Crypto Guides, Knowledge & Insights

Nvidia bets big on Ethereum mining with new dedicated graphic chip

The chipmaker was overwhelmed by the massive use of its graphic chips by Ethereum and Bitcoin miners in 2017. But its prepared this time around.　　Nvidias Ethereum bet　　Graphics chipmaker Nvidia said Thursday it will release a new series of semiconductors specifically for mining Ethereum, as per a report on Verge. The firm saw huge success with the sector back in 2017 when it claimed to have made hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter selling chips to cryptocurrency miners.　　The California-based firm designs graphics processing units for the gaming and professional markets, as well as system on chip units for the mobile computing and automotive market. These are of significance to crypto miners, who utilize massive computing power to “mine” blocks on PoW networks like Ethereum and Bitcoin, in turn of “rewards.”　　Nvidia was overwhelmed by the demand for its chips in 2017 when the crypto market picked up in a big way. Prices swiftly increased beyond the budget of the average gaming and P.C. enthusiast—leading to criticism from several quarters.　　But this time is different for Nvidia; its now prepared for the upcoming bullrun. The new chip type is called CMP, or Cryptocurrency Mining Processor, and will go on sale in March, an

2021-02-22Deep Dive

How ethbox Protects Your Crypto Transactions

With cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin becoming huge news in recent months, more and more transactions are taking place every day. While the blockchain offers countless benefits for sending money, these transactions dont always run smoothly. Actually, some people have lost millions in crypto simply sending funds to the wrong wallet address.　　Wrong addresses is an issue thats easily solved with ethbox, the smart contract security system for the Ethereum blockchain.　　We‘re going to look at how users can stay protected with ethbox, and how it could secure all your Ethereum transactions for better peace of mind—and a low cost (it’s often free).　　ethbox works by obfuscating ETH transactions so that they arent publicly visible as trackable transactions (when the privacy feature is enabled). Both their source and destination are hidden, to protect them from malicious intent.　　ethbox can encrypt both the sender and receiver‘s wallet addresses locally, so that no information is ever shared on the blockchain or transmitted publicly. This process allows users to even remain anonymous from each other. ethbox makes it practically impossible to reconstruct a user’s transactions.　　How ethbox works—in detail　　Users start by depositing their ETH funds inside the ethbox smart contract to send, or retrieve funds that have previously

2021-02-22Deep Dive

Indian Cryptocurrency Dilemma: Just How Much Will A Ban Hurt The Country?

Indian cryptocurrency investors are facing severe uncertainty regarding the cryptocurrency future of the country. The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, leaves investors with the question of to liquidate or not.　　Bitcoins recent value rise crossing the $50000 mark has made heads turn, hinting at the possibility that the cryptocurrency might be here to stay and its potential addressed. India should jump on the crypto bandwagon and utilize this potential instead of resisting the tremendous change blockchain applications will bring about.　　What Does India Stand To Lose With A Ban On Cryptocurrency？　　A ban on the currency will elbow out blockchain user organizations in healthcare, supply chain management, finances and banking services system, and wildlife conservation, forcing employment sectors to find options in countries with open perspectives. A ban could push us into the dark ages while the rest of the world has a chance to be the forerunners of a fantastic new technology built on mutual trust and gain.　　Where Does India Stand With Cryptocurrency Right Now？　　The bill seeks to ban private cryptocurrencies. There is no clarity regarding the definition of private cryptocurrency, with the finance minister suggesting that digital currency other than those issued by a central would

