Monthly Archives: September 2021

Cryptocurrency prices today surged with Bitcoin trading near $50,000, days after it broke back above the psychologically important mark last month for the first time in three months. The world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization jumped 6% to $49,678.59, as per CoinDesk. Bitcoin prices are up 71% this year (year-to-date), though, far away from its record just below $65,000 in April.

Ether, the coin linked to ethereum blockchain and the second largest crypto, rallied over 9% to 3,769.62 Meanwhile, dogecoin prices gained 10% to $0.30, whereas, Cardano was up 8% at $2.98. Other cryptocurrencies like XRP, Stellar, Uniswap, Litecoin also surged in the range of 5-10% over the last 24 hours.

Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance's founder and chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao said that its US arm could have an initial public offering in the next three years, The Information reported on Wednesday. "Binance.US is just going to do what Coinbase did," Zhao said, according to the report.

Meanwhile, investors continued to pour into digital funds based on altcoins, such as ether and cardano, even as bitcoin funds logged their eighth straight week of outflows last week, digital asset manager CoinShares said. Altcoins is a cumulative term to define cryptocurrencies that came after bitcoin.

Bitcoin hit a record of almost $65,000 in April, driven by a tide of liquidity, fast-money bets and optimism about growing demand from institutional investors. Supportive views from billionaire Elon Musk and the direct listing of digital-currency platform Coinbase Global Inc. also fueled optimism.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Cryptocurrency prices today: Bitcoin near $50,000; ether, dogecoin surge 10%. Latest rates - Mint

By Matthew Sparkes

Will the cryptocurrency be more widely used now that PayPal accepts it in the UK?

mundissima / Alamy

PayPal has two decades of experience in online payments and manages 403 million user accounts. So, it caused ripples when it announced on 23 August it would allow UK customers to buy and sell four cryptocurrencies: bitcoin prices rose to a three-month high. But will this and last Octobers roll-out in the US push cryptocurrencies into the mainstream, or is it just another blip in the short but volatile history of decentralised money?

Customers in the US who have bought cryptocurrencies through Paypal log in twice as often as those who havent, says Jose Fernandez da Ponte at PayPal. We expect digital currencies to play an important role in consumer payments over the longer term, he says.

Public interest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is certainly growing, but only a minority have bought in. AYouGov survey revealed that by August 2019, just 3 per cent of people in the UK owned any cryptocurrencies. By July 2021 that had risen to 8 per cent.

Giving millions of existing PayPal customers the ability to buy at the click of a button has enormous potential for increasing those numbers, but access to the currency isnt the only limiting factor.People need a way to spend it.

A handful of large companies, such as Microsoft, have begun accepting bitcoin as payment, and others such as electric car company Tesla have done so at times too. And while several other retailers, including grocery stores, coffee shops and hardware stores, have systems to accept cryptocurrency in some countries, using only this form of payment day-to-day would be no easy task.

PayPal users in the UK wont be able to use cryptocurrency to buy goods or services they can only buy, hold and sell the currency. But in the US, the company offers the ability to use balances for payments anywhere that accepts PayPal. This effectively allows hundreds of thousands of retailers to accept cryptocurrencies without having to make any changes or accept any risk, and receive US dollars from PayPal as normal.

This is vital, as the risk for businesses is high, says Carol Alexander at the University of Sussex, UK. Cryptocurrencies are dominated by huge speculation and rampant manipulation, she says.

Organised groups are able to cause swings in cryptocurrency values with coordinated buying or selling and, unlike the traditional financial services sector, there is little regulation to stop it. So, if you take bitcoin as payment directly, it may plummet in value before you convert it.

I cant see this as the moment crypto goes mainstream. The widespread market abuse needs addressing first, says Alexander.

Cryptocurrencies are decentralised systems with no official oversight, so regulation is difficult. Registered companies that deal in them are finding themselves under increasing scrutiny. In June, the UKs Financial Conduct Authority ruled that Binance Markets Limited, one of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchanges, had to cease regulated trading in the UK.

There are still hurdles to overcome before cryptocurrency can truly break into the mainstream,including its exorbitantenergy use, volatility and complexity.

But some are still confident that the technology offers enough benefits, such as protection from inflation, a degree of anonymity and low fees for large payments, that widespread adoption is inevitable.

Nigel Green at financial services firm deVere Group is confident that cryptocurrencies will replace traditional money and, although that moment is still some way off, he says PayPals announcement is yet another example that exposes cryptocurrency deniers as being on the wrong side of history.

