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Bitcoin Miners Seize Opportunities Amidst Cryptocurrency’s Rally Ahead of Halving

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Global Trade Daily, International Trade

Bitcoin Miners Seize Opportunities Amidst Cryptocurrency’s Rally Ahead of Halving

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Bitcoin miners are capitalizing on the recent surge in cryptocurrency prices, breathing new life into the industry. As Bitcoin experiences a revitalized rally, mining companies are working fervently to secure profits before the upcoming “halving” event in April 2024, where rewards for producing Bitcoin will be halved.

Scheduled every four years, the halving is designed to slow the release of Bitcoin, given its capped supply of 21 million, with 19 million already mined. The urgency among miners is evident, with a push to maximize operations before the impending reduction in token rewards.

Gregory Lewis, an analyst at brokerage BTIG covering the 13 largest U.S.-listed Bitcoin miners, notes the rush to deploy mining rigs ahead of the halving. The hashrate, representing the computational power required to mine a coin, has reached an all-time high, indicating increased energy consumption as miners work to solve complex mathematical puzzles for Bitcoin production.

J.P. Morgan analysts report a record-breaking hashrate for 11 consecutive months, including a historic surge in October. Bitcoin’s price has climbed approximately 37% in the past month to around $37,000, sparking a renewed interest among miners to connect powerful computers and generate new coins.

Blockchain.com data reveals a steady improvement in the 30-day average revenue earned by miners, reaching an 18-month high at $32.46 million on November 11. Despite this positive trend, mining, being an energy-intensive process, remains less profitable than during its peak in 2021.

Miners, facing a competitive landscape, are exploring strategies to maintain profit margins before the halving. William Szamosszegi, CEO of mining company Sazmining, emphasizes the need for miners to operate at a high level to withstand the challenges posed by each halving.

Historically, Bitcoin prices have surged following halving events. With the upcoming reduction in rewards to 3.125 Bitcoin per block in April, mining companies are upgrading equipment and increasing hashrate power to stay competitive. Some are even relocating operations to Central American countries with more affordable energy prices and cryptocurrency-friendly governments.

Matteo Greco, an analyst at digital asset investment company Fineqia International, notes that the profitability increase has led many mining companies to upgrade equipment and boost hashrate power. However, the long-term outlook remains uncertain, as increased profitability often results in a rise in network hashrate and difficulty.

As the cryptocurrency market experiences a resurgence, Bitcoin miners are navigating the dynamic landscape to seize opportunities and maximize profits ahead of the halving event.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily

How Forex Trading Is Largely Expanding Globally

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Forex trading is growing rapidly around the world. For traders, this can be a welcome sign. For forex brokers and banks, there are many reasons for forex to expand globally. Forex trading is expanding so quickly because of its convenience and accessibility. In this article, you’ll see some of these reasons why forex is expanding in popularity around the globe.

Definition of Forex trading

Forex trading is the term given to the exchange of one currency for another, in order to profit from fluctuations in relative values. The forex market is a global marketplace and has become larger than stock markets with trillions of dollars per day traded between international currencies. This business includes buying one currency on speculation that it will increase in value against other currencies, or selling one currency on speculation that it will decrease in value against other currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

It should be noted there are risks involved when forex trading; however forex traders can still make profits over time periods due to these prices changing relatively quickly compared to stocks where changes take place much slower.

Forex trading is an international market

The forex market is truly an international one. Day traders and forex brokers are not limited to the forex markets in their own nation but can operate anywhere around the globe.

The forex industry has been growing steadily for years now and will continue to do so as more people see it as a good investment vehicle or currency converter package. If you want some investors who already invest in foreign currencies, then this could be your main source of potential clients. It’s really just like any other form of business as long as you have a sound forex trading strategy, you can be successful.

What are forex traders doing?

The forex market is one of the most exciting markets to trade in and there are several things that forex traders do on a daily basis. A trader will need to analyze the currency data for each pair they want to trade before taking any positions. This includes overall sentiment combined with technical analysis such as chart patterns or momentum indicators. When it comes time to execute trades, your forex broker may take care of this for you but some people prefer executing their own orders manually using a platform like MetaTrader (MT). There could also be other tasks involved if you’re working as part of an international team: coordinating updates between forex traders and forex brokers in different time zones, fielding requests from forex clients for assistance with strategy or execution of trades.

As of now, this market has spread across the whole world and it’s not planning on slowing down. The latest expansion came in the form of Fsca forex brokers in South Africa and will continue to grow every year. Getting into this game has become more profitable than ever because of this.

The forex market has grown exponentially in the last decade

If you look back into the last 10 years, forex trading has grown exponentially. Looking at the forex market in 2008, there were about $US$48 trillion traded, and today that number is closer to $US$80 trillion which shows a growth of over 50%.

Forecasting for the forex industry’s future looks very bright with estimates from analysts predicting it has grown by another 33% before 2020. The forex industry as a whole employs more than 400 thousand people across its various sectors (such as retail sales, IT, finance) so this kind of expansion could create up to 250 thousand new jobs during those five years if history is any indication. These numbers are also expected to increase overseas due to heightened globalization efforts seen throughout Europe especially since Brexit along with other forex markets such as India, China, and Russia.

