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After three years of Ethereum how close are we to Web 3.0?

As Ethereum marked the third anniversary of its genesis block on July 30th, has it made enough progress to ward off upstart challengers like EOS or Hashgraph, or just created a platform for them to leapfrog into the next generation of blockchain?

As Ethereum marked the third anniversary of its genesis block on July 30th, has it made enough progress to ward off upstart challengers like EOS or Hashgraph, or just created a platform for them to leapfrog into the next generation of blockchain?

What Is AXE Cryptocurrency?

New cryptocurrencies and tokens come to market on a regular basis. In a lot of cases, these new projects are not necessarily worth paying too much attention to. AXE, on the other hand, is a bit different. This new cryptocurrency was designed by Martti Malmi, one of the earliest Bitcoin developers. The AXE Currency Explained […]

New cryptocurrencies and tokens come to market on a regular basis. In a lot of cases, these new projects are not necessarily worth paying too much attention to. AXE, on the other hand, is a bit different. This new cryptocurrency was designed by Martti Malmi, one of the earliest Bitcoin developers.

The AXE Currency Explained

Although there is never a guarantee of success when a new cryptocurrency is designed, there is good reason to pay attention to some of the new projects coming to market. That’s especially the case when that project was created by one of the first Bitcoin developers, Martti Malmi. His current objective is to combine an online reputation system with a decentralized database system and decentralize the World Wide Web in the process.

How Does it Work?

The story behind this project is rather interesting. Malmi originally quit Bitcoin development as he felt somewhat obsolete. There are hundreds of people contributing to the code, which allows some developers to explore other pastures. Launching Identifi was the first step toward creating a new decentralized World Wide Web. It eventually led to the creation of this new crypto token.

This currency addresses one potential flaw in the Bitcoin world which people overlook. More specifically, governments can blacklist Bitcoin miners’ IP addresses. Additionally, ISPs and backbone providers can throttle internet traffic. AXE is designed to address those concerns. AXE will also be used to incentivize users on the network to store data pertaining to all users of the technology.

Additionally, AXE will become a payment method to move encrypted data from server to server. This means no server will permanently store the same data, which is another step toward decentralization. None of the servers moving this data can read any of the information, and thus there should be no privacy concerns whatsoever.

The Road Ahead

A lot of aspects of AXE have yet to be fully fleshed out at this stage. There is a lot of work to be done prior to launching this currency, which is a part of the ERA ecosystem. For the time being, the project sounds very promising, mainly because it is designed to focus on scalability and using the currency only as a decentralized form of money. The information will not be stored on a blockchain, as this technology is “overhyped”, according to Malmi.

At What Level Institutional Buyers Join the Bitcoin Rally? – Forbes


Forbes

At What Level Institutional Buyers Join the Bitcoin Rally?
Forbes
As bitcoins skyrocket to more than $12 000 for one BTC, many central banks as ECB or US Federal Reserve warn of risks of a bubble. Britain and the ECB want to monitor trade for money-laudering suspicions. The main U.S. derivatives regulator said it
Bitcoin rally showing signs of exhaustion, stalls at 200-day moving averageMarketWatch
The SEC’s Hester Peirce Isn’t a Bitcoin Champion, Just a Regulatory RealistCoinDesk
Bitcoin (BTC) and the Crypto Markets Continue To Decline For a Second Day RunningEthereum World News (blog)
Grist –Blockonomi (blog) –Moneycontrol.com
all 56 news articles »

Forbes

At What Level Institutional Buyers Join the Bitcoin Rally?
Forbes
As bitcoins skyrocket to more than $12 000 for one BTC, many central banks as ECB or US Federal Reserve warn of risks of a bubble. Britain and the ECB want to monitor trade for money-laudering suspicions. The main U.S. derivatives regulator said it ...
Bitcoin rally showing signs of exhaustion, stalls at 200-day moving averageMarketWatch
The SEC's Hester Peirce Isn't a Bitcoin Champion, Just a Regulatory RealistCoinDesk
Bitcoin (BTC) and the Crypto Markets Continue To Decline For a Second Day RunningEthereum World News (blog)
Grist -Blockonomi (blog) -Moneycontrol.com
all 56 news articles »

Nobel Economist Paul Krugman Outlines His Issues with Cryptocurrency

In a recent New York Times op-ed titled “Transaction Costs and Tethers: Why I’m a Crypto Skeptic” Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman gave another explanation as to why he is a skeptic of the usefulness and future of cryptocurrencies. Paul Krugman has been an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times who writes the occasional

The post Nobel Economist Paul Krugman Outlines His Issues with Cryptocurrency appeared first on NewsBTC.

