Category: News

Is Ripple and XRP the future of finance?

The Ripple network is a decentralized platform for global payments and currency exchange. It is based on blockchain technology, which allows for fast, secure, and transparent transactions. The Ripple network has been gaining significant attention from financial institutions and investors due to its potential to revolutionize the financial industry.

One of the main reasons why the Ripple network is the future of finance is its speed and scalability. Transactions on the Ripple network are processed within seconds, compared to the several minutes or even hours it takes for traditional payment systems to complete a transaction. This allows for real-time settlement of payments, which is essential for businesses and individuals who need to make urgent or large payments.

Another key advantage of the Ripple network is its low transaction fees. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, which have high fees due to their limited supply and increasing demand, the Ripple network has a fixed supply of 100 billion XRP tokens, which helps to keep transaction fees low. This makes it an attractive option for businesses and individuals who want to make global payments without incurring high fees.

The Ripple network also offers greater security and transparency compared to traditional payment systems. Blockchain technology ensures that all transactions on the network are recorded on a decentralized ledger, which cannot be altered or hacked. This makes the Ripple network less susceptible to fraud and hacking, which are common issues in the financial industry. The transparency of the network also allows for easier tracking and auditing of transactions, which can help to prevent money laundering and other financial crimes.

Another key advantage of the Ripple network is its ability to facilitate cross-border payments. The traditional payment systems used by banks and financial institutions often have high barriers to entry for smaller businesses and individuals who want to make international payments. The Ripple network allows for easy and affordable access to global markets, which can help to promote trade and economic growth.

The Ripple network also has the potential to disrupt the traditional banking system. Banks and financial institutions currently act as intermediaries for global payments, which can result in high fees and slow transaction times. The Ripple network allows for direct peer-to-peer payments, which can bypass the need for intermediaries and reduce the costs and delays associated with traditional payment systems. This can help to make financial services more accessible and affordable, particularly for individuals and businesses in developing countries.

In conclusion, the Ripple network offers significant advantages over traditional payment systems, including its speed, low transaction fees, security, transparency, and ability to facilitate cross-border payments. These features make the Ripple network a promising candidate to become the future of finance, as it has the potential to revolutionize the financial industry and make financial services more accessible and affordable.

Why is Dogecoin considered the future of cryptocurrency?

Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency featuring the iconic Shiba Inu dog, has seen a massive surge in popularity in recent years. Originally created as a joke in 2013, Dogecoin has gained a dedicated community of supporters and has even been used for charitable causes. But why is Dogecoin considered the future of cryptocurrency?

First and foremost, Dogecoin has a strong and dedicated community. The Dogecoin subreddit, with over 1.3 million members, is a testament to the popularity and support of the cryptocurrency. This community has banded together to support charitable causes, such as raising funds for the Jamaican bobsled team to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics and raising over $30,000 for a well in a Kenyan village.

Furthermore, Dogecoin has a low barrier to entry compared to other cryptocurrencies. With a low price point and easy mining process, even those with limited knowledge of cryptocurrency can get involved with Dogecoin. This accessibility has contributed to its widespread adoption and popularity.

Additionally, Dogecoin has a fast transaction speed and low fees compared to other cryptocurrencies. This makes it a viable option for everyday transactions and small payments, such as tipping content creators on social media platforms. This practicality sets it apart from other cryptocurrencies, which are often criticized for their slow transaction speeds and high fees.

Furthermore, Dogecoin has proven to be a stable and reliable cryptocurrency. Despite its humble beginnings as a joke, Dogecoin has consistently maintained a strong presence in the cryptocurrency market and has even seen a significant increase in value over the past year. This stability and reliability make it a viable option for both personal and business use.

Another factor contributing to the future of Dogecoin is its potential for use in the growing field of decentralized finance (DeFi). DeFi allows for financial transactions to be performed without the need for a central authority, such as a bank. Dogecoin, with its fast transaction speeds and low fees, is well-suited for use in DeFi applications. This potential for growth and innovation in the DeFi space adds to the appeal of Dogecoin as a future-focused cryptocurrency.

Moreover, Dogecoin has gained the support and endorsement of notable figures such as Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. Musk has tweeted about Dogecoin numerous times, even calling it “the people’s crypto” and stating that it has “potential to be the future currency of Earth.” This endorsement from a high-profile figure has further increased the visibility and credibility of Dogecoin.

In conclusion, Dogecoin has a strong and dedicated community, low barrier to entry, fast transaction speed and low fees, stability and reliability, potential for use in DeFi, and endorsement from notable figures. These factors make it a strong contender as the future of cryptocurrency. As more individuals and businesses seek out alternative forms of currency, Dogecoin’s appeal and potential for growth make it a valuable asset in the future of finance.

