, it would be best if you remembered that purchasing the best cryptocurrencies isn’t sufficient to be a fruitful crypto trader. Many traders have seen their crypto venture reached to a conclusion since they didn’t give enough effort to security. If you are eager about investing resources into cryptocurrencies, you need to invest energy into ensuring your investment by strengthening your security.

Many individuals will debate that cryptocurrencies are the eventual fate of the fund. While that future may be years away, it is positively not an insane description to make. Digital currencies offer various points of interest contrasted with conventional fiat cash, for example, lower charges, transparency, and transaction/exchange speed.

When taking a glance at cryptocurrencies from an investor’s point of view, there are mostly five causes for consideration.

If you have any intention to put resources into the crypto market this year, then 2021 will be the most fabulous year to put resources into cryptocurrencies, as indicated by numerous crypto fans. Below here we mentioned top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies in 2021:

Bitcoin is in the first place of the most popular cryptocurrency to date. Bitcoin’s price is quite higher than other cryptocurrencies. Besides, it is frequently mentioned as “the king of cryptocurrencies”. Bitcoin’s price has climbed significantly in a few months and Bitcoin holding the current price above $55,000. Many analysts predict that Bitcoin’s price may reach $100k this year. Moreover, as the world economy is currently in a recession because of COVID-19, investors are looking forward to safe-havens, which boosts Bitcoin price at an all-time high. So, this is the high time to invest in Bitcoin, before the price strikes further.

Besides, the primary objective of Bitcoin to get worldwide, distributed, digital money, which has segregated from any guideline and along these lines completely decentralized. Other than that, the explanation of keeping Bitcoin on your investment radar is that it has the most elevated liquidity in the crypto space, which likewise makes it the best cryptocurrency to purchase if you are a novice.

ETH comes second on the list of top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies. ETH is the endemic cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain network, which is most likely the digital coin alone that has figured out how to approach the prominence and fame of Bitcoin. It’s an altcoin that uses efficient smart contracts planned in such a way that it can be utilized in a diversity of real-world applications for performing exchanges in an extremely secure, decentralized, and distributed style. Whereas Bitcoin, the worth and request of the ETH are generally filled by its ease of use. Besides, the appeal for its blockchain and applications that can be handily altered to manufacture other decentralized applications, currencies, and smart contracts.

Ripple is in the third position on the list of most popular cryptocurrencies. It is the all-time most loved cryptocurrency of numerous investors. Because other than Bitcoin, Ripple is likely the most utilized coin for cross-border installments by many major financial institutions, including banks, over the world. Moreover, going about as the essential currency for performing exchanges/transactions inside the Ripple Ecosystem. The Ripple coin can similarly utilize for performing simple and reasonable worldwide financial exchanges/transactions. The Ripple network offers a scope of well-known items, for example, RippleNET, xRapid, and xCurrent. That being utilized by organizations worldwide for finding and associating with clients and service providers.

The fourth most popular cryptocurrency DASH is another computerized currency that was made on the idea of secure, shared advanced installments. In addition to other things that make Dash a well-known coin is the capacity to process installments immediately, in real-time. That empowers people and associations around the globe to perform sheltered and immediate cross-border exchanges utilizing Dash. It is also mainstream since it charges an exceptionally low expense from the transacting/executing parties, and the installments are dependable. The ongoing consultation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to receive digital cash over paper money to keep away from infections like COVID-19. It’s relied upon to bring about a major lift in the value and demand of Dash and numerous other cryptocurrencies out there.

NEO is the 1st open-source digital money started in China. It likewise, in some cases, called the Chinese form of Bitcoin. As it appears to work pretty much like Bitcoin, which has authoritatively not legal in China. NEO is unique about BTC. For one, it is open-source and run by a network of NEO clients, investors, and planners. NEO highlights a cross-platform, multi-language upheld smart contract system based on blockchain technology for simple and proficient administration of computerized resources in a decentralized situation. The essential focal point of the NEO system on making an ecosystem where genuine resources can digitize for simple liquidity and to support the mass appropriation of blockchain.