It will continue to grow at a steady rate, with forex trading making up 40% of the world’s total market.

It’s a global industry that has seen over $5 trillion in daily turnover

The forex market has seen a global revolution over the past few years. In forex trading, people all around the world participate in buying and selling currencies with one another on a daily basis to make money off of fluctuations in exchange rates.

Forex traders are typically active investment professionals who trade forex as their primary occupation. It’s estimated that up to 80% of forex volume is traded electronically by computers (automated forex trading).

Forecasting currency rate movements can be challenging but it also carries substantial risk for failure. However, successful forex traders may earn more than $300 per hour or even more depending on how much they’re willing to invest into this type of venture.

The markets are open 24 hours a day from Sunday night through Friday afternoon. Forex trading is a global forex investment opportunity for individuals, funds and organizations of all types and sizes who want to invest and hedge their currency risk in the international markets.

How does forex trading work

Now it’s time to learn the process of forex trading.

-forex traders have a specific currency pair which they monitor on their computer screens

-they offer these currencies to the trader and charge for them

-The individual then decides whether or not he wants to buy those pairs of currencies from the broker, with his own money. If so, he will make an order that tells him how much forex he is willing to spend. The broker can either accept this request (in which case it’s called “taking” the trade) or reject it (it’s called “nixing”). When accepted by a broker, it becomes what is known as “a live deal”. Forex trades are completed in real-time, so when your order goes through you’ll know it.

-forex traders can also trade on a forex exchange

-in this case, they are trading currency pairs with other people (usually from the same country) that go through the forex market at about the same time as them

As you can see, forex trading is here to stay and it’s expanding all the time. It has become a very profitable market that sees newcomers almost every day. People who educate themselves in this business have a huge chance of success and, since it’s a global market, that will result in enormous wealth. If you’re keen to learn a new trade, this is perhaps perfect for you.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily

What Should Crypto Traders Be Ready for in 2021?

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There is still much to explore in the staying power of cryptocurrency. While its previous peak in 2017 made waves, it slightly went off the radar for a few years since then; until 2020. The shift towards the further digital transformation of business processes due to the global pandemic has renewed interest in it, peeking up to 63% gains in November according to InvestorPlace.

Decreases and Increases in Bitcoin Price

Experts point out that the volatility of cryptocurrency is comparable to the gold rush back in the 1850s. There’s really no telling what’s going to happen next. The main difference, however, is there was a lack of data sharing and analysis back then. Today, we have various platforms and tools to monitor and examine the current activity in real-time.

For instance, we know through CNBC updates that Bitcoin hit a record high of above $23,000 this December and that most of the investors are not solely made up of retail investors anymore but billionaires and other investing experts and pioneers like Stanley Druckenmiller and Paul Tudor Jones.

Viral Cryptocurrencies in 2020

Here is a quick look at the cryptos that ran viral this year:

Bitcoin (BTC). Bitcoin remains to be at the top of the game and is still rising. Investing analysts expect that it will still continue to dominate the market in the years to come.

Ethereum blockchain network’s native cryptocurrency probably still has a long way to go before it reaches Bitcoin’s level of recognition and reputation. However, we certainly believe that this standing won’t be for long given its current high demand. Its secret lies behind its flexible and widely customizable applications.

Ripple (XRP). Finally, there’s XRP, another leading cryptocurrency tied in second place with ETH. Again, it is currently in high demand thanks to its popularity amongst leading financial institutions.

Why Some Cryptos Succeed and Others Don’t

There are undoubtedly other cryptocurrencies that are on the rise much like the ones aforementioned. However, there is still a considerable number that fails. In fact, there are currently almost 2000 entries listed as “dead coins” at Coinopsy.

They have also listed some of the possible reasons behind their demise. Among the leading reasons are:

The lack of reputation. While there are benefits to having the support of “big finance”, this transition also has a major downside.

They can potentially cripple cryptocurrencies from humble beginnings, especially those lacking renowned developers to back them up.

The lack of resources. We’re not entirely surprised why bigger financial institutions are thriving. Sometimes, they simply have the resources to invest in the needed infrastructure to make a cryptocurrency operational.

Even basic services or financial products like a cryptocurrency loan will already need a lot of financial capital to launch. This is also the reason why a lot of cryptos are simply left abandoned or neglected.

The abundance of schemes. Finally, the lack of resources probably won’t be an issue if there are more investors to start with.

Unfortunately, there is still a (rather well-founded) stigma against cryptocurrencies. In fact, just last year there were executives running a Nevada-based firm who was charged for running an $11 million Ponzi scheme.

What We Can Expect in 2021

We are expecting a very good outlook next year, though.

The added interest and the support of big finance can pave the way for stricter regulations that will benefit both investors and developers (regardless of the scale).

It will also encourage more clients that can hopefully sustain even smaller institutions.

Classic Cryptos vs Prospect Tokens

Another factor that we also expect to change next year is people’s lack of understanding of these new forms of currency. For instance, cryptos, altcoins, and tokens are often used interchangeably despite their differences (that further adds to the confusion between these terms).

