Author: CoinSpectator

Want to cash out Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies from an exchange instantly without paying ridiculous fees? ORCA can help you. The passage linking cryptocurrencies together regular finance is being laid. Yesterday ORCA Alliance has presented their technological case for the community during a live event streamed online. Mere 6 seconds. That’s how long it took ORCA to complete a transfer from a cryptocurrency exchange straight to user’s bank.

The demonstration was opened by Laurent Bourquin, Chief Operating Officer of ORCA and former investment bank analyst who presented the changing landscape of global finance.

“The whole banking sector is being disrupted <…>. A couple of years ago it had been inconceivable to think that a start-up can enter the closed market of retail and investment banking and take over a part of its market share” – claimed L. Bourquin.

According to him, new IT-based market players are challenging banks and providing cheaper, more efficient services. To intensify the changes further, Open Banking is already making it’s way to Europe while other countries are watching closely to jump onboard. Most importantly, cryptocurrencies are capturing people’s attention and have become the most recent trend widely discussed in the world of finance, especially due to the fact it is including and making regular people interested in finance.

Natan Avidan, the co-founder, and CEO of ORCA Alliance gave a broader presentation about ORCA and what problems does it aim to solve. ORCA is a financial management tool oriented for cryptocurrency users which connects various financial accounts through their APIs.  N. Avidan said that mass cryptocurrency adoption would be reached only if the market becomes more user-friendly, facilitating ease of access to technologically uneducated users.

The technological case itself was presented by Dmitrij Radin, Chief Technological Officer of ORCA, with the help of a vending machine which helped to verify that funds were received. The transfer took only 6 seconds, ten times shorter than was initially expected.

ORCA’s solution is set to relieve loads of issues tormenting cryptocurrency adopters. ORCA is building an Open Banking platform that will make everyone’s banking experience convenient and simple. Users will be able to connect, track and manage their financial accounts from European banks, e-money institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges, and wallets. ORCA is providing an all-in-one banking solution.

“At the core, ORCA is a consumer application, and we are well aware that mass adoption can be reached only through practical use cases and convenience benefits. Instant crypto withdrawals are just a stepping stone towards our goal albeit an essential one.” – commented Natan Avidan, CEO of ORCA Alliance.

ORCA started making waves in the crypto community. Fintech start-up recently announced a partnership with an e-money institution MisterTango which is operating under the supervision of European authorities. Soon enough they presented the technological solution for momentous crypto withdrawals and plans to release introductory version of the platform before the end of June. The timing of ORCA to create a consumer-oriented application for personal banking including cryptocurrencies is impeccable.

More information about ORCA: https://orcaalliance.eu

OSA DC has penned a partnership with DalongPay, a payment platform that bridges the gap between crypto and traditional currencies.

Founded in December 2016 with the goal of delivering convenient payment instruments to the emerging crypto community, DalongPay is a crypto-to-fiat payment system. It acts as an easily accessible bridge between fiat currencies and crypto currencies. The system allows its users to buy crypto online with bank cards, as it allows them to sell and swap crypto and fiat freely using the bank card and transfer between the two types of currencies using DalongPay’s system. DalongPay currently supports Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dash, and Zcash.

Approximately 15%-20% of ICOs use fiat for contributions, while more than half of 2017s most successful ICOs accepted fiat during their token sales. The team believes that the service will be greatly beneficial to the OSA DC community, it’ll make purchasing OSA tokens easier and more convenient than ever before. It’s the first step OSA token sale participants can take towards become smart consumer’s on the OSA DC platform, as they’ll have easy access to liquidity and a sure-fire way to participate in the ecosystem even if they have no prior experience with cryptocurrencies.

“At OSA DC, we cater to the smart consumer, so it’s only natural that we’d want to provide every avenue possible for them to participate in the token sale,” Alex Isaiev, co-founder of OSA DC stated regarding the developments. “Now it’ll be easier for our community members to get involved with the project, opening up avenues for even more smart consumers to join us in our pursuit of a perfected retail experience.”

Building on its predecessor the OSA Hybrid Platform, OSA DC combines blockchain technology and cutting edger artificial intelligence to help retailers and manufacturers better manage their inventories. With OSA DC’s blockchain, producers and sellers can track their products with pinpoint accuracy, while its AI digital assistant will allow them to devise more precise business strategies and help retailers to manage stock-outs and inventory issues in real-time. Consumers will benefit from the platform, as well, utilizing its AI assistant to tailor shopping choices and to commit data to the network in exchange for OSA tokens.

