With the emergence of cryptocurrencies in 2009, the financial industry has experienced major disruption. This invention acted as a catalyst for many subsequent innovations, which came about by building on the revolutionary blockchain technology, or by reacting to it. A prime example for this phenomenon are Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). As opposed to cryptos, […]
Tag: Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrencies are some of the hottest commodities among investors, and also the subject of heated debate. While some of the most respected investment banks, such as JP Morgan, are investing heavily into blockchain technology, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Gary Gensler has often vocalised his scepticism towards cryptos as an inflated speculative […]
Cryptocurrency has often been a divisive and controversial topic in the world of finance and economics. Some notable figures have written it off, claiming it to be nothing more than a complex Ponzi scheme, while others are insistent that cryptocurrencies are the future of the monetary system. Regardless of which party is correct, the near […]
As the price of cryptocurrencies skyrocketed in late 2017 and early 2018, there was rampant speculation about whether blockchain and cryptocurrencies are the future. They have potential to replace gold as a store of wealth or even fiat currencies for daily transactions. Bitcoin may be pilfering some gold demand, but gold and fiat currencies will […]
There is Bitcoin, there is Ethereum, and there are now literally hundreds of other cryptocurrencies. In fact, as of late March 2018, there were almost 1,600 cryptocurrencies listed on CoinMarketCap. Admittedly, the majority of these are thinly traded, and only a few of them are serious contenders for first place. Before 2017, most people had […]
As I have been writing in this space of late, the days of the Wild West for cryptocurrency are absolutely at an end. The writing has been on the wall all summer. The latest news to hammer the point home? As September dawned last week, six more major banks joined a UBS-led effort to create […]
The regulation of the Bitcoin industry is getting even stranger. Not only are Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and token sales now subject to federal securities laws, in late August the SEC announced the temporary suspension of trading of First Bitcoin Capital Corp (BITCF). The trading ban on the Canadian company will be in effect until […]
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Can Bitcoin Be Regulated?
One of the attractions of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is the idea that they are not regulated by a central banking authority. It has led to some spectacular jumps in the price of Bitcoin, which is controlled by a relatively small number of global investors. The volatility in the market was even more obvious this […]
For those struggling to understand blockchain, think of it this way. It will be the digital connection between people as well as between machines – starting with your cell phone. It will be used to tell your washing machine when to run. It will also be used to bill you for the electricity and water […]
One of the most important things to remember about a digital currency is that it is just a way of transferring ownership and assets electronically. In fact, for those who are scrambling to understand both cryptocurrency and blockchain, this idea is the first, and unfortunately all too often, the only port of call. That said, […]
Cryptocurrencies are digital assets or “tokens” – akin to the idea of money – specifically designed to take advantage of the architecture of the Internet. Unlike traditional currency they have value not because of the guarantee of a financial institution or government. Instead, they have value for three reasons: their ability to be accurately “confirmed” […]
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What Is Cryptocurrency?
While “Bitcoin” has become a household word over the past several years, the concept of what cryptocurrency actually is goes far beyond traditional concepts of “money”. First invented by the individual or group of people known as Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, the original concept was to create a decentralized automated cash machine (in very simplified […]