Bitcoin (BTC) is trading above its 50-day simple moving average for the first time since May 12. The trading range since May 19 is from a high of 41,323.05 set on June 15 to a low of 28,800.01 on June 22, down 30.3%. The upside from this low reached its semiannual pivot at 35,643.29 on June 29. A secondary low of 30,400.00 was set on July 19. From this low bitcoin is now trading back and forth around its 50-day simple moving average at 34,183.35.

If bitcoin can stay above 34,183.35 the upside is to its semiannual and weekly risky levels at 35,643.29 and 36,863.07. Even with this upside, its weekly chart stays negative given a close on Friday, July 30 below its five-week modified moving average at 36,162.14.

The Daily Chart for Bitcoin

Bitcoin has been trading above a golden cross since May 26, 2020, when the 50-day simple moving average—then at 8,322.00—rose above the 200-day simple moving average at 8,052.43. Notice how the 50-day SMA was a buy level at 29,252.24 on January 27. The next time the 50-day SMA was tested it was 50,951.90 on March 25. On April 18, bitcoin closed at 55,550.00, below the 50-day SMA at 56,252.44.

Bitcoin traded below its 200-day SMA at 39,763.27 on May 19. The trading range since then has been down from 41,323.06 on June 15 to 28,800.01 on June 22.

The horizontal line at the top of the graph is this month’s risky level at 62,927.95. The horizontal line at the bottom of the chart is the annual value level at 18,892.52, which is the overall downside risk.

The three horizonal lines within the trading range are the weekly risky level at 36,863.07, the semiannual risky level at 35,643.29, and the quarterly pivot at 32,802.94.

The Weekly Chart for Bitcoin

The weekly chart for bitcoin is negative but oversold and is below its five-week modified moving average at 36,216.42. It’s well above its 200-week simple moving average or reversion to the mean at 13,939.59.

The last two longer-term buying opportunities came during the weeks of March 15, 2020 and the week of August 2. On March 15, bitcoin tested its 200-day SMA then at 5,540.89. On August 2 bitcoin broke above the down trend line at 10,128.28.

Trading Strategy: Buy bitcoin on weakness to its quarterly pivot at 32,802.94 and reduce holdings on strength to its semiannual and weekly pivots at 35,643.29 and 36,863.07.

Richard Henry Suttmeier is CEO and founder of Global Market Consultants, Ltd and a contributor to Forbes and Investopedia.com. Rich got his engineering degree from

Richard Henry Suttmeier is CEO and founder of Global Market Consultants, Ltd and a contributor to Forbes and Investopedia.com. Rich got his engineering degree from Georgia Tech and Masters from Brooklyn Poly. He has nearly 50 years experience as a trader, trading manager and research analyst at firms such as Bache and LF Rothschild, where he established that firm as a primary dealer in 1986. Writing research since 1984, he's been a market strategist at firms such as Smith Barney and William R. Hough. He's been a speaker for the Market Technicians Association, the American Association of Individual Investors, Wells Fargo Advisors, the Executive Forum at the National Arts Club, and Investors Roundtable of Wilmington N.C.  

As celeb-fronted campaigns bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream, is it time for clearer regulation of ads?

A harsh spotlight was shone on cryptocurrency ads this month. The UK’s ad regulator the ASA has said that it now will better police cryptocurrency content while TikTok has issued a warning to creators that it will not tolerate promotion of the divisive digital currency. At the same time, Google and Facebook appear to be opening the gate to more advertising from crypto companies having previously banned all ads. And even ads that do make it to air on the big screen have been quick to face criticism from the general public, wiser to the pitfalls of the crypto boom.

When Spike Lee – the famed director behind films like ‘Malcolm X’ – appeared on screens last week extolling the benefits of why “old money is out, new money is in” in a campaign for crypto ATM operator Coin Base, he faced a swathe of criticism for failing to spot the hypocrisies.

Lauding Bitcoin et al as “the digital rebellion” against a financial system that “systematically oppresses” people of color and women, he marched through Wall Street denouncing archaic financial systems and encouraging the nation to cash in their dollars for cryptocurrency.

“Do your research,” Lee says between hyperbole. Is it a warning? If not, it should be.

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 5.4% of US households do not have a bank account, with the primary reason being a lack of sufficient funds to open one.

Yet these 20 million Americans appear to be the exact target audience that Lee was encouraging to rush to a Coin Base ATM to exchange their “old money” for a new currency that’s “inclusive and fluid”.

Critics were quick to highlight that this group, arguably more than any other, is susceptible to the promise of making a quick buck without proper consideration for the risks involved with investing in something as volatile as cryptocurrency.

According to Glassnode, between May 17 and May 24, Bitcoin holders realized net losses of $2.56bn. Glassnode says most of these sellers were new ‘bitcoiners’ who had acquired and subsequently sold the currency within the past three to six months.

In a survey of UK consumers conducted by behavioral finance experts Oxford Risk, 36% cryptocurrency investors admit their understanding of the sector was poor or non-existent.

But emotional factors such as the ‘fear of missing out‘ are driving growth, with around 35% of adults saying they have read a lot about huge price rises while 15% say they have been encouraged to buy by friends or family.

Spike Lee isn’t the only celebrity to lend his star-power to cryptocurrency ads.

In the past, crypto companies had been used to marketing their products on pockets of the internet – Telegram groups, online chatrooms and invitation-only forums. But as Bitcoin hit headlines, large investors like Tesla and Square backed various Coins, and financial giants like BNY Mellon, Visa and Mastercard revised their policies to support crypto projects, the crypto sector began to experiment with mainstream advertising. And their marketing pockets are deep if the calibre of celebs they've signed on to front major ad campaigns is anything to go by.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris has bragged of the benefits of being an early Bitcoin investo for a CoinFlip campaign, Alec Baldwin has mocked those who think trading crypto on Etoro should be anything other that quick and easy, while Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have become brand ambassadors for FTX to encourage adoption of the digital currency.

These companies are also spending big on digital advertising, specifically with social media influencers.

Internet sensation Kim Kardashian West promoted Ethereummax – a so-called alternative-coin, or ‘alt-coin’, to the more established Bitcoin – to her 228 million Instagram followers last month.

Over on TikTok, young stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio turned their combined 169 million followers’ attentions to cryptocurrency exchange Gemini as part of a sponsored campaign. In fact, the use of influencers by crypto companies on TikTok was so widespread they were given the moniker ‘Fintok advisors’.

But concern has been mounting within the walls of advertising regulators over the lack of scrutiny given to cryptocurrency ads, especially those targeting a young and financially naive audience.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK recently said that it would be taking a more serious look at any crypto advertising. It came following the ban of an OOH campaign from UK-based exchange Luno, which ran a series of ads reading: “If you’re seeing Bitcoin on the Underground, it’s time to buy.”

The watchdog said it plans to offer guidance for companies in the coming weeks, and is ”considering whether further action is needed” around social media influencers promoting investments in the space without disclosing enough about the risks.

Further afield, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) said this week that it was looking into the rise of crypto ads after identifying it as an “emerging area of concern”.

But it’s slow progress. Arguably too slow for the fast paced nature of this sector, where scams and fraud are all too common.

”It is inevitable that digital asset investments and crypto currency ads in particular will face greater scrutiny and tighter regulation. It’s really a case of slow regulators catching up with fast-developing technology and greater public awareness,” says Rafe Blandford, chief product officer at Digitas UK .

“Focus is sharper on this sector because of the associated consumer risk with any investment instrument, especially in what currently feels like a Wild West atmosphere. Because country by country legislation can be slow, we can expect to see ad networks enacting their own policies and self-regulation.”