In a recent New York Times op-ed titled “Transaction Costs and Tethers: Why I’m a Crypto Skeptic” Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman gave another explanation as to why he is a skeptic of the usefulness and future of cryptocurrencies.

Paul Krugman has been an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times who writes the occasional article lambasting cryptocurrencies.  His articles on cryptocurrency frequently reference the Tulip Bulb mania that occurred in the 17th century, and don’t ever efficiently criticize, or even confront, the technology behind cryptocurrencies.  His criticisms are solely focused on the general concept of virtual currency, and his comments on the technology backing crypto at largely appears to be uninformed.

Nevertheless, as a distinguished economist, his opinion is valued by many and should be noted. In his latest Op-Ed piece, Krugman confronts what he sees to be the two biggest issues with cryptocurrencies – transaction costs and the absence of tethering.

Paul Krugman: First issue is Transaction Costs

Krugman begins his Op-Ed by outlining the natural progression of monetary systems, referencing the constant reduction of transactional friction that has occurred in society. First, Krugman notes, there were gold and silver coins, which eventually transitioned to bank notes backed by fractional reserves. He also importantly notes the transition away from physical bank notes to digital banking, like debit and credit cards.

When looking at next progression of transactional technologies, cryptocurrencies immediately comes to mind, but Krugman objects, asserting that cryptocurrencies are aiming to set the monetary system back 300 years.

“Set against this history, the enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies seems very odd, because it goes exactly in the opposite of the long-run trend. Instead of near-frictionless transactions, we have high costs of doing business, because transferring a Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency unit requires providing a complete history of past transactions. Instead of money created by the click of a mouse, we have money that must be mined — created through resource-intensive computations…In other words, cryptocurrency enthusiasts are effectively celebrating the use of cutting-edge technology to set the monetary system back 300 years.”

Krugman’s assumptions on the effectiveness of fiat currency are all based around the ideal monetary system, in which governments dutifully create money and banks responsibly manage their monetary supplies.  As seen from the collapse of Lehman Brothers bank in the US, and recent banking issues in Greece, individuals cannot fully trust their banking systems. Krugman simply doesn’t seem to grasp the benefits of a decentralized monetary supply.

Moreover, Krugman does not confront the benefits incurred by digital currency, and the problems that can stem from using fiat currency.  Currently, the international settlement of funds is a lengthy and expensive process, and individuals sending small amounts can see sizeable fees stemming from wire transfer fees, a margin on the exchange rate, and foreign wire fees.

For businesses and banks sending large amounts abroad, the process can be much costlier. The current process requires funds to be passed through a chain of banks, with each bank representing a fee and a delay. Cryptocurrencies remove the delays and fees incurred by the banks and allow for nearly instant transactions with minimal fees.

Paul Krugman: Second Issue is the Absence of Tethering

Krugman then proceeds to explain the importance of what he describes as tethering.  He asserts that the value of fiat currency is largely based on the fact that the government forces it to be worth a certain value, saying:

“It’s backstopped by the fact that the U.S. government will accept dollars as payment of tax liabilities — liabilities it’s able to enforce because it’s a government. If you like, fiat currencies have underlying value because men with guns say they do. And this means that their value isn’t a bubble that can collapse if people lose faith.”

He also explains that the same situation is applicable to gold and other precious metals, as they are tethered by the fact that in addition to acting as a store of value, they “have real-world uses, both for jewelry and for things like filling teeth, that provide a weak but real tether to the real economy.”

Krugman notes that the absence of tethering is one of cryptocurrency’s greatest weaknesses, saying:

“Cryptocurrencies, by contrast, have no backstop, no tether to reality. Their value depends entirely on self-fulfilling expectations — which means that total collapse is a real possibility. If speculators were to have a collective moment of doubt, suddenly fearing that Bitcoins were worthless, well, Bitcoins would become worthless.”

Three features of Bitcoin that do in fact tether it to reality would be its transactional efficiency, resistance to censorship, and fixed supply.  Unlike traditional currency, Bitcoin can, in fact, be transferred to wallets located anywhere in the world in a relatively small amount of time.  Investors, holders, and users of Bitcoin can also rest assured knowing that there will never be more than 21 million Bitcoins in existence, unlike fiat currency, which inherently loses value to inflation each year.  Also, the peer-to-peer decentralized nature of Bitcoin does not allow for censorship, which will always provide utility for a select group of people, no matter what the price is.

