Category: Coin Guide

There are several thousands of cryptocurrencies out there, known also as altcoins. These coins and tokens all have their own unique features and uses, for example, some are used to help decide the direction the creator company should take, others give you discounts or access to special features. The Coin Guide is a concise summary of the aims and technology behind a certain cryptocurrencies. Insight is crucial in this field. Many projects disguise their progress through complicated jargon, making it hard to distinguish those who are building something meaningful from those who are not.

  • Hot Wallets vs. Cold Wallets: Differences, Pros and Cons

    Hot Wallets vs. Cold Wallets: Differences, Pros and Cons

    Hot and cold wallets are used to store your cryptocurrencies, specifically your private keys which grant you access to your crypto assets. They are therefore a crucial element of the cryptocurrency space.

    The major difference between hot and cold wallets is that hot wallets are connected to the internet whilst cold wallets are not.

    For those holding cryptocurrencies, the choice between cold and hot wallets depends on factors such as the amount of coins you hold, the frequency in which you trade etc.

    Click here to learn more about private and public keys.

    Hot Wallets

    Hot wallets are connected to the internet and are generally more popular.

    Examples of Hot Wallets

    Wallet NameSupported Coins
    Platforms

    Key Features
    Best For
    Best Wallet1,000+MobileNon-custodial, multi-chain, portfolio toolsOverall
    Zengo120+MobileMPC security, beginner-friendlyNew crypto users
    Binance Wallet
    460+
    MobileCEX integration, fast tradingExchange users
    Bybit Wallet
    750+
    Mobile, BrowserSecure Web3 access, stakingWeb3 and DeFi users
    OKX Wallet330+Mobile, BrowserdApp support, multi-chaindApp explorers
    SafePal
    1,000+
    Mobile, BrowserHardware wallet integrationHybrid users
    CoolWallet
    200+

    Mobile
    Scam protection, Bluetooth hardware optionSecurity-focused users
    CoinSpot Wallet
    300+

    Mobile, Web App
    Australian market focusRegional users (Australia)
    Hot wallet: Enjin mobile wallet
    Hot wallet: Enjin mobile wallet

    Pros

    • Instant Access: Always online, making it ideal for frequent trading, staking, and spending.
    • Free & User-Friendly: Most hot wallets are free and offer intuitive interfaces for beginners.
    • Mobile Integration: Seamless compatibility with smartphones, wearables, and browser extensions.
    • DeFi & NFT Ready: Direct access to decentralized apps and NFT marketplaces without needing external tools.
    • Cloud Sync & Recovery: Many wallets now support encrypted cloud backups and multi-device sync for easier recovery.

    Cons

    • Still Vulnerable to Hacks: Despite improved encryption and two-factor authentication, hot wallets remain exposed to phishing, malware, and SIM-swap attacks.
    • Custodial Risk: If you store assets on exchange-linked wallets, you’re still at risk from platform failures or regulatory shutdowns.
    • Privacy Trade-offs: Many mobile wallets now require KYC or link to identity data, reducing anonymity.
    • Device Dependency: Losing access to your phone or computer can lock you out, especially if recovery options aren’t properly set up.
    • Limited Offline Protection: Unlike cold wallets, hot wallets are always online, making them unsuitable for long-term, high-value storage.

    Cold Wallets

    Cold wallets are also known as hardware wallets. They are physical offline storage devices that you plug into your computer to use.

    Cold wallets
    Cold wallets: Clockwise from left, the Ledger Nano X, Trezor Model T and KeepKey

    Examples of Cold Wallets

    Wallet NameNumber of Supported CoinsPlatformsKey Features
    Best For
    Ledger Nano X / S Plus5,500+Hardware, MobileBluetooth support, secure chip, Ledger Live app
    Users needing broad coin support and mobile access
    Trezor Model T / Safe 51,000+HardwarePassphrase protection, open-source firmware, enhanced securityUsers prioritizing open-source tools but aware of hardware risks
    KeepKey40+HardwareLarge display, ShapeShift integrationSimplicity and visual clarity
    Cold Wallet (CWT)1,,000+Hardware, MobileCashback rewards, native CWT token, Plus Wallet acquisitionUsers seeking rewards and ecosystem integration
    Ellipal Titan 2.010+HardwareAir-gapped QR code transactions, tamper-proof designOffline security and remote attack resistance
    BitBox02
    20+
    HardwareDual-chip architecture, microSD backup, Swiss-madePrivacy-conscious and minimalist users

    Pros

    • Top-tier Security: Offline storage plus biometric authentication keeps assets safe from online threats.
    • Broad Asset Support: Compatible with thousands of coins and NFTs across major blockchains.
    • Advanced Backup Options: Features like Shamir Backup and encrypted microSD recovery reduce risk of loss.
    • DeFi Access: Secure bridges and apps allow staking and trading without exposing private keys.
    • Tamper-Proof & Transparent: Open-source firmware and tamper-evident hardware ensure trust and auditability.