In a nutshell, cryptocurrency is digital currency while altcoins are independent cryptocurrencies that are recognized as an alternative to the classic currency, Bitcoin (hence the name). Lastly, tokens are an entirely different form of currency altogether. Think of a token as a unit of value within a certain organization that is also supported by a blockchain.

Considering tokens as an investment is a good idea if you want to maximize your earning potential. Think of them as similar to reward points that have various functions. For instance, they can be made to offer security, a form of ownership, or provide extra services.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrency is still in its infancy. Tokenization is even more so. We can still expect a lot of improvement in the system.

However, understanding how digital currencies work certainly holds a lot of insight into how the landscape of the global economy and investing will inevitably shift in the future. And who knows? Maybe this future might not be too far off. Maybe this significant shift happens in 2021.

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Lidia D. Staron is the Head of Content at OpenLoans.com. As a financial advisor and former financial planner at an insurance company, she knows that life is full of major events and challenges. She enjoys helping people navigate through important financial decisions while avoiding common mistakes.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily

Solving Supply Chain and Security Problems with Blockchain Technology

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In the last few years, blockchain has become a buzzword in the tech industry. The concept entered the public consciousness through Bitcoin, which uses a specific blockchain as a core component of its consensus algorithm. Back in 2017-2018, many experts were proclaiming “blockchain, not Bitcoin,” while today, Bitcoin’s latest meteoric rise and ensuing crash has flipped that narrative on its head. But while blockchain technology is often associated with cryptocurrencies, its application is powering the fourth industrial revolution and mainstreaming applications. In cybersecurity, blockchain technology can help improve security and resiliency, at a cost.

To understand blockchain-based cybersecurity, one must first understand some basic principles of how a blockchain works. A blockchain is one form of distributed ledger technology (DLT), meaning that it is used in distributed systems. Distributed systems offer greater resiliency than centralized systems since a decentralized network has no single point of failure, but that resiliency comes at a cost. Without a single source of truth for the network, reaching consensus can be difficult. A blockchain typically serves as part of that consensus mechanism—establishing a reliable record for the system to use.

Implementations vary between different blockchains, but in general, a blockchain takes some chunk of data and connects it cryptographically to the previous chunk of data, forming a chain of data blocks—a blockchain. That data can itself be encrypted using public-private key pairs so that only authorized users (or owners) can access the records.

Typically, each block of data includes a header, which summarizes the contents of the block. That header includes a cryptographic hash of the previous block’s header, and that hash forms the link between each block. Because each block builds on and explicitly references the contents of the previous block, a properly implemented blockchain is extraordinarily difficult to alter. In order to change a block’s data, every block after that block must also be edited to build on the new hash of the altered block. Consequently, older blocks are much harder to change than newer blocks.

The immutability and decentralization of a blockchain make it well-suited to certain applications. For example, financial institutions can benefit from unambiguous, cryptographically provable ownership records. Bank of America recently announced that it joined the Paxos network to speed up settlement times for stock trades, while JPMorgan has settled billions of dollars of transactions on a private version of Ethereum. From healthcare records to private genetic data, blockchain technology is also revolutionizing the medical industry. Legally, blockchain implementations could help businesses by providing a reliable, auditable data record.

As we digest the takeaways from the late spring 2021 crypto-crash, gas fees required to process transactions over Ethereum blockchain networks and environmental costs associated with Bitcoin mining need to be reexamined. But what are gas or transaction fees? While “gas fees” refers to the computing power required to securely execute a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain, they can be analogized to the transaction fees to process any crypto-currency transaction. On the Bitcoin blockchain, fees are required to pay the network’s miners to accept and verify a transaction.

While these gas fees and mining fees are an essential part of the security behind the scenes, they have become substantial deterrents to the growth of the digital asset marketplace. Startups that can create cost-savings in gas or mining fees to process transactions will be well-positioned to lead the next generation of blockchain security solutions.

If your company is considering implementing blockchain technology, consider carefully what information needs to be stored. My advice is to evaluate whether you need to use a blockchain. It is a powerful and useful technology, but it is not the right tool for every job, regardless of how popular it is. Unlike a traditional database, data stored on a blockchain effectively cannot be altered, so you need to make sure that whatever records you include compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. A mistake here could be extraordinarily difficult to fix. In some industries, the benefits will be well worth the risks. In other industries, the transaction costs need to first come down.

Some solutions to consider for industries where blockchain makes sense today:

-Bide your time. Wait it out. The market is evolving rapidly, decentralized and dynamic. With so many costs with no consolidation, new competitors are entering the market every day, and chances are that fees will reduce as a percentage of the transaction over time.

-You could also look for new blockchains or wrappers that “wrap around” existing blockchains to support more transactions, relieving congestion and offering lower fees.

-Partnering with value-priced wallets offering scaling technologies enabling lower fees is also an avenue to explore.

In the end, blockchain cybersecurity simply leverages the immutability and decentralization of a blockchain to make tampering with data more difficult while reducing centralized points of failure and giving users more control over their data. Ignore the hype, and evaluate whether this technology is right for your use case. Periodically reevaluate. This is a dynamic technology, and so is the market.