Krugman ends his Op-Ed with a request for cryptocurrency enthusiast to confront the question of what problem cryptocurrency solves, without trying to “shout down the skeptics with a mixture of technobabble and libertarian derp.”

Featured image from Shutterstock

The post Nobel Economist Paul Krugman Outlines His Issues with Cryptocurrency appeared first on NewsBTC.

Four Best Crypto Signal Providers of Q2 2018 That Will Make You Rich

What’s the Current State of the Crypto Market? Currently, the cryptocurrency market is all the rage. The market attracts all kinds of people, from bottom-feeders and fraudsters to top-notch experts with years of experience. It can be very difficult for an inexperienced trader to find the best crypto signals on Telegram. Often enough, beginners are easily […]

What’s the Current State of the Crypto Market?

Currently, the cryptocurrency market is all the rage. The market attracts all kinds of people, from bottom-feeders and fraudsters to top-notch experts with years of experience. It can be very difficult for an inexperienced trader to find the best crypto signals on Telegram. Often enough, beginners are easily scammed. For this reason, we created the Safetrading platform. This platform solves the problem of the abundance of scams by publishing independent audits of reliable crypto signal providers. When we gain access to the signals of a given provider, we analyze them and perform an independent audit.

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article

In this article, we will cover the best Telegram crypto groups which have proven their reliability with the best crypto signals on Telegram in 2018. All of these providers have shown outstandingly positive results over Q2 of 2018. All of them gave us access to the information needed for an in-depth analysis of each vendor’s reliability. Have a look at our top four providers to learn whom you can trust in unstable market conditions that rapidly change.

1. OPC Premium

OPC Premium is an international team of crypto trading experts. These guys have rich experience in trading crypto, and they are willing to share it for a reasonable price. They keep an eye on all the market fluctuations and keep their followers posted.

About 4,000 users are subscribed to the OPC project.

It is a common strategy to divide users into segments in order to deliver the best and most relevant services and information to all of them. They also have a closed chat for paid users to get in touch with each other.

OPC support is worth admiring; they reply to their subscribers almost instantly at all times, even though their team is very small.

To sum it all up, the main benefits of OPC are as follows:

  • International team with rich experience in crypto trading
  • Owners actively consult users and strictly control the quality of services
  • Top-notch instant support service
  • A private chat for paid users

Check our independent audit of OPC Premium here.

The OPC Result for Q2 2018 you can see here.

Contact information:

Use the code SAFETRADING during registration to a paid channel and get 5% discount or tell to admin’s on the group keyword SAFETRADING.

2. InfoCrypto

InfoCrypto Telegram crypto signals group started in 2017. The founder used to work for a famous Brazilian crypto channel. As he gained more and more experience, he decided to start a project of his own. Currently, the InfoCrypto group pleases its subscribers with accurate crypto signals, recent updates of the crypto market, as well as tutorials and advice on how to act in different trading situations. All of this comes for an average subscription price.

Being one of the best crypto signals providers on the market already, the team is continuously improving their services. It is now working on a platform that would unite their customers in one system. It is exciting to see how it will look and what services will be offered.

To sum it all up, the main benefits of InfoCrypto are as follows:

  • Accurate signals that bring a reasonable profit
  • Up-to-date analysis of Bitcoin market behavior
  • Predictions for minimum levels of the coins
  • Personal assistance to clients with margin transactions in chat
  • Information on several levels of coin purchase in the signals
  • Fast, high-quality support
  • Contact outside of Telegram (own website)

Check our independent audit of InfoCrypto here.

The report for Q2 2018 of InfoCrypto you can see here.

Contact information:

Use the discount code “SAFETRADING” for 15% on monthly/lifetime plans during website registration or tell to admin’s on the group keyword SAFETRADING.

3. Verified Crypto Traders

Verified Crypto Traders is a team from the Netherlands and has been involved in the market for a long time. The hallmark of Verified Crypto Traders is in its name — they are verified and trusted thanks to the fact that they have legalized their business. You can check Verified Crypto Traders in the Chamber of Commerce of the Netherlands. The owners take steps to legalize their relations with their customers by signing business contracts with them. Major investors greatly appreciate this.

