Analysts Note Parallels With March 2020: Will This Time Be Different?

Analysts in traditional and crypto stocks have noticed similarities between what occurred in March 2020 and the market changes so far this month.

Analysts in both the crypto and traditional market have noticed certain striking similarities between the current downturn and the one triggered by a pandemic outbreak that occurred in March.

The main issue is whether this is the beginning of a wider downwards or if there’s going to be a significant rebound in 2020, which caused a long bull market in the stock and crypto markets.

Podcaster and the author of the book The Pomp Letter, Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano, is on the permabull side of the ledger. He tweeted on Wednesday that, since January 1, 2020, at the time that one Bitcoin cost around $8.545, “Bitcoin is up 340%.”

Some of the people who believe in an improvement are the investment company Real Vision’s Chief Executive Officer Raoul Pal, who believes Bitcoin (BTC) markets are drawing a picture that shares similarities that were seen in the crash of March.

In the episode he hosted on Friday on Raoul Pal Adventures in Crypto, Pal explained that with the downtrend movement this week, Bitcoin might have “shot straight down” to the bottom of the wedge pattern and is currently in a range that will eventually lead to a further increase in price.

In March 2012, investors sold off many investments, including Bitcoin, due to fears that the price could be affected by the COVID-19 virus and the global lockdowns. That day, Bitcoin fell 45% from $7,935 down to $5,142.

The current slump in the traditional markets has led to losses in the range of $7.6 trillion worth of market value from the high-tech Nasdaq in non-inflation-adjusted terms, which is more than the dot-com bubble and the sell-offs in March 2020.

Binance Pushes Back Against A Warning From South Africa Regulator

After the warning given by South Africa’s Financial sector conduct authority, Binance has said that it is following the compliance as given by the South African regulators. The company also clarified that they were not providing any type of monetary recommendations to the residents.

Almost a week back, Binance said that it received a warning from FSCA. As per the comments by Binance, the financial sector conduct authority does not have the authority to control any crypto-related investments.

The FSCA is a company that is a part of South African authorities, But, Binance said that the Financial intelligence center was the major regulator in the case. As per a statement by Binance, they have contacted FSCA for clarification.

In South Africa, binance.com is registered with FIC as a voluntary and self-disclosure institution. Binance complies with all acts and regulations by FIC. Thus, it follows the information about the client’s identity, record keeping, and reporting of all suspicious and unusual transactions.

In a warning notice, FSCA has urged the South African public not to make any investment in the Finance Group. FSCA has described Binance as an international company based in Seychelles. But, as per the response given by Binance, the company does not have any related entity within its title in Seychelles.

To date, the response of South Africa in terms of coverage on crypto has been quite standoffish. The nation’s Fintech sector is laying the groundwork for the phased and structured regulation of crypto in South Africa. But, in many instances, FSCA has cited cryptocurrency as a scam, and it says that it can cause monetary dangers in the absence of a strict rule.

The FSCA warning came after monetary regulators in other nations stated that Binance’s mother or father company or its associates won’t be licensed to supply sure monetary providers to the residents.

Three Ways This Bitcoin Bull Run Is Different Than Late 2020

Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency that has received great interest from institutional investors. In 2021, Bitcoin’s value experienced a decline because of multiple reasons. The value of bitcoin is being compared to its value in 2020, but there are many differences that show that the interest of people in buying and investing in bitcoin has declined. Signalscv.com Research’s director, Pete Humiston, has said that there is a huge difference observed in Q3 2021 and Q4 2020 in Bitcoin.

GBTC uphold its sturdy concession

Instead of the value of bitcoin increasing from $29,000 to $45,000, bitcoin is observed not to attract investors. Though bitcoin’s value skyrocketed previously and high price levels have really enjoyed the attraction and support of investors, clear evidence can be seen between the difference in demand of bitcoin in the previous year and the start of 2021.

For instance, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust that was quite popular till the end of last year has now continued to trade at a decline of 13% in its price as compared to the previous week. Even after bitcoin’s price skyrocketed, GBTC’s demand has not increased at a fast pace. But at the same time, the decline in GBTC isn’t considered theft by retail and institutional investors.

Humiston added that “There has been a 20% discount set on GBTC in May 2021, but it is still trading at a sturdy concession. If demand increases, which seems impossible at this time, it would be best if the discount decreases and the participants start to take it as an opportunity to own GBTC.

Rates of Funding are lower when compared to the performance of Bitcoin’s value.