Atomic London is an advertising agency that counts Etoro – a trading platform that lists numerous cryptocurrencies – among its clients.

The agency‘s chief executive Jon Goulding said he is in no doubt that a clamp down in crypto advertising is coming. However, he raised concerns over how effective it would be when there remains no official regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), agreeing with Blandford that ultimately we’ll see a network-level stance taken, rather than anything government mandated.

"With most crypto currencies not regulated by the FCA, how are consumers really going to be protected?,” says Goulding. ”It comes down once again to whether digital and social media platforms will self-regulate and block crypto-advertisers from accessing their inventory and not simply whether there is an arbitrary ‘warning, you could lose all of your money’ as a small print alongside advertising messages.”

But rather than a move to stricter regulation of crypto advertising, it appears some digital and social platforms are slowly opening up to it.

Facebook – which owns Instagram – introduced a harsh crackdown back in 2018 with a blanket ban on crypto companies using its ad product. It has since lifted those restrictions to allow some adverts from pre-approved brands, and has no policy on its site in regards to influencers promoting crypto.

Like Facebook, Google had also previously taken a firm stance on crypto ads in an effort to clamp down on scams. But it appears to be loosening those restrictions for crypto exchanges and wallets, with reports emerging that it has invited potential advertisers to apply for commercial opportunities this month ahead of a change in policy in August.

“Given the track record of those platforms I don’t hold out much hope that they’ll suddenly start clamping down on it,” says Goulding. ”Ironically, when going on to digital publishers sites to look at articles relating to the ASA banning cryptocurrency advertising, the first pop up ad was for a cryptocurrency.”

TikTok, however, is getting tougher. Earlier this month it updated its content policy to ban – among other things – influencers from promoting cryptocurrency.

Aside from the platform, the ability for crypto brands to market to the masses may also come down to the ethical values of the advertising agencies they want to employ.

Many agencies have committed to AdNetZero to help the industry tackle the climate change emergency. Spearheaded by the Advertising Association, it‘s aiming to reduce the carbon impact of developing, producing and running UK advertising to real net zero by end 2030 and asking agencies to commit to make practical changes in the way they run their advertising operations.

”The environmental impact of crypto currencies is significant. Between start of 2016 and mid-2018 it’s estimated that crypto mining was responsible for up to 15 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The most prominent crypto currencies – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Monero – used more electricity in 2017 than Ireland or Hong Kong,” says David Edwards, chief customer officer at AMV BBDO, suggesting that agencies may need to take a stand on bringing cryptocurrency brands on as clients.

“It’s estimated that for every $1 of Bitcoin value created it was responsible for creating $0.49 in health and climate change – otherwise known, I think, as cryptodamages. It seems sensible that there should be tighter advertising regulation until cryptocurrencies are subject to proper global regulations – with all the checks and balances in place regarding personal and environmental protections.”

HODL. DApp. Ethereum.

No, these are not words from a newly-discovered alien language. They’re among the many new and key terms in the language of cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency isn’t just a novel investment option, and in many ways represents a different world altogether compared to traditional stocks and bonds. Between unfamiliar acronyms, emerging technologies, and keeping up with memes and tweets, just learning the basics takes time, even for seasoned traditional investors.

As with any investment, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re investing in before you start. That’s especially true when it comes to a speculative — and still evolving — asset like crypto. 

There are a few prerequisites we recommend before you buy into crypto, like stocking your emergency fund, paying down high-interest debts, and securing a traditional retirement plan. And, like we’ve said before, you should only ever put into crypto what you’re willing to lose, and experts recommend dedicating no more than 5% of your portfolio to these digital assets. 

But another item you should add to your checklist is at least a beginner’s understanding of what you’re getting into, including how crypto differs from other investment strategies, and the different factors that can affect a cryptocurrency’s market value.

Here are some of the terms and phrases that will help beginners better understand the world of crypto investing. 

Crypto Terms You Should KnowAltcoin

Any coin that’s not Bitcoin. Altcoins can be anything from the second-most popular coin, Ethereum, to any of the thousands of coins with very minimal market value. Experts say you should largely stick to the bigger, more mainstream cryptocurrencies as an investment.

[RELATED]: Follow These Personal Finance Experts if You’re Curious About Crypto

Bitcoin

The first and most valuable cryptocurrency, launched on Jan. 3, 2009. While its value has climbed steadily since then, it has seen wild fluctuations. In the past months alone, the price of Bitcoin has fluctuated from a record high of $60,000 to below $30,000.

Bitcoin Cash

A peer-to-peer electronic cash system that formed from a fork of the original Bitcoin. Where Bitcoin is widely accepted as too volatile to be useful as a currency, Bitcoin Cash is designed to be better optimized for transactions.   

[RELATED]: Bitcoin — The First Cryptocurrency

Block

Groups of data within a blockchain. On cryptocurrency blockchains, blocks are made up of transaction records as users buy or sell coins. Each block can hold only a certain amount of information. Once it reaches that limit, a new block is formed to continue the chain.

Blockchain

A digital form of record keeping, and the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies. A blockchain is the result of sequential blocks that build upon one another, creating a permanent and unchangeable ledger of transactions (or other data).

Coin

A representative store of digital value that lives on a given blockchain or cryptocurrency network. Some blockchains have the same name for both the network and the coin, like Bitcoin. Others can have different names for each, like the Stellar blockchain, which has a native coin called Lumen. 

Coinbase

A popular centralized cryptocurrency exchange. Coinbase made history recently as the first cryptocurrency exchange to go public on the Nasdaq.

Cold Wallet/Cold Storage

A secure method of storing your cryptocurrency completely offline. Many cold wallets (also called hardware wallets) are physical devices that look similar to a USB drive. This kind of wallet can help protect your crypto from hacking and theft, though it also comes with its own risks – like losing it, along with your crypto.

[RELATED] A Crypto Wallet Can Help Keep Your Coins Safe. Here’s How to Decide if You Need One 

Cryptocurrency

A type of currency that’s digital and decentralized. Cryptocurrency can be used to buy and sell things, or as a long-term store of value.

Decentralization

The principle of distributing power away from a central point. Blockchains are traditionally decentralized because they require majority approval from all users to operate and make changes, rather than a central authority.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Financial activities conducted without the involvement of an intermediary, like a bank, government, or other financial institution. 

Decentralized Applications (DApps)

Applications designed by developers and deployed on a blockchain to carry out actions without intermediaries. Decentralized finance activities are often completed using decentralized apps. Ethereum is the main network supporting activities in decentralized finance.

Digital Gold

Experts sometimes compare specific cryptocurrencies to real gold based on the way it can store and increase in value. Bitcoin is commonly referred to as digital gold.

Ethereum

The second largest cryptocurrency by trade volume, Ethereum is a crypto network and software platform that developers can use to create new applications, and has an associated currency called ether.

Exchange

A digital marketplace where you can buy and sell cryptocurrency.

Fork

When a blockchain’s users make changes to its rules. These changes to the protocol of a blockchain often result in two new paths — one that follows the old rules, and a new blockchain that splits off from the previous one. (Example: a fork of Bitcoin resulted in Bitcoin Cash).

Gas

A fee that developers have to pay to the Ethereum network in order to use the system. Gas is paid in ether, the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum. 

Genesis Block

The first block of a cryptocurrency ever mined. 

HODL

Stands for “Hold On for Dear Life” though the term originated from a user typo on a Bitcoin forum in 2013. It refers to a passive investment strategy in which people buy and hold onto cryptocurrency — instead of trading it — in the hopes that it increases in value. 