    Cons

    • Cost Still a Barrier: Prices range from $79 to $199 depending on features like biometric security and multi-chain support.
    • Less Convenient for Active Trading: Transferring assets to exchanges for trading still adds friction, though some wallets now offer direct DeFi access.
    • Setup and Maintenance: Initial setup takes time, and firmware updates require manual steps to maintain security.
    • Physical Risk: Devices can be lost, stolen, or damaged—though encrypted backups and recovery protocols have improved.
    • Limited Mobile Experience: Despite Bluetooth and mobile apps, cold wallets remain less seamless than hot wallets for on-the-go use.

    Conclusion

    While cold wallets still require more effort to set up and use, they remain the gold standard for long-term crypto security. With biometric authentication, encrypted backups, and broader asset support, they’ve become more user-friendly without compromising safety.

    Hot wallets, on the other hand, continue to dominate for everyday use. Their integration with DeFi platforms, NFT marketplaces, and mobile devices makes them ideal for active traders and casual users. However, risks from hacks and custodial failures persist—even in 2025.

    Best practice: Keep small amounts in hot wallets for daily transactions and trading. Store the bulk of your holdings in cold wallets, and transfer profits promptly to secure offline storage. This hybrid approach balances convenience with protection.

  • Post.tech $POST strategy guide: How to get maximum points?

    Post.tech $POST strategy guide: How to get maximum points?

    Post.tech is a next generation Web3 social network built on Arbitrum. Post.tech allows you to earn points and tokens simply by using and posting on Post.tech or Twitter (X). Here’s our secret strategy guide on how to get maximum Post.tech points and $POST tokens!

    Interacting with other users will give you MAXIMUM points and $POST, so follow us on Twitter so we can $POST you too!

    Check out our other SocialFi platform strategy guides:

    What is Post.tech?

    Post.Tech is a social media platform that operates similarly to its predecessor, Friend.Tech. It offers token-gated channels where users can buy and sell access tokens. Post.tech charges a 10% fee on transactions, which is split evenly between the app and the channel’s owner. The Post.Tech platform has been gaining huge popularity recently, and on 20th September 2023 recorded $875,000 in transaction volume and trading volume exceeding $1.81 million in 24 hours.

    How does Post.tech work?

    Posting or engaging on either the Post.tech or Twitter (X) platforms gives you rewards. On Post.tech, users will need to create posts and engage with the community. Meanwhile, on Twitter (X), users will need to create tweets or reply mentioning @PostTechSoFi and $post in order to earn points. At the end of each epoch (i.e. week), Post.tech will calculate the number of points earned which can be redeemed for Post.tech’s tokens after the airdrop campaign ends. Users will be able to claim their tokens then.

    Will there be a Post.tech $POST token airdrop?

    Post.tech have confirmed on their website they will be doing an a $POST token airdrop. To get a Post-tech airdrop, all you need to do is post and engage with the community on Post.tech or Twitter (X).

    How to use Post.tech?

    Here’s how to set up, use and start earning Post.tech $POST points and tokens.

    1. Set up Post.tech account

      Go to https://post.tech/ and link up your Twitter (X) account.

    2. Start posting and engaging with the community

      Posts and engagement on both Twitter (X) and Post.tech give you points, with the latter platform giving you more points. But remember, if you post on Twitter (X), you need to mention @PostTechSoFi and $POST in order to earn points.

    3. Buy and sell profiles

      To buy and sell profiles, you will need to deposit at least 0.001 ETH. The advantages of doing this are that you will earn 5% in trading fees when your profile’s shares a traded. You will also increase your reputation on the Post.tech platform, which can lead to extra rewards. You can see the number of points awarded for each post/interaction here.

    4. Claim $POST tokens

      At the end of each epoch (i.e. 1 week), Post.tech will finalise your point count. And after the end of the airdrop campaign, Friend.tech will tally up all your points and determine your $POST token entitlement.

    How are Post.tech points calculated?

    Different interactions on Twitter (X) and Post.tech give you differing amounts of points. Here’s how the Twitter (X) and Post.tech points are calculated:

    Points for posting on Post.tech

    Here’s how points are calculated for posting on Post.tech:

    • Posts: Up to 10k points (5 posts/day)
    • Replies: Up to 5k points (25 times/day)
    • Invite friends: 30k points (unlimited)
    • Profile shares (i.e. profile sales on Post.tech): 150k – 15M points
    • Shares holding (i.e. purchasing and holding shares on Post.tech): 200k – 15M points
    • Buy/Sell shares (i.e. profile trading on Post.tech): 30k points (unlimited)

    Points for posting on Twitter (X)

