PumaPay is paving the way for mass crypto adoption

PumaPay is one of the most innovative providers of a fully decentralized blockchain-based payment system. Since their establishment, the company has maintained that its vision is to be one of the frontrunners in supporting mass crypto adoption. To date, PumaPay continues to refine their technology, adding new features that are slowly helping their vision come to fruition. The latest developments are no different.

With their new hybrid solution, PumaPay differentiates itself from other payment service providers. Combining crypto with traditional finance, their service now enables payments to be made and received in any currency, with the PMA token acting as a means of value transfer, by virtually anyone from merchants of all varieties to end-users. With measures in place to ensure zero exposure to volatility for all parties and easy onboarding and offboarding to crypto the PumaPay solution offers maximum utility to all.

PumaPay CEO, Yoav Dror, said: “By providing innovative and much-needed developments ready to be utilized in the emerging crypto space, we bring the community one step closer to mass crypto adoption. As of today, we have managed to close the loop and offer a fully comprehensive, blockchain-based payment solution that mitigates widespread concerns regarding accessibility, regulation, volatility and usability.”

With that in mind, let’s review some of PumaPay’s groundbreaking contributions:

· The heart of their PullPayment Protocol; a variety of customizable billing models, such as their innovative Recurring and Auto-Up Schemes. Utilizing smart contract architecture, these billing models were designed to offer maximum utility to businesses in their daily transactions.

· A fully decentralized, native app: the PumaPay Cryptocurrency mobile wallet. Available for Android and iOS devices, the app enables the sending, receiving, and storing of main cryptocurrencies, such as: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), as well as all other ERC-20 tokens.

· Streamlined, in-app cryptocurrency exchange services that allow for easy conversion from other cryptocurrencies to PMA.

· Encouraged merchant-customer trust via easily accessible, in-app refund requests.

· Fully compliant user onboarding that adheres to the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive and the KYC verification process. PumaPay has also gone as far as to ensure that their solution is compliant with current AML laws but is also future proof for future developments in the field.

· A comprehensive payment gateway, the PumaPay Business console. This platform empowers merchants with the ability to accept crypto, set up customized billings models, as well as manage and optimize their payment flow.

· Zero exposure to crypto volatility and guaranteed full liquidity with the PumaPay Fiat Settlement Layer. With this service, the currency rate is “locked,” thereby eliminating volatility risks and enabling offboarding from crypto to fiat. Further, merchants also have a straightforward means to withdraw funds and directly transfer into their bank account.

· In-app banner placement that provides clear, uninterrupted communication channels between merchants and their respective customers.

· A comprehensive PSP API solution that supports seamless integration for PSPs and their merchants/businesses looking to accept crypto as a means of payment. These advanced tools also aid in easing the onboarding process for clients whilst also providing PSPs with access to all features of the PumaPay PullPayment Protocol.

· Full certification by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) and Data Security Standards (DSS). This has and continues to ensure that PumaPay adheres to the highest safety standards and application of anti-fraud prevention measures. In complying with global data security standards, they keep their users’ data safe and secure.

· Easy integration with a fully documented API.

· An open-source developer hub space completed with all necessary documentation, product library and guides available at Wiki PumaPay.

· Finally, PumaPay’s most recent development, the “Buy Crypto” service, enables PumaPay wallet users to purchase cryptocurrencies within the app with a credit/debit card. Combined with the ability to exchange crypto to PMA from within the wallet, and the Fiat Settlement Layer, PumaPay is ‘closing the loop’ and creating a complete payment system that is connected to the traditional financial system at its endpoints, allowing easy onboarding and offboarding. In the coming weeks, they will improve the process even further, allowing direct purchase of PMA tokens with credit card from within the wallet.

Going forward, PumaPay has already started to provide some insight into their blueprint for mass crypto adoption. A snapshot of some of the projects they are currently looking into includes:

· The introduction of their very own Side Chain which will provide users with an improved, more competitive service, by expediting transaction settlement times and lowering GAS fees.

· US token– a new project that will hopefully allow PumaPay to offer l tokens to US-based clients, whilst fully complying with US Government regulation.

· Decentralized Finance (DeFi) – a staking mechanism that will offer PMA token holders with the ability to earn money for their holdings.