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Louis Lehot is an emerging growth company, venture capital, and M&A lawyer at Foley & Lardner in Silicon Valley.  Louis spends his time providing entrepreneurs, innovative companies, and investors with practical and commercial legal strategies and solutions at all stages of growth, from the garage to global.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Staying Away from Bubbles and Fads

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Here is a story that has been floating around for years: Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced he would buy monkeys for $100 each. The villagers, seeing that there were vast amounts of monkeys around, went into the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands of monkeys at $100 and as supply started to wane, the villagers stopped their efforts.

The man announced that he now would buy at $200, so the villagers redoubled their efforts and went back to capturing monkeys. Soon the supply diminished even further and people in the village started returning home. The offer then increased to $250 and the supply of monkeys became so scarce, it was an effort to even spot a monkey let alone catch it. Finally, the man announced that he would buy monkeys at $500. But he had to go to the city for business and his assistant would buy them on his behalf.

While the man was out, the assistant told the villager; “Look at all of these monkeys in the cages the man has collected. I will sell them to you for $350 and when the man returns you can sell them to him for $500 each.” The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all of the monkeys. Then the assistant left, and they never saw him or the man ever again, only monkeys everywhere.

This could be an allegory for the current ‘monkey business’ with meme stocks and a host of other “hot” items. The modern-day “man” has been selling his goods to all the villagers sitting home during the pandemic. A shortlist of today’s “monkeys” could include:

Cryptocurrency – last March, bitcoin was trading just above $5,000, today it is around $56,000. Even more exciting: the dogecoin, a crypto that is based on a meme, has risen over 1,000% this year.

SPACs – AKA Blank-check companies. Of the 302 IPOs this year, 80% have been via SPAC. This is an area that’s starting to look “bubbly.”

NFTs – Non-fungible tokens. These monkeys utilize the blockchain to prove ownership of original pieces of internet “art.” The piece by Beeple below sold for $69 million (he never sold a piece of art for more than $100). And Jack Dorsey’s first Tweet went for $2.5 million.

Meme Stocks – AMC just announced they intend to offer an additional 500 million shares of stock, while GameStop intends to offer 3.5 million shares. Not sure if the villagers will be around for the man this time.

The ‘villagers’ – AKA retail investors – seem to be going back to their farms and slowly walking away from the monkey business. NYSE volumes are at 80% of the 30-day average while the Nasdaq is at 90%, while GameStop is far off their January high. The pandemic cleared calendars, boosted savings, and led many to the stock, crypto, sneaker, and baseball card markets.

The US equity market posted positive returns for the quarter, outperforming the developed international markets as well as emerging markets. Market participants cheered on the push for higher levels of vaccination as well as the government’s printing press.

With the vaccines coming on strong, market participants are eyeing companies that would benefit, including value stocks such as industrials, materials, travel, and banks. There was a heavy rotation out of growth stocks to value. Value stocks outperformed growth stocks across large and small-cap stocks in the last quarter, and small caps outperformed large caps. Most of that was the “opening up trade.” The top searches on Google are now for “airlines” and “hotels,” not GameStop, Bitcoin, or NFTs. Boredom may be over; calendars are filling up and money will be spent.

The rotation out of the high-flying stocks and sectors into companies with actual earnings and are not on the brink of bankruptcy is a welcome sight. Bubbles and fads have always been around, but they don’t last.

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Morgan Christen, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Spinnaker Investment Group, has more than 28 years of investment management experience. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Pepperdine University. In addition, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and serves on the board of directors for the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily, Software

Blockchain Technology: What Is it and How Does It Work?

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What is Blockchain Technology?

Transactional records are stored in Blockchain technology which is known as the term “blocks”, of the public in multiple databases, which are known as “chains”. They are connected in a network through peer-to-peer nodes. “Digital ledger” is what this storage is typically referred to.

Each transaction is authorized by a digital signature from the owner, which safeguards and authenticates the transaction from tampering. So the information that the “digital ledger” contains is very secure.

Simply put, the digital ledger is just like a Google Spreadsheet that is shared with several computers in a network, where the transactional records are based on purchases that happened. The interesting fact is that everyone can see this data, but no one can’t corrupt it.

Blockchain Technology: Explained

Let’s suppose that you are transferring money to your friends and family from your bank account to theirs. You would have to log in to online banking and then transfer the amount you wish to the other person, all this by using their account number. When the transaction is finished, your bank updates the transaction records. It seems fairly simple, right? But there are potential issues that most people neglect.

These transactions could be tampered with. A lot of people who know the truth are wary of using these transactions. That’s why there have been more and more third-party payment apps. But this is the main reason why blockchain was created.

It’s true that Blockchain, technologically, is a digital ledger that is receiving a lot of attention recently. But what are the other reasons why it has become so popular?  Let’s try to understand the whole concept.

Keeping a record of data transactions is very important for the business. Most of the time, this information is passed through third-party brokers like lawyers increasing time, the cost for the businesses. or brokers, or it is handled in-house. But fortunately for everyone, Blockchain avoids this long process and helps to make the transactions very quickly, saving money and time.