This is a major step forward towards the mass adoption of digital currencies, he says. More and more payment companies will naturally follow their lead.

More on these topics:

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Will PayPals adoption of bitcoin make cryptocurrency more mainstream? - New Scientist News

As the cryptocurrency market is extremely volatile, it is always smart to start small

Cryptocurrency has become very popular among investors. Not only has the crypto market seen an increase in investors, but it has also started to gain acceptance in many organisations as an alternate mode for payment to fiat currency. Many top companies have begun to offer their customers the option of paying for their products using cryptocurrencies. However, despite all this cryptocurrency is still a highly volatile asset class that is also decentralised. So, it is important for all investors to keep the following points in mind before investing.

1) Research thoroughly

As is the case in all money-related matters, it is important to do an adequate amount of research before you invest. Read all about the different types of cryptocurrencies before picking the one you choose to invest in. Read all there is to know on blockchain technology to understand how the cryptocurrency market functions.

2) Verify all information

As the crypto market is decentralised and unregulated, there are several scammers and fraudsters aboard. Do not blindly fall for investment schemes that promise great returns. Always verify before trusting.

3) Start small

As the saying goes, never put all your eggs in one basket. It applies to investments as well. As the cryptocurrency market is extremely volatile, it is always smart to start small. And pick only one type of cryptocurrency and stick to it until you feel confident enough to understand the market. Invest small amounts of money.

4) Rely on your own research

The cryptocurrency market is new for everyone. So, do not fall for the investment strategies of so-called market experts or social media influencers. Rely on your own research and chalk out your own strategy based on your personal finances.

5) Patience is key

The volatility of the cryptocurrency market knows no bounds. So, it is important to remain patient despite all the swings that occur. Keep your cool always as it will help to make good decisions.

6) Create a new email ID

All cryptocurrency trades take place via various platforms that require you to create an account using an email ID. It is always best to create a separate one only for cryptocurrency trades and investments. This is to avoid any risk of a data breach.

7) Understand cryptocurrency wallets

Cryptocurrency can be stored in an online wallet as well as an offline wallet. For new investors, an online wallet is best. However, it runs the risk of being hacked. Read up on both wallets and choose one that best suits you.

8) Do not store all your money in a mobile wallet

While having mobile wallets is extremely convenient, they also carry the risk of being hacked and stolen. Hence, it is always best to not have all your cryptocurrency stored in a mobile wallet.

9) Read all about tax on cryptocurrency

As cryptocurrency is unregulated in many countries, trading in it could draw heavy taxation. Read all the information relating to taxes on crypto investments in your country before you begin investing.

10) Do not blindly jump on the crypto bandwagon

Yes, cryptocurrency is very popular and has several people diving right into investing and trading in it. But that does not mean you should too. Do not blindly jump on to the cryptocurrency bandwagon. Assess and take stock of your own personal finances before making a move.

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Interested In Cryptocurrency? Here Is A 10-Point Guide On Investing - NDTV Profit

Moving average in the field of finance including cryptocurrencies is a stock indicator commonly used by investors for technical analysis. Among the most important reasons for the calculation of a moving average is to mitigate the impact of sometimes random or short-term fluctuations in the prices of any stock and cryptocurrencies are especially prone to extremes. The other reason, of course, is to constantly update the average price of a stock for a selected period of time. It is also referred to as a lagging indicator as it is based on the past prices of a given stock.

And just like it is used for any other stock, moving average also helps an investor analyse the trend of a cryptocurrency not just in the present but also the future by making use of the past prices. In simple words, it gives investors have a better picture of what they are going to make on their investments should they invest in a particular digital currency.

How to calculate a moving average for cryptocurrencies?

The method is fairly simple. It's the application that's more important. For example, if you want to calculate the five-day moving average for Dogecoin, this is how you do it:

The closing prices of Dogecoin in the last five days, let's say, were 10, 13, 14, 11, and 12, respectively. Now, add the prices for the last five days and divide the total by 5.

10+13+14+11+12 = 60/5. The answer is 12, which is the moving average of Dogecoin relative to the last five days.

Dogecoin price in India stood at Rs. 22.7 as of 3:30pm IST on September 3.

Importance of moving average in cryptocurrency investments

Experts say that when the prices of a stock are below a moving average, it's an indication to traders of a bearish trend, which means both price and sentiments are trending down. On the contrary, if the prices are above the moving average, it's a sign of a bullish trend. However, other indicators, including the relative strength index, should also back the moving averages.