TRON is the 6th of most popular cryptocurrencies. It is a blockchain-based working system that permits developers to assemble cutting edge decentralized applications, smart contracts, and so forth on the blockchain. TRON expects to build up an environment or a sort of new web which has run by blockchain. It likewise serves as a worldwide, decentralized substance management system dependent on blockchain technology. Suppose you are a patron of the decentralized economy and indulge in a system where financial transactions are no longer administered by centralized entities. For example, banks or the administration, you ought to surely look at the TRON investment.

Titan coin, or TTN, is on the 7th of the top cryptocurrencies. It is one of the recent coins that relatively few individuals think about. However, yet they merit appraisal for the imaginative utilization of blockchain technology. In the beginning, Titan coin resembles whatever other digital money that can be utilized for making simple, quick, and secure cross-border installments. You can utilize it at any vendor or site that acknowledges the coin. It utilizes hybrid consensus (PoS/PoW) for included security and effectiveness in the blockchain.

However, what makes the titan coin remarkable and unique about most different cryptocurrencies is the nearness of genuine use cases. The Titan investment has been introduced as an environment that includes a scope of exceptionally usable activities or mobile applications that may make everyday tasks simpler for the general populace. All the applications in the ecosystem use titan coin as a method for secure, in-application installments, along these lines making an undeniable demand and boosting the coin an incentive in the market.

Litecoin is secured in the 8th position on the top most popular cryptocurrency/digital money list. It is a shared cryptocurrency dependent on blockchain. It works pretty much like Bitcoin however has fewer asset escalated. As such, the upkeep of a Litecoin organize is moderately simpler and less expensive. It utilizes blockchain technology for the creation and move of computerized coins. Litecoin is one of the first altcoins (bitcoin elective) and introduced in 2011. The primary variety among LTC and BTC is in the kind of hashing algorithm they use. The utilization of the Scrypt PoW algorithm by Litecoin permits clients to mine this coin with GPU and other customer grade equipment.

ICON is one of the principal projects to chip away at the idea of blockchain technology interoperability.  That permits clients on these blockchains to interface and transact with one another. This successfully extends the range and use instances of cross-chain technology. ICON runs on a typical reason for blockchain technology that depends on the Proof-of-Stake consensus. That may utilize for making and actualizing smart contracts with other decentralized applications (DApps). The ICON blockchain has supposed to have the option to process numerous exchanges or transactions every second.

ZRX is, last but not least, of the top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies/digital money. It has a cryptocurrency for the clients of the Ox platform. That has a blockchain technology convention for permitting the decentralized (shared) transaction of the token and the scope of advanced resources on the Ethereum blockchain. ZRX holders can likewise vest their tokens by marking with 0x market producers and achieve liquidity awards in return.

Thus, here closes the rundown of the top 10 most popular cryptocurrencies. It can add value to your time and cash in 2021 and further. Keep in mind this is not proficient monetary guidance. It is only a couple of determined crypto recommendations dependent on continuous market patterns. Continuously do your examination and research a cryptocurrency before putting resources into it.

Think we missed something? Let us know in the comment section below.