Verified Crypto Traders is a role model for the rest of the market thanks to the quality of the information they provide. You can find signals, predictions for coins, market predictions, and a lot of other information on their Telegram channel. These guys only share information that everyone in the crypto trading world needs to know.

To sum it all up, the main benefits of Verified Crypto traders are as follows:

  • Legalize their business and sign contracts
  • Work with major investors
  • Allow every subscriber to contact the founder
  • Publish major market updates and coin predictions
  • Contact outside of Telegram (own website)

Check our independent audit of Verified Crypto Traders here.

The result for Q2 2018 of Verified Crypto Traders you can see here.

Contact information:

To get a discount, please contact https://verifiedcrypto and use the coupon code SAFETRADING when you enroll to get this juicy discounts:

4. WhaleTank Premium

WhaleTank is a US-based team of crypto signal providers that delivers top crypto signals to their subscribers. They have managed to create a safe environment for their clients, even in rapidly changing market conditions. This environment suits investors best of all. The operation model of WhaleTank is worth taking a lead from.

The WhaleTank team members have years of experience in both Forex and crypto trading. All of the paid users of this channel get access to accurate Bitcoin signals, the most important market updates, Bitcoin TA, and more.

To sum it all up, the main benefits of WhaleTank Premium are as follows:

  • Team of experts from the US
  • Safe environment for clients
  • Opportunities to follow coin and portfolio changes easily
  • Contact outside of Telegram (own website and a Facebook page)

Check our independent audit of WhaleTank here.

The WhaleTank’s report for Q2 2018 you can see here

Contact information:

Final Thoughts

These are our top four reliable crypto signal providers, whose results were the best over Q2 of 2018. All of these top crypto channels deliver top-notch services to their subscribers and bring them significant and sustainable profit. We believe that the quality of each of their services is approximately the same. View our ratings of best paid crypto signals to get information about the crypto trading signal providers. Stay with https://safetrading.today and earn money with reliable traders who publish the best cryptocurrency signals on Telegram.

Bitcoin’s Use in Commerce Keeps Falling Even as Volatility Eases – Bloomberg


Bloomberg

Bitcoin’s Use in Commerce Keeps Falling Even as Volatility Eases
Bloomberg
“It’s not actually usable,” Nicholas Weaver, a senior researcher at the International Computer Science Institute, said in an email. Often, he said, “the net cost of a Bitcoin transaction is far more than a credit card transaction.” And Bitcoin-based

and more »


Bloomberg

Bitcoin's Use in Commerce Keeps Falling Even as Volatility Eases
Bloomberg
“It's not actually usable," Nicholas Weaver, a senior researcher at the International Computer Science Institute, said in an email. Often, he said, "the net cost of a Bitcoin transaction is far more than a credit card transaction." And Bitcoin-based ...

and more »

What Is DCEX?

Exchanges and trading platforms are slowly taking center stage in the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets. AlphaPoint is now powering DCEX, another digital currency exchange which uses XRP as its base currency. It is not the first time a company has taken this approach, although it remains to be seen whether DCEX will attract […]

Exchanges and trading platforms are slowly taking center stage in the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets. AlphaPoint is now powering DCEX, another digital currency exchange which uses XRP as its base currency. It is not the first time a company has taken this approach, although it remains to be seen whether DCEX will attract many investors and traders.

The DCEX Concept Explained

It is good to see more trading platforms focus on cryptocurrency and digital assets. Consumers are demanding access to this form of money, and DCEX is designed to cater to their needs. It is a next-generation digital currency exchange for retail and institutional investors. It will also use XRP as its exclusive base currency, which will undoubtedly spark debate.

How Does it Work?

The founders of DCEX have experience in the securities industry. That is rather interesting, considering XRP may be labeled as a security by the SEC in the near future. The agency has yet to render its decision on this topic, although it is always best to prepare for the worst. For DCEX, the focus lies on providing convenient access to cryptocurrency and digital asset trading.

This new marketplace will provide access to a fair few currencies and assets. A total of 15 different coin pairs will be accessible to the public. The list includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, EOS, TRON, Monero, and others. Only one stablecoin will be supported, and the team opted for TrueUSD rather than Tether’s USDT. It’s an interesting choice, all things considered.