[RELATED]: The Price of Bitcoin Continues to Fall. Here’s How Worried Investors Should Be, According to Experts

Halving

A feature written into Bitcoin’s code in which after a certain number of blocks are mined (typically every four years) the amount of new Bitcoin entering circulation gets halved. The halving can have an impact on Bitcoin’s price.

Hash

A unique string of numbers and letters that identify blocks and are tied to crypto buyers and sellers.

Hot Wallet

A software-based cryptocurrency wallet connected to the Internet. While more convenient for quickly accessing your crypto, these wallets are a bit more susceptible to hacking and cybersecurity attacks than offline wallets — just as files you store in the cloud may be more easily hacked than those locked in a safe in your home.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)

A way that funds are raised for a new cryptocurrency project. ICOs are similar to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of stocks.

Market Capitalization

For cryptocurrency, market cap refers to the total value of all the coins that have been mined. You can calculate a crypto’s market cap by multiplying the current number of coins by the current value of the coins. 

Mining

The process whereby new cryptocurrency coins are made available and the log of transactions between users is maintained. 

Node

A computer that connects to a blockchain network.

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Non-fungible tokens are units of value used to represent the ownership of unique digital items like art or collectibles. NFTs are most often held on the Ethereum blockchain.

[RELATED] Ethereum: What You Should Know Before You Invest

Peer-to-peer

Two users interacting directly without a third party or intermediary. 

Public Key 

Your wallet’s address, which is similar to your bank account number. You can share your public wallet key with people or institutions so they can send you money or take money from your account when you authorize it.

Private Key

The encrypted code that allows direct access to your cryptocurrency. Like your bank account password, you should never share your private key. 

Satoshi Nakomoto

The pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. No one knows the true identity of Nakomoto — or if it’s more than one person.

Smart Contract

An algorithmic program that enacts the terms of a contract automatically based on its code. One of the main value propositions of the Ethereum network is its ability to execute smart contracts. 

Stablecoin or Digital Fiat

A stablecoin pegs its value to some other non-digital currency or commodity. A digital fiat represents a fiat, or government-backed currency on the blockchain. (Example: Tether, which is pegged to the U.S. dollar)

[RELATED]: The 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies, and What You Should Know About Each Before You Invest

Token

A unit of value on a blockchain that usually has some other value proposition besides just a transfer of value (like a coin). 

Vitalik Buterin

Programmer who invented Ethereum in 2015.

Wallet

A place to store your cryptocurrency holdings. Many exchanges offer digital wallets. Wallets may be hot (online, software-based) or cold (offline, usually on a device).

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As with the feverish debate around Bitcoin and its carbon footprint, there has been no shortage of discussion surrounding cryptocurrencies and the energy they consume.

But this back and forth around crypto’s environmental impact is missing a glaring point. It is important to recognize that crypto is still in its very early stages, not dissimilar to where the internet was in 2002. The entire space is going through its Amazon moment. The first decade of this cryptocurrency experiment has grown far beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. At the same time, it has allowed those of us in the industry to identify what works and what doesn’t.

For example, the proof-of-work consensus algorithms (the mathematical problems that Bitcoin miners must solve) that power the Bitcoin network do indeed require a lot of energy. But what these arguments about Bitcoin’s environmental impact obscure is that the broader crypto ecosystem is in the midst of a shift towards a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future that will result in significantly lower carbon emissions.

This can be seen with the launch of Ethereum 2.0 and the move from a proof of work (PoW) consensus to a proof of stake model (PoS). PoW refers to the decentralized system that powers the Bitcoin network, with the model requiring huge amounts of energy to validate transactions and mint new tokens. But PoS allows miners to mine and validate block transactions based on the amount of coins that they hold.

Because PoS demands significantly lower hardware requirements than PoW, the energy needed to facilitate secure transactions will only continue to fall in the future. Some forecasting models show that Ethereum 2.0’s PoS model will be 99% more energy efficient than PoW models.

We are already seeing the results of what we can expect from PoS, with the Ethereum network consuming almost 100 Twh less than the Bitcoin network. Ethereum is hardly alone in this consensus revolution, with ascendant, next-generation blockchains like Cardano, Polkadot, EOS and Cosmos each implementing their own versions of PoS.

But even if we put aside these developments and focus strictly on the assertion that crypto is a threat to the planet, it is important to distinguish the sources of energy that crypto miners use, with data indicating that most of the electricity used for crypto mining comes from renewable sources.

Research from the University of Cambridge shows that the renewable share of these energy mining pools is as high as 78%. Although there are exceptions depending upon which region of the world you’re focusing on, hydroelectric power, in particular, is rapidly emerging as the de facto power source for crypto-mining operations.

Another factor to consider is that crypto miners are increasingly using excess electricity that would otherwise go to waste. The emergence of crypto mining farms has soaked up extra capacity and prevented the waste of unused renewable energy.

It is also important to note that the traditional international financial system requires significantly more energy than the Bitcoin network. All of the disparate parts that make up the whole of the global banking network – banking data centres, card network data centres, ATMs and bank branches – use a lot of energy. In fact, the traditional financial sector provides financing for some of the most environmentally damaging projects on Earth.

If we’re really looking for an ecologically destructive force, we should focus on gold mining. After all, this is an industrial sector that is heavily dependent upon fossil fuels. Even the industry’s main lobbying arm, the World Gold Council, has acknowledged the metal’s huge carbon footprint, highlighting in a recent report that the industry's emissions need to fall by 80% over the next 30 years in order to meet the Paris Climate Agreement targets.

So if we acknowledge that traditional finance and mining account for a significantly larger share of greenhouse gas emissions than crypto, the question we should be asking ourselves is how crypto and blockchain can actually lead the way and become a positive, transformative force for the energy sector, slashing operating costs and opening up a new window of transparency.

Use cases are not hard to find. Blockchain projects have already been deployed in a range of different fields, from wholesale electricity distribution and peer-to-peer energy trading to electricity data management and commodity trading.

One area that is particularly ripe for disruption is the global supply chain, in particualr the energy sector. Amidst this transition between polluting fossil fuels and a clean, renewable future, we should be looking for ways to mitigate and streamline the processes involved in extracting and transporting energy. Blockchain provides us with a platform that provides real time speed and efficiency, not to mention traceability and transparency.

The World Economic Forum has joined forces with more than 100 organizations and 20 governments to accelerate the deployment of blockchain for supply chains – responsibly, securely and inclusively.

The multistakeholder team, represents large shippers, supply chain providers and governments – including Maersk, Hitachi, Mercy Corps, Korea Customs Service, Llamasoft and Ports of Los Angeles, Oakland, Valencia and Rotterdam.

The group will co-design an open-source toolkit to guide supply chain decision-makers towards utilizing blockchain to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of the technology.

The World Economic Forum’s project, Redesigning Trust: Blockchain for Supply Chains, is part of our Platform for Shaping the Future of Technology Governance: Blockchain and Digital Assets.

Companies globally can join our efforts to streamline new and complex technologies like blockchain, helping to revolutionize sectors and ecosystems and build trust globally. Click here to find out more.

We’re seeing this unfold in the real world. Major Indian steel conglomerate Tata Steel is partnering with HSBC to experiment with smart contracts on the blockchain, exporting raw materials around the globe while cutting contract settlement times from a matter of weeks to a matter of days. Imagine all of the energy saved in the process.

Meanwhile, the Carbon Utility Token (CUT) is an example of a growing class of green assets designed in large part to help corporations manage their carbon allowances. The sale of each CUT token goes towards investments in carbon capture and carbon offsetting programs, representing a tangible step towards carbon neutrality in the crypto ecosystem. As more and more corporations begin to add Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to their balance sheets, it’s good to know that CUT provides an avenue to completely offset the carbon footprint behind each coin.