How to secure digital assets

Securing digital assets is an increasingly important task for individuals and businesses alike. With the rise of cyber attacks and data breaches, it is essential to take steps to protect your valuable information from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. In this article, we will explore the various ways in which you can secure your digital assets and keep them safe from potential threats.

One of the most effective ways to secure your digital assets is to use strong and unique passwords for each of your online accounts. This means that you should avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, and instead create a unique password for each one. This will prevent a hacker from gaining access to multiple accounts by simply guessing one password.

In addition to using strong and unique passwords, you should also regularly update your passwords to keep them fresh and secure. This can be done by setting a password expiration date, or by changing your password every few months. This will prevent hackers from using stolen or cracked passwords to gain access to your accounts.

Another important aspect of securing your digital assets is to ensure that your computer and other devices are properly protected from malware and other types of threats. This can be done by installing and regularly updating antivirus software on your computer, and by using a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your network. You should also avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from unknown sources, as these can often contain malware that can compromise your system.

In addition to protecting your computer and devices, you should also take steps to secure your data and information. This can be done by encrypting sensitive data, such as financial information or personal documents, so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals. You can also use a secure cloud storage solution to store your data, which will provide an additional layer of protection and make it easier to access your information from anywhere.

Another important aspect of securing your digital assets is to be mindful of the information that you share online. This means avoiding sharing sensitive information on social media or other public forums, and being careful about the websites and services that you use. You should also be aware of potential scams and frauds, and avoid giving out personal information or financial details unless you are certain that it is safe to do so.

In addition to the steps mentioned above, there are also a number of tools and services that can help you secure your digital assets. For example, you can use a password manager to store and manage your passwords, or a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your online communications and protect your data from being intercepted. You can also use two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your online accounts, and monitor your credit and financial accounts regularly to identify any potential issues.

Overall, securing your digital assets is an essential task in today’s digital world. By taking the steps outlined above, you can protect your valuable information and ensure that it remains safe from potential threats. By using strong and unique passwords, protecting your computer and devices, encrypting your data, and being cautious about the information that you share online, you can keep your digital assets secure and maintain your privacy.

What makes Ethereum special?

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third-party interference. These apps run on a custom built blockchain, an enormously powerful shared global infrastructure that can move value around and represent the ownership of property.

This enables developers to create markets, store registries of debts or promises, move funds in accordance with instructions given long in the past (like a will or a futures contract) and many other things that have not been invented yet, all without a middleman or counterparty risk.

The project was bootstrapped via an ether presale in August 2014 by fans all around the world. It is developed by the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit, with contributions from great minds across the globe.

Ethereum’s native token, ether, is often used as a digital currency, but it is also used to pay for transaction fees and services on the Ethereum network. The network is powered by ether, and it is this element that sets it apart from its competitors.

The Ethereum network is based on the use of smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. This allows for the automation of complex financial transactions, such as the creation of derivative contracts, without the need for a central authority or intermediaries.

One of the key advantages of Ethereum is its flexibility. Unlike other blockchain platforms, which are often designed to support a specific application, Ethereum is a general-purpose platform that can be used to build a wide range of applications. This has led to the development of a vibrant ecosystem of developers and entrepreneurs building on the Ethereum platform.

The Ethereum network is also permissionless, meaning that anyone can join and participate in the network without the need for permission from a central authority. This allows for a truly decentralized network, where power is distributed among its participants rather than concentrated in the hands of a few.

Despite the many advantages of Ethereum, it is not without its challenges. One of the key challenges facing the Ethereum network is scalability. As the network has grown, the number of transactions per second that the network can handle has lagged behind the demand for transactions. This has led to congestion on the network and higher transaction fees.

Another challenge facing Ethereum is the potential for security vulnerabilities in smart contracts. Due to the complexity of the code used in smart contracts, there is a risk that bugs or vulnerabilities may be introduced into the code. If this happens, it could result in the loss of funds or other consequences.

Despite these challenges, Ethereum remains a leading platform for the development of decentralized applications. Its flexibility, permissionless nature, and vibrant ecosystem make it an attractive choice for developers looking to build on the blockchain.

As the Ethereum network continues to evolve and improve, it has the potential to revolutionize the way that value is exchanged and transactions are conducted. The use of smart contracts and decentralized applications has the potential to disrupt a wide range of industries, from finance and insurance to supply chain management and beyond.

In conclusion, Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts, enabling the automation of complex financial transactions without the need for intermediaries. Its flexibility, permissionless nature, and vibrant ecosystem make it a leading platform for the development of decentralized applications. Despite its challenges, Ethereum has the potential to revolutionize the way that value is exchanged and transactions are conducted.

Why are NFTs so popular?