Most people assume Bitcoin and Blockchain can be used interchangeably, but that is not the case in reality. Blockchain is a technology that supports different applications that are related to industries like supply chain, manufacturing, finance, and more. Bitcoin uses Blockchain technology in order to be more secure.

With many advantages, Blockchain is an emerging technology, in an increasingly digital world:

Highly Secure: To conduct fraud-free transactions, it uses digital signatures, making it impossible to change the data and corrupt it.

Decentralized System: You would need the approval of regulatory authorities like banks or the government for transactions, but with Blockchain, transactions are done with the consensus that is mutual between users. This results in safer, smoother, and faster transactions.:

How does Blockchain Technology Work?

Recently, it is possible that you might have noticed that Blockchain technology is being integrated by a lot of businesses. But we need to understand, how does this technology work? Is this a simple addition or a significant change? The advancements of Blockchain have the potential to be revolutionary in the future, but as for now, they are very young. Let’s begging to explain this technology:

Three leading technologies are combined for forming Blockchain

1. Cryptographic Key

2. Peer-to-peer Network with leading technologies.

Cryptography keys – consists of two keys. One of them being the Public Key and the other Private Key. These keys make sure that the transactions are successful between all the parties included. Every individual possesses these two keys. They help to secure digital identity references which is the most important aspect of Blockchain technology. Digital Signature is what is what this identity is referred to.

A peer-to-peer network is merged with the digital signature, a huge number of people who act as authorities, use digital signatures to reach an agreement among other issues on transactions. When the deal is finalized, by a mathematical verification it gets verified, which does result in a successful and safer transaction between two network-connected parties.

The Process of Transaction

The way it confirms and authorizes the transactions is one of blockchain technology’s best features. For instance, if two people wish to perform a transaction with a public key and private key, respectively, the first individual party should attach the transaction information to the public key of the second individual. This information is gathered into a block.

This block does contain a timestamp, a digital signature, and other relevant and important information. It should be noted that the block does not include any of the identities of the parts included. Block is later transmitted across all of the network nodes, and when the right person uses his private key, the transaction gets completed. For the transaction, a digital wallet is needed.

A Bitcoin wallet is a software program in which Bitcoins are stored. Bitcoin wallets facilitate the sending and receiving of Bitcoins and give ownership of the Bitcoin balance to the user. Besides that, wallet, Ethereum Wallet is also very popular.

How Blockchain works:

Hash Encryptions: This technology uses hash encryptions in order to secure the data, using mainly the SHA256 algorithm to secure the information. The receiver’s address, the transaction, the address of the sender, and his/her private key details are all transmitted via the SHA256 algorithm. This encrypted information is called hash inception and is transmitted all over the world, and after the verification, it is added to Blockchain. This algorithm makes it impossible to hack the information.

Mining: The process of adding transactional detail to present digital/public ledger, in Blockchain Technology is called “mining”. Even though it is associated most with Bitcoin, it is used to refer to other Blockchain technologies as well. What mining does is generates the hash of a block transaction, which is very tough to forge, ensuring the safety of the whole Blockchain, and it does all that without needing a central system.

Conclusion

Blockchain Technologies can be set up to operate in different ways, by using different mechanisms for the transactions, which is seen only by individuals who are authorized to, and everyone else is denied. The most well-known example of this technology is Bitcoin. It just shows how huge this technology has become. Blockchain founders are always researching other applications in order to expand the level of technology and influence of Blockchain. It seems that blockchain will rule the future world of the digital world.

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Blockchain: Everything You Need to Know

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Blockchain has transformed the way information can be shared on the internet because the data can’t be modified or deleted. Blockchain is also the foundation technology that manages the transaction entries for bitcoin.

Blockchain technology hasn’t yet been universally adopted, but it can be used to reduce expenses, speed up transactions, and improve safety for financial institutions, health care providers, companies, and more. It has the potential to dramatically change the way we do business by offering a trusted system for exchanging information.

Bitcoin is probably the most widely known application of blockchain, however, we can call that just the beginning.

But What Is Blockchain?

From the way the Blockchain stores transaction data – the name came in. Blockchain and bitcoin were first introduced in 2008.

Blockchain technology might as well be called a “book” that contains a list of transactions that should be viewed by a group of people of a network. This way, every member of the network or group has a copy of the book. Each page of this book could be called a “block” of data, and “hash” is what you could call a whole page of that book. “Hash” is a unique number. So, the “chain” links all the pages of transactions together.

But Bitcoin currency and Blockchain technology are two different things. The first one is a type of digital currency that is still uncontrolled – and those transactions are maintained by blockchain technology.

But How Does Blockchain Work?

-Every copy of the blockchain is the same or must be the same – that means members have the same information.

-New information can be added if all the network members agree that the block that is shared is valid. ‘Consensus mechanism’ is what this is often called.

-Once a new copy of the blockchain is added, all the members can see whether it matches with the old copy. If it happens that the old blocks don’t match, the current members won’t accept the new copy.