    Here’s how points are calculated for posting on Twitter (X). Note that each tweet or reply must mention @PostTechSoFi and $POST in order to qualify:

    • Original tweet: Up to 15k points (5 tweets/day)
    • Tweet replies: Up to 7.5k points (25 replies/day)

    How to get maximum Post.tech $POST points: Strategy guide

    Here are some strategies to get maximum $POST points:

    • Profile trading: Buy and sell newer/cheaper profiles faster to earn more points on profile trading. Remember, there’s no limit on the number of points you can earn through profile trading!
    • Only hodl “good” profiles i.e those with high engagement posts.
    • On smaller Post.tech or Twitter (X) accounts, reply to original posts with @PostTechSoFi and $POST. This is so they may also reply to your posts and you can win together!
    • Focus on posting on Post.tech. Whilst you get fewer points for posting on Post.tech, the engagement will be very high since everyone who is on Post.tech is in it for the points. It is also a good place to make friends to exchange engagement.

    Where can I trade $POST tokens?

    Post.tech $POST tokens have not officially launched yet, so they are not tradable on any exchange. They are likely to launch once their airdrop campaign ends.

    Conclusion

    Post.tech is a Web3 social network that rewards users for posting and engaging on its own platform or on Twitter (X). Users can earn points and tokens by creating content, interacting with others, and trading profiles. Post.tech also offers token-gated channels where users can access exclusive content and communities. Post.tech is currently running an airdrop campaign where users can claim $POST tokens based on their points. With our guide and strategies, you can earn the maximum number of points and $POST tokens! Good luck and show your support by following us on Twitter!

  • Tipcoin $tip token strategy guide: How to get maximum points!

    Tipcoin $tip token strategy guide: How to get maximum points!

    Tipcoin refers to itself as the “future of social interaction”. It allows users to receive points simply for posting on Twitter/X. What’s more, there are ways to get multipliers on points depending on the type of tip. Here’s our secret strategy guide on how to get maximum Tipcoin $TIP tokens.

    Interacting with other Twitter users will give you MAXIMUM points and $tip, so follow us on Twitter so we can $tip you too and get you started!

    Check out our other SocialFi platform strategy guides:

    Tipcoin step-by-step set up and strategy guide

    1. Set up and use Tipcoin account. See here
    2. Use our strategies to get maximum points and $tip. See here.

    What is Tipcoin?

    Tipcoin is a cryptocurrency aims to transform Twitter / X into a platform for seamless social interaction by enabling users to reward friends and their favorite content creators effortlessly. It operates as a decentralized social platform, rewarding users on Twitter for their engagement and tweets. To earn rewards, users simply need to mention Tipcoin by tagging @tipcoineth on Twitter and using $tip or #tip in their tweets.

    How does Tipcoin work?

    Twitter/ X users are rewarded with points for replying, quoting or tweeting if they mention $tip or #tip. As will be seen below, different types of tweets e.g. original tweets, tipped quotes or replies, and kickbacks will entitle you to get more points.

    Tipcoin has been working on 1 week epochs since 1st September 2023 at 8:00am EST (i.e. their launch date). Points earned during each epoch (week) are calculated. Then, Tipcoin will calculate and determine how much $tip they earned using their point system. Finally, users can claim their earned $tip tokens in the next epoch (i.e. next week).

    Will there be a Tipcoin $tip airdrop?

    According to Tipcoin’s tokenomics, 35% of $tip tokens will be reserved for platform rewards. Tipcoin have also confirmed that they will be doing airdrops on their future $tip platform. More details will be released in the week leading up to the end of epoch 3. So, watch this space for more details on the upcoming Tipcoin airdrop! (Diazepam)

    How to use Tipcoin?

    Here’s how to set up, use and earn Tipcoin ($tip)

    1. Set up and activate $tip account

      On their page, click “Start Now” to link and authorise your Twitter account. You will then need to send out an activation sweet and share a confirmation post by following their prompts.

    2. Begin tweeting!

      Reply, quote, or tweet by tagging @tipcoineth and mentioning $tip or #tip.  You will then automatically be awarded points!

    3. Claim points

      Your points and $tip allocation will be calculated after each epoch. To claim your earned $tip, go to the “Claim” tab on the top of the page.

    How are Tipcoin points calculated?

    Different interactions on Twitter give you differing amounts of points. Here’s how Tipcoin points are calculated:

    1. 1 point per view;
    2. 100 points per like;
    3. 250 points per reply;
    4. 500 points per quote; and
    5. 1,000 points per retweet.

    Also, here are the actions which will give you multipliers on points:

    1. original tweet- 30x point multiplier;
    2. tipped quote- 10x point multiplier;
    3. tipped reply- 1x point multiplier; and
    4. replied kickbacks- 1/10 points per tip.

    However, the Tipcoin team have hinted there may be additional multipliers during claim.