Non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, have become a popular topic in the world of blockchain technology and digital assets. These unique tokens represent ownership of a specific digital asset, such as a piece of art, a collectible item, or even a virtual real estate property.

NFTs differ from traditional cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are interchangeable and can be easily traded on various exchanges. NFTs, on the other hand, are one-of-a-kind and cannot be exchanged or replaced with another token. This unique characteristic of NFTs has attracted the attention of various industries, from art and collectibles to gaming and virtual worlds.

One of the main reasons for the popularity of NFTs is their ability to provide proof of ownership and authenticity. In the digital world, it is difficult to determine the ownership and authenticity of a digital asset, as copies can easily be made and shared. NFTs, however, provide a unique identifier for each digital asset, allowing for clear ownership and authenticity.

For example, a digital artwork created by an artist can be turned into an NFT and sold to a collector. The collector can then prove ownership and authenticity of the artwork through the NFT, which cannot be replicated or copied. This provides value and security to the digital asset, as well as potential monetary value through potential future sales.

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Another benefit of NFTs is their potential to enable new forms of digital ownership and monetization. In the past, digital assets were often free to access and share, with no clear means of ownership or monetization. NFTs provide a way for creators to monetize their digital assets and for users to own and trade unique digital items.

For example, in the gaming industry, NFTs can be used to represent unique in-game items, such as weapons or armor, that can be owned and traded by players. This allows for a new form of virtual economy, where players can earn and spend virtual currency on unique items, providing value to both the creators and the players.

Additionally, NFTs can also be used in the world of virtual reality, where users can own and trade virtual real estate properties. This can provide a new way for users to monetize their virtual creations and for others to own a piece of the virtual world.

However, there are also criticisms and concerns surrounding the use of NFTs. One concern is the potential for speculation and inflation of prices, as has been seen with traditional cryptocurrencies. The unique and limited nature of NFTs can lead to speculation and inflated prices, potentially leading to a bubble similar to the 2017 crypto bubble.

Another concern is the environmental impact of NFTs. The process of creating and trading NFTs requires a significant amount of energy, as each transaction must be verified and recorded on the blockchain. This energy consumption has raised concerns about the sustainability of NFTs and their potential impact on the environment.

Additionally, there are also concerns about the exclusivity and elitism of NFTs. The high prices and limited availability of NFTs can create barriers to entry for certain individuals or groups, potentially limiting access to unique digital assets.

Despite these concerns, the use of NFTs continues to grow and evolve, with various industries exploring the potential of these unique tokens. The ability to provide proof of ownership and authenticity, as well as new forms of digital ownership and monetization, make NFTs an interesting and potentially valuable addition to the world of blockchain technology and digital assets.

Bitcoin pros and cons

Bitcoin is a digital currency that has been around for over a decade now. It was created in 2009 by an anonymous individual or group of individuals known as Satoshi Nakamoto. The concept of Bitcoin was to create a decentralized, peer-to-peer payment system that would allow for transactions to be conducted without the need for a central authority or intermediary, such as a bank.

Bitcoin is based on blockchain technology, which is a decentralized ledger system that records and verifies all transactions on a network. This means that each transaction is recorded and verified by multiple nodes on the network, making it virtually impossible for anyone to manipulate or falsify the transaction history.

One of the main advantages of using Bitcoin is its anonymity. Unlike traditional payment methods, which require users to provide personal information, Bitcoin transactions can be conducted without revealing one’s identity. This has made Bitcoin a popular choice among those who value their privacy, such as individuals living in countries with strict financial regulations or those involved in illegal activities.

Another advantage of Bitcoin is its low transaction fees. Because there is no need for a central authority or intermediary to process transactions, users can conduct transactions with minimal fees. This makes it a cost-effective option for conducting small transactions, such as paying for a cup of coffee.

In addition to its anonymity and low transaction fees, Bitcoin also offers users the ability to hold and transfer value without the need for a third party. This means that users can store and transfer their bitcoins without having to go through a bank or other financial institution. This allows for greater financial freedom and control over one’s assets.

Despite its many advantages, there are also some drawbacks to using Bitcoin. One of the main concerns is its volatility. Because the price of Bitcoin is determined by supply and demand, it can fluctuate greatly in a short amount of time. This means that users who hold large amounts of Bitcoin could potentially lose a significant amount of money if the price drops.

Another concern is the potential for hacks and security breaches. Because Bitcoin is a digital currency, it is vulnerable to cyber attacks. In the past, there have been instances where large amounts of Bitcoin have been stolen from exchanges and other online wallets. This has raised concerns about the safety and security of using Bitcoin.

Despite these concerns, many people continue to use and invest in Bitcoin. In recent years, the popularity of Bitcoin has increased significantly, with more and more people turning to it as a way to conduct transactions and store value. This has also led to the rise of other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum and Litecoin, which offer similar benefits to Bitcoin but with their own unique features.