In paving the way towards mass crypto adoption, PumaPay is maintaining their momentum by consistently providing their users with cost-effective, simple, and efficient means to manage and process their payments. From their billing models to the PumaPay crypto wallet, their services are designed for maximum utility by anyone; whether you be a user wanting to purchase services with crypto or a merchant looking to engage customers and maximize your revenue!

SOURCE: PRESSAT

Crypto Behemoth Huobi to Launch Bitcoin Options Trading

Huobi Futures to launch Bitcoin Options Trading in Q3 of 2020. 

Following the successful launch of Perpetual Swaps in Q2 of this year, Huobi Futures now has its sights on a Q3 launch for its Bitcoin Options.

Bitcoin Options are a form of financial derivatives that provide traders with the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell Bitcoin at a specific price at a certain date of expiry.

Alpha testing is already in full swing as the Huobi team looks to iron out and streamline the Options trading offering. Once complete, Huobi Futures will announce the official launch on the Web and API. The options will also then be expanded to the Huobi Trading App.

The contracts will be offered in the European style meaning that buyer of the Option can only be exercised at the expiration. The Options contracts will, at first, only be available for Bitcoin.

Options have long been a popular derivatives trading tool in the traditional space, but this type of trading has also permeated the cryptocurrency space recently. A Bitcoin Options contract is similar to a futures contract with the main difference being that the trader has an option, rather than an obligation, to buy or sell on a fixed date at an agreed upon price.

The crypto behemoth’s entry into the derivatives market has been incredibly successful so far and continues to be bolstered. The company has been sitting at the top of many metrics regarding trading volume and has rocketed to the top in Perpetual Swaps in just a few months.

Mining provider Xive has broadened the scope of services, rolled out a rebranding and announced the launch of a free educational platform on mining and cryptocurrencies

Kazakhstan-based mining provider Xive announced mining capacities empowerment and the launch of an updated site on the 9th of July. On xive.io website you can buy a fast mining contract starting from $4.55, pre-order mining powers or even become a partner of the company by filling out an application for the equity purchase.

Besides hashpower sharing, Xive offers its clients mining hardware accommodation starting from $0.042 per kWh.

For its clients Xive offers low upkeep costs, customer support and real-time hardware monitoring. Also, company claims to have the most transparent legal conditions on the market.

“We work legally and value our reputation. Therefore, we provide the highest level of service to our customers.” – stated Didar Bekbauov, founder of Xive.

Learning platform Xive Academy includes a set of educational articles on the company website and a series of free webinars, dedicated to the basics of mining and cryptocurrencies. The first webinar is intended for beginners, but it will also be useful for more experienced users to systematize knowledge and look at mining and cryptocurrencies from a different point of view.

14th of July at 4 PM UTC – “Mining secrets 2020” online webinar will take place. More information and a registration form can be found by link.

About Xive

Xive is an officially registered Kazakhstan-based mining provider that offers remote mining and hardware accommodation services. The company was founded in 2018 as a part of Astana Hub – government-supported international techno hub. Company owns and manages three datacenters and develops real-time hardware monitoring software. In the near future Xive plans to launch hashpower marketplace and own mining pool. Among company services there are hashpower pre-order, fast mining contracts purchase and hardware accommodation.

Blockchain Services Provider OKGroup Leads $2 Million Pre-IPO Investment Round in Banxa

Banxa, a full-service, internationally compliant digital banking infrastructure provider, announced it has completed its USD$2 million Pre-IPO investment round. The round was led by OK Group, a world-leading blockchain technology and service provider focused on the research and development of the technology and its all-scenario applications..

The funding round will be used to support Banxa’s global expansion efforts as it enters new markets throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Other participating investors in the raise include Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), and listed Thorney Investment Group Australia, a multi-billion-dollar family office.

This Pre-IPO funding round supports further efforts of onboarding new customers as Banxa expands its global payment network all the while continuing its listing process on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX.V).

Representative from the Investment Department of OK Group Estrella Du said, “A blockchain-driven economy can enable everyone to access financial services without any intermediary, ultimately empowering people, regardless of social class and geographical location, with financial freedom and opportunities. To this end, building a bridge between fiat and crypto is of paramount importance. We sincerely hope our investment will be a catalyst for such development.”

Domenic Carosa, Founder and Chairman of Banxa said, “After almost six years in the blockchain industry, our goal remains the same––to champion a fairer, more open and more secure financial system for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. We are currently in the final stages of a TSX.V listing which will make Banxa the first crypto Payment Service Provider (PSP) to be listed in the world, bringing well-needed transparency and governance to the crypto sector.”