    How to get maximum $tip: Strategy guide

    Here are some strategies to get maximum Tipcoin $tip:

    1. Focus on original tweets if you have a larger Twitter account. You can only get points on 5 original tweets per day, with a maximum of 18 million points per tweet!
    2. Tip quotes is a good strategy for smaller accounts. You can get points for 10 quote tweets daily, with each quote tweet potentially earning a maximum of 1 million points. This is because quoting others’ tweets whilst mentioning $tip, #tip and @tipcoineth gives a point multiplier of 10x. So, quote others’ tweets in the hopes they will quote you in return. So, follow us on Twitter and we can $tip you too!
    3. Tipped replies. Replying to others’ tweets with $tip, #tip and @tipcoineth can get you 25,000 points for 15 replies every day. Tipped replies however only offers a multiplier of 1x, so whilst it is better than nothing, the strategies in 1 and 2 above are better if you have less time.
    4. Replied kickbacks. This requires your Twitter account to be verified (i.e., blue tick). Tipcoin kickbacks means you earn points for receiving $tip and @tipcoineth replies from others. However, the multiplier is only 1/10, but with no daily upper limit.

    Where can I trade Tipcoin $tip?

    You can trade Tipcoin $tip on Uniswap, LBank, Bitget, BingX and MEXC. We expect more exchanges to offer trading in $tip soon as its popularity increases!

    Conclusion

    Tipcoin allows users to reward each other on Twitter with simple tweets. Use the @tipcoineth handle and the $tip, #tip symbol to earn points which can be exchanged for Tipcoin $tip tokens. With our guides and strategies, you can earn the maximum number of points and get more $tip! Good luck and support us by following us on Twitter so we can $tip you too!

  • zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop Guide: How to earn double airdrops!

    zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop Guide: How to earn double airdrops!

    zkLend began its creation in late 2021 with aims to create a layer 2 money-market protocol built on StarkNet. With StarkNet being one of the hottest anticipated airdrops, there is massive speculation that zkLend will also have an airdrop. Particularly since zkLend’s V1 mainnet is fast approaching. This guide will teach you how to get a potential zkLend ($ZEND) token airdrop, which may also increase your potential StarkNet airdrop too!

    Learn more: StarkNet ($STRK) Token Airdrop Guide: How to Qualify?

    zkLend ($ZEND) Airdrop Step-by-step Guide

    Here’s how to receive a potential zkLend ($ZEND) token airdrop:

    1. Go to the zkLend website.
    2. Connect a StarkNet wallet such as Argent or Braavos.
    3. Obtain some testnet ETH tokens and bridge to StarkNet.
    4. Interact with the Artemis testnet by supplying or borrowing tokens.
    5. Complete tasks on zkLend’s Questboard.

    See below for more details.

    What is zkLend?

    zkLend is a money-market protocol built on StarkNet. Its aim is to combine the best of zk-rollups and Ethereum. zkLend will enable users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. To achieve this, zkLend will be offering a dual solution in the form of 2 products: Artemis, and Apollo.

    Currently, zkLend has launched the Artemis MVP testnet on StarkNet Goreli testnet. Artemis is designed for regular DeFi users, and enables them to deposit, borrow and lend in a decentralized and permissionless manner on StarkNet.

    zkLend’s other major product, Apollo, is designed for institutional clients. The aim of Apollo is to become a gateway for institutional users into the world of DeFi. It will allow permissioned users to deposit, borrow and lend on StarkNet, but without compromising on compliance and security.

    What is the zkLend ($ZEND) token?

    The zkLend ($ZEND) token has not been launched yet. However, when it does, there will be a total token supply of 100 million tokens. 35% of the total supply of $ZEND tokens will be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    The ZEND token is intended for governance and utility functions on zkLend. In particular, ZEND tokens will be rewarded to users when they interact with the zkLend network. For example, ZEND tokens will be distributed for users when borrowing/lending or providing liquidity to the network. Also, when users participate in community events or marketing/airdrop campaigns. ZEND token holders will also be entitled to voting rights which allow them to vote on future features of zkLend.

    What is the Current Status of the zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop?

    zkLend has not launched its $ZEND token yet. However, the chances of zkLend doing an airdrop are promising. This is because they have already stated in their Whitepaper that a proportion of zkLend’s revenue would be allocated for airdrop campaigns.

    How do I participate in the $ZEND token airdrop?

    As there is no official airdrop announcement yet, many users can only speculate how to become eligible for $ZEND token airdrops. It is speculated that users could participate in the Artemis public testnet. This is in the hopes that completing zkLend testnet actions will inevitably entitle them to airdrops when the $ZEND token is launched. However, users should note that an airdrop is not guaranteed.