Overall, Bitcoin has proven to be a revolutionary concept that has the potential to change the way we think about money and financial transactions. While there are still some concerns about its volatility and security, the benefits of using Bitcoin, such as anonymity and low transaction fees, make it a compelling option for those looking for a more decentralized and secure way to conduct transactions.

Most read cryptocurrency whitepapers in 2020

Every year we do a quick run-up of the most read cryptocurrency whitepapers on our site. This year we’ve got the top 15 crypto white papers for you! We’ve excluded the popular pages of projects that do not have a whitepaper (looking at you Litecoin & Dogecoin!). Among the other most visited pages were our recap of China’s DCEP plans and,(obviously!) our cryptocurrency research guides.

Below you will find which whitepapers were read the most on out site in 2020! This year we’ve got Chainlink taking over the first place from Bitcoin and Monero, Digibyte, EOS and Dashcoin entering the top 10. So, if you want to make sure that you’re not missing out on the next big thing, make sure to read the whitepapers below!

1. Chainlink Whitepaper
ChainLink is blockchain middleware that allows smart contracts to access key off-chain resources like data feeds, various web APIs, and traditional bank account payments.

By providing smart contracts secure access to these key resources, ChainLink allows them to mimic real world agreements that require external proof of performance and need to make payment in widely available payment methods e.g. bank payments.

Read more here: Chainlink Whitepaper

2. Bitcoin Whitepaper
The Bitcoin white paper has been written by Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous bitcoin creator who created the decentralized Bitcoin Network. The blockchain technology he describes in this article is not new, but using the combination of blockchain, cryptocurrency and proof of work resulted in the largest cryptocurrency that is still dominating the cryptocurrency market today. The amount of Bitcoin transactions are very high and bitcoin mining still is very profitable if you have access to cheap electricity and enough computing power. The amount if bitcoin wallets and bitcoin transactions is rising fast and almost everyone who is in the cryptocurrency industry has at least a few Satoshi as one of their crypto assets. The price of Bitcoin (BTC) is always an important factor of cryptocurrency news and people are always trying to predict the right price on social media, such as Twitter. If you are thinking about mining or buying bitcoin, you should definitely read the Bitcoin Whitepaper first and learn about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency:

Read more here: Bitcoin Whitepaper

3. Monero Whitepaper
Monero is cash for a connected world. It’s fast, private, and secure. With Monero, you are your own bank. You can spend safely, knowing that others cannot see your balances or track your activity.

Read more here: Monero Whitepaper

4. TrueUSD whitepaper
TrueUSD is a USD-backed ERC20 stablecoin that is fully collateralized, legally protected, and transparently verified by third-party attestations. TrueUSD uses multiple escrow accounts to reduce counterparty risk, and to provide token-holders with legal protections against misappropriation. TrueUSD is the first asset token built on the TrustToken platform.

Read more here: TrueUSD whitepaper

5. Ripple whitepaper
The Ripple Network is a network for global financial transactions. Ripple has been created in 2012 by Ripple Labs Inc. and their mission is to enable banks to transfer money to each other in a faster and more secure way. To enable these fast transactions Ripple has created the cryptocurrency XRP, which runs on the Riiple blockchain, called thethe Ripple Consensus Protocol Ledger (XRPL). The XRPL works as a distributed economic system that not only tracks transactions and accounting information, but also offers exchange services for a large number of currency pairs. Ripple presents the XRPL as an open source distributed ledger that can process financial transactions in real time. These transactions are secured and verified by the network participants and a consensus mechanism.

Read more here: Ripple whitepaper

6. Ethereum whitepaper
Everybody knows what Ethereum is these days, but have you read the whitepaper itself? The introduction is pretty smart:

Satoshi Nakamoto’s development of Bitcoin in 2009 has often been hailed as a radical development in money and currency, being the first example of a digital asset which simultaneously has no backing or intrinsic value and no centralized issuer or controller. However, another – arguably more important – part of the Bitcoin experiment is the underlying blockchain technology as a tool of distributed consensus, and attention is rapidly starting to shift to this other aspect of Bitcoin.

Commonly cited alternative applications of blockchain technology include using on-blockchain digital assets to represent custom currencies and financial instruments (colored coins), the ownership of an underlying physical device (smart property), non-fungible assets such as domain names (Namecoin), as well as more complex applications involving having digital assets being directly controlled by a piece of code implementing arbitrary rules (smart contracts) or even blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).

What Ethereum intends to provide is a blockchain with a built-in fully fledged Turing-complete programming language that can be used to create “contracts” that can be used to encode arbitrary state transition functions, allowing users to create any of the systems described above, as well as many others that we have not yet imagined, simply by writing up the logic in a few lines of code.

