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The 5 Most Important Crypto to invest in 2020 Other Than Bitcoin & Ethereum

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Bitcoin has not just been a trendsetter, ushering in a wave of cryptocurrencies built on a decentralized peer-to-peer network, it’s become the de facto standard for cryptocurrencies, inspiring an ever-growing legion of followers and spinoffs. 5 Most Important Crypto to invest in 2020.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
A cryptocurrency, broadly defined, is virtual or digital money which takes the form of tokens or “coins.”
Beyond that, the field of cryptocurrencies has expanded dramatically since bitcoin was launched over a decade ago, and the next great digital token may be released tomorrow, for all anyone in the crypto community knows.
Bitcoin continues to lead the pack of cryptocurrencies, in terms of market capitalization, user base, and popularity.
Virtual currencies such as Ethereum and XRP, which are being used more for enterprise solutions, have also become popular.
Some altcoins are being endorsed for superior or advanced features vis-à-vis bitcoins.

What Are Cryptocurrencies?

Before we take a closer look at some of these alternatives to Bitcoin, let’s step back and briefly examine what we mean by terms like cryptocurrency and altcoin. A cryptocurrency, broadly defined, is virtual or digital money which takes the form of tokens or “coins.” While some cryptocurrencies have ventured into the physical world with credit cards or other projects, the large majority remain entirely intangible.

The “crypto” in cryptocurrencies refers to complicated cryptography which allows for the creation and processing of digital currencies and their transactions across decentralized systems. Alongside this important “crypto” feature of these currencies is a common commitment to decentralization; cryptocurrencies are typically developed as code by teams who build in mechanisms for issuance (often, although not always, through a process called “mining”) and other controls.

Cryptocurrencies are almost always designed to be free from government manipulation and control, although as they have grown more popular this foundational aspect of the industry has come under fire. The currencies modeled after bitcoin are collectively called altcoins and have often tried to present themselves as modified or improved versions of bitcoin. While some of these currencies are easier to mine than bitcoin, there are tradeoffs, including greater risk brought on by lower levels of liquidity, acceptance and value retention.

Below, we’ll examine some of the most important digital currencies other than bitcoin. First, though, a caveat: it is impossible for a list like this to be entirely comprehensive. One reason for this is the fact that there are more than 2,000 cryptocurrencies in existence as of January 2020, and many of those tokens and coins enjoy immense popularity among a dedicated (if small, in some cases) community of backers and investors.

Beyond that, the field of cryptocurrencies is always expanding, and the next great digital token may be released tomorrow, for all anyone in the crypto community knows. While bitcoin is widely seen as a pioneer in the world of cryptocurrencies, analysts adopt many approaches for evaluating tokens other than BTC. It’s common, for instance, for analysts to attribute a great deal of importance to the ranking of coins relative to one another in terms of market cap. We’ve factored this into our consideration, but there are other reasons why a digital token may be included in the list as well.

1. Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin, launched in 2011, was among the first cryptocurrencies to follow in the footsteps of bitcoin and has often been referred to as “silver to bitcoin’s gold.” It was created by Charlie Lee, an MIT graduate and former Google engineer. Litecoin is based on an open-source global payment network that is not controlled by any central authority and uses “scrypt” as a proof of work, which can be decoded with the help of CPUs of consumer-grade. Although Litecoin is like bitcoin in many ways, it has a faster block generation rate and hence offers a faster transaction confirmation time.8 Other than developers, there are a growing number of merchants who accept Litecoin. As of Jan. 8, 2020, Litecoin had a market cap of $3.0 billion and a per-token value of $46.92, making it the sixth-largest cryptocurrency in the world.

2. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) holds an important place in the history of altcoins because it is one of the earliest and most successful hard forks of the original bitcoin. In the cryptocurrency world, a fork takes place as the result of debates and arguments between developers and miners. Due to the decentralized nature of digital currencies, wholesale changes to the code underlying the token or coin at hand must be made due to general consensus; the mechanism for this process varies according to the particular cryptocurrency.

When different factions can’t come to an agreement, sometimes the digital currency is split, with the original remaining true to its original code and the other copy beginning life as a new version of the prior coin, complete with changes to its code. BCH began its life in August of 2017 as a result of one of these splits. The debate which led to the creation of BCH had to do with the issue of scalability; the Bitcoin network has a strict limit on the size of blocks: one megabyte (MB). BCH increases the block size from one MB to eight MB, with the idea being that larger blocks will allow for faster transaction times.12 It also makes other changes, too, including the removal of the Segregated Witness protocol which impacts block space. As of Jan. 8, 2020, BCH had a market cap of $4.4 billion and a value per token of $240.80. BCH is one of the best cryptocurrency among the top 5 Most Important Crypto.

3. EOS (EOS)

EOS is one of the best crypto in the top 5 Most Important Crypto in 2020. Aside from Libra, one of the newest digital currencies to make our list is EOS. Launched in June of 2018, EOS was created by cryptocurrency pioneer Dan Larimer. Before his work on EOS, Larimer founded the digital currency exchange Bitshares as well as the blockchain-based social media platform Steemit. Like other cryptocurrencies on this list, EOS is designed after ethereum, so it offers a platform on which developers can build decentralized applications. EOS is notable for many other reasons, though.