TNW uses cookies to personalize content and ads to make our site easier for you to use. We do also share that information with third parties for advertising & analytics. Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and insider stories by TNW. As we’re wrapping up 2018, it’s clear it wasn’t the breakout year for cryptocurrency and blockchain that many enthusiasts hoped it would be.True, the market has dipped significantly in comparison to last December, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy Christmas the way Satoshi Nakamoto would’ve wanted you to.To get you started, we’ve prepared a list of services that accept cryptocurrency so you can plan your own ultimate crypto-Christmas and winter holidays.For those of you that prefer to spend the holiday season away from home, the first step would be finding a travel agency that will take your coins.Fortunately, there are already a number of airlines that support cryptocurrency payments. CheapAir.com has been accepting Bitcoin since 2013, and has since expanded its payment options with Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Dash.Expedia, BTCtrip.com, Destinia.com, Japan’s Peach Aviation, Claifornia’s Surf Air, and Latvia’s airBaltic are also crypto-friendly alternatives.As far as booking accommodation goes, giants Airbnb and Booking.com are still reluctant, but there are other alternatives you can resort to.CryptoCribs is one of those. The service works the same way as Airbnb, but you can pay in Bitcoin or Ethereum. Needless to say, there are other blockchain-powered booking services, but some of them might require you to buy their token first – and frankly, that’s a hassle. With CryptoCribs, you can simply use the Bitcoin and Ethereum you already have.Now that your travel arrangements are all taken care of, you probably want to grab a bite – and perhaps mix it with a beverage of your choice.Unfortunately, buying food with cryptocurrency is much more difficult than booking trips. While you will find small and medium businesses accepting coins everywhere in the world, these are far and few between. You can check out CoinMap for such locations, but you might have to compromise in the end – and just use hard cash.If you do indeed end up needing some cash, you can consult with CoinATMRadar for the closest cryptocurrency-enabled cash point around you.There is also the option to use cryptocurrency gift cards and coupons, but we wouldn’t recommend that method considering how wildly unregulated this whole sub-space is.It might be annoying, but you will also have to think about getting some Christmas presents for your loved ones.The good thing is that, since most stores don’t accept cryptocurrency payments yet, you won’t have to waste hours browsing for appropriate gifts – and simply pick what’s available. If someone complaints about your crappy gift choices, tell them the truth: “It’s the gesture that matters.”Anyhow, online retailer Overstock supports payments in Bitcoin – and if you get really lucky, you might even make some profit by using their service. There are also tons of Shopify merchants who will be willing to take your cryptocurrency too.And if you’re struggling to find the right present, you can always give your loved ones the gift of porn – and get them a premium subscription to Pornhub. Everyone watches porn (though it turns out nobody really pays for porn with cryptocurrency).Of course, it wouldn’t be a real crypto-Christmas unless you adorn your entire apartment (or hotel room) with blockchain-themed ornaments.Etsy has got you covered tho. The online retailer has tons of merchants offering blockchain swag you can repurpose as Christmas decorations.A good alternative for the lazy blockchain purists would be to visit your local hardware store and buy some chains to use as garlands – no better way to let your neighbors know you’re a real block(chain)head. Published December 19, 2018 — 11:00 UTC December 19, 2018 — 11:00 UTC Copyright © 2006—2019.