    Time needed: 30 minutes

    How to get a potential zkLend $ZEND token airdrop

    1. Go to the zkLend website

    2. Connect a StarkNet wallet such as Argent or Braavos.

    3. Obtain some testnet ETH tokens and bridge to StarkNet.

      Get testnet ETH here and bridge to StarkNet here.

    4. Interact with the Artemis testnet by supplying or borrowing tokens.

      Interact with the Artemis testnet here.

    5. Complete tasks on zkLend’s Questboard

      Connect your wallet to zkLend’s Questboard and complete the tasks. Tasks include joining their Discord, liking and retweeting their Tweets, and submitting your Starknet mainnet wallet address.

    Artemis is still in the testnet stage, and it is hoped that the mainnet will be launched in 2023, as well as the launch of the $ZEND token.

    Meanwhile, check out our picks for the top Upcoming Crypto Airdrops!

    zkLend Airdrop Review

    When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.

    Likelihood of Airdrop: The zkLend ($ZEND) token has not been launched yet. But the team has said that $ZEND tokens would be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    Airdropped Token Allocation: zkLend ($ZEND) will be a total token supply of 100 million tokens. 35% of the total supply of $ZEND tokens will be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    Airdrop Difficulty: It is possible that participating in the Artemis public testnet could make you eligible for a potential $ZEND airdrop. Whilst this requires time and technical knowledge, you will only be using testnet ETH so it does not cost any money on your part. Otherwise, there are simple social tasks on their Questboard which are easy to do. There may also be a possibility that doing zkLend tasks may make you eligible for the potential StarkNet airdrop too!

    Token Utility: The ZEND token is intended for governance and utility functions on zkLend. ZEND tokens will also be rewarded to users that interact with the zkLend network.

    Token Lockup: There is no announcement on the $ZEND token lockup yet. However, it is hoped that the mainnet will be launched in 2023, together with the $ZEND token.

  • Alchemy Pay ($ACH) 2023 Guide: Strongest Performing China Coin Narrative

    Alchemy Pay ($ACH) 2023 Guide: Strongest Performing China Coin Narrative

    Alchemy Pay ($ACH) is leading the Chinese coin rally. And data suggests Alchemy Pay prices can go much higher throughout 2023. They are collaborating with the likes of Binance, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal to provide crypto and fiat payment services. In this article, we will explain what Alchemy Pay is, and why $ACH should be on your 2023 watch list.

    What is Alchemy Pay?

    Alchemy Pay provides real-world crypto payment solutions and fiat on/off ramps for global businesses, developers, and consumers. One key problem in the current blockchain payment landscape is the lack of integration between traditional financial systems and cryptocurrencies. The project aims to address this by incorporating a hybrid solution. The solution is to (1) simplify the use of crypto to access traditional financial services; and (2) have fiat currency access blockchain services and value.

    This will be huge for driving crypto adoption, as it is essentially a network system that allows cross-platform payments. For example, users can use their credit cards to make payments in fiat currencies. Their payment gateway converts this into crypto. This allows users to make credit card purchases while benefiting from the advantages of cryptocurrency. Such as faster and more secure transactions.

    Payment Channels and Strategic Partners

    Alchemy Pay already has a global reach of 173 countries and over 300 fiat payment channels. These include Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, regional mobile wallets, and domestic bank transfers. They also have a massive network of strategic partnerships with many major blockchain networks and services. For example Polygon, Chainlink, Arbitrum, Coinbase, and Bybit.

    Who is the Team behind Alchemy Pay?

    In 2018, Molly Zheng and Shawn Shi established Alchemy Pay in Singapore. Both founders have extensive backgrounds in the financial sector. Zheng previously held the position of senior consultant at PayPal China, and also worked for HSBC China and Mastercard China. In 2021, Zheng was appointed Chairwoman of Alchemy Pay’s Board and was succeeded as CEO by John Tan, the then-COO. Tan was responsible for driving the growth of the project’s payment business. He did this by securing the company’s initial base of merchant networks across Asia. Their team now boasts over 80 members who have deep experience across the blockchain and payments industries.

    The “China Coin” Narrative in 2023

    A growing number of Twitter crypto experts predict a surge in the value of “Chinese coins” in the near future. The easing of regulations in Hong Kong and the potential for quantitative easing in China largely attribute to this. We also see a correlation between massive liquidity injections by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and an increase in the overall market cap of crypto.

    https://twitter.com/NoodleofBinance/status/1626839763155324929

    Furthermore, the announcement of a new licensing regime for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) in Hong Kong has generated public interest in Chinese cryptocurrencies. Even though this licensing regime will not have a direct impact on retail buyers. However, both these catalysts may not have as significant of an impact as anticipated. The uncertainty of the actual size of the monetary easing and the lack of a well-defined concept of a “Chinese coin” remain.

    People are still interested in taking advantage of any potential mini-rally despite these uncertainties. And are actively searching for investment opportunities. Whilst $ACH still has a small market cap, but with strong connections and established infrastructure, it could become a leading contender in China this year.