First, its initial coin offering was one of the longest and most profitable in history, raking in a record $4 billion or so in investor funds through crowdsourcing efforts lasting a year. EOS offers a delegated proof-of-stake mechanism which it hopes to be able to offer scalability beyond its competitors. EOS consists of EOS.IO, similar to the operating system of a computer and acting as the blockchain network for the digital currency, as well as EOS coins. EOS is also revolutionary because of its lack of a mining mechanism to produce coins. Instead, block producers generate blocks and are rewarded in EOS tokens based on their production rates. EOS includes a complex system of rules to govern this process, with the idea being that the network will ultimately be more democratic and decentralized than those of other cryptocurrencies. As of Jan. 8, 2020, EOS had a market cap of $2.7 billion and a per-token value of $2.85.

4. Binance Coin (BNB)

Binance Coin (BNB) is the official token of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange platform. Founded in 2017, Binance has quickly risen to become the largest exchange of its kind globally in terms of overall trading volume. The Binance Coin token allows Binance users to trade in dozens of different cryptocurrencies efficiently on the Binance platform. BNB is used to facilitate transaction fees on the exchange and can also be used to pay for certain goods and services, including travel fees and more.22

As of Jan. 8, 2020, BNB had a market cap of $2.3 billion and a per-token value of $14.71. BNB is also valuable crypto and it has one of the biggest community in this top 5 Most Important Crypto in 2020.

5. XcelToken Plus (XLAB)

XcelToken Plus is a revolutionary blockchain utility token which has the largest crypto mass adoption in the world from travel booking platform (XcelTrip) to its own decentralized crypto wallet “XcelPay Wallet” to top-up mobile phones across 900 telecom operators and buy major global giftcard purchases within its own ecosystem.

XcelToken, launched in 2019, was among the ERC20 tokens to follow in the footsteps of Ethereum and has often been referred to as “Versatile Token.

XcelToken is an ERC-20 utility token based on the Ethereum Protocol; developed with the latest in blockchain technology and by experts from FinTech & Travel industries; it is set to disrupt the Trillion Dollar Travel Industry, Payment and e-commerce industry worldwide.

XcelToken Plus is easily tradable on different crypto exchange platform and getting larger exposure within the millions of crypto community worldwide. XcelToken is now trading in less than $0.01c and expected to raise its value bigtime in the long-run. XcelToken is widely accepted for payments and having mutual partnership with different major cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Litecon, Verge, Dash and others. XLAB is one of the best cryptocurrency in the list of top 5 Most Important Crypto to invest in 2020.

Here are the top 5 Most Important Crypto where you can invest your money in this pandemic and get good ROI.

Top 3 Travel Sites That Accepts Cryptocurrency For Hotels & Flights Bookings

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Major online travel platform has adopted major cryptocurrency as mode of payment for hotels and flights booking worldwide. Read about 3 travel portal that accept crypto for flights, hotels, and more.

Leading blockchain travel platform XcelTrip accepts DASH and Litecoin

Cryptocurrency has disrupted travel and hospitality with its mass adoptions since 2014. Cryptocurrency holders have the convenience of paying for hotel rooms and flights with their crypto assets like Bitcoin, putting this yet-to-be widely accepted form of currency to use. The following list dives into the details of these travel/hospitality services and their benefits.

Cheapair

Accepting Bitcoin since 2013, Cheapair is the world’s first online travel agency to accept cryptocurrency such as bitcoin. In late 2013, Cheapair accepted Bitcoin payments for booking flights and in the following year

Cheapair now accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash , Litecoin, and Dash

XcelTrip

US based online travel platform, XcelTrip is one of the fastest growing online travel platform built on blockchain technology powered by millions of crypto community worldwide. XcelTrip is the brainchild of silicon valley serial entrepreneur Gyanendra Khadka. On XcelTrip users from around the world can book over 1.5 million Hotels, Resorts and 400+ Airlines using top crypto including BTC, ETH, Litecoin, Dash, Verge, KAU, XLAB and more via xceltrip.com and its android & iOS app. XcelTrip has over half million active users and has been featured in CNBC, Forbes, Bitcoin.com, Entrepreneur, INC, Blockchain Expo and other popular medias. Check out media coverage here https://www.xceltrip.com/press

BTCTrip

Founded in 2013, BTCTrip is a US based travel agency that provides booking services for flights and hotels. It was built to drive crypto into cryptocurrency community. T

BTCTrip uses its customers’ Bitcoin to provide liquidity for a kind of multi-currency arbitrage, taking advantage of the inefficiencies in several Bitcoin and fiat exchange markets.


XcelTrip accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Verge, XcelToken Plus For Hotels & Flights Booking Worldwide

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Blockchain Based Travel Platform XcelTrip.com

XcelTrip, one of the very first and fully functional crypto enabled online travel platform often referred to as the “Travel Industry Disruptor Using Cryptocurrency”, accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Verge, Dash, Binance and it’s own native Utility Token XLAB (XcelToken Plus) on its travel booking service. XcelTrip has built its own extranet engine and listing properties on its own platform independently using its larger network of independent marketing partners globally.

Flight Search on XcelTrip.com using Bitcoin

XcelTrip, blockchain based travel platform has over 800,000 hotels and 400 airlines across 200 countries. XcelTrip offers upto 50% cash back on its own XcelToken Plus for both hotels and flight booking. Browse www.xceltrip.com to know more about its new features and attractive offers.