While there are certainly challenges ahead, crypto and blockchain have the potential to lead us towards a much greener planet, with the discussion surrounding crypto and energy stimulating us to hasten our transition to clean energy sources while providing us with the tools to do so.

Blockchain Life 2021, the 6th largest live forum on blockchain, cryptocurrencies and mining, is held on 21-22 April in Moscow.

More than 4000 participants gather at the forum every year. 

Learn more: https://blockchain-life.com/europe/en/ 

Speakers at the forum: Sergey Khitrov – Listing.Help, Murodjon Khamraev – Bitmain, Artem Kalikhov – Waves, Rauan Khassan – TradingView, Anatoly Radchenko and others.

The forum programme includes: 

Already on 21 March the online networking platform “Networking 2.0.” will be launched for Blockchain Life 2021 participants.

Blockchain Life 2021 is the main event of the year in the industry, for the fourth year in a row, confirms its status as one of the most important and most attended events in the crypto world.

The forum is organised by the world’s leading cryptocurrency listing agency Listing.help and the international association Ideo.one.

The number of tickets is limited.

Purchase your ticket in advance of the price increase on the official website: https://blockchain-life.com/europe/en/#tickets-row 

By now, investors will have a relatively good understanding about the biggest cryptocurrencies in the market, however, the more niche coins such as cardano, litecoin and polkadot to name just a few are now also being wrapped into exchange-traded product (ETP) format.

With bitcoin, ethereum and others setting fresh all-time highs through the first half of 2021, many investors have started looking to the more dimly lit corners of the crypto universe, to the coins whose day in the sun is potentially yet to come.

Happy to service this demand, ETP issuers have taken to launching products targeting increasingly innovative, early-days – and frankly, niche – digital assets, to offer the reassurance of on-exchange trading to those looking to speculate on ‘the next big thing’.

Cardano ADA

The largest of the coins on our list is ADA, from the cardano platform, which has a market cap of $42.5bn.

The cardano infrastructure relies on Ouboros, currently considered the world’s largest proof-of-stake (PoS) protocol. The advantage of this framework is its much lower energy consumption versus the proof-of-work (PoW) protocols currently used by most cryptos. In fact, the Ethereum Foundation has announced it plans to shift its native currency onto PoS.

Cardano allows developers to construct decentralised applications and conduct peer-to-peer transactions via its native token, ADA.

Now the world’s fourth-largest crypto infrastructure, cardano has a settlement layer, similar to bitcoin, and a computation layer, similar to ethereum.

At present, the 21Shares Cardano ADA ETP (AADA) and the Valour Cardano SEK ETP offer investors access to the coin within an exchange-traded wrapper.

Ripple XRP

Starting life as opencoin before transforming into ripple, the platform has its own token, XRP, which is designed to allow financial institutions to transfer money with minimal wait times and fees.  

By 2018, over 100 banks were using ripple’s xcurrent messaging technology but avoided XRP due to concerns around volatility.  

Based on a common shared ledger, the platform relies on a network of independent servers that compare transaction records. Ripple can support a range of tokens representing fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, commodities and other units of value such as frequent flier miles and mobile minutes.

A sticking point for the platform was the lawsuit brought against it by the Securities and Exchange Commission, with the regulator stating XRP had been illegally marketed to retail investors without making clear the risks involved in trading the asset.

This update saw 21Shares remove XRP from its mixed-basket HODL ETP but investors can still gain exposure via the 21Shares Ripple XRP ETP (AXRP) and the CoinShares Physical XRP (XRPL). At present, Ripple has a market cap of $31.8bn but in 2017, was briefly the world’s second-largest crypto.

Polkadot DOT

Moving down the list in terms of market cap, the $14.9bn polkadot platform was created by ethereum co-founder, Gavin Wood. 

Designed as a sharded heterogenous multi-chain architecture, polkadot allows external networks and customised layer one ‘parachains’ to communicate, creating a connected internet of blockchains.

Wood developed the polkadot protocol while mulling the sharding hurdles that might be faced in the ethereum 2.0 specification. By embedding sharding, the platform breaks the blockchain network down into separate entities to reduce latency – allowing it to scale and process more transactions per second.

Currently, exchange-traded exposure to the protocol is offered by two products from Swiss issuers, the 21Shares Polkadot ETP (ADOT) and the Valour Polkadot SEK ETP.

Litecoin LTC

Beginning as an early bitcoin spin-off in 2011, litecoin is a peer-to-peer digital asset released via an open-source client on GitHub, with a market cap of $9.7bn. 

Though bearing many similarities to bitcoin in its technical makeup, litecoin differentiates from the mega -ap coin in its lower block generation time (two-and-a-half minutes versus ten minutes), a higher maximum number of coins, and different hashing algorithms and user interface. 

The coin also uses scrypt in its PoW algorithm, which is a sequential memory-hard function that requires more memory than non-memory-hard equivalents. As a consequence, the devices used for Litecoin mining are more complex and expensive than those used for bitcoin prospecting.

The CoinShares Physical Litecoin (LITE) and ETC Group Litecoin ETC (ELTC) currently track the performance of the asset.

Solana SOL

With only a marginally smaller market cap of $9.1bn, solana is a third-generation PoS blockchain that creates a trustless system for determining transaction time called Proof of History (PoH).

Versus a PoW protocol, a PoH orders transactions in a series of hashes, allowing validators to process and transmit less information in each block, in turn reducing the time it takes to confirm a new block. 

Solana also uses other capabilities – Tower BFT, Turbine, Gulf Stream, Sealevel, Pipelining, Cloudbreak, Archivers – to create a network with a 400 millisecond block time, versus 10 minutes per block for bitcoin and 15 seconds per block for ethereum.

Earlier this week, the first ETP targeting solana, the Solana (SOL) ETP (ASOL), was launched by 21Shares.

Stellar XLM

Finally, we have stellar, an open-source, decentralised protocol for digital currency to fiat currency transfers with a market cap of $6.3bn.

Founded by ripple co-founder, Jed McCaleb, the platform uses the SCP protocol created by Stanford professor David  Mazières.

Since 2014, stellar and its native token XLM/lumens have been backed by $3m in seed funding from Stripe. The platform was then integrated into South African messaging platform, Vumi, and Nigerian microfinance facilitator, Oradian, in 2015.

A year later, the crypto integrated with Deloitte to create cross-border payments application, Deloitte Digital Bank. And since, stellar has partnered with the ICICI Bank in India, African mobile payments firm Flutterwave, French remittances company Tempo Money Transfer, IBM and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

At present, investors can gain exposure to the digital asset via the 21Shares Stellar ETP (AXLM).

Just click on any of the ETF links in the article above and you will get access to a whole host of data including:

Please note: The tool is provided by ETF Logic who shall process your personal data in accordance with their privacy policy.

What do Vladimir Putin and Burger King have in common? 

For starters, they both have a cryptocurrency named after them. Actually, PutinCoin and Whoppercoin might be the only thing they have in common. But their namesake cryptocurrencies are among the thousands of different virtual currencies making up a growing marketplace grabbing investors’ attention.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have a growing track record of holding and increasing in value over time, though recent dips have wracked the market, while lesser-known cryptos are considered much more speculative and unpredictable. And while PutinCoin and Whoppercoin belong to a category of cryptocurrencies marked more for their absurdity than their potential as either an investment or cryptocurrency, they show just how unique different types of cryptocurrencies can be.