    Alchemy Pay news

    On 23rd February 2023, Alchemy Pay announced its partnership with Conflux Network. Conflux Network is a permissionless Layer 1 blockchain which connects decentralized economies across borders and protocols. Through this partnership, Alchemy Pay would be able to have an easy fiat on-ramp onto its ecosystem. This on-ramp payment solution will allow people to buy crypto using their local currency, which will give Conflux’s system a higher level of convenience for both beginners and experienced users. By working together, Alchemy Pay will help Conflux expand its reach around the world. Now with 2 of China’s hottest projects joining forces, we will hopefully see a massive boost for both Alchemy Pay and Conflux’s tokens.

    Alchemy Pay $ACH Token and Price Prediction for 2023

    $ACH is the utility token of Alchemy Pay, issued on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token. There is a total circulating supply of 4 billion $ACH. Its primary use is for its partners to pledge their $ACH as an intermediate settlement currency between token payment networks. Also, as a medium for transaction fees. Alchemy Pay coin is required for every transaction. But, businesses and merchants within the network receive $ACH incentives for accepting crypto as payment at their point of sale.

    As of 20th February 2023, we can see from the price chart that $ACH price is gaining a momentum. There has been a 142.1% increase over the past seven days. Technical indicators do show that $ACH is overbought. But its long-term 50 & 200 daily moving average crossover indicates a bullish trend. This suggests that $ACH is likely to continue its uptrend. The pump to $0.041 at the time of writing is partly attributed to news of them partnering with Google Pay. Provided they expand their infrastructure and build more connections, $ACH could deliver strong returns in 2023.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    What is Alchemy Pay?

    Alchemy Pay is a blockchain and cryptocurrency project which aims to provide real-world crypto payment solutions and a fiat on/off ramp for global businesses, developers, and consumers.

    Is Alchemy Pay a good coin?

    Alchemy Pay is a good coin with potential. $ACH is currently at US$0.050599 and its all-time high price was $0.198666. It is currently ranked number 177 amongst all cryptocurrencies in terms of market capitalization.

    Is Alchemy Pay a good investment?

    Alchemy Pay’s $ACH token is also very popular among Chinese cryptocurrency investors. As with any investment, it is important to do your own research and consider the potential risks before investing in Alchemy.

    Does Alchemy Pay have potential?

    Alchemy Pay does have potential since the Chinese cryptocurrency community views the project so favourably. Also, the Chinese crypto narrative is seen as a huge trend this year, which will certainly give Alchemy Pay a boost.

    Who invested in Alchemy Pay?

    Alchemy Pay completed its Series A funding round in 2022. They raised US$15 million from several investors including Charles Schwab and Jay Z.

  • What is Vechain? Blockchain for Enterprise in 2023

    What is Vechain? Blockchain for Enterprise in 2023

    What is Vechain? VeChain ($VET) is a next-generation smart contract blockchain platform focused on solving enterprise and supply chain management solutions. The blockchain supports the creation of smart contracts – self-executing contacts that have a guaranteed outcome without third-party trust. Vechain’s unique advantage is that it has close relations with the big four auditing firms, such as Pricewaterhouse Cooper, who will use blockchains to audit firms.

    Vechain is designed to can solve enterprise problems such as:

    • Anti-counterfeit for Luxury Brands – through the use of smart chips, Vechain tracks each individual item and prevents duplication. Vechain Toolchain allows anyone to create anti-counterfeit tags.
    • Cold-chain Logistics – ensure that food doesn’t spoil during transportation and storage by using smart IoT sensors that automatically report crucial information to the blockchain.
    • Automobile – keep a tamper-proof record of vehicle data including repair history, insurance, registration, and driver habits.
    • Carbon Credits – Quantitatively track the carbon contributions of a particular company to reduce carbon emissions. For retail users, the app is already available on WeChat. Consumers engaging in low-carbon behaviors (e.g. purchasing low-carbon products) would be rewarded with credits that can be redeemed for environmentally friendly goods or donated to charity.
    • Clinical trial traceability platform – with a partnership with Bayer China, Vechain will use blockchain to solve problems of digitalized clinical trial traceability.

    Using blockchain technology, VeChain makes it simple and secure for product manufacturers to collect, manage, and share important product data with vendors and consumers throughout the life-cycle of a product.

    Key Features of Vechain

    • Public blockchain Anyone can read, write and deploy decentralized applications and smart contracts onto the VeChainThor blockchain.
    • In-house IOT and supply chain management technology Proven blockchain implementation experiences in industries such as luxury goods, liquor, and agriculture.
    • Native Fee Delegation The blockchain supports the implementation of native fee delegation, which means dApp users do not need to hold VET or VTHO to write transactions if associated gas costs are specified by the developers to be sponsored.