Banxa offers a fully compliant fiat-to-crypto conversion service that provides regulatory compliance, fraud detection and mitigation. Accommodating a host of global payment options including leading global credit card providers, bank transfers in the European Union, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as cash payments, Banxa is able to offer high volume payment processing at low fees. Banxa’s B2B service launched in late 2019 and has already seen integrations with global crypto firms including OK Group entities , Binance, KuCoin, and EDGE Wallet, servicing a combined customer base of over 20 million users.

Crypto Investors are Not Profiting

On-chain data shows that crypto investors are not taking profit, however, they are still holding on even in the face of economic uncertainty and the strong performance of bitcoin.

It may come quite shocking but by the data on the 15th of June, 60.63% of all of the bitcoin has not moved an inch for over a year even though it peaked a couple of months ago and reached its highest in the last 2 years. This information comes from Glassnode, which is a blockchain data and intelligence provider which develops applications that provide new ways to gain insight into blockchains and cryptocurrencies. The data suggests that the bitcoin (BT) owners are consolidating and investors who have acquired the crypto in 2018 are not willing to sell their investments. This is the largest supply sitting inactive for almost 4 years now.

Lots of cryptocurrencies and bitcoin, in particular, are affected by loads of different aspects. For instance, the socio-economic problems in the United States of America have shifted the pricing for the bitcoin a couple of times during the last months. The protests caused by the death of George Floyd fueled the long-brewing emotional response from the people and black minorities in particular to systemic racism. With the President of the United States, Donald Trump, being actively involved in the dissolution of the situation as he commanded the national guard to move in and assist the police with some of the more aggressive parts of the protests have shifted the price of bitcoin to $10,500, which is the peak price since its last jump couple of years back.

The way active bitcoin traders have been dealing with trading bitcoin has been the use of stop loss and take profit orders, which gives them the ability to close the trade as soon as the price hits bare minimum for them to make a profit. This means that the traders are staying on the safer side while still maintaining their financial stability and avoiding big losses. The matter of fact is that the market may start shifting at any time. This may happen when the trader is sleeping or out on their business. One cannot sit next to the computer 24 hours 7 days a week watching the charts. Thus the tools at hand have come in extremely handy.

The ongoing issues with the novel coronavirus pandemic, which rocked the world and resulted in the massive lockdown of borders unseen before have also disrupted all of the markets making trading that much more dangerous. However, for a vigilant trader, it still leaves the opportunity to make huge gains. This is exactly what has caused the shocking bearish tendencies on the market with bitcoin that Glassnode has uncovered.

One of the methods used to analyze inactive bitcoins is to group them using the length of time they’ve been inactive. This method was pioneered by the Austin, Texas-based Unchained Capital. The method has been named “HODL Waves.” It is a visualization that shows the cross-section of the wallets where bitcoins are held and groups them by the amount of time since they have been moved.

The term “HODL” stands for “Hodled” and represents the behavior of people who are just sitting on bitcoin with no intention of using them. The co-founder and the CSO of the Unchained Capital, Dhruv Bansal, has stated that the HODL wave represents the people “who bought bitcoin on the way down from $6,000 to $3,000 in 2018 are still holding it despite the tremendous gains since then and the recent economic turbulence.”

The two segments that have grown during the last couple of years are the bitcoins held for more than 10 and the ones that have been locked up for 2-3 years. The increase has happened by 31% and 26% respectively. The 2-3 year one represents the coins held from the 2017 market all-time high to present.

There are numerous reasons why the “hodling” can happen though. It may not even be due to the fact that someone just wants to sit on a bitcoin but rather maybe they have bought it up way back in the day and have forgotten all about it, or maybe they cannot log back into their Coinbase or have lost Trezor (wallet). It is also, sadly, true that some of these people may just be deceased without their family or friends ever knowing about them owning the bitcoins in the first place. Back in 2010, no one knew bitcoin would be hitting such highs. There was even a time when Laszlo Hanyecz bought 2 pizzas with 10,000 bitcoins back in May, 2010. The media was all lit up with the first official sale made with cryptocurrencies. This was the time when bitcoin was a little over 1 year old. Most of the people back in the day just bought it for the laughs. Some have kept on them and accumulated immense amounts of riches, while others, unfortunately, have lost their lifetime opportunity to strike the jackpot. However, when it comes to Laszlo, he states that there are no regrets from his side.