Read more here: Ethereum whitepaper

7. Binance Whitepaper
The Binance Whitepaper is such an amazing read! The content is not that special or groundbreaking, but when you read it an take into account what they have accomplished in just a few years is really impressive. The whitepaper was just the beginning!

Read more here: Binance Whitepaper

8. Digibyte whitepaper
DigiByte is a public, rapidly growing and highly decentralized blockchain. DigiBytes are digital assets that cannot be destroyed, counterfeited or hacked, making them ideal for protecting objects of value like currency, information, property or important digital data.

DigiBytes can be sent over the DigiByte Blockchain and forever recorded on an immutable public ledger that is decentralized on thousands of computers across the planet.

Read more here: Digibyte whitepaper

9. EOS whitepaper
The EOS.IO software introduces a new blockchain architecture designed to enable vertical and horizontal scaling of decentralized applications. This is achieved by creating an operating system-like construct upon which applications can be built. The software provides accounts, authentication, databases, asynchronous communication, and the scheduling of applications across many of CPU cores or clusters. The resulting technology is a blockchain architecture that may ultimately scale to millions of transactions per second, eliminates user fees, and allows for quick and easy deployment and maintenance of decentralized applications, in the context of a governed blockchain.

Read more here: EOS whitepaper

10. Dash Whitepaper
Dash is the first privacy-centric cryptographic currency based on the work of Satoshi Nakamoto. In this paper we propose a series of improvements to Bitcoin resulting in a decentralized, strongly anonymous crypto-currency, with tamper-proof instant transactions and a secondary peer-to-peer (P2P) network incentivized to provide services to the Dash Network.

Read more here: Dash Whitepaper

11. Nash Exchange token whitepaper
In 2017, Nash was founded by five open-source blockchain developers on three different continents. Originally known as the Neon Exchange (NEX), we set the goal of developing a decentralized platform that could equal, even surpass, the speed and functionality of traditional financial services.

Read more here: Nash Exchange token whitepaper

12. Cosmos Whitepaper
Cosmos is a network of many independent blockchains, called zones. The zones are powered by Tendermint Core, which provides a high-performance, consistent, secure PBFT-like consensus engine, where strict fork-accountability guarantees hold over the behaviour of malicious actors. Tendermint Core’s BFT consensus algorithm is well suited for scaling public proof-of-stake blockchains.

The first zone on Cosmos is called the Cosmos Hub. The Cosmos Hub is a multi-asset proof-of-stake cryptocurrency with a simple governance mechanism which enables the network to adapt and upgrade. In addition, the Cosmos Hub can be extended by connecting other zones.

The hub and zones of the Cosmos network communicate with each other via an inter-blockchain communication (IBC) protocol, a kind of virtual UDP or TCP for blockchains. Tokens can be transferred from one zone to another securely and quickly without the need for exchange liquidity between zones. Instead, all inter-zone token transfers go through the Cosmos Hub, which keeps track of the total amount of tokens held by each zone. The hub isolates each zone from the failure of other zones. Because anyone can connect a new zone to the Cosmos Hub, zones allow for future-compatibility with new blockchain innovations.

Read more here: Cosmos Whitepaper

13. Ampleforth whitepaper
Synthetic commodities, such as Bitcoin, have thus far demonstrated low correlation with stocks, currencies, and precious metals. However, today’s synthetics are also highly correlated with each other and with Bitcoin. The natural question to ask is: can a synthetic commodity have low correlation with both Bitcoin and traditional asset groups?

Read more here: Ampleforth whitepaper

14. Electroneum whitepaper
Where previously cryptocurrency usage has been almost entirely the domain of speculators and the tech-savvy, Electroneum is set to become the first digital coin to enter common usage due to its groundbreaking ease-of-use for the ordinary mobile user.

Read more here: Electroneum whitepaper

15. Celsius whitepaper
Unbank Yourself is the motto of Celsius. Or as they put it themselves: An economy where financial freedom doesn’t come with a price tag. Where the interests of the people are put first. Where ethical behavior is the baseline, and where everyone – and we mean everyone – has the opportunity to succeed financially. With a little bit of humanity and honesty, and the power of a digital currency that’s as strong as it is accessible, we’re ushering in the new economy today. Their goal is to disrupt the financial industry by providing a platform of curated services with fair interest, zero fees, and lightning quick transactions

Read more here: Celsius whitepaper

If you are looking for a different whitepaper, our white paper overview has 3000+ ICO, STO and DeFi whitepapers. Learn more about doing your (whitepaper) research here and don’t forget to check out our Cryptocurrency News section! You can also buy our entire database of 3000 whitepaper PDF’s for your research or let us promote your whitepaper as our Whitepaper of the Week!