2021-02-22Deep Dive

Canadian Bitcoin ETF attracts over $400mln in investments in 48 hours

North Americas first ever Bitcoin exchange traded fund has attracted over $400mln in investments in just 48 hours.　　The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) gave Purpose Investments the all clear to launch a Bitcoin exchange traded fund in early February and the product was finally launched February 18.　　Purpose Investments Bitcoin ETF has been trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the tickers BTCC.B and BTCC.U. The first is the Canadian dollar denominated ETF non-currency hedged units and the second is the US dollar denominated ETF non-currency hedged unit.　　As the announcement from the investment firm sums up, the ETF will invest directly in physically settled Bitcoin and not derivatives, which will give investors access to the preeminent cryptocurrency without having to hold the BTC in their own digital wallets. The Bitcoin ETF will be backed by physically settled BTC.　　“We are so happy to be able to offer this innovation to investors, making the process of owning Bitcoin easier than ever. We believe Bitcoin, as the first and largest asset in the emerging cryptocurrency ecosystem, is poised to continue its growth trajectory and adoption as an alternative asset, further cementing the investment opportunity it presents,” Purpose CEO and founder Som Seif said in a

2021-02-22Deep Dive

Financial privacy: How blockchain eliminates unsolicited snooping

TL;DR Breakdown　　The Bank of America allegedly divulged users information to the authorities.　　This is not the first time such institutions have violated their users right to financial privacy.　　Blockchain is the easiest route financial services consumers can take to avoid such breaches.　　While blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency and the decentralized finance market, the blockchain module is a larger, more vast project, with standings in various sectors, especially areas needing more efficient cybersecurity options like financial privacy.　　In the last few years, the purpose of blockchain networks in finance has been to gradually facilitate the transfer of monetary authority from banking systems to individuals/users, a concept popularly known as “decentralized finance.” If you are an adept follower of blockchain and cryptocurrency, you would know that this transition though largely successful hasnt gone by without the traditional financial institutions and authorities hindering the functionality of blockchain. They have made several attempts at either outrightly banning cryptos, or imposing strict policies and regulations that are, at best, questionable.　　While these moves have mostly been motivated by the loss of financial resources, it has also been a fight for financial data control, the “non-existent” legal right of banks to violate their customers financial privacy by sharing

2021-02-22Deep Dive

The Technology Behind Bitcoin’s $1T Valuation And Its Application Beyond Cryptocurrency

Now a trillion-dollar asset, bitcoin is paramount to cryptocurrency culture after its 60% hike this month, surpassing any traditional asset in this record-breaking milestone.　　Since its introduction to the financial market in 2009, this first-of-its-kind cryptocurrency has been marked by high volatility and price fluctuations. Being a “highly speculative asset”, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has stressed the need for regulating any institution that handles bitcoins and investor protection in a recent CNBC interview. Despite the lack of regulation and vulnerability to scams and illicit transactions, a mixture of social proofing and celebrity endorsements has catapulted its popularity among investors and the masses.　　But behind bitcoin is the ingenious blockchain technology that enables this unprecedented digital asset. The symbiotic relationship between bitcoin and blockchain is so apparent that people often confuse the two. Simply put, without blockchain, bitcoin is useless. With each bitcoin transaction, a digital trail is created on a shared ledger. Though the transaction itself is open and public, the persons identity behind the bitcoin transaction is encrypted and remains private. As transactions are posted on this digital ledger, a perpetual “chain” of anonymous and real-time transactions is created.　　Though blockchain technology is most prominently recognized with its application to bitcoin

2021-02-22Deep Dive

CryptoCompare Report Highlights Top Crypto Exchanges and Why They Stand Out

Cryptocurrency exchanges have over time kept on increasing their operational standards and transparency, to the point most trading platforms are now considered Top-Tier and improved security has led to fewer hacking incidents.　　According to CryptoCompares Exchange Benchmark report, Top-Tier exchanges, those graded AA-BB, have gained an additional 13% market share in the last four months, from October 2020 to January 2021 – the same time period that saw the price of Bitcoin surge from little over $11,000 to a new high above $40,000.　　The report details that Top-Tier exchange market share grew from 61$ to 74% over said period, with these platforms going from trading $347 billion to $1.41 trillion per month. It adds that based on its grading, market share for last month would have been of 85% for these platforms.　　Market share for Top-Tier trading platforms partly increased because the number of exchanges being considered Top-Tier also increased to 84, up from 68 in July of last year. This, the report adds, as exchanges “increased their operational standards and transparency due to regulatory requirements and a competitive marketplace.”　　Source: CryptoCompare　　Exchanges throughout the cryptocurrency space have generally improved their security since July of last year, the report notes, with 20% of trading platforms