At the moment, DalongPay applications for iOS and Android are already available for users. For companies wishing to conduct an ICO using DalongPay, the organization has developed an API for acquiring and instantly converting fiat currencies into cryptocurrencies.

You can learn more about OSA DC here and more about DalongPay here.

Blockchain technology is very hot right now. Many global companies and financial institutions have implemented forms of the technology, to help improve the reliability and security of their processes. Forbes has recently reported that even the IRS is hoping to reap the benefits of the technology. One of the industries that could potentially see the greatest improvements from implementing blockchain technology is the online gambling industry.

The technology would deliver what customers and reputable online gambling providers have long since sought; a way of providing permanent verified information that is not open to any form of manipulation. This is a major change for a gambling industry that has sometimes suffered from a lack of trust shown by customers and been hampered by current verification systems which can be cumbersome and unwanted.

Early days of blockchain technology for online gambling

It’s still fairly early days for blockchain technology in the world of online gambling. However, many online casinos already accept cryptocurrencies like Ethereum as a deposit method. Here is a reliable list of recommended sites that provide Ethereum as an option in their cashier. Online casinos are also already implementing their own systems for the completion and signing of smart contracts.

A major sign that blockchain technology could be the way forward for online gambling is that Malta, the center of Europe’s Igaming has recently approved three separate cryptocurrency bills. The content of the bills concerns the legalization and regulation of cryptocurrencies for use in online casinos. This means that online casinos will have a way of being regulated and certified in the use of cryptocurrencies. The Digital Innovation Authority has also been formed, in order to keep check on information which is stored on  Distributed Ledger Technology platforms.

Why could blockchain technology be so important?

Online gambling is big business; it accounts for around 25% of all gambling revenue. This means that billions of dollars every year can be made in the gambling industry. The problem is that there are several issues which can have an adverse effect on the ability of the online gambling industry to reach its full potential; not least a perceived lack of transparency and trust.

Technology, such as that used for the Ethereum blockchain, enables the construction, signing and sharing of digital contracts between players and casinos. This means that it will no longer be possible for less reputable companies not to honor promises that have been made. This should mean that disputes will be a thing of the past and that the system of payouts will be quick and problem free. Of course, it’s possible that we will not see these benefits immediately, but blockchain technology certainly has the potential to ensure that these changes happen.

Transparency even behind the scenes

One of the biggest issues that online casinos have had to deal with is the common perception that they are hiding things from players. This could be anything from results to winners and the amount of money that is paid out in prizes. The public has a general belief that much of this type of information is hidden away from them. This often means that the profits from online gambling are not maximised and that the optimum playing experience is not achieved. Bringing blockchain technology into the online gambling arena has the potential to revolutionize it, by removing these issues.

This is a huge positive for online casinos. Many reputable casinos have previously suffered because rogue casinos gave the industry a bad name. How many times have you heard players bemoan the fact that the house always seems to win? If this type of concern becomes prevalent, people can start to stay away from a certain casino. This is no good for the industry. Using blockchain technology means that information is shared across everyone, so it’s not possible for casino to hide anything. This should mean that people have more faith in online casinos, meaning that they start to play more and the revenue of the casinos increases.

Cutting back on player fraud

It’s not just from a reputational point of view that online casinos will benefit from the ongoing use of blockchain technology; they should also see a reduction of losses due to player fraud. There are many different ways in which people who want to cheat the casino can do so; popular options are to hack into the casino or make fraudulent transactions in the cashier. This type of fraud can cost online casinos a lot of money. Using blockchain technology means that online casinos can ensure the security of transactions. Having distributed ledger technology in place means that all winnings are automatically calculated, and the results can clearly be seen by all. Smart contracts are in place and everything is completely open to scrutiny. This means that fraudsters should not be able to manipulate wins any longer. Preventing these losses from fraud is potentially a huge financial benefit for the online casino industry.

Simple payment options

Blockchain technology is obviously closely linked to the use of cryptocurrency, although its use has now gone far beyond that single realm. This original use of blockchain technology provides one of its most useful benefits when it comes to online gambling. The use of cryptocurrencies means that players are not restricted as to how and where they can gamble online, depending on the jurisdiction in which they live. These restrictions can be severe if a player tries to deposit or withdraw using a regulated payment service. Using cryptocurrencies also means that financial charges which casinos have to pay will decrease as they will not have to pay third party financial services providers. This should mean that online casinos no longer charge for the processing of banking transactions which are related to the use of cryptocurrencies.