Key features of DCEX include arbitrage, high-frequency trading, improved liquidity, and margin trading. It provides all of the functionality one would expect from any cryptocurrency or digital asset trading platform. The use of XRP as a base currency will be interesting to keep an eye on as well, mainly because it is not the most liquid asset on the market today.

The Road Ahead

As is always the case when a new cryptocurrency and digital asset trading platform launches, a plan of action is necessary. DCEX is already looking at introducing support for more currencies, including NEO, Cardano, and a few others. Whether or not it will ever support fiat currencies remains a bit unclear at this stage. So far, that seems highly unlikely.

Stellar Price: Small Uptrend Hints at Crypto Market Recovery

It remains to be seen how all cryptocurrency markets will evolve in the coming hours and days. It would almost seem as if the Bitcoin price is on the verge of making a small comeback. This is great news for all of the altcoins which suffer from ongoing losses. Follow XRP’s example, the Stellar price […]

It remains to be seen how all cryptocurrency markets will evolve in the coming hours and days. It would almost seem as if the Bitcoin price is on the verge of making a small comeback. This is great news for all of the altcoins which suffer from ongoing losses. Follow XRP’s example, the Stellar price is also regaining some of its lost momentum.

Stellar Price is on the Move

In a way, it is not entirely surprising to see the digital assets show different price momentum compared to how cryptocurrencies operate. More specifically, all cryptocurrencies are still suffering from price losses, whereas the two assets which are not traditional cryptocurrencies are in the green. This is a fairly interesting industry where a lot of strange things tend to happen.

Over the past 24 hours, the Stellar price has increased by 0.56%. Although this is nothing to be even remotely excited about, it is a lot better compared to what all real cryptocurrencies are showing. Because of this minute gain, the Stellar price maintains a price level of $0.275. Depending on how the markets evolve, this trend may push the price to $0.29 or higher later today.

As is always the case when any digital asset or cryptocurrency rises in value, there is a big change in the associated BTC ratio. For Stellar, the XLM/BTC ratio is improving by 4.7$. That in itself shows there is plenty of positive momentum among all alternative currencies and offerings, even though the current situation can change at any given moment.

With the overall cryptocurrency trading volume still in a good place, one would expect there to be a strong interest in XLM as well. That is not necessarily the case as of right now, as just $84.816m worth of XLM has changed hands in the past 24 hours. It is not sufficient to keep the current Stellar price momentum going for long, although that will mainly depend on what the future brings for Bitcoin itself.

Binance has a firm grip on the XLM trading markets as of right now. Its BTC and USDT pairs are well ahead of BCEX’s CKUSD market. Upbit offers the one and only fiat currency pair in the entire top seven, followed by another BTC market on the BCEX platform. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out, as this current situation is not looking all that promising for the long-term Stellar price momentum.

Although the price of both XRP and XLM is going up right now, all eyes are still on Bitcoin. Some of today’s initial losses have been recovered in the past hour, which may hint at positive things to come in the future. Assuming the Bitcoin price see some positive momentum today, it remains to be seen how altcoins and digital assets will respond. For the Stellar price, anything is possible at this stage.

Co-Founder of Wikipedia has “Zero Interest” in Cryptocurrency

The ever-outspoken Jimmy Wales conducted an interview with BusinessInsider in which he proclaimed that: Wikipedia are “absolutely never” going to hold “cryptocurrency or ICO ambitions”, despite the popularity such means found elsewhere as a means of public crowdfunding. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise however, due to the fact that the man

The post Co-Founder of Wikipedia has “Zero Interest” in Cryptocurrency appeared first on NewsBTC.

The ever-outspoken Jimmy Wales conducted an interview with BusinessInsider in which he proclaimed that: Wikipedia are “absolutely never” going to hold “cryptocurrency or ICO ambitions”, despite the popularity such means found elsewhere as a means of public crowdfunding.

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise however, due to the fact that the man has long been outspoken against blockchain and cryptocurrencies in general. At a presentation Wales gave at a Berlin blockchain conference earlier this year, he made the bold claim that “The Crypto World is Absolutely, Definitely in a Bubble”.

He even reflected this sentiment in the interview in question, when he responded that cryptocurrency is “clearly a bubble with a lot of mania and hype around it”.

Jimmy Wales: A Man with a Mission

Whilst he may be best known as the disputed founder (or co-founder) of Wikipedia, Wales stands behind an empire of accomplishments that can be best summarized under the ‘Wiki’ moniker that has adorned almost all of his established web properties.