Bitcoin value rallied lately after it broke the important thing $three,900 resistance space towards the US Greenback.The worth surged increased and broke the $three,950 and $Four,000 hurdles to set the tempo for extra beneficial properties.There’s a main connecting bullish pattern line fashioned with help at $three,900 on the Four-hours chart of the BTC/USD pair (knowledge feed from Kraken).The pair is at present correcting decrease, however it’s prone to discover help close to $three,920 or $three,900.Bitcoin value climbed sharply right into a bullish zone above $three,900 towards the US Greenback. BTC/USD is positioned properly in an uptrend and dips near $three,920 stay supported for a contemporary bullish wave.Bitcoin Value AnalysisThis previous week, there have been a few bearish reactions under the $three,850 degree in bitcoin value towards the US Greenback. The BTC/USD pair spiked in direction of the $three,800 degree on two events, however patrons protected extra losses. Lastly, the value began a pleasant bullish wave and broke the $three,850 and $three,900 resistance ranges. It opened the doorways for extra beneficial properties above $three,900 and the value settled above the 100 easy shifting common (Four-hours). Throughout the upside, the value broke a key bearish pattern line with resistance at $three,890 to maneuver right into a bullish zone.Patrons gained management and the value rallied above the $Four,000 degree. It traded as excessive as $Four,041 earlier than sellers appeared. Later, a draw back correction initiated under the $Four,000 help. Sellers pushed the value under the 23.6% Fib retracement degree of the current wave from the $three,847 low to $Four,041 excessive. The worth declined sharply and examined the earlier resistance (now help) at $three,950. In addition to, the 50% Fib retracement degree of the current wave from the $three,847 low to $Four,041 excessive is at present performing as a help.Extra importantly, there’s a main connecting bullish pattern line fashioned with help at $three,900 on the Four-hours chart of the BTC/USD pair. Subsequently, if the value continues to maneuver down, it may discover a robust help above the $three,900 degree. On the upside, an preliminary resistance is at $Four,000, above which the value is prone to retest the $Four,040 swing excessive.Trying on the chart, BTC value properly moved right into a bullish zone above $three,900. Within the quick time period, there may very well be just a few swing strikes in direction of $three,920 or $three,900, however the value is prone to discover a robust shopping for curiosity. In the end, there are excessive probabilities of a contemporary upward transfer above the $Four,000 and $Four,040 ranges.Technical indicators4 hours MACD – The MACD for BTC/USD is slowly decreasing its bullish slope.Four hours RSI (Relative Power Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD corrected decrease and examined the 60 degree.Main Help Degree – $three,900Main Resistance Degree – $Four,040 Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

UNFOLD Art XChange announces that the final session of Art + FinTech 2.0’s “blockchain fortnight” will focus on arts patronage using a blockchain ledger on Friday June 26. Learn more and access all video archives here. Museums in countries including France, Germany, Italy and the US are cautiously reopening, while others, like those in the UK, are preparing to welcome the public back. Most have taken a big financial hit during the lockdown, losing income from ticket sales, restaurants and shops and from sponsorships connected to cancelled shows. Even before the pandemic, museums were highly dependent on patronage from corporations to mount exhibitions and from wealthy donors to add to their collections. Because few museums ever sell their art, the acquisition of a work ends its life as a market commodity and cements the association between the final collector/donor and the artwork. With the growing need for support for museums from wider sections of society, can blockchain help harness the power of the internet, allow “fractional” giving to institutions of works of art by several people and cultivate a new generation of art patrons? In 2019, the Whitney Museum of American Art revealed an innovative art project — Public Key/Private Key — created by artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy. The work addresses art ownership and the future of patronage by distributing “donor credits” through Monograph, a blockchain-powered artwork title registry and marketplace launched by Kevin in 2014. As part of Public Key/Private Key, the artists lodged a 16mm film of the same name, a metal cannister and blockchain key with the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The work was backed by blockchain-based cryptographic certificates, allowing up to 50 people to be credited as the “donor of record” of the work. On this occasion, no money changed hands: members of the public were asked to submit an essay to the artists, who made the final selection. For a six-month period, donors were allowed to trade their certificates — with changes registered on the Ethereum blockchain. At that point, the list was frozen, and the final names credited by the museum as the work’s donors. Could this provide a model for future museum patronage? Traditional VS on the Blockhain is moderated by tech entrepreneur and author Dinis Guarda, Founder and CEO of Ztudium, a blockchain, software, data research and artificial intelligence company. Dinis Guarda has created various companies such as Ztudium tech platform a digital and blockchain startup that created the software Blockimpact (sold to Glance Technologies Inc) and founder and publisher of intelligenthq.com, hedgethink.com, fashionabc.org and tradersdna.com. Dinis is also the co-founder of techabc and citiesabc, a digital transformation platform to empower, guide and index cities through 4IR based technologies like blockchain, AI, IoT, etc. The session starts with multimedia artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy who make work that examines the conventions of film-making and language across media such as video, installation and digital art. As the creators of Public Key/Private Key, they will speak about the project in detail, showing part of the film and some of the interesting essays they received. Christiane Paul is Adjunct Curator of Digital Art at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Chief Curator and Director of the Sheila C Johnson Design Center, Professor, School of Media Studies at the New School in New York, and an expert in digital art. She will speak about the history of the Whitney Museum’s artport — a portal for internet art and online gallery space — and the institutional challenges of launching the Public Key/Private Key project. Anne Bracegirdle is a Senior Director of Special Projects at PaceX — a project organized by Pace gallery that focuses on the intersection of art and technology — where she is responsible for programming and digital strategy. Before that she was a specialist at Christie’s New York, where she spearheaded its Art + Tech initiative. She is also one of the 50 Public Key/Private Key “donors”: she will speak about her participation and the role of donors in supporting artists and museums. Aaron Wright is Co-founder of OpenLaw, a blockchain-based protocol for the creation and execution of legal agreements. He is an expert in corporate and intellectual property law, with extensive experience in new technology issues. OpenLaw was used to produce “smart contracts” for each donor as part of the Public Key/Private Key project. Fifty donor certificates were recorded on the Ethereum blockchain as a cryptographic ERC-721 Non-Fungible Token (or “NFT”). An NFT on the Ethereum blockchain is a way of representing any unique asset such as a work of art or other intellectual property. By layering a traditional legal agreement on to a smart contract, OpenLaw produces a fully enforceable arrangement. Founder Dinis Guarda IntelligentHQ Your New Business Network. IntelligentHQ is a Business network and an expert source for finance, capital markets and intelligence for thousands of global business professionals, startups, and companies. We exist at the point of intersection between technology, social media, finance and innovation. IntelligentHQ leverages innovation and scale of social digital technology, analytics, news and distribution to create an unparalleled, full digital medium and social business network spectrum. IntelligentHQ is working hard, to become a trusted, and indispensable source of business news and analytics, within financial services and its associated supply chains and ecosystems.