There are multiple factors that differentiate the structure of the bitcoin market, including low funding rates and low open interest. Both the factors compare with the Bull Run of 2020 and go against everything, resulting in an increase in the price of bitcoin in the past month. In the meantime, it has been seen that the price of bitcoin has moved from $30,000 to around $48,000 and the open interest has decreased, and the funding rate is also low.

Humiston said that “The massive increase in the price of bitcoin comes as a shock, and investors get the surprise of an increase in price which isn’t normal”. After the price crash of Bitcoin in May 2021, the funding rates are known to increase.

You Can Now Buy A Used Hyundai, Not Just A Lambo, With Bitcoin

With the changing time, a lot of changes are found in the acceptance of cryptocurrency as a payment method. Presently, many cases related to practical crypto usage have come in the news. Another big surprise for the crypto owners is waiting now. The surprise is especially for the people living in North America as they can get a new vehicle using bitcoin. Thinking is it true or not? Well, it’s true and the bitcoin owners get to use bitcoins to get a new vehicle.

A superstore for vehicles based in Quebec, namely, HGreg is readily accepting payment in terms of cryptocurrency. The store is located in about 30 locations in North America. So, what are you planning to buy? Want to bring home a brand-new vehicle? Thinking to spend money on the pre-owned ones? If so, it’s easier to buy it with bitcoins. It’s not a joke and the stores are accepting payments in crypto. You can visit a nearby store in North America and see a model that suits your requirement. So, it’s the right time for bitcoin owners to come into the market and use it for buying vehicles within the month.

The auto dealer is also present in other locations including Florida and Quebec. Also, the store is emerging in the glam light after becoming the first group in the automotive sector accepting payments in the form of digital cryptocurrency within the daily sales. For 25 years, the company has indulged in selling vehicles above 500,000. It has a warehouse located in Miami with a stock of above 1,000 vehicles.

HGreg reveals “Some revenue is maintained by the store in the same format from the vehicle sale for payments accepted in bitcoin cryptos.” It shows an indication of the plan for securing cryptocurrency like BTC (bitcoin) within the balance.

When talking about the payments accepted in the form of cryptos, a statement is announced by the franchise: “We feel a pleasant intuit after reaching at the techno forefront, helping customers get hands over a new payment method. Also, we have a belief that it’s going to help us maintain cryptocurrency assets.”

The franchise comprises several cars with different models and varieties, whether you want Hyundai or a Lamborghini. With the cryptocurrency like bitcoin, you can get different car models or even luxurious cars. In Canada, HGreg professes to be the largest dealer in vehicles with a wide inventory.

Such a big decision made by HGreg for accepting payments in cryptocurrency holds a link with the investment made by Tesla in bitcoins. As per the reports, 7.7% cash in gross total is transferred in bitcoin crypto by the electric car manufacturer. Within the procedure, an announcement is made by the company regarding the acceptance of payments in Bitcoins.

In the current news, cryptocurrency is holding a greater place in the investment domain. With such a place, the payment network is widely accepting payments in digital cryptocurrency. Recently, OLB Group showed a green signal to payments in cryptocurrency for the merchants in the United States. It also allows firms and businesses to consider accepting payments in Dai, USDC (USD Coin), ETH (Ether), and Bitcoin.

Immediate Edge UAE – The Present & Future Of Online Trading

Online trading has seen a considerable amount of escalation in recent times and is quite sure to bloom soon as well. This growing popularity of online trading has set the path for various new online trading applications/websites, and immediate edge UAE is one to look for the quest.

It is an online tool that helps anyone gain more knowledge about trading irrespective of their trading experience. The prime feature of this tool is possible to set up in just a matter of minutes. The creators behind developing this tool’s core idea are to help people teach to improve their trading knowledge in a brisk amount of time.

Prime features of immediate edge UAE

As already mentioned, there are many online trading applications and websites available over the internet. Still, some features of Immediate Edge UAE make it stand out among those.

  1. Simple and easy to use

Unlike other trading platforms, Immediate Edge allows its user a simple easy to use and interactive interface.

  • Advanced AI & algorithms

Immediate Edge uses advanced AI technology and algorithms to make trading a pleasant experience.

  • Free to use

Immediate Edge is an entirely free to use tool with no hidden charges. A user can traverse through his/her journey from registration to withdrawal via trading without paying anything to use means.

Since online trading started to gain some popularity, the stress associated with it also started gathering mass. Online trading is associated directly with one’s money, which leaves the margin of error tending to absolute zero. Immediate Edge UAE somehow takes this stress away to a considerable amount of extent.