The members constantly process transactions into new sections of data. When a new section is filled, each member in the network has to verify if the block is valid by using a mathematical formula. Only when all the members agree that a certain block is valid via a consensus mechanism, then the new block is added to the chain. This process, which by the way is very complex, is the reason why blockchain transactions cannot be changed.

This complex process is the reason why blockchain transactions can’t be changed.

Blockchain technology prevents what is called “double-spending”. This is one of the reasons why it is used by most cryptocurrencies, and especially Bitcoin. No one can keep a bitcoin once they have spent it; The hackers can’t change the data blocks – as the transaction can’t be changed too.

To make data more useful, Blockchain works with protocols. The protocols are used to automate the transactions, like payments and invoices.

To reduce transactions possible errors and processing time is used a tool called ‘Smart Contracts’. That means lower costs and higher profits.

Types of Blockchain 

There is one important thing for public blockchains: anyone can join the network and can process their transactions anonymously. So, the data will be visible to all members of a public blockchain.

Using the ‘miners’ mechanism is the thing that characterizes members of a public blockchain network. The so-called miners are members who constantly validate data blocks on the public networks. They are always competing with each other to validate data blocks.

Public networks are used for cryptocurrency because transactions are direct between individuals without needing a financial bank. But since the transactions are anonymous, they are a subject of attracting criminal activity.

Once they have validated the transactions, Blockchain miners are awarded in bitcoin of another relevant cryptocurrency.

On the other hand, a private blockchain requires members to be identified. Credentials are what they need in order to validate data blocks and submit transactions. Data might be limited by a private blockchain. But this only will occur to some users and at times it could give access to other members. Private blockchains are proven to be more suitable for an individual business.

Can Blockchains Be Hacked?

Since every member has a copy of transactions, it’s proven that Blockchains are very difficult to hack, but they are still not completely secure.

To create false transactions and having them accepted – hackers should have access to multiple members – that is why is so difficult to hack.

One thing that is considered a flaw: protocols. Hackers can potentially use a weakness in the way protocols are operating, and ‘hack’ the system, but still, it is very difficult.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Software, Special Reports

Blockchain: The Next Big Tech Paradigm Shift

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While most of blockchain’s success over the past decade has been linked to bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, distributed ledger technology is now poised to move into mainstream applications and launch new opportunities in multiple markets.

Technological change has followed a predictable path over the past fifty or so years. Chips and devices got smaller, more processes were automated, and life became more convenient. Since the beginning of 2020, we have seen a rapid uptake in the pace, not to mention the massive adoption of technologies into our everyday lives. As we adapt to a long-term period of social distancing, the paradigm in which technology evolves has been upended, and every member of society has had to quickly find new technology-based solutions to accomplish tasks previously taken for granted. In the coming decade, technology will shift from automating and replacing manual labor to replacing routine cognitive work, and blockchain is poised to be a key driver of the “fourth industrial revolution.”

The paradigm shift into the “fourth industrial revolution” was first postulated by Klaus Schwab in a 2015 article published by Foreign Affairs, and refers to the evolution in the way we live, work and relate to one another, enabled by extraordinary technology advances. According to Schwab, these advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds. The social distancing measures required to respond to the global pandemic has put this fourth industrial revolution into overdrive.

What is blockchain, and why will it ascend over the next decade?

Blockchain’s influence will affect all aspects of your life, including how you work and purchase goods from clothes to groceries to houses. Everything.

Simply put, blockchain involves recording information in a way that creates trust in the data recorded. Blockchain is proof that you own something digital—whether it is a bitcoin or your personal health records. Blockchain proves you are the owner of whatever digital information you have on the distributed, decentralized public ledger.

Initially, blockchain was created along with bitcoin to give power back to the people. Since its creation, it has expanded well beyond cryptocurrencies and is growing exponentially. Estimates suggest that blockchain technology has been adopted by more than one-third of the world’s companies.

 

 

We already live in a digital universe. We no longer visit Blockbuster to rent movies, and very few of us have DVDs. Instead, we use Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime to watch our shows and movies. We order all manner of products online. Blockchain has become essential because it allows us to own our digital goods, assets, and data.

A blockchain can be trusted as a source of truth. Suppose certain information (data) was included in the blockchain sometime in the past, but the data may not be correct. Records on the blockchain are immutable and provide an unalterable trail. A mistake can only be corrected by adding another block to the chain with consent from all participants. A blockchain records tangible and intangible assets among a network of peers that use the same software, algorithms, and cryptography to maintain the records.

Currently, there are two types of blockchain: permissionless (public) and permissioned (private). Participants use pseudonyms to protect their identity with permissionless blockchains, and there is no identification of participants. On the other hand, permissioned blockchains are protected by access privileges. Participants are authenticated, and a super-user may control the network. Permissionless blockchains are considered more reliable because of the consensus principle.

Blockchain currently enables many uses, including Tokenization to protect sensitive data, unalterable timestamping, the transfer of assets through a payment channel, and the facilitation of smart contracts. To date, blockchain has been used to make more processes more efficient by replacing components or by providing an entirely new blockchain service. The most well-known example of blockchain’s usage is cryptocurrency, but its possible applications are still being explored across many industries.