Bitcoin has seen growing adoption in Nigeria, especially since the economy fell into recession earlier this year following much lower global oil prices. The economys contraction by 2.06% between April and June 2016 has increased concerns regarding Nigerias banking system, with the nations currency greatly devalued, sending bitcoin at an all-time high of $1,228.09 in Nigerian money, according to the lowest offer on local bitcoins.In this context, Nigeria Today reports that Umaru Ibrahim, managing director and CEO of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) stated at a workshop organized by NDIC that:Another phenomenon emerging in the banking and financial landscape is the emergence of what is known as bitcoin. I understand that a lot of people have started to patronize bitcoin.NDIC, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, has increased supervision of the banking system to try and maintain financial stability. Bitcoin, so being outside of any central partys control, may, at scale, destabilize the wider financial system by devaluing the nations currency, relative to bitcoins value, which may cause inflation. Ibrahim states:On our part we have constituted a committee together with Central Bank to have an in-depth study of this phenomenon, looking at the advantages and disadvantages [of bitcoin], what it means for the payment system, safety and security of customer, money laundering, point of correction, guide or measurement of quantum of money or near money instrument, and the economy.Bitcoin adoption is growing in Nigeria. Pictured, the streets of Lagos, in Nigeria.For a country like Nigeria, which although the worlds 21st largest economy, lacks much banking infrastructure as we know it in the west and continues to suffer from a high rate of inflation annualized at 8.3%, digital currencies like bitcoin provide the nation with a way to leapfrog from developing to largely developed as far as payment systems are concerned. That is because bitcoins global nature, its easy exchange for national currencies, as well as the use of services which provide conversion of bitcoin to fiat on the fly, such as BitPay or BitWage, provides a mechanism by which anyone can be paid anywhere, without needing a bank account.Although it is still early stages for bitcoin, the currency might now be reaching a tipping point as it moves from the early adoption phase to a globally recognized brand name, carving niches across the globe, primarily as a hedge against continued monetary mismanagement worldwide, but also as a payment system to avoid unnecessary conversion into local currency with its own costs and time delays.Countries such as Nigeria, Venezuela, China, India, are at the forefront of this global shift, as national currencies are now kept in check by something that, unlike gold, you can easily move around, as well as perform, at scale fairly conveniently, all functions of fiat currencies, and far more on top with smart contracts which turn money into pure, easily programmable, code.Image from Shutterstock.Image bold>patronize-bitcoin-says-nigerian-executive/Hot markets Powered by CryptoCompare /**/