The advanced algorithms and precise security measures of this tool help its user experience the pleasant side of trading. The working of this tool varies as per the user’s framework and experience.

If you are a beginner, this tool allows you to take the training session and learn the fundamentals of trading before jumping right into online brooking. Simultaneously, if you previously had some training sessions, you can save your time and start trading. But as mentioned earlier, this tool works as per the user’s preferences and limitations. So before trading, the app asks for the user’s trading parameters. Once a user inputs his/her criterion, the tool studies the market data and comes up with the best trading option for the individual.

Online Trading can be an up-down journey for anyone, but Immediate Edge UAE makes sure to make the trading journey as pleasant as possible.

Traditional Crypto Custodians Ramp Up Security To Accommodate Institutional Demand

Cryptocurrency is simply an asset in digital form, which is used as a medium of exchange where every coin or asset’s ownership records are stored in an existing ledger in the form of a computerized database with a robust encryption mechanism. Traditional crypto uses blockchain technology for keeping records of each asset and its transaction history. One can easily use their asset from anywhere in the world using the internet.

Many companies and industries playing close attention to digital assets because of their rising demand to record-breaking levels. Many institutional investors are interested in purchasing securities and properties and asserting an interest in traditional crypto.

Recent news of Bitcoin (BTC) raising the valuation of $24,000 for the first time in history brought many new potential investors for traditional crypto. Institutional investors are people who use the money to purchase real properties, securities, and investment assets or loan originations. Usually, such investors include banks’ insurance companies’ pension funds, hedge funds, investment advisors, and mutual funds.

Security of traditional crypto

People usually pay interest in those things which give benefits. Potential investors for cryptocurrency are increasing day by day because of its development. And during investment, security plays a crucial role as safety is essential for assets. Usually, cryptocurrency users’ digital wallets and encryption techniques are used to verify transactions between wallets and public ledgers.

The primary purpose of using encryption is to provide security and safety. Potential benefits for users provided by cryptocurrency include security. A strong cryptography mechanism is used to secure and verify transaction records and control the creation of additional coins. Generally, coins don’t exist in physical form and are not issued by the country’s central authority but use decentralized control.

Blockchain technology is used during cryptocurrency development where blockchain describes how the transaction has a record in the form of blocks with a timestamp and connected through the chain.

That means it is a digital ledger that contains the transaction records of cryptocurrency, which is hard tampered with by any other person. According to the survey conducted recently during early December by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Bitcoin to the third most filled the trade behind with occupying 15% of a fund managed with $534 billion under management on technology shares.

Developers play a crucial role in developing digital currency as they are responsible for developing and optimizing protocols and smart contracts related to cryptocurrency. Due to the increase in demand, developers of cryptocurrency tried their best to level up crypto assets’ security to accommodate institutional investors’ requests.

Even though there are some security protocols to secure cryptocurrency, it doesn’t mean it is un-hackable. There are some cases where several high dollars are hacked and cost cryptocurrency start-ups heavily. Investments are always risky, and cryptocurrency investment is the riskiest investment to choose. But custodians of such traditions increasing the level of security so that it can accommodate such assets. People will willingly invest in something when there is security to their investment. With the increase in security levels, many institutional investors become potential investors of cryptocurrency. Technology is developing day by day, making it possible to increase the strength of online transactions’ security, and many encryption techniques are developed, which helps improve the security levels of cryptocurrency. Investments will increase when there is security for the invested asset.

The valuation of cryptocurrency is rising day by day, which is attracting more investors. According to a recent fertility survey, 36% of respondents or institutional investors own crypto assets.

Owning cryptocurrency has become common because of its benefits provided to the users and ease of operation. Cryptocurrency doesn’t need third-party or authority involvement during the transactions, making it easily processable. It doesn’t need to depend on another person for transaction verification because smart contracts play authentication.

Conclusion

People always search for a place where there is a guarantee for their investment—custody of cryptocurrency remains in the hands of third-party providers of storage and security services for cryptocurrency. Security levels of cryptocurrency are increased to attract institutional investors who can hold a large number of cryptocurrencies.

For the development, people need customers or users, which can be increased if the services provided are of the best quality. Keep this in mind. Cryptocurrency custodians do invest in improving cryptocurrency security, which plays an essential role in its development. With the increase in security, it is safe to invest in it, which increases the potential investors.

Institutional investors usually like investments in securities, real properties, and other assets or originate loans where large transactions are involved and profit at the end. Development can lead to growth in the crypto industry because it can provide safe transactions to customers. With the increase in demand and the rise in cryptocurrency rate, it has become popular in almost all countries.