Among other important functions, a moving average can also help gauge the momentum, which basically measures the rise or fall in the prices of a cryptocurrency. With the help of a moving average, one can attempt to forecast, if not accurately pick and predict, the trajectory of a cryptocurrency in the days to come. This helps an investor better decide if they are making a safe and sound investment.

As we explained before, the greater the number of days the bigger is the lag. The traders actually use these figures based on the number of days to decide on whether or not they should invest in a digital asset or a cryptocurrency token.

The other advantage, of course, for traders in terms of calculating a moving average is that they can customise the time period to check the average prices according to their own needs. Moving average for a smaller period is naturally more price-sensitive compared to an average calculated for a longer period of time.

Remember, the moving average is only an indication of the trend and not a tool that sets the trend. You only get a picture of how a cryptocurrency token has performed relative to the number of days you pick to find the moving average. Cryptocurrency is deemed to be a relatively riskier asset class and the golden rule, as experts say, is to not invest more than you can afford to lose.

Read the rest here:
Cryptocurrency Investment 101: How to Calculate Moving Average and Why is it Important - Gadgets 360

Reese Witherspoon has officially the entered the world of cryptocurrency. On Thursday night, The Morning Show actress tweeted that she just bought her first ETH (short for ethereum), and her replies instantly filled up with a welcome wagon full of weird. As for what the heck an ETH even is, and what makes it different than bitcoin, ethereum is the worlds programmable blockchain, which has all sorts of applications. Most specifically, creating NFTs, which have been taking the art world by storm. Via MoneyWeek:

Decentralised finance (DeFi) applications allow for all sorts of financial services decentralised exchanges, for example, or borrowing and lending systems without the need for typical financial intermediaries such as banks or brokerages.

Ethereum allows for the creation and trade of NFTs tokens which are connected to digital works of art and other forms of digital property.

On top of watching her follower count skyrocket, Witherspoon soon found herself inundated with an avalanche of pitches for other crypto-coins, which was to be expected, but she probably wasnt prepared for how bonkers the online crypto crowd can be. Here are just some of the weirdo reactions, and if half of them dont make sense, thats par for the course:

However, Witherspoon getting in on ETH wasnt all welcomes and memes. Some savvy crypto-investors saw her entry as a sign that the price for ETH is about to hit a wall after being on an impressive rally this week, according to Fortune.

It should be noted that Reese was underestimated once before, and you know what she did? Went to Harvard and became a lawyer. True story.

(Via Reese Witherspoon on Twitter)

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Reese Witherspoon Announced Her Entry Into Cryptocurrency, And Whoa - UPROXX

Cryptocurrencies are potentially looking at a new change in India as the government is planning on defining it as per a report by Economic Times. It was suggested that the government of India was proposing a new bill to segment cryptocurrencies on use cases sources informed ET. This would be a first for cryptocurrencies as they have never been categorized by the technology used. However, the governments focus, for the time being, is on the end-use of the asset for regulatory purposes the report mentioned.

This new bill is expected to outline the tax treatment of these digital assets and will define how they are classified in the book. It remained ambiguous as to whether the cryptocurrencies were considered currencies, commodities services or more equitable said the report. It eventually comes down to a matter of law, as the main concern with the ambiguity is in regards to how the asset is taxed or regulated. Till now, that has not been the case with cryptocurrency in India.

The first goal of the government in this matter is then to define the cryptocurrency sources told ET. It was also suggested that India should recognize crypto tokens as digital assets as opposed to a currency, while simultaneously clarifying the policies on exchange ownership parameters, KYC, accounting and reporting standards and so on, said the report.

It was also reported that only the cryptocurrency assets that were classified and defined by the government would be allowed to trade in India. The crypto coins would then be taxed accordingly. It was suggested that the government might apply a tax similar to the Security Transaction Tax (STT) going forward. In another line, these digital assets could also be subject to income tax if they are indeed classified as commodities. The income could be taxed as business income in the hands of the investors at the normal rates of income tax.

In the past the Reserve Bank of India had flagged the issue of cryptocurrency as it was not regulated nor did it have any prior framework in place. Having said that, this move by the government could be seen as a morale boost for Indian cryptocurrency investors. It could also see a rise in the spread of knowledge of the previously mysterious digital asset and could promote better investment opportunities.

While this does capture the attention of the industry experts, investors and crypto exchanges alike, one would have to wait and see what the new bill spells for crypto going forward in the country.