Flight Search of Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Seoul Using Bitcoin
XcelPay Payment Gateway to accept cryptocurrency on XcelTrip.com

Alert! Crypto Scammer on the run!

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crypto scammer devina dutta
Crypto Scammer Devina Dutta

Devina Dutta an ex- employee of XcelTrip is now on the run after cheating the company of Bitcoins and valuable data. A world wide search has been launched to locate said employee. Devina Dutta has made fake listing contracts of one of the biggest crypto exchange Bitfinex and Houbi to scam XcelToken for its listing in both exchanges. Top cryptocurrency exchange- Huobi Global have agreed to cooperate with XcelTrip to find her.   

Let this serve as a caution to the cryptocurrency community to not have any connection with Devina, as legal action can be taken against her. 

XcelTrip has also announced a reward, for those that helps them in the process of finding her and bringing her to justice.

Scammer information:

Name- Devina Dutta (same name used on all social media handles)

Residency- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Passport held by scammer- Australian & Malaysia

If you have any information on the said person’s location please don’t hesitate to contact XcelTrip on  [email protected]

Legal Notice against crypto scammer Devina Dutta

Here are few social account profiles of scammer Devina Dutta:

Scammer Devina Dutta Twitter Account Profile:
Scammer Devina Dutta Instagram Profile
Scammer Devina Dutta Facebook Profile
Crypto Scammer Devina Dutta Linkedin Profile

Top 10 Cryptocurrencies to invest in 2019

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Financial data on a monitor,Stock market data on LED display concept

The bear market started last year. There is hope that the market will recover by mid-2019. There are many projects that died last year, more will die this year but projects that have strong fundamentals are here to stay. Our investment theme for 2019 would be security token offering, mass user adoption and scalability. Here are our top 10 picks for 2019.

BITCOIN

Fundamentals:

  1. Lightening Network Nodes Rapid Adoption reduce time in confirming transactions.
  2. Blockstream Satellite launch will enable users to send/receive bitcoins without internet.
  3. Institutional investment in Bitcoin Custody products will create more demands.
  4. Mass user adoption through Coinbase and Cash App.
  5. Bitcoin Halving in 2020. Block rewards will be reduced to 6.25 BTC

Price to buy Bitcoins: Aim to buy bitcoins in parts, average dollar cost. Best price to get in will be in the range of $1500 – $3000 USD.

Litecoin

Litecoin is a better and faster version of bitcoin which is faster and lighter. It is often called as Digital Silver. Litecoin is recently caught eyes when they advertised in a UFC Boxing event, Litecoin is looking to execute an aggressive marketing plan to get more acceptance amongst users. Litecoin halving event is approaching after 208 days, which is the most bullish factor for litecoin to start a new bull run this year. Overall Litecoin looks a decent investment option for 2019, which is supported by a very strong bullish catalyst.

Currently, Litecoin is trading at $35.74 USD, which is extremely affordable and also a great investment in 2019.

Ripple

Ripple is the most popular cryptocurrency in the market. They have launched their most anticipated payment settlement solution- XRapid last year. XRapid is fast and suitable for financial/ Payment industries. Ripple has tons of partnerships with banks from across the globe who would start using its offering in 2019. If we don’t get stuck on its centralization debate, I think Ripple is the safest investment option in 2019. Which could at-least double your investment.

Why? Because Firstly, Ripple has huge demands coming up from banks/Institutes and Secondly, Ripple also able to generate huge demands from people who wanted to invest in crypto. Ripple is the right fit for them considering its low price and high liquidity.

Ripple’s token at this point is expensive at all and is trading at about $0.36 USD. And given the partnerships its striking, this is definitely a coin and a company that is worth your time.

SCALABILITY

Ethereum

According to Vitalik Buterin – Cofounder of Ethereum, Sharding and plasmaimplementation will help Ethereum to reach 1 million transactions per second. The vision looks really big on the table, 8 teams have already started working on this technological upgrade in the Ethereum network. Ethereum will transit into Proof of stake coin by end of this year, They recently announced the updated roadmap which showcases a grand and scalable vision for Ethereum network.

Ethereum after a year-long low, managed to reclaim its position as the world’s second largest cryptocurrency because of the updates that were announced. The most anticipated update is supposed to come into play by the 16th of January. Incidentally, there are three more hardforks that are coming Ethereum’s way. These two have people very interested. And this is something that has everyone excited and people are more willing to bet on Ethereum now.  

Tron

Tron has recently acquired Bittorent – leading peer to peer application, They have to plan to launch Bittorrent token on tron blockchain. Tron and Bitorrent will complement each other to become biggest blockchain network in the world, which tron is already on its way to become one.

Tron has been very successful in maintaining the price in bear market, The founder behind tron project – Justin sun is the another reason you should consider buy this project. Justin sun built a hype around project last year and over delivered so far in terms of network usage, dapp adoption and user base. Tron is currently leading the dapp platform industry with 1 Million users and over 100+ Dapps created.

Waves

Waves is a platform that allows users to make their own tokens and distribute them too. The platform allows users to create tokens. The Waves platform also has its own exchange on which these tokens can be distributed. The exchange is called DEX.  According to waves 2019 roadmap, they are working to launch security token offering soon. Waves has recently launched smart contracts on their mainnet.

The Waves platform has a bigtime partnership with Delloite. And also has a partnership with the Russian National Settlements Depository.  Waves is the nativ token for waves platform, it performs really well lately, currently it’s consolidating below 3$.