The End Days For Crypto Criminals Are Not Far Away, And Good Riddance

John McAfee’s current detention that took place in Spain finished off to achieve a few weeks where the news feeds on cryptocurrency have been brushed off with reports on regulator enforcement works and bans, an exchange breach, and arrests.

Let’s Get into Details

News on the cryptocurrency has not been like this for a while now. The land of the cryptocurrency sector has been ruined, and the cowboys and scams have been entirely responsible for it. However, post-Grayscale crypto landscape, the post-blockFi is altogether a different beast.

Now a few questions arise: Does this new crime series stories recommend that the segment is being finished off for better future days? Are monitors only now gaining on? Or, is it recommending that it is not at all the case that how much it does get matured, money about cryptocurrency will always be proving enticing for bad actors?

The Hacks, Bans, Arrests and Enforcement Actions Return

The UK’s “Financial Conduct Authority” discovered crypto derivative products not to be suitable for retail customers because of the harm they pose, after one year of deliberations. The trade of crypto-derivatives and ETNs to retail investors from the United Kingdom will be stopped, and it will start early in the next year.

The Detention of John McAfee and Other Events

The announcement actually was made on Tuesday, and that was the same day John McAffee was detained at an airport in Spain. Now, he has to wait for deportation to the USA to experience charges that include a sentence of 30-year imprisonment.

It was about a few days ago when the “Commodity Futures Trading Commission” had filed a “civil enforcement action” in the US District-Court for the “Southern District of New York” against the current owners of BitMEX and the firm itself. The action claimed the trading platform that was not registered disobeyed a lot of CFTC monitors, and it was inclusive of failure to apply Anti-Money Laundering procedures.

Are the Regulators Gaining On?

It has been a while since the cryptocurrency was hit hard by the news of legal action, exchange hacks, and bans. It is possible that what we are seeing is law enforcement and administrative agencies bringing the ICO era to the last cry.

The denouement of the licit drama around the sale of Kik’s Kin token came the exact day as Salt Lending assented to an agreement with the SEC over its very own 47 million USD sale in 2017.

The Concluding Statement Regarding the Update

So, what did you understand from past events? There actually is a big lesson teaching us that cryptocurrency is not the one to live sustainably outside the hands of the law. The rules might be broken, but they will definitely be changing as time passes by. And, along with the change in time, cryptocurrency will also change. And, the days of the crimes would soon be seeing better days.

The Power Of Blockchain And Ai Technology For Sports Industry

The latest technologies around the world have brought about some major changes in our lives. The revolution in digital technology has led to the introduction of many new innovations such as virtual reality, connected devices, and even data analytics. At the heart of this technological revolution are Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. Their huge potential has led to them being used in many different industries like security, supply chain, travel, automobiles, healthcare, and more. Even though not many people understand this, but even the sports industry is not far behind. It has been redesigning its infrastructure and also implemented new technologies as per the trend. It is among the most valuable industries in the world and is expected to reach a total value of more than $600 by the year 2020. Ai and Blockchain are both being embedded in sports in many different ways and can help improve the entire sports industry and sports itself. 

Blockchain and AI in Fans Engagement

Irrespective of the sports, fans form the most important asset for any team or player. More strategies are being implemented to increase fan’s engagement and even playing an important role in important decisions in the sports industry. Take the example of some of the top soccer clubs such as AS Roma, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and many others that have formed a partnership with the Socios.com platform. The fans of these clubs can purchase tokens that give them the power to select the club’s jersey, charity selections, and others. Many sports online stores are also accepting payments in cryptocurrency for tickets.

 Blockchain and AI Helps Prevent Injury

 AI today is being used to monitor and capture every single detail of the players. There are multiple sensors and technology to analyze the players’ and teams’ data to provide insight into the player’s performances to help improve them. These data are also used to predict many scenarios even before the match actually takes place. Another important use of technology is the prevention of injury. Injuries in sports can be a huge issue for the players and the teams. If a player gets injured, there are insurance companies and lawyers that get involved, and all this can be quite expensive. 

AI and Blockchain for Advancement in eSports

eSports is the future of sports, and the global audience has everything within reach of their hands. There has been a booming relationship between the blockchain and AI technology and the eSports. There has been a huge investment of crypto assets into eSports, and there is no way it is going to stop any time soon. Gamers are more open to accepting new technology, and it is pushing the demand for cryptocurrency. 