The first quarter of 2020 has been extremely volatile. Ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and the increase in the amount of bitcoin just being stashed away in traders’ wallets just gives the incentive that a lot of people still believe in their purchase. One thing is for certain though, the bullish pattern is quite apparent in traders all over the world right now. And as Bansal has also stated: “If you believe bitcoin’s price history repeats or at least rhymes, then this may be a bullish sign, the market consolidating into strong hands as macro trends highlight bitcoin’s value proposition.”

Casinos are embracing cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies are the disruptors of the financial world order, making daily strides in moving towards the goal of changing the world. When Bitcoin just showed up, few believed in its concept, but as the time passed, people started to notice all the good that it brings to the table. One of the first industries to truly embrace the cryptocurrencies were the online casinos. In the beginning, there were stand-alone Bitcoin Casinos, providing no other payment options but the cryptocurrency. Later Standard Gambling Websites started to incorporate Bitcoin and others into their payment systems as an alternative to FIAT currencies. There are several major reasons behind the fast-paced adoption of cryptocurrencies into the world of gambling.

Bitcoin Casinos enjoy blistering speeds of transactions.

Thanks to blockchain technology, BTC Casinos enjoy the benefits of extremely fast transactions and transfers. If we look at the casinos that don’t have cryptocurrency as the payment option, their processes lack the speed that Bitcoin Casinos benefit from. What standard online casinos do in days, Crypto Casinos can do in a matter of minutes. The reason behind that is the fact that former use 3rd party financial institutions like Banks, to provide the transaction options to their players. Bitcoin Casinos on the other hand deal directly with the gamblers, using the blockchain technology. Both Deposits and Withdrawals are lightning fast, completing any operation in a matter of minutes.

Bitcoin Casinos are Significantly More Secure and Anonymous

Another reason behind the fact that Casinos all around the globe are embracing cryptocurrencies is the factor of security and personal safety. Bitcoin Casinos have long been using blockchain technology to their advantage. The gift of this system is the ability to stay completely secure and hidden from any unwanted attention. Since the system is decentralized, gamblers are supremely safer from any form of fraud with cryptocurrencies. Another major factor is the ability to stay absolutely anonymous. Cryptocurrency transactions don’t require personal information, making the gamblers hidden from any possible online threats that plague the world of FIAT Currencies.

Provable Fairness

Another one of the significant advantages that lead Casinos to switch to crypto is the Provably Fair systems. This technology is synonymous to Bitcoin Casinos and is used to provide factual evidence of the fairness of the games. Based on the SHA-2 hash algorithm technology, Provably Fair games show the detailed process within the game, using Hash numbers that can be viewed, before and after the gameplay to ensure fairness. This is a tool unlike any other in the gambling industry, because it serves as a bridge of trust between the players and the Casinos.

The best of the best of the crypto gambling world are easy to find through the popular review websites, like for example; BitcoinGamblers, which provides a comprehensive list of the Bitcoin Casinos that fully support the provably fair concept.

THE KUAILIAN ECOSYSTEM, BRINGING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY TO THE WORLD

10 years have passed since the birth of Bitcoin and the first use of Blockchain, a technology that has not stopped evolving, and it is no wonder. Blockchain has opened a huge world of opportunities for both large companies and individual users, not only for the development of new applications or improvements to computer systems but for the possibility of obtaining rewards through cryptocurrency mining, thus creating a market which is more competitive every day. In this sense, we see that individual users have gradually been left out of the “traditional” cryptocurrency mining market, and that is why today we want to introduce you to the Kuailian ecosystem.

What is Kuailian?

Kuailian is a decentralized ecosystem that offers us tools to access the world of cryptocurrencies in a simple way (buying and exchanging cryptocurrencies at its crypto bank).

Registered in Estonia, one of the most advanced countries in the world as far as the blockchain is concerned, Kuailian brings market resources based on blockchain technology to all its users, taking over the management of all systems, thus allowing access to the different services without having to have great knowledge and large amounts of cryptocurrencies.