    VeChain Ecosystem

    To achieve its ambitious vision, VeChain has developed a powerful blockchain-enabled enterprise software platform. The Platform enables manufacturers to assign products with unique identities, which then allows manufacturers, supply chain partners, and even consumers to interact with the product through the platform. It uses blockchain technology to ensure the security of the data collected, allocating private keys to all participants within the supply chain.

    Products are assigned a unique ID, which is stored simultaneously on the blockchain and attributed to the product with an NFC chip, RFID tag or QR code. At any point during the product’s life, the chip, tag or code can be interacted with, whether by a distribution or retail partner ascertaining batch membership, or a consumer wanting to learn more about a product. The Company envisages a broad range of applications, including brand protection, anti-counterfeit, and food safety.

    VeChain has existed since 2015 and migrated its previous private and consortium blockchain to its public VeChainThor blockchain in 2018. This move opens up the advanced features found on the blockchain to any developer or third party to develop and write applications on the platform. There have been several companies that chose to build their business on top of VeChainThor, including Plair and 8Hours Foundation, as well as several independent community developers.

    Vechain Roadmap in 2023

    Vechain Token Economics

    Vechain uses a dual-token economic model. The primary token, VeChain Token (VET) is used to represent value on the network, with various mechanisms designed to stabilize the price of VET over time.

    VET holders will also automatically generate the utility token, VeChain Thor Token (VTHO). VTHO is a “gas” currency, and is required to send transactions or perform actions on the network. Regular network users do not have to worry about separately buying VTHO though, as it is automatically generated in proportion to the amount of VET held. When a transaction is executed, 70% of VTHO is permanently destroyed (“burned”) and 30% is given as a block reward to Authority Node holders.

    This dual-token economic model was introduced to improve network economics. This system is designed to help developers on the network. Developers holding enough VET will be able to use the network for free, as the VTHO generated will be enough to pay for transactions. If a developer is developing a transaction-intensive app, they can also look to use the multi-party payment protocol.

    [wp-compear id=”5256″]

    In short:

    • Vechain Token (VET) serves as a reserve for economic staking and value transfer on the platform. VET can be “staked” in various economic nodes and generate VTHO which powers transactions on the network.
    • VeThor Token (VTHO) is the “gas” required to perform transactions and interact with smart contracts. Each time a transaction is made, VTHO is consumed and destroyed.

    Using and Storing Vechain

    Vechain can be stored safely on the VeChainThor Wallet which is available on smartphones (iOS and Android). The mobile wallet securely encrypts and provides keys to provide maximum security for Vechain holders.

    What are VeChain Nodes?

    Nodes are traceable wallets (such as the VeChainThor wallet) that have a specified minimum amount of VeChain stored inside. There are 2 types of nodes: Authority Nodes and Economic Nodes, both of which have their own requirements, functions, and benefits.

    Authority (Thrudheim) Nodes: Securing Vechain by Proof of Authority

    At the heart of Vechain are the 101 Authority Nodes that process and validate all the blockchain transactions, as well as govern the network via a voting mechanism. These Authority Nodes are selected by the Vechain Foundation and go through a full application and KYC procedure. As a reward, Authority Node holders receive the highest VTHO production rate and voting rights. Authority Nodes are generally owned by large enterprises and trusted individuals to ensure decentralized trust. Little is known about the identity of these Authority Node holders for security reasons, but several large enterprises such as DNV GL and PwC have come forward saying they hold Authority Nodes.

    Economic Nodes: Providing stability to the ecosystem through staking

    Economic Nodes do not validate blockchain transactions, rather they keep the Vechain ecosystem stable by keeping a certain amount of VET tokens in their VeChain Thor mobile wallet. There are different tiers of economic nodes and the more VET tokens staked for a longer period of time, the higher the rewards.

    To become a Normal Economic Node holder, a minimum of 1,000.000 VET for 10 days is required.

    More dedicated node holders can join VeChain’s X Node program which offer even more rewards. For X Node holders, holding a minimum of 600.000 VET at all times is required.

    There are 4 types of rewards depending on the type of Node held. These range from earning a sum of VTHO per day, rewards from the Company’s Foundation Reward Pool, to whitelist access to VeChain ICOs.

    Learn more about the various types of Nodes and rewards.

    History of Vechain

    VeChain started in 2015 with the establishment of its company in Shanghai. Founded by CEO Sunny Lu (ex-CIO of Louis Vuitton China), the Company has been developing enterprise-focused solutions based on its private blockchain. As the trend towards better decentralization occurred in the blockchain industry, VeChain migrated to a consortium blockchain before finally establishing the VeChain Foundation and starting their final migration to a Proof of Authority (PoA)-based public blockchain platform.