How to find new cryptocurrency projects?

One of the biggest challenges in the crypto space is to find the right projects at the right time. There are hundreds of projects launched each month and it’s very difficult to pick the right ones. Most of the projects won’t last a year and some of them are only launched to scam you out of your money fast. The only option you have to navigate through this jungle of crypto projects, is to Do Your Own Research. I’ve made a short list with tips on how to find new cryptocurrency projects and how to research them. Hopefully you learn some new tricks and pick the right project!

Where do I find new tokens?

1. Social media
Check the buzz on social media. What I usually do is going to the accounts on Twitter that have a lot of followers. Those followers take every chance to shill their investments in their replies to the ‘crypto influencer’. Click on the articles, links and cash tags (the project’s abbreviation > $ followed by a few letters) and start your research. Or take a look at sites that keep track of new or trending accounts, such as Semrush. You can also subscribe to different trading groups in which lots of new projects are shilled. Those groups are risky though, because there are a lot of scammers in there and people who want to dump their bags on dumb investors, so do your proper research before jumping in.

2. Crypto charts
There are a few websites out there that make charts for almost every token. A great example is dextools.io. If you go to the site you can see the trending tokens (top 10). Click on those and start your research.

3. Trending coins
Coinmarketcap and coingecko both have a trending coin section. These are usually the coins that are looked up the most on the sites. Go to these project’s pages and research the tokens.

4. Verified Ethereum contracts
Etherscan has a great little features that not many know about, an overview of the smart contracts that have their source code checked. You can check all the verified contracts here. This is a great start for your research. I look for a project with a normal name  and high number of Txns and start from there. You click on the contract and on the contract page under ‘More Info’ you click on the Token Tracker ( if any). The next step is to look at the ‘Holders’ tab to see what the distribution is. The little document icon means that it’s a contract and contracts that look like this are burn addresses > 0x0000000000, so you can ignore those holders. You can check if the distribution is fine, not too many whales and not too many tokens airdropped via e.g. Disperse.app. I also check the tab ‘DEX TRADES’ to make sure the token is traded properly and is not being dumped (dextools is also good to check that).

5. Track whale wallets
To find these wallets you need to do some digging. There are multiple telegram and twitter accounts that show the big trades of whale wallets. When you have found these wallets, go to etherscan, check what they have in their bags and go from there. Always check if they bought these coins themselves or if they got them for advising or promoting, since this will make a difference in their ‘commitment to their bag’. You can also subscribe to certain services, such as nansen.ai, on which you can see all the trades of the wallets. Take into account that you aren’t the first to see those trades, so invest with caution.

6. Track newly registered crypto domains
This one requires a bit more knowledge of the existing crypto projects and their domains, but if you know what to look for you’ll definitely find some new projects early on! The trick is to go to websites like Whoisds or DNPedia and to research all the newly registered domains on a daily basis. Search for domains with tld’s like .finance or .app, depending on the current trend. Also look for domains that contain ‘token’, ‘swap’, ‘seigniorage’ or anything that is hyped. Make a list of all those domains and check them regularly for any updates and filter out the nonsense. I find about 2-5 domains each time that are promising. After you found the domains, start your research!

I’ve written multiple guides on whitepaper research, here’s one: Cryptocurrency Whitepaper Research for Beginners. We have thousands of whitepapers on file here.

How do I research these tokens?

1. Read the whitepaper :)!
For me this is always the first step. Don’t worry about the technical buzzwords, you just need to verify the following things.
– What problem are they solving?
– What is the token distribution/token economics? How much tokens are allocated to the team, used for marketing, % for public sale
– What is the token price for each stage of investments? Was their a seed sale and for how much? When do these tokens unlock (vesting)?
– What’s the public sale price? Fully diluted market cap? Runway for the team?
– Etc.

2. Social media
Search the project on social media. Go to their Twitter, Telegram, Discord etc. and read what the community says about the project. Focus on the people that are unhappy to see if there’s anything you should know, it’s ok to be skeptical, since you’re about to invest in the project. Follow the right people and ask questions.

3. Contracts
As explained above, you can get a lot of useful information by looking at the contracts and token on etherscan. Check if the contract is verified. You can also go to certain telegram groups to get them verified. Look at the trading patterns under DEX Trades, because when everybody is selling it’s usually not good news. Next thing is to check the holders and how the tokens are distributed and if there’s been a massive airdrop. Go to the wallets of the Whales (biggest holders) and see how they got their tokens, multiple buys or airdropped etc.).

4. Github
As a no-coder Github looks difficult. The best tip I can give is to check the number of commits. The more commits from different developers, the more work is done on the project and the bigger the chance is that they’re the real deal. Remember that Github is open source and most crypto projects will keep the most important parts of their code to themselves to avoid being copied, so when in doubt always ask the team if/when they’re open-sourcing their code.