Elements Music & Arts Festival in Lakewood (NE), Pennsylvania is thinking outside of the box with how attendees can purchase tickets. Even though Cryptocurrency has begun to crash in the recent weeks, many are still holding firm in hopes of a rebound. If you are someone still invested in cryptocurrency then you can purchase your ticket to Elements Lakewood using just that. It is one of the first festivals in the country to offer buying a ticket in this way. That being said there really is no gamble in it for the festival. The price in different coins for tickets updates regularly. It might just be the next big thing. What do you think? Is Elements Lakewood taking a chance here or getting ahead of a trend. Photo Via: Bitcoin.com

Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego just declared 10% of his portfolio is now tied up in bitcoin.

Announced in a tweet on Wednesday, the founder of Grupo Salinas, responded to questions that “many people” ask him about bitcoin, saying: “YES. I have 10% of my liquid portfolio invested.”

“Bitcoin protects the citizen from government expropriation,” Salinas Pliego added as he recommended “El Patron Bitcoin” – a book that is “the best and most important to understand #Bitcoin.”

The other 90% of his investments are tied up “in precious metals miners,” the billionaire explained in a reply to Dan Held, the Kraken crypto exchange’s growth lead.

Latin American countries, namely Venezuela, have been plagued by hyperinflation in recent years, leading to a situation reminiscent of Germany’s 1920’s hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic.

See also: ‘Bitcoin Rich List’ Reaches All-Time High

Investors looking to protect themselves from “government expropriation” and inflation have historically turned to alternative assets like gold to hedge against fiat currency devaluation. Now bitcoin looks to be increasingly finding a place as a digital alternative.

Hours before posting his bitcoin tweet, the Mexican billionaire had posted another tweet decrying government-issued fiat as being “worth nothing” and noting that it is always “good to diversify” ones investments.

Salinas Pliego is the founder and chairman of Grupo Salinas, a collection of companies with stakes in telecommunications, media, financial services, and retail stores, per Wikipedia.

Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego has recently revealed that 10 percent of his entire liquid investment portfolio is tied up in Bitcoin. In a tweet on Wednesday, the business tycoon revealed exposure of his wealth to the digital currency and recommended a book, El Patron Bitcoin (The Bitcoin Standard), to everyone for understanding the nature of the original cryptocurrency. Pliego founded the Grupo Salinas in 2001 that has interests in many industries, including consumer electronics, sports and television networks. According to Forbes estimates, his net worth is around $11.7 billion. However, in a recent tweet, he claimed that he is worth $13.8 billion. Despite the claim of investing 10 percent of his portfolio in Bitcoin, the actual investment amount is not known as he specified it to be his ‘liquid’ portfolio. The other 90 percent of his portfolio is tied to ‘precious metals miners’.LegacyFX Expands to South Africa and Appoints New Managing DirectorGo to article >> The billionaire further showed his sentiment against government expropriation and highlighted Bitcoin’s role in protecting the citizens. Indeed, the adoption of Bitcoin can be seen in Venezuela and Zimbabwe as people there are fighting against hyperinflation. In a subsequent tweet, Pliego stressed that the value of government-issued fiats is “worth nothing” and suggested everyone diversify their investment portfolios. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is showing a strong rally recently, and its market price surpassed $18,100, as of press time, according to Coinmarketcap.com, gaining over 17.4 percent in the last seven days and 8.8 percent in the previous 24 hours. Furthermore, many companies are diversifying their chest with investment in digital currencies. MicroStrategy, a Nasdaq-listed business intelligence software company, invested $250 million in Bitcoin in August, which saw a 50 percent return in merely three months.