Main attributes of Kuailian

Certainly, it is very difficult to choose a single characteristic that can define an ecosystem like that of Kuailian, however, the honesty and transparency with which the company operates must be highlighted and indeed in an exceeding way, since thanks to blockchain technology itself, it allows us to consult the operations and movements of the company in real-time. By dedicating as much time as necessary, you can track all movements and operations and make sure that cryptocurrencies are working and generating results (remember that blockchain records are public and immutable).

Additionally, you can consult the legal records of the company in Estonia and the two licenses issued by the financial regulator of that country.

Operation of its Smart Pool and Proof of Stake technology

With the appearance of Bitcoin, Proof of Work or proof of work mining began, where it is necessary to have powerful computer equipment that becomes obsolete in a short time and, also, entail enormous energy expenditure by having them work tirelessly day after day. But not all cryptocurrencies use this validation system, in other cases the mining called Proof of Stake or proof of participation is used, where to validate operations you have to be in possession of a predetermined amount of cryptocurrency that works with this system. Under this premise, Kuailian helps us by creating large cryptocurrency exchanges that allow validating operations and generating rewards for it.

But technological evolution does not stop (and neither does Kuailian’s evolution). The most modern and powerful networks use new consensus protocols. Many people already know that Kuailian works with Master Nodes, which in summary are validators of high-performance operations and one of the main products they work with, but today in Kuailian different consensus technologies are supported such as: PROOF OF STAKE, DELEGATED PROOF OF STAKE, THRESHOLDED PROOF OF STAKE, MASTERNODES, PROFIT SHARE, PROOF OF AGREEMENT, PROOF OF HISTORY, PROOF OF AUTHORITY, TENDERMIT, HIGHWAY, BYZANTINE FAULT TOLERANCE (BFT), NON-BFT, SHOW, MULTI-BFT BFT, ASYNCHRONOUS BFT – FUTURE CASPER AND OUROBOROS.

This is where Kuailian’s ability emerges to make accessible to ordinary people something that would otherwise be… impossible. Both for the amount of cryptocurrencies necessary and for the knowledge required to deploy it. Thus, Kuailian uses a 1000-day long-term staking strategy and simple way staking (Stake / Unstake), which will be incorporated shortly.

Automations in Kuailian

Kuailian has grouped and divided the Master Nodes, so that they are accessible to all, thus allowing access to part of the rewards generated by their Smart Pool.

Next, we explain how the -simple- entry process to Kuailian is.

  1. Create a Kuailian account.
  2. Complete the KYC (since we are talking about a company legally registered in the European Union) and pay the registration fee ($ 50.95 paid in Ether).
  3. Buy the Kuais we want, at the price of $ 100 each (paid in Ether). A Kuai is not a token and it is not a cryptocurrency, it is the unit of measurement of the staking capacity of a license to operate the software, for 1,000 days. The more licenses, the higher returns.
  4. Indicate the Ethereum wallet where we want to collect the daily distribution of benefits.

The usability of the Kuais should be noted. On the one hand, it is accessible to everyone due to its low cost, and, on the other hand, it manages to channel users’ cryptocurrencies to the Smart Pool, that is, the system that Kuailian has developed for automated management of user cryptocurrencies and Master Nodes. Thus, it is achieved that each week new Master Nodes can be deployed through the new licenses acquired by both new and existing users.

All contributions are managed by a Machine Learning system, whose function is not only to assemble Master Nodes automatically but also analyzes the cryptocurrency market to determine that Master Nodes are the most profitable and with sufficient liquidity to be able to extract without problems the rewards generated and at the same time that the Master Nodes themselves can be liquidated, thus passing both the rewards and the Master Nodes to Bitcoin or Ethereum

Last but not least, it should be noted that the benefits generated by user contributions are distributed daily and automatically directly to the user’s wallet. A great advantage since we usually have to deal with interfaces that require a minimum amount of withdrawal, delays when making payments manually or even depend on authorization to, in the end, have your own money. Kuailian in its clear commitment to transparency, offers an automated dispersion system developed on the Ethereum network or commonly called the Dispersion Smart Contract, whose function is to distribute daily and without the possibility of cheating or errors, the benefits among users and most importantly, everything visible through the Ethereum blockchain.

Extra: Both the Smart Pool and Kuailian Bank and the rest of the services have an affiliation system, by which each referral who becomes a user of Kuailian, will generate profits for the one who was its host.