5. Google is your friend
Google is your friend. Search the project’s name, the team, the token, partners etc. Make sure they are the real deal and can deliver what they promise. Google certain texts on their site and the whitepaper to verify that they’ve written that themselves and are not a copy or fork of a different project. Make sure to put the text between ” and ” to search for those exact words.

6. Ask questions
On discord, telegram, twitter you name is. There are no dumb questions and the team should be willing to answer them or to direct you to the right place with the answers. Do check pinned messages, medium articles and FAQ’s first since that would cover the most of your ‘dumb’ questions.

Conclusion

So that was my short list on how to find proper cryptocurrency projects and how to research them. I will update this list regularly and add things I missed!

John,

CEO All Crypto Whitepapers

Follow me on Twitter or Linkedin.

 

Cryptocurrency Whitepaper Research For Beginners

In this article I will give you some pointers in how to recognize scam coins & projects through whitepaper research. Although most projects that turned out to be a scam had a great whitepaper, some of them gave away their bad intentions in the whitepaper.

What is a whitepaper?
So what is a Whitepaper exactly? When a company intends to launch a new cryptocurrency, they usually set out all the details in a Whitepaper. This document contains the technical, financial and commercial information about the project. This document normally explains in plain language what they’re planning to build, to attract investors and other interested parties. In other words, the whitepaper explains the project’s purpose and process, the Why and the How.

Not every project or coin starts with a whitepaper. Litecoin started by giving a video presentation on ‘Creating Litecoin’ at a Coinbase event. Loom Network decided not to write a whitepaper, but immediately started developing and delivering code. Others are just forks of existing projects, like Bitcoin, so they don’t have their own whitepaper. Some projects bring out a Pink Paper, Green Paper or Yellow Paper and other projects, such as Cardano, bring out multiple whitepapers to describe every part of the tech they are building. Luckily, 99% of the cryptocurrencies and ICO’s still release a whitepaper at some point to outline their project and tech. So if you thinking about investing in a new coin or ICO (and to avoid scams) your first stop is reading the whitepaper.

What parts of a whitepaper do I need to check to avoid scams?
Although scam projects are getting better and better in not raising any suspicion, there are some sections of the whitepaper which you need to take a closer look at to filter out unreliable projects.

Technology – The most important thing is the project’s proposed (technical) solution to a real and relevant problem. It makes no difference if it’s something new or a better application of existing tech, when the problem they’re trying to solve doesn’t need solving, there’s a big chance the project will fail or is set up to raise a quick buck. This is usually the most difficult to verify, but keep an eye out for common buzzwords that are solely used to confuse u without really explaining what the project is about.

Team, Advisors & Partnerships– The people behind the project should be easy to verify. Check their Linkedin, online profiles, company profiles, any addresses you find, advisors, partnerships etc. Don’t be afraid to openly ask them if they’re involved in the project. Fitrova, a project that did an exit scam, boasted about great partnerships, but after checking with those partners they denied even knowing the CEO. Declouds, also a scam, wanted to prove his alleged partnership with a bank, by photoshopping himself into a picture of the board members of that bank. And finally I almost participated in an ICO with fake team members, but just in time the community found out that all the pictures where stolen from some Australian School Board website. So always doublecheck the information provided to you about the people behind the project and don’t forget to do a reverse image search on their pictures.

Roadmap – Technical development always takes longer than promised, but a roadmap gives you an idea if they’re realistic about their goals. If the roadmap states that a mainnet will be delivered within a few months, that would be great, but could also indicate that they’re trying to make a quick buck (unless the started the development way before the ICO of course).

Token Allocation & Price – Things to look at are the amount of tokens they are going to bring out. It’s a difficult factor, but it might give you an idea if they’re realistic about the project or just want to make a lot of money. If their total token supply and pricing results in a really high marketcap, you should be suspicious about their intentions. Other thing to look at: Will the tokens be locked up (vesting) for team members? Will they burn unsold tokens? Can they bring out extra tokens whenever they decide to do so? Normally the best token allocation for investors is projects with a low token supply, so you get a bigger piece of the pie when you invest, but this strongly depends on the other factors.

The Rest – There are so many things that could be red flags. Make sure to also verify the information on their websites and social media, does it look real or are they just using empty words, fake testimonials and social media bots. It wouldn’t be the first time that you are let to believe they already have a nice User Interface for their wallet, but in reality that are just stolen pictures from another project. Also beware of dubious statements, like stating they’re SEC-compliant or already have secured listing on big exchanges. Or things like saying their product can be used in any store or with every bank. Watch out for Ponzi Schemes like Bitconnect, with promised returns on investment for holding their coins. Sometimes they bloat with big whales who have invested already. Always check out the contribution address and try to trace back those big whales, to make sure it’s not the team contributing to itself faking that they already have landed investors.