Complete anonymity online

Anyone who has played at an online casino should know about the problems that sometimes arise from proof of identity being requested. Some casinos request that players provide a whole stack of private documents before they are able to withdraw any winnings. This identification process can be lengthy and extremely frustrating; not something that the casino or the player really wants.

The use of blockchain technology means that this type of identification process could be a thing of the past as the blockchain process itself provides transparency and authentication of contracts. All players should need to do is send blockchain as requested. There is no need to download software or even to create an account. This means that the players and casinos will experience less hassle and that it will not be as easy for hackers to get hold of the personal information of players. This sounds like a really good thing in some ways. However, some people view it as a means of evading current regulatory requirements relating to online casino activity. This can mean that cryptocurrency casinos are viewed with a certain amount of suspicion.

The introduction of Zero Edge

Zero Edge is an online gaming cryptocurrency provider that has fully embraced blockchain technology and its benefits to the world of online gambling. This is a brand new concept involving the launch of the Zerocoin cryptocurrency which is intended for use in the gaming industry.  The currency comes alongside a protocol developed by Zero Edge which means that the previously expected house edge no longer exists. This is an online gaming platform which is set to shape the future.

It remains to be seen how popular Zero Edge technology will become, but the more its popularity increases, the better the news is for players. This is because the value of Zerocoin could increase dramatically, which would also increase the value of winnings. It’s easy to see why Zero Edge has caused so much excitement so far. It takes all of the best points of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies and brings them together in one online gambling solution. All of this means that the future of online gambling could be a place where odds are even, deposits and withdrawals are instant and safe and fairness is ensured across all casino games. As all Zerocoin holders are pooled together when using the system, verification issues are fulfilled. All that needs to be known is that a certain amount of Zerocoins has been deposited.

All of this sounds great in theory. However, it’s still very early days for blockchain technology in the world of online gambling. The technology has certainly already started to change online gambling and it has the potential to bring about many more changes in the future. It could increase the profits of online casinos while also making casinos fairer and safer for players. As blockchain technology continues to be at the center of many news stories, it will be interesting to see how its use in the online gaming industry progresses. Only time will tell whether all of the benefits can be embraced and blockchain technology can really become the norm, in the world of online gambling.

Image Source: www.mdgadvertising.com

One of the unique features of blockchain and an attribute that makes it very appealing to a lot of communities is the incentivized technology that it offers. Getting rewarded for one’s contribution towards the achievement any given goal is the best form of motivation that there is. It does not only encourage more participation but enables the fulfillment of the intended aim of any program.

Breaking the monopoly

In its current state, the digital environment is dominated by a handful of major stakeholders who thrive on the efforts and contributions of the rest of the people. Majority of whom are left without compensation. Facebook for instance would receive all the funds from an advertiser to reach an agreed audience and number of views. These audiences who represent the actual action point, in other words the targeted resource eventually end up being used. This is what you get with centralized systems. Power, control and reward is usually monopolized by the “boss” and the people are seen as tools.

The decentralization brought by blockchain is disrupting this structure and recognising the relevance of participants within networks and communities. In the advertising industry, blockchain solution seems like “the golden pen”. Rather than the ‘hit and hope’ approach adopted by existing systems, blockchain implementation is enabling platforms to structure and execute ad campaigns with a very high precision rate.

Focusing on the actual goal

Beyond just creating and broadcasting ads, the ultimate goal of every advertiser is to reach their intended targets with content that is relevant to their needs. This is why 2Key Network is creating a platform that makes it easy for advertisers and content creators to be able to define their specific budget and also the best possible campaign execution.

The 2Key platform, that brings GRN (Global Referral Network) technology, enables a sharing network where people would share with their friends, who share with their friends, who keep sharing until the set goal of a given campaign is reached. What is important here is that everyone in the network who made a positive impact during such campaign gets paid. This creates a real network effect and a real link sharing economy that is based on the incentive model.

Cleaning up the industry

Digital advertising platforms have been criticized for a number of activities that go on within the ecosystem. For instance, the non-transparent nature of operations of the big players further emphasizes the above mentioned ‘hit and hope’ approach. This usually leaves advertisers uncertain about the actual effect of the advertising efforts. Also, on the part of the audiences, spam messages, pop-ups ads, interruptive videos and other unwanted bombardments often come across as nuisance. These elements pass as sources of resentment towards these ads, prompting audiences to find ways of blocking them. Even when they cannot be stopped, advertisements should be appealing to the audience rather than be seen to be forced down their throats.