Here’s Where to Start:The Most Popular CryptocurrenciesDecentralized FinanceDigital GoldDigital Cash or Internet MoneySoftware Platforms Stablecoin or Digital FiatMemecoins, and Other Strange Cryptocurrencies

In general, cryptocurrencies can be grouped by utility: What is the purpose of the cryptocurrency? What is its value proposition? What is it for?

“They all have different utilities, they all have different founders who have different visions for where that cryptocurrency is going,” says Mike Uehlein, founder and financial planner of WealthU advisors. Uehlein regularly talks to clients about investing in cryptocurrency. 

The Most Popular Cryptocurrencies

There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, most with very little value and unclear potential. Many advisors recommend investors stick to Bitcoin and Ethereum — if any — and pass on the smaller cryptos. 

Leading cryptocurrency news outlet CoinDesk maintains a Coindesk 20 list of the most popular cryptocurrencies currently being bought and sold. This list includes cryptocurrency assets and networks by their most common names. Some, like Bitcoin (BTC), have one name for both the blockchain network and the cryptocurrency. Others, like Ethereum, are named for the broader blockchain network, but have a different name for their associated native cryptocurrency (Ether, or ETC, in the case of Ethereum).

Updated quarterly, the list ranks cryptocurrencies based on dollar volume and other data from third-party cryptocurrency exchanges, where people can buy and sell different cryptocurrencies.

BitcoinEthereumXRPCardanoStellarUSD CoinChainlinkUniswapPolkadotBitcoin Cash

Note: This list was last updated – using the Coindesk 20 – on July 1, 2021.

1. Bitcoin

As the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC) is also the most popular and highly valued, despite high volatility over the course of its history. Bitcoin was initially created to be used as a digital payment system, but experts say it is still too volatile to be used for that.2. Ethereum

Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, an open-source blockchain upon which developers can build apps and other cryptocurrencies. It’s also the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, behind Bitcoin. Ether’s value has risen sharply since its creation in 2013, to nearly $3,000 for one token as of late May, but still lags well behind Bitcoin’s value of nearly $40,000 per coin. 

3. XRP

XRP is the cryptocurrency of the Ripple digital payment network. Built for digital payments, XRP touts itself as a faster and more efficient way to power global payments. Ripple and XRP also allow for third-party development on other uses for XRP.

4. Cardano

Cardano (ADA) uses a technology called Ouroboros, a peer-reviewed blockchain protocol. It describes itself as a more secure and scalable way to maintain decentralization.

5. Stellar

Stellar’s native cryptocurrency is the Lumen (XLM). Stellar is designed as an “open network for storing and moving money” that allows people to create, send, and trade digital money. It’s designed to sell and trade all digital monies, not just Stellar’s own associated cryptocurrency, the Lumen — although you’ll need to own some Lumen to make transactions.

6. USD Coin

USD Coin (USDC) describes itself as “the world’s digital dollar.” Created by a global financial firm called Circle, USDC is the result of work that has been invested in by Goldman Sachs, Baidu, and IDG Capital, among others. USD Coin is tied to the U.S. Dollar, which makes its price much more stable than other cryptocurrencies. That stability lends itself more toward digital payments, while other cryptocurrencies have more potential to increase in value as investments (along with more risk of losing value, of course).

7. Chainlink

Chainlink (LINK) uses “real-world data and off-chain computation while maintaining security and reliability,” according to its website.

8. Uniswap

Uniswap (UNI) is a decentralized crypto exchange that operates on Ethereum’s blockchain. Its developers promise to get rid of unnecessary intermediaries, which it says gives users more control.

9. Polkadot

Polkadot (DOT) says its mission includes allowing different blockchains to exchange information and transactions with one another. Its website plays up data and identity security and users being in control.

10. Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, which was the original intention of Bitcoin. The currency allows you to send money anywhere for very low fees.

While each of these top cryptocurrencies is unique in its own way, they all tie into an underlying principle called  decentralized finance (DeFi).

Decentralized Finance 

In its simplest terms, decentralized finance refers to financial activities conducted without the involvement of a traditional bank. 

Think about all of the activities in which you’d normally use a bank or some other financial institution — getting a loan, insurance, investing, even using a credit card. “All of these [activities] are traditional-finance based and have intermediary companies,” says Ollie Leech, learn editor at CoinDesk. “Now people are creating these products in a completely autonomous way with [cryptocurrencies].”

It can seem counterintuitive — where else would you go for a loan, if not an established lender? But that’s one of the appeals to DeFi, says Leech. 

In the same way people have increasingly brought “smart” technology into their homes, proponents say cryptocurrency has potential to automate and digitize more and more aspects of the financial system. The appeal of this happening outside the conventional — or centralized — finance system depends on who you ask. 

Many Americans may not understand the appeal of a finance system that operates beyond government control. But things can be very different in countries with less financial stability, says Roger Aliaga-Díaz, principal and senior economist with Vanguard Investment Strategy Group. If cryptocurrencies offer as much or more stability as a given national currency, it’s an entirely different equation than if your national currency is the safe and stable U.S. dollar.

Just like there are different types of accounts and tools in conventional finance — from savings accounts to investment accounts to credit cards — that are used for different purposes, different cryptocurrencies can have similarly unique uses in this emerging decentralized finance system.

Instead of going to a bank to draw out a loan, you might “go to a decentralized application that’s not owned or operated by anyone in particular,” says Leech. 

Where conventional loans involve humans at a bank who take part in processing, reviewing, and approving loans, a DeFi loan — with funding in the form of cryptocurrency — could run via app on a network like Ethereum with an algorithm processing it. The borrower would put up some cryptocurrency as collateral, which they’d get back minus interest when they repay the loan.

“The code runs autonomously using smart contracts,” Leech says. “So once the developers release the data they’re pretty much hands-off, and everything runs automatically so there’s no intermediary.” 

Ethereum’s website offers a comparison chart contrasting decentralized from traditional finance. Along with these technical differences, a big consideration to keep in mind is that the conventional financial system is regulated to serve the interests of everyday customers, while cryptocurrency and decentralized financial systems are largely unregulated, and subject to governance and oversight only by their creators/users.

Unlike the money kept in a bank account, money you have in crypto may not be FDIC insured. Some exchanges offer this insurance while others don’t — something you’ll want to look into before buying crypto from one or another. For exchanges that don’t offer this insurance, there’s no guarantee you will be repaid if there is a hack or the exchange goes out of business.

You hold your moneyMoney held by financial institutions Transfers happen in minutesPayments can take days to processTransactions are pseudonymous Financial activity is coupled to your identity (social security number, name, address, etc.)Market is always openMarket closes Built on transparency – anyone can inspect the systemFinancial institutions are closed books.comparison-table tr td:nth-child(){border-left: 10px solid #5bffb1;border-right: 10px solid #5bffb1;}.comparison-table tr:first-child td:nth-child(){border-top: 10px solid #5bffb1}.comparison-table tr:last-child td:nth-child(){border-bottom: 10px solid #5bffb1}

With that in mind, here are some of the broad categories of cryptocurrencies that tend to organize the market.

Digital Gold

Digital gold refers to cryptocurrency comparable to real gold in its ability to store and increase in value. There’s a limited amount of gold on earth, in the same way that digital gold cryptocurrencies have a limited supply. 

“People buy gold not because they expect to be able to go to the store and spend it, but because they expect it to hold its value and maybe, probably, increase in value over time,” says Galen Moore, director of data and indexes at CoinDesk. 

The primary example of a digital gold cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, though that was not its original intention. Bitcoin was originally put forth as an electronic peer-to-peer cash system, but its volatility, among other things, limited its potential for that purpose. 