XcelToken, Utility Token

XcelToken, a first of its kind utility token, backed by the XcelTrip which is fully functional online travel platform. XcelTrip accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance and its own native XcelToken for over 800,000 hotels and 150+ airlines worldwide. Xceltrip is disrupting trillion dollar travel industry. XcelTrip is built on the idea that travel should be about seamless experiences and wonderful memories, and not just traveling from point“ A” to point“ B”. Keeping those goals in mind, we are building a world – class “Decentralized Travel Ecosystem” that is committed to deliver a refreshingly new experience. 
XcelTrip is not only a single stop travel service provider for air travel, hotel and vehicle rental but also your tireless partner with innovative ideas to fulfill all your traveling needs at the lowest possible cost.

The token is currently trading at $0.05 USD. , which is extremely affordable and also a great investment in 2019.

Quarkchain

Quarkchain had a great hype when they came out from ICO stage and listed on binance last year. They have delivered based on the hype in terms of both product development and price growth. Quarkchain was one of the few altcoins which did pretty well in terms of price growth in the bear market of 2018. Quarkchain recently released their testnet and currently handling over 10,000 Transactions per second. They are scheduled to release the mainnet by Q1, 2019. Quarkchain is also implementing Sharding technology to achieve 1 Million transactions per second. Quarkchain is new, Its market cap is low as compare to Ethereum, TRON and other competitors, All these factors makes Quarkchain a good investment for 2019.

Zilliqa

Zilliqa has been one of those few blockchain companies that have been working on scalability and have managed to do that successfully. Zilliqa was one of the pioneers in the scalability market that added sharding technology into their blockchain to increase the scalability of the blockchain itself. In preparation for their mainnet launch, Zilliqa launched a testnet and the results of which were very good. Ziliqa has also developed its own language- Scllia for programming smart contracts. The USP of Ziliqa is its assembled team of Research scholars who are well versed with both science and technology.  

SECURITY TOKEN OFFERING

Polymath

Polymath is a security coin that allows many people to transfer their securities onto the blockchain. It uses the ST-20 token standard and ensures government compliance using the same. Polymath is one of the first coins in the cryptocurrency market to establish the difference between the ICO and STO (Security Token Offering). 

Polymath focuses heavily on anti-money laundering, KYC processes and other legalities so that they stay within government norms for the cryptocurrency industry. As a security cryptocurrency coin, the company has many great partnerships. To name a few; MintHealth, Corl, tZero, BlockEstate. 

In the past one year, the token has faced the brunt of the bear market. Although it did manage to set an all-time high this year, it is still the coin’s very first year in the cryptocurrency market. The coin is currently trading at $0.141708 USD.

Revolutionizing Technology, Transforming The Travel Industry

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Everyone is talking about the revolutionary technology that has been transforming countless industries—everything from real estate to the energy industry. It looks like there is  no industry out there that blockchain technology won’t affect, and the travel industry is no different.

This is a good news for anyone who occasionally go for a vacay trip, and even better for someone who frequently travels as blockchain solutions are more cheaper, safer and reliable than centralized counterparts. With the rise in people travelling around the globe, they demand for more safer and reliable travel platforms and it is the blockchain platform they are ending up at last.

In terms of the advantages blockchain technology can offer within the travel industry, stability and security rank very highly. The decentralised nature of the blockchain means that information can never go ‘offline’ or be lost through accidental deletion or a malicious cyber attack, ensuring transactions are always traceable.And its obvious that payment is the vital part for the whole travel industry ,blockchain technlogy solves this problems as well. It not only simplify payments but also secure it.This is especially true when dealing with overseas payments. As a consequence of this, blockchain has the potential to improve the level of trust among all parties.

Blockchain Projects Transforming The Travel Industry:

XcelTrip:

XcelTrip is a ready platform, built on the idea that travel should be about seamless experiences and wonderful memories, and not just travelling from point“ A” to point“ B”. It is a platform to book hotels and soon coming with flight booking too, where you can find a real use case of cryptocurrencies like XcelToken , Bitcoin, Binance and Ethereum.

Keeping the goals in mind, they are building a world – class “Decentralized Travel Ecosystem” that is committed to deliver a refreshingly new experience.
XcelTrip is not only a single stop travel service provider for air travel, hotel and vehicle rental but also your tireless partner with innovative ideas to fulfil all your traveling needs at the lowest possible cost.

XcelTrip not only provides you a solution of booking engine, instead it offers you to earn for a lifetime. Join as an IMP (Independent Marketing Partner) on xceltrip and add vendor’s properties. And in every booking made by customers in the vendor you added, you earn commission and it’s for a lifetime.

Listen what founder’s of XcelTrip says “Come join us in this incredible travelutionary(Travel – Revolutionary) journey and become our“ Independent Marketing Partner(IMP)” or Vendor Partner(hotel properties, B & Bs, restaurants, pub & bars, transportation and events), for a mutually benefitting relationship.As our partner, you will have access to our world – class “XcelTrip Marketing System” that has been developed to grow your business with an ultimate goal of improving your bottom line.”

Bee Token:

Bee Token is in phase of using blockchain technology to solve the problems of travelling and give power back to hosts and guests. The team has created a decentralized peer-to-peer marketplace called Beenest where hosts make additional income, guests find unique and affordable accommodations, and mediators resolve disputes quickly and easily.