Kuailian Bank and the next innovations

In its quest to create a complete ecosystem, Kuailian can provide financial services given its licenses and its collaboration with different partners in the sector. It currently has a cryptocurrency exchange service with “FIAT” currencies, but they are planning to add their own wallet, debit card, digital payment terminals, among other financial services.

Additionally, the Smart Pool does not stop evolving and new options are being developed, such as high-frequency trading (HFT) or arbitration systems; all managed by the same Machine Learning system that governs the ecosystem.

A growing ecosystem

Kuailian is not just a financial ecosystem, it goes much further, just like blockchain technology does. Kuailian’s main objective is to bring existing market resources based on blockchain technology closer together, to make them more efficient, more transparent and with a user experience never seen before, thanks to the blockchain technology. Very soon it will be incorporated into the Kuailian Travel system, a service outside the “financial” sector but that will undoubtedly mark a before and after in the travel market, making Kuailian a benchmark in the blockchain world.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a company that makes your entry into the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies more accessible and close … Kuailian is your best ally.

Official links

  1. Web: https://kuailiandp.com/
  2. Instagram Official: https://www.instagram.com/kuailiandpofficial/
  3. Formal member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance: https://entethalliance.org/members/#k

How some virtual coins are looking to take over the iGaming market

iGaming refers to those games that are played on the web and have something to do with community and money spending or earning. The array is vast, as you’d expect, with games ranging from RPG, FPS, Racing, Adventure, Casino and Sportsbooks, anything that happens on the web, it’s an iGaming product. The industry is vast, and is linked to the overall gaming industry which is $135 billion worth. These are no Monopoly money but real money people are spending on games, most of them on the web. Some of the money people are using to buy these games are starting to turn into crypto coins or tokens.

What are the most popular iGaming virtual coins

Crypto coins have become so popular these days, there’s not just the Bitcoin or Ethereum that are used in the industry. Some blockchain designers have introduced their own private virtual coins alongside some incredible provably fair and blockchain-based games. Thanks to a few online resources, we’ve come up with a list of 3 virtual assets or coins you might’ve never heard about but that can literally take over the iGaming market in no time.

Enjin

The people behind Enjin have one scope in mind: to propel the iGaming industry into a new frontier of never ending possibilities. They’ve used the standard token ERC-1155, an Ethereum-based token in order to create the Enjin Coin. This gaming coin can be purchased or sold by developers, used to buy in-game items by gamers and traded outside the actual games for other coins or fiat currency. You can buy or sell these gaming coins as you’d do with any other big cryptocurrency out there, which is quite impressive.

TRON

Leaving the similarities with a certain movie genre to the side, the TRON is a nativ token of one of the biggest and most advanced blockchain-based operating systems in existence. The goal of the environment is to provide a decentralised and free of censorship place for everybody. TRON is one of the fastest blockchains ever made, capable of up to 2000 transactions per second at incredibly low prices. This is what makes the TRON coin a very popular one in games or outside of them. Regardless if you’re a gamer or a trader, you’ll love TRON for sure. TRON is vastly used in the apps developing ecosystem known as dApps.

WAX

Short from Worldwide Asset eXchange, WAX is one native coin that’s to be followed. WAX as a platform incites the globalisation of buying and selling products online via the blockchain. One of the many tools offered by the creators of WAX is a platform where developers can find tools that will help them find new solutions to everyday problems that can be dealt with on the blockchain. Non-fungible tokens can also be created on the WAX and purchased with the token at hand or any other token or currency by that matter. Thanks to the popularity of the trading industry and the general idea of free commerce on the web, WAX is on the rise and can eventually become one of the most important iGaming coins everywhere.

The three advantages of virtual coins

We’ll stick to three but there are tons of advantages using cryptocurrencies over fiat assets in the iGaming or even other aspects of daily life.

Security overload

Trading on a decentralized, fully public and verifiable blockchain is much more secure than on any other virtual platform. You can rest assured that the transaction will reach its place in time and won’t be tempered with. If it so happens that there’s a treat, the platform will simply not allow for it to happen without consent.

Accessibility

Bank accounts get frozen or unavailable on a daily basis. There’s laws to be followed, banks to be fed with fees and many more aspects like these. With cryptocurrencies, you have no limits on how you can access or use your money. The virtual coins are accessible to you at any given moment and you have the freedom to do whatever you want to do with them.