By incentivizing the act of content sharing, 2Key encourages participants to distribute valuable content. This is because the reward system within the chain will rate shared contents based on their impact and popularity. Therefore, the more a participant’s post is shared by the community, the more their rewards. Same applies to ineffective content, as they serve to reduce members ratings and their points in the long run.

Powered by Ethereum smart contract, 2Key enables the actual performance of shared content to be transparently measured. Hence, the huge waste incurred by advertisers will be drastically removed and the corruption present in the ads industry automatically eliminated.

Content sharing is about to become more profitable for everyone involved, and a more friendly advertising ecosystem introduced. Thanks to blockchain, in combination with Game theory and AI implementation.

Powered by blockchain, the Etheal.com platform allows patients to find doctors online anywhere in the world, access reviews in their own language and send inquiries immediately. The cost is a fraction of agency prices – saving American patients alone an estimated $1.98 billion per year, which would be enough to buy 700,000 CPAP machines for premature babies.

Golden Effie and Deloitte Tech Fast 50 award winning team

Lately every major newspaper from the New York Times and Forbes to Business Insider has been writing about medical tourism. They cite similar stories to that of Mr Gou’s by the Times, whose stomach tumor was not responding to chemo and radiation treatments. A trip to Boston, where he was able to access immunotherapy treatment unavailable in his native China, saved his life.

Similarly, Mr. Matthew, a Coachmag correspondent from the UK, could either suffer from a mind-numbingly painful toothache for 3 months before getting treated, or go private and pay £2,500 per dental implant. He opted instead to join the 50,000 British people who turn their toothache into a happy holiday every year. He flew to Hungary, where a dental implant costs approximately £480. In just 3 days, he cut the waiting list, received the highest quality treatment of his life, got relief from his agony, had a beautiful cultural experience, and saved a considerable amount of money.

Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and other top American hospitals are also angling for a piece of the market 

According to Fast Company, the world-famous Mayo Clinic launched a $6.5 billion plan to create the Destination Medical Center, targeting a small but incredibly wealthy segment of medical tourists. The DMC was built to win back American, European, east Asian and Gulf Arab patients who had started to opt for foreign options or domestic rivals like Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University or the Cleveland Clinic.

So why isn’t everyone hopping on planes?

The whole thing sounds just too damn good to be true — there must be a catch. Today, between 1.5-2 million Americans travel for treatment every year. That’s the entire population of Boston, Seattle and San Francisco combined.

The problem is a lack of complete access to information, in a situation that demands a lot of trust. Medical tourism agencies help patients navigate foreign clinics and overcome language barriers. But the price to patients can be a steep 30% in commission, so in lots of the cases the middle-man earns more than the doctor performing the treatment, which in conservative estimates costs US patients abroad a total of $2 billion per year.

Medical Tourism 3.0 is on the way

Motivated by their own problems finding care abroad, the Etheal team, led by Stanford Innovative Healthcare Leader Alumnus Viktor Tabori, changing the way people access healthcare abroad.

With advisors like Michael Terpin, CEO of Transform Group, Peter Oszko, the Finance Minister of Hungary (2009-2010) and Pam Dixon, the president of the World Privacy Forum, Etheal is set on transforming the world of healthcare with a transparent global database of doctors and clinics.

Forbes reports, patients are already using cryptocurrency to pay for medical tourism services, and now Etheal is taking it to the next level. Building on their working product (https://doklist.com) that serves 2.5 million visits per year, the team has begun decentralizing public medical data to scale accessibility and reach.

Powered by blockchain, the Etheal.com platform allows patients to find doctors online anywhere in the world, access reviews in their own language and send inquiries immediately. The cost is a fraction of agency prices – saving American users alone an estimated $1.98 billion, which would be enough to buy 700,000 breathing machines for premature babies.

Etheal’s propietary tech solves medical tourism’s biggest problem: lack of trust 

Blockchain enables reviews to be translated easily, and Etheal’s proprietary Rank and Trust Score shows patients the entire history of a healthcare provider. This includes overall patient satisfaction, availability and communication, as well as quality of treatment.

Etheal’s Rank and Trust Score is modelled after the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates’ Believability Score. The groundbreaking paradigm is designed to rank participants based on merit, to circumvent an autocratic system ruled by gatekeepers or a democratic game of numbers. It does this by weighing votes cast in each unique category based on the individual track record, or domain expertise, of the voters themselves. In a democracy the majority decides equally, regardless of an individual’s expertise. Etheal’s system instead creates a meritocracy in voting, where the best, as determined by informed opinion, will rise to the top of the list.