Additionally, users must be verified through on-chain Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to further increase security and safety, while peer reviews are published on the blockchain, which means they are immutable and cannot be tampered with.

Sandblock:

Using Sandblock, businesses such as hotels and airlines could create their own loyalty tokens that their customers can not only redeem for brand-specific rewards, but also can be used across a variety of services beyond the company, as it is a currency like any other. Your loyalty points could even be exchanged into fiat currency.

Winding Tree:

The Winding Tree platform is perhaps the foremost present-day example of baggage tracking via blockchain, and it also includes a booking element. The lack of third-party involvement means that booking and tracking can be achieved easily, safely and securely, with all processes benefiting from greater transparency.

Right now, there’s only a handful of giants that dominate airfare and accommodation bookings. These sites include high fees and surcharges that hurt both travelers and businesses. By removing these intermediaries, Winding Tree seeks to connect airlines, hotels, and even tour guides directly with travelers around the globe.

Built on the Ethereum platform, Winding Tree’s network connects these buyers and sellers via a set of smart contracts and open-source tools without taking any transaction fees along the way. The result is a peer-to-peer economy that frees up creativity and innovation in the travel industry.

Cyprus registers Binance as a cryptocurrency service provider.

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(Photo Illustration by Avishek Das via Getty Images)

Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, will be able to provide services for virtual currencies in Cyprus as a result of the platform’s recent registration with the nation’s securities regulator. The company recently announced that it had received similar approvals in a number of other European countries.

 

Global Exchange Binance to Comply With Cyprus Crypto Regulations

According to daily trading volume, Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. It has regulatory approval in Cyprus. The trading platform reported on Thursday that its local affiliate, Binance Cyprus Limited, had been granted Class 3 registration as a Crypto Asset Services Provider (CASP).

Binance will be able to provide spot, custodian, staking, and card services in accordance with the CYSEC’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) requirements thanks to the regulatory approval given by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC).

The exchange stated in a press release that this is another significant step in its regulatory initiatives in Europe and that similar registrations for Binance’s local entities in France, Italy, and Spain have already taken place. Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder and CEO of Binance, offered the following comment on the development:

Binance has some of the most thorough AML and CTF compliance policies in the industry. Recognition of the efforts we have made to be on the leading edge of compliance that our registration in Cyprus represents is testament to that.

Zhao also insisted that the continued development of the cryptocurrency industry depends on effective regulation that safeguards users and encourages innovation.

Martin Bruncko, Executive Vice President of Binance for Europe, described the registration as a significant development for the platform’s expansion in Europe and a demonstration of its dedication to the area. We are eager to expand our local team in Cyprus and contribute to the growth of the region’s crypto ecosystem, he continued.

Binance announced last month that it would be opening an office in Romania as part of its European expansion. During a visit to the capital Bucharest, CZ stated, “We want to go global by playing locally in multiple markets. He emphasized, “I think Eastern Europe is extremely important.

More than 24,000 ATMs in Brazil will offer USDT through Tether and Smartpay.

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Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Usdt, the largest dollar-pegged stablecoin on the market, was created by Tether, a company. Tether recently announced that more than 24,000 ATMs in Brazil will accept its stablecoin. This was made possible by the integration of the technology stacks of the Brazilian ATM provider Tecban and the cryptocurrency systems provider Smartpay.

Tether and Smartpay to Bring USDT to the Masses in Brazil

Due to their particular economic circumstances, some Latam countries have placed a significant emphasis on stablecoins. The largest stablecoin issuer, Tether, is now making USDT, its dollar-pegged stablecoin, available to the general public in Brazil. The company revealed that because of the integration that Smartpay, a third-party crypto tech company, has developed with ATM provider Tecban, its token will be accessible at more than 24,000 ATMs nationwide. Customers of these ATMs will be served in 1,000 Brazilian cities.

Now that USDT can be sent and received using these widely accessible ATMs as well as exchanged for reals, Smartpay users will be able to save and spend money using the system. In the past, the business had also integrated Pix, a Brazilian payment system, with USDT, allowing people to pay with USDT wherever PIX payments are available.

USDT as Financial Inclusion Instrument for Brazilians

This growth is critical, according to Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether, to bringing more Brazilians into the cryptocurrency alternative financial system. According to a recent Instituto Locomotiva study, nearly 34 million Brazilians did not have access to a bank account as of January 2022. According to Ardoino, this would be the result of the challenges and inflation seen in a financial system that isn’t fully inclusive.

Ardoino declared:

Adding tether tokens to ATMs across Brazil provides the opportunity to include more people in the financial system. This will bring major changes not only to the payments industry but to the entire Brazilian financial ecosystem.

According to the most recent data from the Brazilian Tax Authority, USDT is the token that transacts the most volume in the nation (RFB). According to the institution, 79,836 operations totaling more than $1.4 billion were conducted in August, with an average transaction value of almost $18,000.

According to Rocelo Lopes, CEO of Smartpay, the company plans to have this system operational by November 3 with the aim of encouraging the use of USDT on a national scale.

To solve the blockchain modularity issue, Celestia raises $55 million.

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The project Celestia, which seeks to address the alleged centralization issue in the current monolithic blockchains, has announced the completion of its most recent funding round, which brought in $55 million. Delphi Digital, Protocol Labs, Figment, Maven 11, and Spartan Group, among others, participated in the round, which was led by Bain Capital Crypto and Polychain Capital.