The sports industry is growing at a fast rate. There is more competition and teams have much better players than ever before. Using the right technology and tools, it is possible to enhance the entire ecosystem. In all, these AI and Blockchain have a very important role to play. It is why many AI and blockchain companies enter the sports industry and create their presence in all major areas of their framework. Since these technologies are still new, they pose a number of questions, risks, and uncertainties. Besides, many areas of the sports industry are still untouched by technology, and there are many opportunities to be explored here. It would be interesting to see the many developments and trends that would enter the sports industry in the future.  

Why Interoperability Is the Key to Future Innovation and Adoption?

Tribalism has been the bone of contention in the blockchain industry for many years now. Many developers are seen defending various technologies for specific protocols, even when they are clearly aware of its limitations. It is these divisions that are limiting the growth of the blockchain technology as well as proving to be a major stumbling block in the way of innovation. The enterprise market has slowly realized the potential of blockchain technology. Still, it is not possible to reap its benefits comprehensively until the blockchains can grow, communicate, and cooperate with each other. 

The blockchain technology has the power to offer innovative incentive models, security, transparency, and data ownership to the fore during the time when the world desperately needs it. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has clearly showcased how brittle and disorganized the world’s major supply chains are and how difficult it would be for the industry to act quickly based on the incentives it gets during such crisis time. The World Economic Forum recently noted that the problem is not only the technology but also governance, business models, and data ownership. 

These challenges can be easily solved by blockchain as it is scalable, measurable, reliable, transparent, and auditable. More than 11 years have passed since the Bitcoin white papers are published, but its potential is yet to be fully realized. Why do you think it is? It is because there are many artificial barriers that are placed on the way, such as tribalism and application lock-in. Such issues caused unwanted friction to the movement and made it difficult for the blockchain movement to gain the momentum or attention it deserved. 

If there is one thing that the year 2020 teaches us is that the world needs to work together, forgetting personal differences and goals. Working towards common goals would help solve the issues faster and ensure that the common enemy is beaten much sooner. Even though certain blockchain-powered solutions have surfaced during this pandemic, can we say that its full potential is being used? Absolutely not! 

The world needs to talk about the interoperability of blockchain soon to realize its full potential because we can be sure that the world would face severe crisis again in the future. Rather than worrying about the solutions tomorrow, we should better prepare ourselves today to face whatever problems we come across. Interoperability is defined as the ability of many different blockchains to work closely together and communicate with each other seamlessly. The developers would be able to feed data to one blockchain while causing an effect on the other. Even though blockchain technology is still evolving and developing, it is important for the leading blockchain companies and developers to work together to develop platforms and solutions that transform the world. 

Instant Crypto Exchange Launches Pro Platform as Market ‘Matures’

On-the-spot Crypto exchange is witnessing the inception and hopefully eventual rise of a new program that offers easier processing, cheaper rates, and all-day customer care. This new venture has its eyes set on the race as it ensures quality service regarding the transmission and connectivity between low-risk investing and into-the-ocean spontaneous trading. It has been on the radar of reviewers since the last four or five years after its parent company initiation. It has been growing since then diligently and actively, and now boasts of operating with hundreds of recorded crypto-currencies.

Development and Progress:

The company and project started with humble roots dedicating their services to help out newly inducted investors in cryptocurrency get into the game at a slower pace, where the investor would take advantage of the characteristic fluctuations of the crypto-currency values and increase their returns over short periods of time. But as the company continued to higher ground and developed its strategies along with the inclinations and developments of the market tendencies itself, it decided to widen its entrepreneurial scope, dive into the intrepid waters, and start carving a name out for themselves among the bigwigs of the industry.

Reliable Co-operations and Inspiring Collaboration:

This newbie project and its curators value collaboration and cooperation with an established crypto-currency corporation that can give their venture a necessary boost onto the trading floor. One such enterprising partnership had been their association with a known and respected crypto-wallet platform through which they were able to minimize their exchange time-period significantly no matter how busy the traffic got. Another similar association helped them establish a direct conversion mechanism in which users could convert their assets into altcoins quickly and easily over just a few easy-to-follow methods.

This is not to say that the company can’t hold its own. In fact, it had been continually making it easier and more comfortable for new crypto-users to deftly navigate the ways of the trade by ingenious innovations and ideas. They had become industry pioneers with their revolutionary program under which a user would only need their bank-issued debit and credit cards to get some altcoins online.

With all such curated experience, profitable collaborations, and blockchain expertise under their hat, the company aims to reach great heights while making the crypto experience smoother for the consumer.