Lower fees

Because there are no overlooking bodies that have to “do their jobs” and monitor anything, the fees when it comes to transactioning with crypto assets are much lower than when dealing with fiat currencies and banks. Some virtual coins come with no fees at all, while most of them have extremely small fees in comparison with those usually put up by banks.

Opinion: For Cryptocurrency to Strive It Must Be Regulated

Initially, the lack of regulation was one of the advertised benefits of cryptocurrency. However, pitfalls of this came to light really fast as the lack of regulation means that you are lacking protection as well. And while money launders or terrorist groups definitely don’t care about it and focus on how this type of system benefits them, regular law-abiding people might lose their money because of the absence of security. Owners of $534 million lost in the Coincheck hack can attest to that. However, cryptocurre4ncy still isn’t regulated and changes to this particular aspect of it will, most likely determine if it has a future.

What’s the State of Cryptocurrency Regulation Today?

At the moment cryptocurrency is not regulated by any major regulatory authority in any country. In fact, the relationship between crypto and those relevant regulatory bodies is a matter of concern.

Take the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Like all other bodies of its kind, it does not regulate cryptocurrency in any way, but operations with it are not banned. For you as a user this means that you can use crypto in any way possible. However, you are devoid of any protections, which you would have had if crypto was treated the same way FCA regulates money transfer services. Those protections mean that if you get defrauded or your money is stolen, you’ll be able to file a report, get the authorities involved, and get your money back. At the least, you can hope to get some compensation through court.

With unregulated crypto, you get none of that. Therefore, if your accounts are hacked and your money is stolen, it’s lost forever. No one bears the responsibility of compensating you because no one was responsible for protecting that money. The FCA states this explicitly on its page dedicated to cryptoassets. That page is a warning about using cryptocurrencies, even if it’s presented as a source of general information instead of alert.

The situation is similar with all major financial regulatory authorities in the world. Various American regulatory bodies posted multiple articles that warn consumers off cryptocurrency and reiterate the risks caused by the lack of regulation.

Admittedly, those are the risks that one must be wary of. The aforementioned Coincheck hack is considered the biggest theft in history, and it’s not the only time when crypto was hacked and stolen without a trace. There was also the Mt. Gox hack, which lost about $450 million, and quite a few others.

All things considered, it’s impossible to deny that cryptocurrency transactions do need regulation, if only for the protections it brings. And authoritative regulatory bodies are quick to state that they aren’t offering any security to crypto users.

At least, this is the situation in the vast majority of countries. Some, like China and Morocco, simply banned cryptocurrency exchanges altogether. Therefore, their residents can’t really use crypto in any meaningful way.

But there are some other countries, which one might call more progressive in this matter. For example Japan, which, in a way, suffered the most from crypto hacks. Probably, it’s because of those incidents that Japan is now one of the few countries where cryptocurrency markets are managed by self-regulating bodies. In Japan that is the Japanese Virtual Currency Exchange Association, which works closely with the Financial Services Agency trying to enforce compliance with its rules.

For that matter, various financial regulatory bodies, like FCA and SEC, are also trying to enforce this kind of compliance into the businesses that use crypto. However, those same businesses use the absence of a legal framework for cryptoasset regulation to evade responsibilities that compliance will require.

What Does the Lack of Crypto Regulation Mean?

The lack of regulation for crypto, combined with explicit warnings from regulatory bodies and highly publicized news about crypto hacks, means that people don’t trust it. Of course, there are some enthusiasts who advocate it, but they are few.

And if people don’t trust it, they aren’t using it as well. Therefore, they aren’t putting the pressure onto governments and regulatory authorities that would make those come up with a solution.

Surprisingly, it seems to be exactly the thing that the governments want. After all, not a single government in the world today is welcoming of crypto. Even those that don’t ban or restrict it directly don’t seem inclined to recognize it as a full-fledged currency.

If one looks at it this way, the warnings about the risks of crypto issued by various authorities seem to be staged. No doubt, the risks are true. But is the situation itself truly so bad? Is it impossible to make cryptocurrency safer?

It’s definitely possible, and doing this will even resolve one of the major issues that governments seem to have with crypto. Making it regulated is the step that needs to be taken in order to increase the security of crypto transactions. Doing this will also provide the governments some semblance of control. However, due to the decentralized nature of the blockchain technology, this will only be an illusion of control. Perhaps, this is the reason why no one has moved to attempt regulating it yet.