Celestia Raises $55 Million to Make Blockchain Deployment Easy

A project called Celestia, which seeks to address the issue of blockchain deployment complexity, recently revealed that it had successfully raised $55 million in a combined Series A and Series B funding round. In addition to Placeholder, Galaxy, Delphi Digital, Blockchain Capital, NFX, Protocol Labs, Figment, Maven 11, Spartan Group, FTX Ventures, and Jump Crypto, the company disclosed that Bain Capital Crypto and Polychain Capital jointly led the funding round.

According to reports, Celestia’s valuation from the combined funding round—which was four times oversubscribed—is $1 billion.

The money is supposed to enable Celestia to keep developing its modular network so that anyone can easily deploy their own blockchain. The company claims that because of their monolithic design, current-generation blockchains are very challenging to deploy and manage. The architecture of Celestia introduces a number of layers that provide more decentralization and flexibility.

This type of architecture, according to Celestia co-founder Mustafa Al-Bassam, may be the way blockchain technology is developed in the future. He declared:

Modular blockchains will define the next decade of Web3 innovation. We envision a blockchain ecosystem with modular data availability layers and execution environments that all integrate together. We believe modular blockchains are the next generation of scalable blockchain architectures.

The new raise comes after the company raised $1.5 million back in March 2021 in its seed funding round.

Celestia Details and Roadmap

In order to support businesses and individuals willing to adopt modularity for the design of their blockchains, Celestia is already actively incubating projects. Several people and teams have already been chosen by a program called Modular Fellows, which will support and fund their projects for three months while the teams deliver a number of milestones and a demo of finished products.

The project is already operational on the Mamaki testnet, which was introduced in May. For its testnet launch in 2023, Celestia plans to reward users with tokens for their participation in the network. The company has not yet provided a specific launch date for Mainnet, but it is anticipated to launch next year.

Hong Kong considers removing the “Professional Investor-Only Requirement” and allowing retail investors to trade cryptocurrency.

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Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong’s director of licensing and head of the fintech division both confirmed that the regulator is taking into consideration allowing retail investors to invest directly in crypto assets. “We’ve been regulating this industry for four years… We believe that now might be a good time to seriously consider whether we should keep this professional investor-only requirement in place.

SFC Director on Crypto Regulation in Hong Kong

During a panel discussion hosted by Invest HK on Monday, Elizabeth Wong, director of licensing and head of the fintech division of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), discussed cryptocurrency regulation, according to South China Morning Post.

She clarified that compared to mainland China, Hong Kong has a different regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies. She emphasized that the fact that Hong Kong can introduce its own legislation to control cryptocurrencies “shows just how to separate Hong Kong is from the mainland.”

The director acknowledged that the SFC is currently debating whether to permit small-scale investors to “directly invest into virtual assets.” According to the publication, the regulator has been restricting cryptocurrency trading on centralized exchanges to professional investors with at least HK$8 million (US$1 million) in liquid assets over the past four years.

Noting that the crypto industry has become more compliant, the SFC director said:

We’ve had four years of experience in regulating this industry … We think that this may be actually a good time to really think carefully about whether we will continue with this professional investor-only requirement.

The government of Hong Kong has been increasing efforts to lure back fintech companies that left the city due to strict regulations.

In November 2019, the SFC unveiled a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency trading platforms. Centralized exchanges may apply to the SFC for a license if they want to offer trading of at least one security token and offer cryptocurrency trading services. The regulator made it clear that “the licensee may only render services to professional investors.” The SFC granted its first license to a trading platform for digital assets in December 2020. The only licensee listed on the regulator’s website as of this writing is OSL Digital Securities Ltd.

Wong added that the SFC has relaxed some requirements in the past year to permit small investors to invest in cryptocurrency, and the regulator is examining the rules to determine whether to permit small investors to invest in exchange-traded funds with crypto exposure.

The director stated that Hong Kong will soon introduce a mandatory licensing requirement for cryptocurrency trading platforms and that the SFC will later this year seek public comments on allowing retail investors to directly invest in cryptocurrencies.

A Societe Generale subsidiary in France, the third-largest bank, has been registered as a provider of digital asset services.

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The third-largest bank in France’s subsidiary, Societe Generale-Forge, has been registered as a provider of digital asset services with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), the country’s financial markets watchdog.

 

Societe Generale’s Subsidiary Registers as Digital Asset Service Provider

The French financial regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers, has now registered Societe Generale-Forge, Societe General Group’s subsidiary for digital assets (AMF). By total assets, Societe Generale is the third-largest bank in France.

The AMF’s list of authorized Digital Asset Service Providers (DASPs) shows that Societe Generale-Forge registered on September 27. The business is now permitted to provide digital asset custody services, to buy and sell digital assets in France as legal tender, and to trade digital assets for other digital assets.

According to the information on its website, Societe Generale-Forge offers issuers and investors end-to-end services to issue, invest in, and manage digital-native security tokens registered on public blockchains. Its website describes, elaborating:

Societe Generale is now offering a range of capital market products to institutional clients under a native security token format on Ethereum and Tezos with full banking level safety and regulatory compliance.

Societe Generale Securities Services (SGSS) revealed last month that it had started providing new services for asset management firms looking to create cutting-edge professional funds based on cryptocurrencies.