In use, such digital gold cryptocurrencies are bought and held, “for the same reason people would have diamonds, or some $100 bills, or some gold coins in a safe,” says Moore. Litecoin is another example — it’s been described as silver to Bitcoin’s gold.

Digital Cash or Internet Money

Internet money is exactly what it sounds like — you use it to buy things over the internet. 

Bitcoin was originally intended to be digital cash, but speculation led to the creation of another cryptocurrency, Bitcoin Cash (a variation of Bitcoin). Bitcoin’s price was too volatile for it to be a suitable currency, which proponents for Bitcoin Cash argued was the entire point of the currency to begin with. 

“There was a big debate about what the future of Bitcoin was going to be. Was it gold or was it cash? The people who wanted it to be more like gold won out,” says Moore. The decision was a “turning point for Bitcoin where it really went down to be digital gold.” 

But the group that wanted Bitcoin to remain internet money split off — or forked, in crypto parlance — the currency and created Bitcoin Cash. The network is devoted to digital payments (with faster processing and lower fees). In these ways, Bitcoin Cash is “meant to be cash. That’s the value proposition,” says Moore.

Though Bitcoin Cash is designed and intended for transactions, its price is still volatile and probably not your best option for making or receiving payments. 

Software Platforms  

Ethereum represents another type of cryptocurrency: It operates as a cryptocurrency network and along with its native cryptocurrency, Ether, offers a programmable crypto environment for developers. Similar to how smartphones allow third-party apps to be downloaded and used, Ethereum allows developers to create “dapps” — Ethereum-based apps that tap into the network. 

Investors can buy Ether just like they can buy Bitcoin, hoping it increases in value. Ethereum’s programmable network allows for other, more customizable uses. One example is the creation of NFTs — nonfungible tokens — that caught the attention of people far beyond the cryptocurrency community this year. NFTs are Ethereum-based digital assets, which hold value based on demand and supply on the Ethereum network.  

Stablecoin or Digital Fiat

A stablecoin pegs its value to some other currency or commodity. A digital fiat represents a fiat, or government-backed, currency on the blockchain, says Moore. One of the most popular examples of a digital fiat is Tether, a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to the U.S. dollar. 

Tether is a system that enables you to have a cash-like currency that is always worth $1 — but only on cryptocurrency exchanges. A digital fiat like Tether comes in handy when you want to quickly move your assets within a cryptocurrency exchange. For example, if you think the market for smaller, more unpredictable coins is going to crash, you might put your money in a stablecoin like Tether, and then buy back at a lower price after the crash, says Moore. 

Stablecoins enable the exchange to flow better, says Moore. Taking the previous example, you could theoretically cash out your smaller coins for actual dollars, and then reinvest those dollars after the crash, but it could take days to convert your coins into dollars and back again, says Moore. 

Memecoins, and Other Strange Cryptocurrencies

There are thousands of cryptocurrencies available. Many of them have little to no value, and no discernable value proposition, which lands them in the category of memecoins. Experts recommend avoiding investing in this category of coins and sticking with more well-known options like Bitcoin or Ethereum, if you decide to invest in crypto at all. 

Whoppercoin and PutinCoin fall into this category of cryptocurrencies, as does another famous memecoin of recent fame: Dogecoin. While Dogecoin has seen a rise in demand — and thus value — in recent weeks, it still is highly volatile, as evidenced by its drop in value when Tesla CEO Elon Musk made it the subject of a joke on a recent episode of “Saturday Night Live.”

Any cryptocurrency that’s not Bitcoin is referred to as an “altcoin.”

Bitcoin, Litecoin

Bitcoin Cash, XRP

Ethereum, Cardano, Polkadot

Tether, USD Coin

Dogecoin, PutinCoin, Whoppercoin

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The cryptocurrency market continues its slide downwards, hitting its lowest level since early February. It has now sunk to a total value of $1.24 trillion, having stood at $1.42 trillion only a week ago. This represents a decline of just over 12%, with most of the top altcoins falling by higher percentages.

However, if you’re a believer in the long-term viability of crypto, then the market falls only ever provide discounts. Accordingly, we’ve picked the 5 best cryptocurrency to buy at low prices. This mostly covers coins with an absolutely low price, but it also includes a couple which priced low compared to their potential long-term value.

Bitcoin (BTC) has led today’s slide to fresh lows. It’s down by over 5% in 24 hours, having dropped to nearly $29,500. It’s also down by 10% in a week and 16% in 30 days. At the same time, its current price is 53% below its all-time high of $64,804, set back on April 14 (which now seems like an age ago).

Most major models of bitcoin’s price suggest that it’s grossly undervalued right now. The stock-to-flow model — which compares new bitcoin minting with its current stock — suggests BTC should be closer to $100,000 than $20,000.

— PlanB (@100trillionUSD) July 19, 2021

Likewise, bitcoin’s 11-year price history indicates it should reach $100,000 by the end of year. At the same time, a recent survey of 42 cryptocurrency researchers and executives found that 61% of them believe BTC is undervalued. They also, on average, expect a price of $66,284 by the end of the year.

In other words, bitcoin is cheap compared to where many expect it to be. This is why it appears among the 5 best cryptocurrency to buy at low prices.

Given its association with the controversial Bitfinex exchange, LEO Token (LEO) may not necessarily be a popular choice. However, it’s the only top-50 cryptocurrency to rise significantly over the past 24 hours and week.

At $3.17, it’s up by 7% in the past day and 8% in the past week. Better yet, it’s up by 24% in the last fortnight and 22% in the past month. This is enough to make it the best-performing coin across the past 30 days.

For those who aren’t familiar with LEO, it’s the native utility token of the Bitfinex exchange (owned by iFinex, which also owns Tether). As with Binance’s BNB, it provides Bitfinex users with discounts on trades.

💵Fiat deposits and withdrawals 🦁Access to UNUS SED LEO and its trading discounts ✅Stable and utility tokens deposits and withdrawals PLUS more! 🔥

Upgrade your account NOW!https://t.co/h6yw3UOHFn pic.twitter.com/oTTcpRp4pR

— Bitfinex (@bitfinex) November 27, 2020

At just over $3, LEO is certainly cheap. That said, the only problem with it is that it’s not entirely clear why it has been rising so strongly, particularly when the rest of the market is down. Data from Nomics shows that Bitfinex has enjoyed rising volumes over the past year.

This may suggest an increased demand for LEO. However, the volume has certainly declined in the past couple of months, implying weaker demand for the cryptocurrency.

Still, with the rest of the market tanking, LEO may be only one of the few chances for short-term gains right now.

Another cryptocurrency that has bucked today’s trend is Dash (DASH). It’s up by nearly 5% in the past 24 hours, at the relatively low price of $119. On the other hand, it remains down by 6% in the past week and 21% in the past month, following the rest of the market.

Compared to an all-time high of $1,493, DASH is certainly very cheap right now. In fact, it’s one of the few major coins that didn’t break its December 2017 ATH during the recent bull market. It’s currently 92% below this ATH, suggesting it has plenty of space left to rise if another bull market picks up.

And while Dash isn’t as widely discussed as the biggest cryptocurrencies, it continues to attract new partnerships. Most recently, it announced a deal with Naijacrypto to launch the first cryptocurrency exchange in Haiti.

More details: https://t.co/fBduO6VsnW pic.twitter.com/OylsYbBhKj

— Dash (@Dashpay) June 28, 2021

Cardano (ADA) certainly hasn’t escaped today’s selloff unscathed. It’s down to almost $1.00, having fallen by 12% in 24 hours. It’s also down by 21% in a week and by 25% in a month, with its current price some 57% below its ATH of $2.45.