Subjective, biased and fragmented data on doctors will be a thing of the past. Together, the healthcare community can create a transparent global database of providers with Etheal.com.

Helping 1 billion people around the world with Etheal’s blockchain layer

Medical tourism is just the beginning. The team plans to develop several in-house applications on the blockchain layer, including telemedicine and pharma research tools.

The roadmap also includes incentivizing developers to build third-party apps onto Etheal’s blockchain. These apps will be available in the platform app store, and can also plug into the existing payment and distribution infrastructure. By supporting the creation and mainstream adoption of real healthcare solutions with crypto, the team’s goal is to reach as many people  deprived of good care as possible.

Token sale

Etheal’s whitelist deposit period will close on the 18th of June, together with the opportunity to earn a 30% bonus. The project has a limited $10m hard cap, and has already sold $1+ million worth of HEAL tokens to 724 contributors.

Michael Terpin, David Orban and Harvard Medical School Alumnus professor Dr. Tibor Bartha, are advising the team. Etheal’s smart contract was successfully audited by Blockchainlabs New Zealand, which isn’t surprising, as co-founder and CTO Mr. Tabori lectures on smart contract security at UCIrvine and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

For crypto enthusiasts holding wallets full of payment, landing and gambling tokens, Etheal balances portfolios well as a top-rated ICO in the healthcare space. The team has an already working application with 2.5 million visits per year, which of course does not eliminate all the risks associated with crypto projects, but is a strong sign of credibility.

Whitelist closes on 18th of June: you can secure your spot here: https://etheal.com/

Get your personal referral code (7% reward): https://etheal.com/#personal_refcode

Contact: [email protected]

Since the inception of cryptocurrency, a core value among enthusiasts and evangelists in the space has been a necessity for merchant adoption. Now, nine years since the creation of Bitcoin, some merchant integration has been seen, but the technology as a whole has yet to provide a seamless method for widespread adoption among consumers and producers alike. However, the SONDER project could potentially be the key component, the link that unites blockchain with merchants throughout the world.

Conceived in the Summer of 2017, SONDER represents an evolution in e-commerce initiatives in the blockchain sphere. Currently, a number of roadblocks: high fees, slow transactions, and a lack of transparency, has previously inhibited merchants from adopting blockchain market platforms. SONDER is a custom blockchain platform that addresses each of these issues through an ecosystem that is also both secure and easy-to-use for businesses and consumers alike.

Soft cap achieved

Recently, SONDER (SNR) has hit the US$4 million mark to reach the soft cap of the ICO. The hard cap rests at $6 million, and over $5.2 million in total contributions, that cap is poised to be achieved very shortly. The SONDER team is comprised of veterans and heavyweight in business settings throughout Japan and Europe. Investors see the capabilities of the team in forging a platform that accurately meets the needs of vendors worldwide, and, more importantly, connect them in a seamless manner to the new capabilities presented by blockchain infrastructure. The global e-commerce industry is worth close to US$2 trillion. With a hard cap of just $6 million, the payoff from a successful SONDER future is monumental.

SONDER offers a whole array of benefits unmatched by existing e-commerce opportunities in the cryptocurrency space. Merchants and consumers alike benefit from a zero fee ecosystem. With SONDER’s own API and SDK, integration on and usage of the platform is as simple as possible. End-to-end encryption, secure messaging, and Tor integration ensure a completely private, untraceable, and secure experience for every participant involved.

On top of this, the platform is equipped to handle different cryptocurrencies and even fiat currencies, further expanding the inclusivity provided. The custom blockchain, with near-instant transactions, is also equipped to scale far beyond the capacities of traditional e-commerce cryptocurrencies. Holders of SNR are also incentivized through the integration of high yielding masternodes. As the platform is developed and grows, individuals with masternodes will see their balances increase alongside inevitable price increases.

The ICO is concluding shortly, and with less than US$800,000 worth of SNR for sale, its imperative to look into SONDER sooner, rather than later. The price of SNR is pegged to .00007 ETH, with 70% of the 240 million supply distributed through crowdsale. Shortly following the crowdsale, SNR will see listing with major exchanges. This is shortly followed by an Alpha launch of the platform in the third quarter of this year, with the mobile app emerging in the following quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, both masternodes and the SONDER mainnet will launch. By the second quarter of next year, the SONDER platform will be fully published, with the zero fee ecosystem open to users worldwide.