The good news, however, is that some governments seemingly admit the inevitability of digital currency. They aren’t willing to accept existing coins, but some are starting to consider issuing their own. Local cryptocurrencies of this type don’t have any major success yet. However, the fact they exist already shows that the world is moving in the right direction.

Does Crypto Have a Future?

Cryptocurrency definitely has a future because it offers too many benefits to be forgotten. However, at the moment, it doesn’t have the legal support necessary to reach its full potential. The absence of currency regulation is a major problem because it makes crypto too risky an investment. Also, it’s part of the reason why it can’t be equal to fiat currencies.

Getting reputed regulatory bodies to acknowledge and manage crypto, at least to some extent, is an essential step. Without it there can be no future for crypto as it won’t be able to develop.

How to Choose a Good Website for Cryptocurrency Betting

Over the last few years more and more online casinos and sportsbooks have started to support cryptocurrencies. The rise of crypto betting is mainly due to the benefits that it brings to the table – both to gambling websites as well as their customers.

If you want to choose a good website so that you can place bets and gamble using cryptocurrency, finding a good betting guide may help. In general however, there are several key areas you should look at.

Hybrid vs. Cryptocurrency-Only

The main choice that you need to make is whether you prefer a hybrid or pure-cryptocurrency website.

A hybrid website is typically a traditional bookmaker or online casino that has opted to support cryptocurrency transactions. In general their quality of service is higher, and they are more reputable – but you won’t be anonymous.

On the other hand a cryptocurrency-only website will leverage the capabilities of blockchain technology. It will keep you anonymous, provide fast transactions, and use provably fair systems. However these platforms may not be as reputable, their service is often lower, and some can be scams.

To put it simply, reputable hybrid websites are safer – but they may not have the full benefits that cryptocurrencies can provide.

Licensing and Security

If you want to safely gamble online, you need to make sure that the website you choose is licensed and secure. If the cryptocurrency betting site is regulated, the risk of fraud is significantly less.

Most reputable hybrid websites are fully licensed and have a proven track record. However the majority of cryptocurrency-only platforms are not. As a rule you should avoid unlicensed sites and steer clear of them, since it is better to be safe rather than sorry.

Other Factors

Make no mistake there are many other factors that should play a part in your decision, such as:

  • Types of cryptocurrency supported

Different sites may support different types of cryptocurrency. The most commonly-supported is Bitcoin, but others may support Ethereum, Litecoin, or Bitcoin Cash. It is up to you to choose a site that supports the type you prefer.

  • Types of games and bets

The types of games and bets offered by cryptocurrency gambling sites can vary quite a bit. Hybrid sites that are established online casinos or sportsbooks generally offer the best range, whereas cryptocurrency-only platforms may have a limited selection.

At the end of the day your goal is to ensure that the types of games and bets that you want to place are available on the website.

  • Platform quality

The quality of the platform can be judged based on its design, the time that it takes to load, and the overall convenience of using it. Generally your goal should be to check that the quality is acceptable, so that your experience on the site is good.

  • Deposit and withdrawal conditions

Almost all sites will have certain conditions for deposits and withdrawals – and you need to look closely at them. In particular you should consider the deposit and withdrawal options that are available.

Aside from that you need to scrutinize the conditions to find out if there are any red flags. Be sure to check specific limits or minimums that are required for withdrawals, and any processing fees, or pending periods.

  • Mobile-friendly

Being able to conveniently access and place bets from your mobile phone can be very useful. Nowadays the majority of betting websites are responsive and compatible with tablets as well as mobile phones – but you should check and make sure, just in case.

  • Customer support

Good customer support is essential in any online casino or sportsbook. Although you may not need it initially, knowing that you’re able to quickly get a response from customer support is important.

It is best if the website has multiple channels through which you can contact customer support, and at least one that lets you talk to them in real time – such as a live chat.

See how each of these factors may affect your decision? It would be best if you go over each one of them individually so that you can find a site that really lives up to your expectations.

Final Words

Although looking up all this information may take you a while, it is worth investing the time. The last thing that you want is to rush your decision, and end up regretting it later.

Keep in mind that with every passing day the use of cryptocurrencies continues to grow, and more and more established casinos and sportsbooks are starting to support it. On top of that new cryptocurrency-only websites are being launched too.

If you really want to find the best deals, you should watch these developments carefully – and try to take advantage of any new opportunities, bonuses or special offers that are out there.