Integral to the blockchain concept is another concept that dates back to 1979: the Merkle tree, named after computer scientist Ralph Merkle. Central to how the Bitcoin blockchain works, and also to Merkle trees, is the concept of hashing.
Understanding Token Sales and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) – Part 1
Let’s begin with a disclaimer. What you read here is not investment advice. Instead, use this article as backdrop for your own research and due diligence on initial coin offering (ICO) investment opportunities.
Why Blockchain Startups Are Choosing Airdrops over ICOs
While several factors conspire to slow down the growth and use of initial coin offerings (ICOs) as a fundraising option for blockchain-based businesses, more startups are turning to airdrops to distribute their tokens.
In 2017, startups around the globe raised over US$5 billion through ICOs. Also known as token crowd sales, ICOs have allowed startups to create tokens on a blockchain and sell them to the public to raise funding.
Yep, There’s a Cryptocurrency for That… A Look at Some of The World’s Weirdest Cryptocurrencies
Dogecoin: The OG of Weird Cryptocurrencies
While the majority of the weird cryptocurrencies we’re looking at have fairly recent origins, often spawned during the great crypto mania of 2017, Dogecoin has been around for quite awhile. Dogecoin started in 2013 as a joke based on popular dog memes featuring a Shiba Inu known as “Doge.” The real punchline, however, is that what started as joke went on to become a major player in the crypto market. Today Dogecoin has a marketcap of over $350,000,000 USD and is housed by a well-established nonprofit foundation (The Dogecoin Foundation) designed to support good causes through the use of Dogecoin. Perhaps the most famous humanitarian effort driven by Dogecoin was sending the Jamaican bobsled team to the Winter Olympics. In terms of weird cryptocurrencies, Dogecoin definitely qualifies, and yet it has remained a relatively sound investment in the often tumultuous world of altcoins.
Macroeconomic Outlook: The REAL Reason You Should Buy the Dip
Anyone who has spent some time perusing various online crypto communities has likely heard the catchphrase, “buy the dip”, or it’s more explicit cousin, “buy the f***ing dip”, often abbreviated to BTFD. In the most general sense, this sums up much of what can be described as a “trading strategy” for any market – of course you want to buy low and sell high. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, which are notoriously volatile, buying the dip can yield significant profits assuming the market does, in fact, recover. Hence the enthusiasm with which many adherents profess in all caps, “BUY THE DIP!” whenever Bitcoin crashes.
What Can Forex Teach Us About the Current State of Cryptocurrency Regulations?
What is Forex?
Forex is short for “foreign exchange.” Forex traders make money by trading one national currency for another. Unlike the stock market, which opens and closes every day, foreign exchange markets operate 24/7 like cryptocurrency markets.
The Beginning or the End: Cryptocurrency Bubble Popping, or Just Growing Pains?
Twitter, Reddit and various online cryptocurrency forums have taken to referring to the first month of 2018 as “black January.” Memes of the Titanic sinking, bloody battle scenes, and Game of Thrones characters warning us all that “Winter is coming” have served up gallows of humor as many investors watched their portfolios tank over the past several weeks.
Understanding Token Sales and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) – Part 2
An initial coin offering is a hybrid between initial public offerings (IPOs) and crowdfunding. While IPOs have been around since the 17th century when the Dutch East India Company issued shares to the public to raise capital, the crowdfunding phenomenon exploded when the internet started in the late 1990s.
5 Bitcoin Core Alternatives That Don’t Fork the Blockchain
Did you know you can run a node on the Bitcoin network without using the Bitcoin Core software? And that you can do so without causing the blockchain to fork?
Last year Bitcoin has experienced two successful hard forks that split the blockchain into three distinct cryptocurrencies—Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold. The two forks in August and November happened because people designed versions of the Core software that were incompatible with the original one they wanted to replace.
Cloud Mining: Hot or Not?
As Bitcoin continues to soar to new all-time highs, global awareness surrounding cryptocurrencies has exploded. Particularly for newcomers, the idea of mining Bitcoin can sound very attractive at first. After a little research, however, the realities of needing special mining equipment, electricity costs, and technical know-how can be discouraging to many would-be miners. Cloud mining offers a tempting alternative, allowing people to participate in Bitcoin mining without the burdens of buying equipment, setting it up and managing the necessary hardware and software.