These falls may be steep, but they arguably make ADA one of the best cryptocurrency to buy at low prices at the moment. According to Blockchaincenter.net, it is the fourth best-performing cryptocurrency over the past 90 days. This is due largely to it rising after May 12, when the market fell following Tesla’s rejection of bitcoin.

Cardano’s status as a proof-of-stake blockchain helped it to rise to new heights after the outgoing bull market began its decline. And it’s actually one of the few major platforms with some big positive news to look forward to in the coming weeks. This is the arrival of smart contracts, which are due to launch at some point in August. Once they do go live, Cardano will effectively become a fully-fledged dApp platform and likely enjoy increased adoption. In turn, ADA will leave behind its current low price.

Ripple (XRP) is probably the lowest, sub-$1 coin with the best long-term prospects. Its price has sunk to $0.522760, a fall of nearly 10% in 24 hours. This also marks a fall of 20% in a fortnight and 31% in 30 days.

There are two things that make XRP one of the best cryptocurrency to buy at low prices right now.

Firstly, Ripple’s ongoing case with the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to go well. Most recently, two SEC commissioners submitted a letter to the case’s presiding judge, declaring that Ripple didn’t have fair notice from the SEC to the effect that XRP might be considered a security. This letter might make a settlement or dismissal more likely.

— Jeremy Hogan (@attorneyjeremy1) July 19, 2021

Secondly, Ripple and XRP can boast more adoption than many other coins and platforms. Ripple announced a partnership with Egypt’s largest bank in May, while it also revealed a move into tokenisation at the beginning of this month.

Taken together, such developments put XRP in a position to rally strongly if and when the SEC case is settled in Ripple’s favour.

LONDON , July 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UK-based cryptocurrency exchange coinpass has launched its new flagship crypto trading platform.

The new platform, coinpass Trade, lets users trade crypto with a cryptocurrency exchange listed on the FCA temporary crypto-asset business register.

Users will benefit from top-tier security, deep liquidity, a large choice of tradable tokens and excellent service and support.

Voted Best Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform 2020 at CityAM's CryptoAM Awards, coinpass is preparing for exponential growth to service its growing UK and European user base.

Investors can sign up and register as an individual user or a corporate entity in minutes.

Jeff Hancock , co-founder and CEO, said: "Our goal was to design a crypto trading experience for our users that was easy to use, beautiful to interact with and provided access to the most important data when investing in crypto.

"Typically, exchanges leave you looking at charts and order books instead of the important data to monitor and grow your crypto portfolio. Our new innovative trading platform will enable our users to actively monitor their trading positions, crypto market trends and overall portfolio performance, which are essential to investors to continue to grow their portfolio."

At launch, coinpass Trade will support the following trading pairs and markets:

British Pound (GBP), European Euro (EUR), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Polkadot (DOT), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM).

Post-launch, the following markets are scheduled to be added:

Crypto-crypto markets for BTC and ETH

Additional alt-tokens vs fiat currencies markets

Additional alt-tokens vs cryptocurrencies markets

The platform is aiming to offer over 100 tradable crypto markets to its client base.

Launched in 2018, coinpass has become a leader in the UK cryptocurrency space since the launch of its GBP-crypto fiat on-ramp gateway.

The new platform opens publicly on July 1st 2021.

Logo: dia contact Marketing Team marketing@coinpass.com +44 (0)203-475-9316

“Virtual assets do not constitute legal tender in Mexico nor are they currencies under the current legal framework,” the authorities wrote in the statement Monday.

The declaration comes on the heels of a tweet by Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego -- the owner of Banco Azteca -- saying on Sunday his bank is working to accept Bitcoin. The bank was not directly referenced in the authorities’s statement.

Read More: Mexican Billionaire Says His Bank Is ‘Working’ to Accept Bitcoin

Mexico’s release also reiterated warnings about the risks of using cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange, store of value, or as an investment, which has been the long-standing position of the country’s financial authorities. In order to maintain a healthy distance between virtual assets and the financial system, the authorities wrote, Mexican financial institutions are not allowed to offer operations in Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, and others.

Though they're soaring Wednesday, the world's largest cryptocurrencies are still far from their peaks earlier this year as a result of heightened regulatory scrutiny in China and bearish comments from Tesla chief Elon Musk—here's when every top 10 cryptocurrency (save for Tether and USD Coin, whose values are meant to float near $1) peaked this year. 

Anticipation over crypto-brokerage Coinbase's public-market debut helped lift bitcoin to new highs in April, but after the occasion—hailed as a watershed moment for institutional adoption—failed to meet high expectations, the world's largest cryptocurrency struggled to hold on to its meteoric gains.

Amid crypto-mining bans in China and criticism over the coin's massive carbon footprint, bitcoin prices have plummeted nearly 47% from their all-time high on April 14, the day Coinbase debuted on the Nasdaq exchange.

Though Ripple's XRP hasn't surpassed its high from the crypto-trading frenzy four years ago, the volatile token's peak this year also occured on April 14—buoyed by both Coinbase's listing and a judge's favorable ruling in the Securities and Exchange Commission's ongoing Ripple investigation—but its price has plummeted a staggering 65% since.

As investors sold off their bitcoin holdings in the weeks after its peak, many plowed into other top cryptocurrencies, lifting the likes of ether, polkadot, uniswap and binance coin to new highs in early May, as big banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley started revving up operations in the space.

Some cryptocurrencies also got a boost from billionaire Elon Musk—including his unabashed favorite, "joke" token dogecoin, which surged to a new high on May 8, the day of Musk's highly anticipated Saturday Night Live debut, but has plunged nearly 70% since the self-proclaimed "dogefather" used his airtime to call the digital asset a "hustle."

After days of surging while the broader crypto market started crashing over environmental concerns, Cardano's ada token, which claims to have a much less carbon-intensive mining process than bitcoin, peaked on May 15 and has fallen nearly 45% since, much like the rest of the crypto-market.

Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market soared during the pandemic in light of inflationary concerns and soaring institutional adoption, but prices have plummeted since April, when Tesla—one of bitcoin's biggest corporate investors—disclosed it sold a large chunk of its holdings. Musk, who cheered on the crypto market during its massive rally earlier this year, helped intensify crypto's crash last month by tweeting out that Tesla would no longer accept bitcoin because of its hefty environmental cost—a single development that wiped out more than $300 billion in crypto market value in just hours. Markets have failed to recover since then amid an intensifying regulatory crackdown in China, and the value of the world's cryptocurrencies—at less than $1.4 trillion Wednesday—is roughly half of the nearly $2.6 trillion at its peak on May 12.

“The fall that has taken place since [Musk first soured on crypto] shows just how wild an instrument bitcoin is, how overbought it has become and how influential the Tesla CEO now is in the space,” Oanda Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam said in a recent note. “I’m not sure any of that is a good thing.”

Regulation. Experts have long warned that heightened government intervention could stunt the crypto market’s massive rally, and the recent mining crackdown in China has proven that. Still, the last time regulatory concerns crashed the market—by more than 80% in 2018—prices managed to bounce back. The market is still up about 50% from its early 2018 peak.  

Major Cryptocurrencies—Including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin—Plummet As China Widens Crackdown (Forbes)

Crypto Crash Intensifies As Losses Eclipse $1.3 Trillion Just Two Weeks After Market's All-Time High (Forbes)

Crypto Markets Crash Again After DOJ Seizes $2.3 Million Bitcoin Ransom (Forbes)

I'm a reporter at Forbes focusing on markets and finance. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I double-majored in business journalism

I'm a reporter at Forbes focusing on markets and finance. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I double-majored in business journalism and economics while working for UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School as a marketing and communications assistant. Before Forbes, I spent a summer reporting on the L.A. private sector for Los Angeles Business Journal and wrote about publicly traded North Carolina companies for NC Business News Wire. Reach out at jponciano@forbes.com. And follow me on Twitter @Jon_Ponciano

You can buy more things than ever with cryptocurrency these days, from video games to new furniture. But should you?