To “orchestrate its digital asset custody operations,” Societe Generale-Forge teamed up with Metaco, a supplier of infrastructure and technology for digital asset management, in June.

The bank explained that “Security tokens allow for a fully digital issuance process and lifecycle,” adding:

Due to their innovative characteristics, they have the potential to significantly improve efficiency, speed and transparency in financial markets and make transactions safer and more resilient — all while offering benefits similar to those of financial instruments issued in a conventional way.

EU Commissioner: “We Need to Look at Global Regulation of Crypto,” Urging the US to Develop New Crypto Rules

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According to reports, the financial services commissioner of the European Commission urged American legislators to create new regulations for the cryptocurrency sector. We do require other parties to enact legislation. We must consider international crypto regulation, the commissioner said.

EU Commissioner Calls on U.S. Lawmakers to Establish New Crypto Rules

In an interview with the Financial Times that was published on Tuesday, Mairead McGuinness, the European Commission’s commissioner for financial services, discussed the regulation of cryptocurrencies.

She emphasized that any regulation imposed on the cryptocurrency industry would need to be global in order to be effective, citing the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) bill that will provide a regulatory framework for crypto across countries in the European Union. The commissioner elaborated:

We do need to see other players also legislating … perhaps differently, but with the same objective . . . We need to look at global regulation of crypto.

According to the article, McGuinness urged American lawmakers to “draw up sweeping new rules to govern the crypto industry.” She also cautioned that if left unchecked, digital assets could endanger financial stability.

McGuinness met with several American lawmakers during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., including Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who have been pushing legislation in Congress to regulate the cryptocurrency industry (D-NY).

In April of last year, McHenry introduced the “Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act,” which was approved by the House of Representatives. It demands that “a working group focused on digital assets be established” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). McHenry has frequently criticized the SEC for enforcing regulations on the cryptocurrency industry. The “Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act” was introduced by Senators Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis, a supporter of bitcoin, in June.

Meetings with American legislators, according to McGuinness, gave her hope that they were “moving in the same direction” as their European counterparts. However, she issued a warning: “There’s a lot of concern at a European level as to [what would happen] if crypto were not to be regulated.” The financial services commissioner noted:

There could be — in time, if it grows — financial stability problems. There also are investor issues around a lack of certainty.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been urged to play a leading role in the regulation of crypto assets, according to India’s finance minister. During India’s G20 presidency, the Indian government intends to discuss cryptocurrency regulations with other G20 members. India wants to develop a technology-driven regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, according to the finance minister.

Kevin O’Leary Expects Bitcoin to Go up When Stablecoin Transparency Act Passes

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Shark Tank participant Kevin O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, predicts that bitcoin will increase in value once the Stablecoin Transparency Act is enacted, which could happen soon after the November midterm elections. Crypto cannot be stopped, O’Leary emphasized, adding: “You either join the wave or get lost.”

 

‘Regulations Come, Bitcoin Goes Up’

On the Crypto Banter YouTube channel on Friday, Shark Tank star and chairman of O’Shares Investment Advisers Kevin O’Leary discussed why investors should hold bitcoin long.

After the midterm elections on November 8, a bill known as the Stablecoin Transparency Act may be approved by the U.S. Congress, according to Mr. Wonderful. The Shark Tank participant clarified:

This Act is very simple in nature which is why it may pass. It’s being supported by both parties and the reason that’s the case is that it makes, effectively, the U.S. dollar the default payment system worldwide.

He then went on to explain how the passage of this Act will increase bitcoin’s value. Even though it has nothing to do with bitcoin, O’Leary insisted, “you want to be long bitcoin going into that outcome because that will be the first regulation passed by U.S. regulators.” Stablecoins “will see a lot of institutional capital coming into” them, he continued.

“When you break out of the $19,000 to $22,000 trading range against the US dollar, institutions will start to smell policy, and you’ll have a real move up at that point.” I think you’ll breeze right through that, he predicted, going on to explain:

So, end of the day, regulations come, bitcoin goes up.

“Here is a question for every investor to think about,” O’Leary continued. “There’s a risk in investing in bitcoin and all crypto. There’s also risks of not investing in it.”

He elaborated: “Because if it’s true that crypto becomes the 12th sector of the S&P in the next decade, some of the value in the financial services stocks, like banks, are going to transfer to these new technologies, and you typically don’t know when that’s going to happen.” O’Leary has been saying that he expects crypto to become the 12th sector of the S&P. “What we’re missing is policy. When we get policy and the regulator regulates … The spigots of capital are going to flood into this sector like you’ve never seen,” he predicted in August.

“My thesis is you should have some crypto in your portfolio because you don’t know when that’s going to occur, and if you completely don’t have exposure to it, you may miss participating in the growth of this 12th sector of the S&P which would be a bad outcome for performance,” O’Leary concluded.

Kevin O’Leary Says You Can’t Stop Crypto and NFTs

O’Leary also shared why he feels strongly about bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Linkedin this week. The Shark Tank star wrote:

You can’t stop it, you either join the wave or get lost!

“There are people that criticize me on this, but this is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about the future of crypto and NFTs,” Mr. Wonderful stressed. “When you have new technology emerging that can drastically boost our level of productivity and improve how we process transactions globally, you have no choice but to get with it.”