2021-02-19Deep Dive

Billionaire Mark Cuban on Stock Market, HODLing, DeFi, NFTs

Recently, Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on the the stock market, decentralized finance (DeFi), and non-fungible token (NFTs) during an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session.　　Cuban is the majority owner of the professional basketball team Dallas Mavericks, as well as one of the “sharks” on the highly popular reality show “Shark Tank” (which is aired on the ABC television network).　　Cuban‘s comments, a few of which are highlighted in this article, were delivered during an AMA session (on February 2) hosted by Reddit’s now-famous group/subreddit “/wallstreetbets”.　　Are Current Valuations of Popular Stocks Justified？　　“1pct interest rates change all valuations. What is right or wrong is hard to determine. What is the right valuation, that is what the market is supposed to tell you. Stocks that dont pay dividends are only worth what someone will pay for them.”　　Does DeFi Really Have a Chance of Achieving Mainstream Adoption？　　“Father time is undefeated. Big Players die and are replaced by the next generation.”　　Will Stocks Eventually Be on the Blockchain？　　“Yes. Stocks will be on the blockchain in the future, and that will make the markets much more efficient, transparent and available to the small investor.”　　Advice for Those Who Lost Money During GameStop Saga　　BTC HODLers are a great example to

2021-02-19Deep Dive

Thailand tourism board targets wealthy Japanese crypto holders

In its latest effort to revive the Kingdom‘s pandemic-battered tourism industry, Thailand’s tourism authority is targeting cryptocurrency holders from Japan.　　The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants to establish the country as the first to go out of its way to welcome cryptocurrency holders, specifically those from Japan which it views as a regional hub of crypto activity. The authority has conducted a feasibility study on implementing cryptocurrency payments at tourism destinations.　　Thailand has been angling for well-heeled tourists ever since the collapse of the industry in the first quarter of 2020 when Asian nations began closing their borders in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.　　According to the Bangkok Post, TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that cryptocurrency could be the key to attracting the high rollers:　　“If we can prepare the country for the cryptocurrency market, it will help attract more opportunities from high-spending tourists, especially the young and wealthy generations.”　　He added that the use of cryptocurrency must comply with regulations from the central bank and measures must be designed to deter money laundering.　　The authority cites three-year-old figures for Japan as having an 11% crypto ownership rate, however more recent 2020 figures from Statista suggest that it is closer to 4%.　　Mr. Yuthasak even

2021-02-19Deep Dive

Bank Account Data May Indicate a Rise in South Korean Crypto Activity

A new report has linked a spike in the creation of new bank accounts in South Korea to a rise in crypto trading – an indication that a large influx of new traders in the East Asian nation has taken up crypto in 2021.　　In 2018, Seoul created a set of guidelines that requires crypto exchanges to keep their own funds and those of their clients separate in banking procedures.　　The guidelines also require all individual customers to create real-name and social security number-authenticated bank accounts. The nations “big four” exchanges – Upbit, Korbit, Bithumb and Coinone – have all opted into these guidelines, which necessitates exchanges to strike six-month contracts with domestic banks. Under a soon-to-be-implemented new law, these guidelines will become obligatory for all exchanges in the country.　　And per Newspim, the three banks currently doing business with the “big four” exchanges have seen business boom in the past few months, coinciding with a huge rise in crypto prices. Bitcoin (BTC), for instance, has broken all sorts of records, reaching new heights of USD 52,000+ in recent weeks.　　The media outlet points to data from the financial sector that shows the banks in question had a bumper January for new clients. The

2021-02-19Deep Dive

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