Why companies are integrating blockchain solutions

By 2023, the global blockchain market is set to reach $20+ billion, indicating how quickly businesses are expected to adopt blockchain solutions. The most prominent and influential companies worldwide have all turned their attention toward blockchain. Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are investing billions in powerful technology. And, Wall Street wants in, too. What makes blockchain so attractive to business?

First and foremost, it reduces operational costs by obviating the need for a centralized authority. Removing intermediaries is crucial for business because it reduces costs and points of contact, improving company efficiency and growth. What could be better in the eyes of a business leader? Estimates suggest the adoption of blockchain technology will save than $100-$150 billion by the year 2025. Blockchain’s adoption will reduce the costs of personnel, support, operations, IT, data breaches, and much more.

In addition to blockchain’s efficiencies and security, it allows for the completion of transactions in seconds rather than days. Transaction speed is especially important in international interchanges.

We previously survey the investment environment for blockchain-based businesses here.

Despite blockchain’s many advantages, it is imperative that we understand the legal implications, risks, and opportunities its use presents.

Legal issues to watch for

Stakeholders in blockchain solutions will need to ensure that their products comply with a legal and regulatory framework that was not conceived with this technology in mind. From a commercial law standpoint, smart contracts must be contemplated for negotiation, execution and administration on a blockchain, and in a legal and compliant fashion. Liability, first and foremost, needs to be addressed. What if the contract has been miscoded? What if it does not achieve the parties’ intent? The parties must also agree on applicable law, jurisdiction, proper governance, dispute resolution, privacy, and more.

There are public policy concerns that should be taken into account in shaping new laws, rules and regulations. For example, permissionless blockchains can be used for illegal purposes such as money-laundering or circumventing competition laws. Also, participants may be exposed to irresponsible actions on the part of the “miners” who create new blocks. Unfortunately, there aren’t any current legal remedies for addressing corrupt miners.

Potential solutions

As lawyers and technologists ponder these issues, several solutions are being bandied about. One possible remedy involves a hybrid of permissioned and permissionless blockchains. Some transactions require intervention by a responsible party, such as when Know Your Client regulations are in play. All participants in blockchains and smart contracts where data is exchanged are data controllers. This means participants must comply with all data protection requirements.

Another consideration is what goes on the chain or what, instead, goes in the smart contract and off-chain. While it is possible to include provisions regarding liability, jurisdiction, and other legal aspects in the smart contract, this allows no room for interpretation because it is based on conditions. A better solution may be to have a real contract stored off the chain, but linked to it with a hash-secure value, for added confidence.

The ongoing regulatory push for more data with trends like controlled free trade, increased border security, and accreditation of economic operators, leads to higher compliance costs. This means that parties trading globally need higher supply chain visibility and security. Data that is both high quality and secure and trade compliance systems that can cope with the electronic exchange of data, are requirements.

Global trade involves many parties beyond the buyer and seller, such as customs and regulatory authorities, financial institutions, shippers, brokers, and insurers. There are multiple exchanges of data among those participants, presenting opportunities for implementing a blockchain to trigger and record invoices, bills of lading, and customs compliance.

Welcome to the future

As blockchain technology matures, global trade supply chains will increasingly use the technology, with the authorities monitoring transactions and compliance with customs declarations, duty payments, and sanctions rules. Further, combining blockchain with the Internet of Things will give manufacturers the ability to track products, manage risk in distribution networks and demonstrate good corporate governance.

While no one can predict how the future will unravel, it seems clear that blockchain will play an important role.

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Louis Lehot is the founder of L2 Counsel. Louis is a corporate, securities and M & A lawyer, and he helps his clients, whether they be public or private companies, financial sponsors, venture capitalists, investors or investment banks, in forming, financing, governing, buying and selling companies. He is formerly the co-managing partner of DLA Piper’s Silicon Valley office and co-chair of its leading venture capital and emerging growth company team. 

L2 Counsel, P.C. is an elite boutique law firm based in Silicon Valley designed to serve entrepreneurs, innovative companies and investors with sound legal strategies and solutions.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily

Bitcoin Has Gained Legitimacy in 2020

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Throughout its brief but exciting existence, bitcoin has had its detractors. For every enthusiast predicting soaring values or a shift in the very concept of money, there has always been a critic suggesting that bitcoin is fundamentally worthless, or that we can’t trust blockchain technology. For the most part, the breadth of the spectrum between proponents and detractors has always been understandable, because bitcoin is still new and it has always been volatile. This year has painted a different picture though. All of a sudden, bitcoin is beginning to look more legitimate than ever.

This is largely thanks to how the asset has responded to the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing financial crises around the world. Early on, there were quick-trigger takes suggesting that bitcoin had actually failed this test — that its long-hoped-for potential as a safe haven had fallen flat, and it had simply crashed alongside other assets and markets around the world. It didn’t take long, though, for bitcoin to reverse this narrative. While it did indeed experience a sharp and troubling crash, it followed with a far more rapid recovery than most other valuable assets or commodities. Bitcoin was over $10,000 in the blink of an eye, relatively speaking — after falling down around $5,000 in March. At least in this instance, it was a safe haven for those patient enough to withstand the dip.