“I wouldn’t,” says Kiana Danial, author of “Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies” and the personality behind @Investdiva on Instagram. While there are a few circumstances where it can make sense, the practical answer for most people is no. 

Cryptocurrency markets are notoriously volatile, and the price you pay for an item today may not be what your purchase is worth tomorrow. Plus, many companies experimenting with crypto payments only accept Bitcoin, which experts say is one of the worst cryptos you could choose to pay for something. 

Nevertheless, people are interested in how crypto might work as a payment method. Nearly 20% of all U.S. adults say they’re likely to make a purchase using crypto, according to a recent report by PYMNTS.com, a news and research platform for payments and commerce. But before you cash in your Bitcoin to top up the balance on your Starbucks app, here’s what experts have to say about purchasing with crypto:Don’t Pay With Bitcoin

Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, was originally intended to be used exactly like money. Its white paper dubbed it a “peer-to-peer electronic cash system.” But Bitcoin’s frequent and volatile price fluctuations make that unrealistic in practice. 

“The price volatility kind of makes it useless as an electronic cash system,” says Ollie Leech, learn editor at CoinDesk, a leading cryptocurrency news outlet. “No person in their right mind would want to buy a coffee with Bitcoin. Say you pay $3 for the coffee, and tomorrow your Bitcoin could be worth $30. That’s a loss.” 

Just one year ago, in June 2020, Bitcoin’s value was under $10,000. Since then, it reached a high of more than $64,000 and, despite a recent price drop, remains close to $40,000. Imagine a video game that cost $50 worth of Bitcoin last June. If you waited until today to buy it instead, the same price in Bitcoin today would now cost you $200. 

People buy Bitcoin “not because they expect to be able to go to the store and spend it, but because they expect it to hold its value,” says Galen Moore, director of data and indexes at CoinDesk.

What About Other Cryptos?

Bitcoin has failed at its intended mission to become a new currency, but experts say there are other cryptocurrencies better for transacting. “Every one of them are optimized for certain things. For example, you wouldn’t go to the store and pay for groceries with gold,” says Danial — in the same way you shouldn’t spend Bitcoin on your morning latte. 

Some popular cryptos specifically designed to work better for spending include Dash, Manero, and XRP, according to Danial. Stablecoins, like Tether or USD coin, can also make better alternatives for purchasing, since their prices are tied to existing currencies. 

“There are coins that are more like cash,” says Pat White, co-founder and CEO of Bitwave, a company that helps businesses with crypto tax reporting. These coins are a better choice for spending, in theory, thanks to faster processing and lower fees. “They are designed to be spent and used very quickly.”

But in reality, there’s still a downside to using crypto developed to mimic cash to make payments. Take Bitcoin Cash (BCH), for example. BCH came about after the original Bitcoin proved itself too volatile to be used as a new kind of internet money. A group of creators decided to split off from the original crypto and create Bitcoin Cash, which was designed as a more stable version to be used for transactions.  But in practice, Bitcoin Cash is still highly volatile. In the last year its price has run from around $250 per coin to over $1,500, highlighting the risk of using it to buy something at the wrong time.

Taxes are another complication. While you don’t need to report your crypto purchases to the IRS, you do need to report when trading a cryptocurrency for goods or services. Each time you make a purchase using crypto, you need to track your cost basis, or the fair market value of the crypto when you bought it versus when you used to transact, and report that capital gain or loss.

Are There Other Real-World Uses For Crypto?

For American citizens in America, “There’s probably not going to be a good reason to buy things in crypto,” Danial says.  

That’s because the U.S. dollar fluctuates less than the vast majority of cryptocurrencies out there. However, when you consider a currency that’s less safe and stable than the U.S. dollar, the case for cryptocurrency payments increases, says Roger Aliaga-Díaz, principal and senior economist with Vanguard Investment Strategy Group.

Take a volatile currency like the Iranian Rial. “It loses value every single day,” Danial says. “I’m Iranian, my parents are as well, and whenever they go to Iran they try to never convert any money to Rial, because it just goes down.”

Would You Ever Buy Things With Crypto?

While it’s not the wisest financial decision, crypto payments can provide an alternative transaction method for those who don’t have the necessary requirements for opening a bank account, or can’t access traditional financing in a certain place. For example, unbanked people can transfer money to others, even internationally, using their crypto wallets, or make purchases using crypto with participating merchants using apps like BitPay, all without the need to go through traditional financial institutions.

Some people may also choose to buy goods with crypto to capitalize upon the speed of transaction. Globally, “a lot of deals are being made with crypto,” Danial says. “Like, maybe a prince in Dubai wants to buy a Lamborghini from Italy, and wants it immediately and doesn’t want to wait for deposits and bank information and everything, so they purchase it using crypto.”

Crypto transactions are also relatively anonymous — which is why they have a reputation as being used by criminals to buy and sell on online black markets. Crypto’s prevalence as a form of payment for illegal trades persists. It played a role in recovering the Colonial Pipeline — a key gas line servicing the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts — last month, after hackers shut down its computer systems until they were paid $4.4 million in Bitcoin. The U.S. government has since seized back $2.3 million of that ransom fee (most of what was originally paid, since the price of Bitcoin has dipped recently). 

As for businesses willing to accept payment in crypto, expect to see more as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies grow in popularity. Some companies may be looking to cash in on the latest craze, or take part in the novelty of a new payment form, while others believe cryptocurrency is the way of the future. A bullish perspective on the future of crypto was behind Tesla’s recent decision to begin offering the option to pay with Bitcoin, although the company declared it would stop accepting Bitcoin payments for cars last month, citing concerns about its environmental impact. 

There may be a future in which digital currencies become more commonplace forms of payments, but for the average American crypto investor considering paying for groceries in crypto, “I think we are not there yet,” says Danial. 

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The forum was the largest blockchain, cryptocurrency and mining event in the world, gathering 5,067 participants.

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The forum participants learned about DeFi and NFT trends, the secrets of efficient trading, the prospects of mining, new cases on the implementation of blockchain technology in business and other topical issues of the industry.

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The world’s leading companies in the sector provided guests with the opportunity to be part of their teams at the job fair.

More than 70 Russian and international projects were presented at the fair, including: Bybit, FTX, Listing.Help, Crystal, BitRiver, Crypto com, CoinLoan, and others.

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The absolute hit of the forum was the Speed Networking format, where each participant was able to meet a few dozen people in 30 minutes.

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The winners of the Blockchain Life Awards 2021 are: RBC-Crypto in “The best crypto media”, Maria Stankevich in “ The top person of the industry in CIS “, Listing.Help in “ The best listing agency “, Uniswap in “The best DeFi project”, MYRIG in “ The best mining service “, Binance in “ The best centralized cryptocurrency exchange “.

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The forum culminated in the legendary AfterParty at the Gipsy Club. More than  1,500 participants made new business connections. The Party offered delicious appetizers and hot meals, alcohol, hookah, and the best show – everything was free for forum participants that evening.

Rapper Mot was a special guest at the AfterParty with a spectacular live concert. 

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?usp=sharing For the 6th time, the forum is organized by Listing.Help, the Top 1 agency for listing on cryptocurrency exchanges.

By the way, ticket sales are already open for the Blockchain Life 2021 Autumn Global Forum, which takes place on 27-28 October, 2021 in Moscow.

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