Report: A bill to make digital currencies legal tender is being discussed in Macau

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According to a report, Macau, one of China’s special administrative regions, recently finished debating a bill that would make digital currencies legal tender. A fine of between $123 and $1,230 may be imposed on those who refuse to accept legal tender, according to the report.

Improving Macau’s Legal System

An executive council of Macau, a special administrative region on the south coast of China, recently finished debating a draft bill that would include digital forms of money in its list of accepted financial instruments. The bill is now scheduled to be sent to the legislative council for additional deliberations, as detailed in the China News Service report.

The Legal System for the Establishment and Issuance of Currency, also known as the Macau draft bill, is said to aim to ensure that digital money and other forms of money have “equal status” in addition to improving the current legal system.

According to the report, anyone who rejects or refuses to accept any of the designated currencies as legal tender after the laws go into effect will be breaking the law in the Macau Special Administrative Region. People who break the law will be fined between $123 and $1,237. (1,000 patacas and 10,000 patacas).

The most densely populated region on earth is the special administrative region of China, which has about 680,000 people living in a 12.7 square mile area. Financial authorities in Macau issued a warning about an initial coin offering (ICO) linked to a former triad boss in the middle of April 2018. According to reports, Success Universe Group Ltd, a stakeholder in Macau’s Ponte 16 casino, bought bitcoin worth $1.3 million last year (BTC).

According to EU regulations, Localbitcoins, Crypto.com, and other providers suspend services for Russians.

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Well-known cryptocurrency platforms like Localbitcoins, Blockchain.com, and Crypto.com have begun to limit or terminate services for Russian accounts in compliance with the most recent EU sanctions aimed at Russia. The actions come after new European sanctions were adopted in response to Moscow’s military escalation in Ukraine.

Major Crypto Platforms Conform to EU Measures, Restrict Services for Russian Users Over Ukraine War

A week after the European Union unveiled new regulations intended to harm Russia’s economy and finances, including its access to the cryptocurrency market, a number of industry service providers have started to follow the new guidelines. Only high-value services—those for digital assets worth more than €10,000 ($11,000 at the time)—were prohibited by the bloc in April. The provision of any cryptocurrency-related services, regardless of value, to Russian citizens and entities was outlawed by Brussels last Thursday.

The peer-to-peer exchange platform Localbitcoins recently informed Russian citizens that it could no longer provide its services to them, according to Forklog. The only exception that can be made is for persons that also hold a passport issued by a country from the European Economic Area (EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and Switzerland, those who have a permanent residence permit in these jurisdictions.

The cryptocurrency news outlet also disclosed that wallet provider Blockchain.com has informed customers via email that it is unable to offer custodial and reward services to Russian citizens as a result of the EU sanctions. By October 27, after which time their accounts will be blocked, the company has requested that the impacted customers withdraw their money.

This development was reported on the crypto news section of the top Russian business portal RBC, which also posted about Crypto.com’s decision to add Russia to the list of nations whose citizens are prohibited from using its services. The cryptocurrency exchange, which claims to have more than 50 million users, is registered in Singapore but recently declared its intention to open a regional office in Paris, France.

Bitmex is another exchange that intends to impose restrictions. The American company Coinbase assured that it complies with all applicable rules and laws in the countries in which it conducts business. That has already been done by service providers from other facets of the cryptocurrency industry. For Russian accounts, Dapper Labs, for instance, stopped using non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Revolut, a British fintech company, has no presence in the Russian market.

Not all international crypto platforms, though, have complied with the new European regulations. According to a recent report, Russians can still participate in significant exchanges.These include Huobi, which stated that it maintains stable trading for Russian users, FTX, which operates out of the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the Seychelles-registered Okx, Kucoin, and Mexc Global. The regional leader, Exmo, sold its Russian business to a local vendor this past spring and Exmo.me is still active in Russia.

Younger People Are 7.5 Times More Likely to Have Cryptocurrencies in Their Portfolios, According to a Bank of America Survey of Wealthy Americans

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Younger, wealthy Americans are 7.5 times more likely than investors 43 and older to have cryptocurrency in their portfolios, according to research from Bank of America. Where do the newest generation of investors see opportunities for investment growth if they lack confidence in stocks? Cryptocurrencies, which are their top option, are alternatives, the bank wrote.

This week saw the publication of Bank of America’s 2022 Private Bank Study of Wealthy Americans. The report highlights the findings of a May–June online survey of 1,052 adults over the age of 21 who had household investable assets of at least $3 million. The respondents are a sample of the nation’s high-net-worth individuals, according to the bank, who also noted that they are not necessarily Bank of America customers.

According to conventional investment wisdom, younger investors should hold more stocks than older investors. However, compared to investors aged 43 and older (55%), the 21 to 42 age group only holds a quarter of their portfolio in stocks.

If the youngest cohort isn’t confident in stocks, where do they see opportunities for investment growth? Alternatives, including cryptocurrencies, which are their No. 1 choice.

“While 29% of younger people said crypto presents a leading opportunity to create wealth, only 7% of the older group agreed. The younger group is generally
more interested in private equity or debt, as well as sustainable or environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related investments,” the report adds.

Bank of America emphasized that age is “the dominant factor when it comes to interest in cryptocurrencies,” elaborating:

While overall usage is low, younger people are 7.5 times more likely to hold crypto in their portfolios and five times more likely to say they understand it quite well.

Furthermore, the survey found that “Half of the younger group said they turn to social media for guidance on crypto, compared with 30% of the older group.”