The latest of these, and one that appears to be his primary concern at present is one which he started in 2017. It’s called WikiTribune, and it clearly carries on the family name – if not all of the associated principles.

WikiTribune: PolitiFact meets Snopes?

WikiTribune is a for-profit company which posits itself as a website which promotes, encourages, and works towards “Evidence-based Journalism” as a means of combatting ‘fake news’.

In stark contrast to its original coinage by US President Donald Trump, WikiTribune appears equipped to achieve its goals with a team of mainstream media veterans and hard -left pundits – such as Charles Anderson and Fiona Mcleod.

A hypothesis all-but-confirmed by the prevalence of stories such as ‘English, the language with gender bias: Who to blame, dictionaries or people?’ on their website.

They certainly have the popular search engines covered: with all results for the query ‘WikiTribune’ being dominated by praise published by global and national-level news corporations, if not being owned outright by the WikiTribune itself.

Is Crypto a Bubble?

Recent news suggests that he could be correct, with the market falling after Bitcoin dropped from a healthy position above $8000 down to $7,630 by the time of writing, which is sure to fuel the flames of FUD during this dip in this roller-coaster of a market.

As we have seen many times before though, it is more than likely that this is just another one of those down moments before we get to enjoy another complimentary bull-run. A phenomenon which we’ve been reporting on since 2016.

 

Image from Shutterstock

The post Co-Founder of Wikipedia has “Zero Interest” in Cryptocurrency appeared first on NewsBTC.

WHY ORCA ALLIANCE IS GOING TO WORTH $6 BILLION BY 2023

Think the headline screams a bit too much? Well, first go through our points and make the final decision afterward. Sounds fair enough? Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article If you think that people will continue using digital applications on their phones to send or receive information (including value transfers), and believe that cryptocurrencies are […]

Think the headline screams a bit too much? Well, first go through our points and make the final decision afterward. Sounds fair enough?

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Article

If you think that people will continue using digital applications on their phones to send or receive information (including value transfers), and believe that cryptocurrencies are to become a noticeable part of the global economy then ORCA is a no-brainer.

Fintechs are sexy and now is the time to shine

The idea to run a successful company has to start with a problem that’s really bothering people and give them a solution they can use without a big hustle. For years running the general public is not satisfied with their banking service. Usually, they had no alternatives. That was until fintechs started appearing and making processes faster, easier and more accessible.

Investors and fund managers did not fail to recognize this trend and set to pour money into fintechs. Capital invested in companies building solutions for financial technology has increased more than tenfold during the last decade and show no signs of stopping. In fact, the pace is estimated only to increase taking notice of the sudden rise of cryptocurrencies.

Source: Accenture Research analysis of CB Insights data

Moreover, ORCA is situated in the middle of an upcoming storm brought about by PSD2 directive which will hit the European banking sector — Open Banking. It will make banks and legacy financial institutions to open their client data to create a more competition-driven and transparent market. By traditional banking services via Open banking, building a marketplace for decentralized services and combining them with the opportunities entrenched in cryptocurrencies ORCA is positioned to squeeze the best of both worlds. Just in time when both crypto and Open banking are just making way into the minds of consumers.

“PSD2 could change banking forever.“ — Anne Boden, CEO at Sterling Bank

PSD2 and Open Banking start with European banks. They are considered to be the most stable and risk-averse financial institutions in the world. And other regions are watching closely, there is news coming from countries like Mexico, South Korea, and Australia that similar directives will be adopted in the future.

The number and cumulative value of fintechs will only escalate in the upcoming years.

Unlimited expansion potential

ORCA business model allows adding banks, wallet services and extra features with every update. It is an asset that can be layered. Every additional layer adds functionality, increases possible combinations by order of magnitude and grows the value of the network. That’s Metcalfe’s law in effect. Of course, it requires a substantial amount of users to kick in, but once it does it just grows on its own.

It’s a big advantage to have areas to experiment in. And with the uncountable ways to combine, sort and customize payment gateways, ORCA will resonate a magnetic force attracting users from different backgrounds and with personal objectives.

Financial & fund loss insurance, voice activation, budgeting suggestions, spending pattern analysis and much more are merely fragments of implied benefits offered by ORCA.

There’s a reason why “API” is becoming a new buzzword in the financial sector. It is so because it opens the gates to deploy and merge the latest technology providing frictionless services through a user-friendly interface. Essentially it acts as a multiplier effect.