The global crypto market had seen some major fluctuations over the past few months. At present, the global market cap stood at $2.26 trillion, which was a 1.15 per cent increase over the day. The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours was $131.49 billion, which pointed to a 2.52 per cent increase.

Bitcoin which is the leading crypto coin had a price of $49,927.54 on Friday. It maintained a market dominance of 41.51 per cent, although it did see a drop of 0.63 per cent over the course of the day. Other popular coins in the market include Ethereum, Cardano, Binance Coin and Tether.

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Crypto as Commodity: Government to Issue New Cryptocurrency Bill. Know the Details - News18

In just 24 hours, the new cryptocurrency Wifecoin, 'wife' and clone of Dogecoin, increased its market capitalization by more than 3,000%, should you buy?

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September3, 20214 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Last July they launched the cryptocurrency Wifedoge , which is presented as the 'wife' of Dogecoin , but in essence it is a clone of it. In addition to being a curiosity of the 'crypto' world and having the 'like' of Elon Musk , the token surprised everyone this week with a growth of more than 3,000% in market capitalization in just one day, according to data from CoinMarketCap .

This Tuesday, August 31, the Wifedoge exceeded 2.32 million dollars in market capitalization , a figure 3,294.29% higher than the 68,350 dollars with which it began on Monday morning.

However, the 'wife' of the Dogecoin failed to sustain the streak and for this Thursday, September 2, its capitalization fell to $ 301,406 .

Source: CoinMarketCap.com

Wifecoin represents the 'inception' of cryptocurrencies , as it emerged as a parody of a digital currency (the Dogecoin ), which in turn was inspired by a meme to parody Bitcoin , so surreal!

The creators ensure that the value of each Wifecoin token will be equivalent to one Dogecoin . Excellent news, considering that the DOGE increased its value by 4.600% in one year and both Elon Musk and Mark Cuban see it as the strongest cryptocurrency.

In addition, they announced that they would reserve 5% of the Wifedoge units for Elon Musk .

"We will give them to you at the right time, otherwise 5% of the tokens will be forever blocked," reads a tweet from the Wifecoin account.

In fact, the developers of the new cryptocurrency 'meme of the meme' are so sure they have the endorsement of Elon Musk , that they thanked him for his support on Twitter.

Thank you Elon Musk. I am Wifedoge. Doge's wife! Now is the fourth launch day on Pancakeswap! Thanks for tweeting to cheer on Wifedoge. Trust us, we will soon surprise global investors even more. Our team is working hard, reads another tweet.

Should you invest in Wifedoge?

Experts assure that these vertiginous 'ups and downs' are caused by fraudulent manipulations of the crypto market, which generates multiple victims.

"The sharp ups and downs in the price of low liquidity assets are often the result of fraudulent manipulations known as 'pump and dump' and that consist of inflating their value and then selling it at overstated prices. The lack of regulations in the crypto market causes many investors become victims of this scheme, " said RT en Espaol .

The decision to invest or not in Wifedoge is like with any other cryptocurrency : if you have extra money that you are willing to lose in case things go wrong, then go for it. It never hurts to have some tokens in your cryptocurrency portfolio that could skyrocket more than 3,000% in 24 hours .

See the article here:
What is the Wifedoge? Meet the cryptocurrency 'wife' of Dogecoin that grew more than 3,000% in one day and Elon Musk already 'liked' it - Entrepreneur

The government is planning to define cryptocurrencies in the new draft bill that also proposes to compartmentalise virtual currencies on the basis of their use cases, three people aware of the development told ET.

Cryptocurrencies will be treated as an asset/commodity for all purposes, including taxation and as per user case payments, investment or utility.

This would be the first time cryptocurrencies will be categorised as per the technology they use, but the governments focus would be based on the end-use of the asset for regulatory purposes, sources said.

Whether for tax or for other purposes, there is no clarity as to whether crypto assets are currency, commodity, service or closer to equity.

This is a lacuna in the law, as unless an asset is defined, ambiguity of how it should be taxed or how it should be regulated becomes a question.

According to the people close to the development, the government is looking to first define cryptocurrency.

Crypto assets can be either categorised on the basis of the technology they use or they can be defined on their end use. So, before talking about how the regulations should work, the government has to spell out what it means by cryptocurrencies, said a person aware of the development.

ET had recently reported that crypto exchanges had made policy recommendations for regulating cryptocurrencies, including defining cryptocurrencies as digital assets and introducing a system to register home-grown exchanges.