Conclusion
In the end, you must feel safe about the project’s intent after reading the whitepaper. A lot of projects that turned out to be a scam had a legit whitepaper at first sight. But after looking closer into the promises they make in the document, how they’re going to build it and with whom they plan to make it a success, it should’ve been possible for investors to pick out the red flags. Of course there are many other factors that could lead to the conclusion that the project is a scam, but researching the whitepaper is one of the most accessible ways for you to verify it yourself.
Fortunately, www.allcryptowhitepapers.com has the largest whitepaper database in the world. With almost 1700 projects in our database, it’s the best place to start your research. Also don’t forget to check out the Whitepaper of the Week and News section, so you don’t miss out on anything. Knowledge is power!

The SEC also has made a great website to warn people about risky ICO’s and scams and they also included a whitepaper about their fake-scamproject, in which you will recognize many of the pointers I brought up in this article, You can check that out here:Howeycoin.

Also, here are 5 pointers to consider before buying crypto:

5 things you need to check before buying crypto


Rapper Akon launches Akoin, a cryptocurrency for 600 million africans

The artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Akon has spent the last few years doing great things in Africa. One of his biggest accomplishments is starting the Akon Lighting Project, which brought electricity through solarpanels to 32.3 million people. Since launching the project in in 2014, Akon’s group has operations in 18 nations, including Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Benin and Sierra Leone.

Akon’s next project is Akoin, a cryptocurrency powered by a blockchain based eco-system of tools and services designed for entrepreneurs in the rising economies of Africa and beyond. Akoin is using the Stellar technology to build its eco-system. Akon has an impressive network and desire to bring positive change to Africa, this will give this project a significant boost. The question is, will such a boost be necessary? Africa has 600 million+ inhabitants and South Africa houses the 5th highest number of cryptocurrency users globally, providing the example of another leapfrogging moment where the pressures of local currency instability and lack of trust in government made digital currency a better “store of value” than a paper currency (including prepaid minutes). Akoin might just be the project to reach those 600 million africans, and with the success of the Akon Lighting Project he might already have enough households in his addressbook to give the coin a boost.

Background information on Akoin:

Akoin is a multi-currency digital wallet attached to an online marketplace that simplifies local and global exchanges of value. The marketplace will be a hub for DApps, apps, and financial services for entrepreneurs and other users to access and utilize. The platform includes proprietary Atomic Swap technology that allows users to seamlessly transition in and out of the network with fiat, cryptocurrency, or prepaid minutes. Users are able to learn, earn, spend, and save Akoin across a plethora of entrepreneurfocused applications. The Akoin ecosystem provides the tools, resources, and ease-of-use necessary for running a successful business or gig-based career.

The Akoin marketplace itself will represent a unique access point to the DApp & App-based service market for rising entrepreneurs in Africa. With over 444 million mobile phone users on the African continent, the Akoin marketplace and the benefits of blockchain technology will be accessible by millions of people.

The marketplace allows entrepreneurs and small business owners access to numerous applications that accelerate their business goals. Individuals or businesses using the Akoin marketplace for access to business-critical services will benefit from the variety of DApps, giving them a better chance of launching and sustaining their businesses. Among their many contributions, Akoin Ambassadors will help by acting as part of the local test population for the Akoin MVP and Beta releases. These early users will benefit from a system of rewards and recognition based on their interaction with the Akoin ecosystem. The Akoin token is central to the ecosystem and is discussed in detail in the Token Economics section.

Akoin seeks to minimize the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs and small businesses in Africa, while simultaneously providing a gateway for global brands currently struggling to access this demographic. The Akoin platform and token will leapfrog traditional banking and service platforms currently found in Africa. It will help entrepreneurs overcome the challenges of inflation, restrictive government regulation, and lack of access to leading business tools and services, all from their internet-enabled mobile device.

With a built-in multi-currency digital wallet and decentralized exchange, the Akoin marketplace enables participants to learn, earn, spend, and save cryptocurrency with ease, all done directly from their smartphone. The Akoin token will provide a more trusted currency alternative to the current 40+ currencies currently utilized across 54 countries in Africa. This will enable entrepreneurs to build and grow their business with a seamless transition in and out of the network via fiat, cryptocurrency, or prepaid minutes.

The Akoin ecosystem offers an exclusive suite of sustainability and growth-building crypto-based apps that offer immediate and ongoing revenue-generating opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in developing countries. Furthermore, through the Akoin multi-currency wallet, entrepreneurs are able to trade with each other interchangeably without the major hurdles or fees of traditional money exchanges.

Akoin White paper:

Akoin Whitepaper