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed to contemporary all-time highs on Jan. 7, coming within placing distance of $40,000.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets, Coin360 and TradingView confirmed Bitcoin getting yet one more increase in a single day on Wednesday as protestors stormed the Capitol in Washington D.C.

After exhibiting indicators of persevering with power throughout buying and selling the day earlier than, BTC/USD abruptly headed north, reaching a new peak of $37,800.

By press time on Thursday, a subsequent retracement had despatched the pair give attention to the $37,000 mark, with Bitcoin nonetheless within 10% of hitting $40,000.

According to the latest updates for order books, important resistance lay in wait at $38,000, with extra promoting strain starting at $39,500. Support was much less decisive above $31,000.

“It’s amazing, an amazing year,” Cointelegraph Markets analyst Michaël van de Poppe summarized in his newest YouTube update.

He added that whereas the present price motion was one thing to be celebrated, a “healthy correction” was now getting extra doubtless.

“Would that be bad? No, as the higher Bitcoin goes, the more money is into the markets and the more money can flow towards the altcoins from this perspective,” he continued.

As Cointelegraph reported, the top of December was characterised by extra funds coming into long-term storage, with the remaining out there provide topic to what Van de Poppe and others time period “FOMOing in” from much less skilled patrons.

These felt that they need to seize the chance and purchase Bitcoin at greater ranges, having had no real interest in doing so whereas Bitcoin traded at $10,000, he famous.

Across main altcoins, Ether (ETH) was up 2.3% on the day, hitting $1,180, whereas embattled XRP put in a shock transfer to add 27%.

Stellar (XLM) in the meantime continued its march upwards, hitting $0.34 on the again of weekly returns that topped 170%.

Bitcoin’s market cap dominance stood at 68.5% on Thursday, down from 69.7% firstly of the week.

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Spotify, an audio streaming and media services provider, based in Sweden, is searching for a candidate to take up a new role. According to the job post published on Dec 2 on LinkedIn, the company is looking for an Associate Director to join its payments strategy and innovation department. The giant platform with 320 million users is searching for a candidate to brace their Payments Strategy & Innovation team.

According to the posting, the position will be based in Spotify’s London or Stockholm offices; thus, one will be required to travel between the two offices and other company settings frequently.

The contestant should have immeasurable experience in successful gameplan and solutions in the blockchain/digital assets and an appetite to drive and take part on the global scale. The candidate will pilot consideration of new opportunities and innovation in the emerging ecosystem of distributed ledger technology, blockchains, cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and other digital assets. Moreover, they will shepherd the company’s involvement in Facebook’s recently rebranded crypto project, Diem.

Spotify is one of the initial members of the Libra Foundation that was initially established in October 2019. Spotify is among the firms that have not neglected Facebook’s crypto project over increased scrutiny from global regulators.

The music streaming giant hints that it may be offering the option to pay for their freemium model with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The development comes as the price of bitcoin has surged to almost $20,000. One bitcoin was worth $19,537 on Thursday, according to CoinDesk, a bitcoin price index. Likewise, the coin’s demand surged during November. Its patrons are citing escalated institutional investor interest for the digital asset, which was only invented in  2008 by a still anonymous individual.

Just recently, PayPal announced plans of integrating cryptos in their reputable platform, which will be available to their 26 million merchants next year. According to Dan Schulman, CEO, PayPal, The adoption of digital forms of currencies is unavoidable. The digital assets enable efficiency, speed, and the state’s ability to disburse funds to citizens quickly.

The global cryptocurrency community is excited as Bitcoin hit a new all-time high nearly three years after breaking its previous price record.

The steady rise of cryptocurrency prices during the second half of 2020 has been consistent. Many would say it has accelerated despite the outbreak of Covid-19, political unrest in some countries, and economic uncertainty.