They had suggested that India needs to recognise crypto tokens as digital assets, rather than currencies, and clarify policies in regards to exchange ownership parameters, KYC, accounting and reporting standards, among others.

There are more than 5,000 different cryptocurrencies, each with its own different legal characteristics. Therefore, rather than the cryptocurrency technology alone, regulation should be tailored according to the end-use or activity of a particular token, said Jaideep Reddy, leader - technology law at law firm Nishith Desai Associates.

People in the know said only the cryptocurrencies that are covered under the governments definition will be allowed to be traded in India.

These crypto assets will then be taxed accordingly, said people aware of the development.

The government could apply something similar to security transaction tax (STT) on the trading of cryptocurrencies as well, sources said.

Apart from that, if crypto assets are categorised as commodities, the returns could be taxed as business income in the hands of the investors on the returns at normal income tax rates.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had flagged off issues around cryptocurrencies in the past.

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Govt plans to bring a bill, cryptocurrencies to be treated as commodity - Economic Times

Priya, a young engineering graduate, has been watching the craze for cryptocurrency investing boom in India. The popularity and growth of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether, Dogecoin have compelled investors and sceptics to take a second look. Around 15 million Indians are said to have invested in private crypto assets. Young investors like Priya are excited about the prospects of strong returns. She is planning to open a crypto trading account. However, she would like to understand each and every aspect of the crypto market before she starts investing in earnest.

A cryptocurrency (or crypto) is a non-physical, digital and decentralized currency that is issued by private systems and remains out of the purview of the government. It is a peer-to-peer system that can enable anyone anywhere to send and receive payments. Priya will need to store her cryptocurrency in a digital wallet. There were over 4,000 different cryptocurrencies in circulation worldwide, including the market giants Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Dogecoin. Much of the interest in these unregulated currencies is to trade for profit, with investors/speculators at times driving prices skyward.

Cryptocurrencies work using blockchain technology, a decentralized technology spread across many computers that manages and records transactions. Part of the appeal of this technology is its security. Transactions cannot be altered or deleted and are hard for hackers to tamper with. In addition, transactions require a two-factor authentication process. The investor can add more and more digital transactions and the blockchain gets updated automatically.

While crypto trading is the current rage and may even yield potentially high returns, Priya must understand that cryptocurrency is an incredibly speculative and a volatile buy. The market is still in its infancy. Investing in something thats new comes with challenges, so she must be prepared for ups and downs, including some dramatic swings. If her investment portfolio or risk appetite cant handle that, cryptocurrency might not be a wise choice for her.

(Content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Girija Gadre, Arti Bhargava and Labdhi Mehta.)

Excerpt from:
Should you invest in cryptocurrency? - Economic Times

For new investors, cryptocurrency is the buzzword. As much as it is promising in terms of giving returns over a short time, it is also volatile and risky. The whole idea of cryptocurrency is based on a distributed ledger that stores information on every transaction or trade. Also, the trade is protected by high-grade cryptography. The simplest way of investing in cryptocurrency is by trading (buying and selling) of any crypto coin like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Cadence, etc. These are done through online exchanges where investors open an account and start the trade.

What Is A Cryptocurrency Exchange?

These platforms facilitate cryptocurrency trading in exchange for digital and fiat currencies. They act as an intermediary between a buyer and a seller and charge a commission or transaction fee. CoinDCX, CoinSwitch Kuber, and UnoCoin are some examples of online exchanges operating in India. An investor can also use an online exchange to convert their crypto coins back into fiat currency (Indian Rupee or US Dollar) for withdrawing the amount from their bank account later.

How Does It Work?

A cryptocurrency exchange acts like an intermediary a brokerage firm between a buyer and a seller of cryptocurrency. It allows a buyer to deposit money using several methods like direct bank transfer, UPI, using debit or credit cards, etc. It charges a set commission or fee for every transaction done using its services.

The first thing a buyer (or investor) will need to do is to find the right online exchange. This step will require a fair bit of research about the platform's history, credibility, and what benefits it will offer you for trading. The next step is opening a trading account, which is fairly simple.

Download an app of the exchange you have selected and create an account. It will ask you for some information like your email address. It will then send a verification email to that address and may also ask for KYC details. Verify the address on your email id and complete the KYC process. Then set a password on the app and you are set to launch yourself in the world of cryptocurrency.

Do not lose any passwords related to the app, wallet, or exchange. They may not be recovered.

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What Is A Cryptocurrency Exchange? How To Start Trading In It? - NDTV Profit