There is also a feeling of growing legitimacy connected to bitcoin’s sudden stabilization. As noted, bitcoin is historically volatile, and this is partly responsible for the polarized opinions and outlooks it inspires. Since the “halvening” event in late May though (during which the amount of bitcoin acquired in each mining block is reduced by half), bitcoin price movements have been almost minute. There were no sharp gains or losses throughout the month of June, and in that same span, the price was kept almost entirely above $9,000. In recent days, bitcoin has actually spiked upward again, making for its most dramatic movement since early May — but that’s not exactly a bad thing, and the key takeaway from the summer has been a reduction in volatility. This is reassuring for a lot of traders and analysts.

Beyond the positive and stable response to events this past spring, bitcoin may be enjoying a further boost in legitimacy as a result of governments’ and financial institutions’ increasing willingness to explore digital payments. To be clear, most of these governments and institutions are not explicitly working with bitcoin. However, when people hear about major banks adopting blockchain transactions, or the People’s Bank of China launching a digital currency, it supports the idea that bitcoin works, and that digital currency is the future. Even if these changes are ultimately producing competitors, they’re helping to validate its core concept.

We’ll note in closing that there are still plenty of negatives people will ascribe to cryptocurrency. Bitcoin’s pros and cons are fairly baked in at this point; some will always dismiss it because it’s expensive or complicated, or because an alternative is more appealing. But the idea that bitcoin is worthless or illegitimate may finally be fading as a result of what we’ve seen this year.

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Archives, Banking, Global Trade Daily

Pros and Cons of Cryptocurrencies: Ripple and Bitcoin

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Lots of people have run down bitcoin, and many have claimed that cryptocurrency has had its day, but bitcoin is still here, and so are many types of cryptocurrency. Perhaps Ripple hasn’t set the world on fire, but then maybe that is the way it is supposed to be. Perhaps cryptocurrencies like Ripple are supposed to start at the very bottom and then work their way up over decades. Bitcoin had to struggle from the bottom, and it is now the most respected and most valuable cryptocurrency in the world. Here are the pros and cons of bitcoin and Ripple.

Bitcoin Pros

There are plenty of upsides to bitcoin, and it is especially pleasing to see that bitcoin is still riding high when so many online gurus claimed that it would be made extinct by Ethereum.

BTC is Popular and Understood

The thing about bitcoin is that it is now very popular and people understand how it works. This is contrary to most other Cryptocurrencies where people need to be taught what they are, what they do, and why they are special.

Bitcoin is Trusted

The whole notion of cryptocurrency may still be daunting to some people, but the name bitcoin is the most trusted in the entire cryptocurrency market. Even other well-known Cryptocurrencies are not as well-liked or trusted.

BTC is Fairly Stable

We have all see the big rises and big dips, but bitcoin has staying power and seems to have a natural price and value growth. It may well end up becoming a widely accepted currency in the future.

Bitcoin Cons

Five years ago, one could have said there were many downsides to bitcoin, but these days with the acceptance of cryptocurrency as a form of payment and money transfer, there are only really two downsides to bitcoin.

Quantum Computing Would End all Cryptocurrency

If a technology company were to invent quantum computing, then bitcoin mining could be done at very fast speeds, which would make bitcoin and all cryptocurrency useless. However, Quantum computing is a long way off yet, especially when you consider that we have only just discovered the 3D chip.

Bitcoin is Expensive

Although the cost of bitcoin is an issue, it is not really a problem. You can buy a portion of a bitcoin and use it to transfer money and buy things. Nevertheless, as an investor looking to make a profit, the cost is a problem for small investors.

Ripple Pros

The price of ripple has seen massive surges and massive drops, yet there is still a fair amount of trading going on, so do not rule out Ripple just yet.

XPR is Affordable

The cost of Ripple is tiny, especially when compared and other Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum.

It Solves the Cross-Border Problem

Just like bitcoin, you can use Ripple to quickly transfer money overseas and back again, and it will not cost you a fortune to do so.

Very Fast Settlements

The pre-mined nature of XRP goes a long way to helping ensure that transactions are settled quickly. They can run at 1000 settled transactions per second, which is a brilliant speed.

Ripple Cons

XRP has its downsides too. The mainstream appeal of Ripple is a big selling point, but will these downsides convince you to invest in another coin?

It is More of an Investor’s Coin

This is the sort of coin you may invest in if you want to make money in the short and long term, which may eventually be its downfall because investments come and go.

Its Rival SWIFT is the World’s Largest RPS Network

The problem with investment coins is that their real-world use is often limited. Where SWIFT and OMG are used daily for currency moving transactions by payment processors, XRP is less utilized in the real world.

The Founders Own Too Much of the Coin

Ripple is pre-mined, which is why and how the owners are able to own over one-third of the entire stock of Ripple. This runs contrary to a decentralized theme, especially since the owners could sell off their share at any time and irreparably destroy the value of the coin.

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James Miller is a career expert from Medellin. He is passionate about career success stories, surfing, and photography. Also, James writes to his own blog SimplicityResume about career success and about job industry insights.