ORCA platform aggregator function is structured around APIs. Whether it is a digital coin wallet, cryptocurrency exchange, payment institution or a bank — all inter-terminal connections will involve APIs. The sky is the limit on API utilization — if you have ideas and resources to implement them, possible iteration cycles are endless. You can always add another layer on top.

Digital-only banks have numerous benefits in an API-oriented world. They have been built from scratch to foster innovation and clever design, and they do not have slow cultures or systems to bog them down. Some of these new challenger banks may thrive by offering marketplaces of API-based services that other banks can turn to <…>” — World Retail Banking report 2017

Source: Capgemini Financial Services Analysis, 2017

Hidden user acquisition

Given the nature of the platform, partner clients become ORCA users in one way or another. It’s a clever scheme to add users without spending a dime. ORCA offers an alternative interface with added features and some people will spill over to the platform. If they like the UI/UX that is. One may call it stealth user adoption.

Whether it be clients of legacy banks, cryptocurrency traders, your regular long-term hodlers or curious testers attracted by innovative solutions, all are more than welcome to join ORCA. Planned efforts of a ‘bring a friend’-like initiatives, cashback programmes and other user acquisition-driven actions will only increase the incentive to join the platform.

According to the World Fintech Report (2017), almost a third of adults who have a bank account also have an account with a non-traditional banking institution. The significance is even larger within the millennial generation. Scaling added services and payment gateways also help to scale users as well.

A platform built by the industry’s titan

It’s likely the case that every single API connection of a third-party bank or another provider will require a secular approach. At least in part. But the general framework will stay the same. Through time and experience, development times and required man-hours will decrease therefore reducing incurred costs. Practice makes perfect.

ORCA has the right people to make it happen. Led by a disciplined leader with a proven track record — Sigitas, ORCA’s system architect. Sigitas was one of the original team members who built GetJar — the first wide-scale app store on the internet. Later on, came the Apple store and Google Play to dominate the market, but to this day GetJar has around a million apps with 300,000 daily downloads.

It’s a project with low risk but huge upside potential, especially in the medium to long-term. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. ORCA is not the best case for a quick flip on the secondary market, however, it will serve as a solid alternative to for portfolio diversification. Now is the age of fintech.

Unless a major setback happens or development fails miserably, there’s a strong sentiment that ORCA will succeed.

Copenhagen Uni Blockchain School Up and Running with Latest Training

A blockchain school in Copenhagen is off and running again for the third consecutive year, offering the latest innovative training for those entering the industry. The school was initially created through a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen, IT University of Copenhagen, and Copenhagen Business School. It promotes blockchain as “a revolutionary technology that has …

The post Copenhagen Uni Blockchain School Up and Running with Latest Training appeared first on BitcoinNews.com.

A blockchain school in Copenhagen is off and running again for the third consecutive year, offering the latest innovative training for those entering the industry.

The school was initially created through a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen, IT University of Copenhagen, and Copenhagen Business School. It promotes blockchain as “a revolutionary technology that has the potential to disrupt multiple industries” and describes its primary focus as training its students in the latest developments in the industry, claiming:

“The design and implementation of blockchain-based systems require interdisciplinary knowledge as well as mindful consideration of broader economic and societal issues.”

The week-long annual program in Denmarks’s capital was described by Dr Omri Ross, CEO of Firmo and assistant professor for the University of Copenhagen’s computer science department:

“Blockchain is an incredible technology because it encompasses a wide array of disciplines from cryptography to mathematics, computer science, law, business, and economics. Students in the program have the chance to apply deep technical knowledge to real cases that we develop with existing industry players and cutting-edge crypto companies.”

The program targets primarily PhD students, with the course also including masters students and industry professionals. Dr Ross suggested that it was currently important to spread information about blockchain tech over a broad audience, and not simply limit this to academics, professionals or developers. He saw blockchain as having a more widespread significance across a range of sectors in the future as it becomes more mainstream.

Partnerships with the university this year reflect the cross-sector nature of the programme including a contribution from the World Wildlife Foundation. All the latest industry developments are covered by the course, again reflecting the holistic nature of blockchain. Dr Ross explained:

“While we do work on Ethereum-based Dapp development we are also collaborating with QTUM’s protocol (they are the second biggest blockchain in China) as well as the protocols of Ontology, Hyperledger, and Firmo.”

 

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