    The Foundation’s vision is to create greater market transparency and provide consumers with access to more detailed information about the products they buy, sell, and interact with. By having a full 360-degree view of the supply chain, with all components securely recorded and stored in a tamper-proof distributed ledger, retailers and manufacturers can be certain of the quality and authenticity of their products, guaranteeing consumers that what they are buying is really what they think it is.

    VeChain boasts partnerships and lives use cases with many notable partners, including DNV GL, PwC, Deloitte, Walmart China, BMW, BYD Auto, Bayer China, H&M, LVMH, ENN, AWS, PICC, ASI Group, etc.

    Key VeChain Partnerships

    DNV GL

    DNV GL was founded in 1864 and has 300 offices worldwide. They provide quality assurance services to companies in the maritime, oil and gas, and power and renewables industries.

    DNV GL issues Management System Certificates at the end of their inspection and certification process. This evidences that the company’s processes and products meet international standards.

    DNV GL Luca Crisciotti presenting benefits of Digital Assurance

    DNV GL is a partner and shareholder of VeChain. Both Companies share the belief that the future of assurance lies in blockchain technologyAt VeChain Summit 2019, DNVGL announced it has completely migrated its private blockchain to the VechainThor

    Since the partnership announcement, DNV GL has jointly developed several products including the Low Carbon Ecosystem and MyStory, a traceability and marketing solution. DNV GL has also reaffirmed its commitment to the VeChain ecosystem by migrating its private blockchain onto the VeChainThor public blockchain for its clients. DNV GL also gave each client a digital Non-Fungible Token (NFT) wallet so that each customer has a digital identity and can access and interact with the DNV GL ecosystem. Through this, DNV GL has issued more than 900,000 wallets, compared to Ethereum which only has 400,000 wallets.

    BMW

    In March 2018, BMW confirmed VeChain’s participation in the BMW Startup Garage Programme, a partnership program whereby BMW will work with the participant to develop their technology and purchase it for BMW’s use.

    During the 2019 VeChain Summit, it was confirmed that VeChain and BMW will jointly develop a DApp called VerifyCar for BMW cars. VerifyCar will record vehicle information onto the VeChainThor blockchain. Examples of information which will be recorded include a vehicle’s mileage, insurance and service records.

    Cihan Albay, Leader at IT Tech Office Singapore, BMW Group gives a presentation on VerifyCar

    PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC)

    PwC is known as one of the “Big Four” auditors. They are a network of firms in over 150 countries and provide services to 420 of the Fortune 500 companies.

    PwC has 3 major service lines:

    • Assurance providing financial audits;
    • Advisory on actuarial and insurance management solutions and human resource services; and
    • Tax planning and consultancy services.

    VeChain has partnered with PwC since May 2017 to jointly develop and promote the adoption of blockchain technology. After much speculation, details of their partnership were announced during a joint press conference with PwC and Walmart in June 2019. It was announced that Vechain and PwC were also working with Walmart China, and had launched the Walmart China Blockchain Traceability Platform built on the VeChainThor Blockchain. The Platform takes on the challenge of food safety by using VeChain’s technology to allow Walmart China to implement a traceability strategy for its products. Consumers can scan the products and would be able to view detailed information on the product, such as its source, logistics process, product inspection reports etc.

    At the time of the announcement, an initial 23 Walmart product lines were tested and launched on the Platform. By the end of 2020, it is expected that Walmart’s China’s traceability system will see traceable fresh meat account for 50% of its fresh meat sales, traceable vegetables will account for 40% of its total sales of vegetables, and traceable seafood will account for 12.5% of the total sales of seafood.

    Bayer China

    The partnership between VeChain and Bayer China, the Greater China arm of one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies was announced on 28th May 2020. VeChain has created CSecure, a clinical trial traceability platform to be used in Bayer’s research and development of medical interventions such as drugs and other treatments. Learn more about Vechain and Bayer’s partnership.

    Additional reading

    Check out VeChain Insider’s complete list of VeChain’s partnerships and details and our recap of the announcements at the 2019 VeChain Summit.

    FAQ

    What is VeChain?

    VeChain is a blockchain-enabled platform that provides a comprehensive governance structure, a robust economic model, and advanced IoT integration to help enterprises improve supply chain management, asset tracking, data management, and more.

    What are the benefits of using VeChain?

    VeChain offers a wide range of benefits, including improved transparency, enhanced security, improved traceability, increased efficiency, cost savings, and more.

    How does VeChain work?

    VeChain uses a combination of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and IoT devices to create an immutable, distributed ledger that can be used to track and manage assets, contracts, and data.

    What industries can benefit from VeChain?

    VeChain has applications in a variety of industries, including supply chain management, asset tracking, data management, healthcare, finance, and more.

    What is VeChain Thor?

    VeChain Thor is the native blockchain platform of VeChain, which enables users to develop decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.

    Where can I buy Vechain

    Currently, the best exchange to trade both the $VET and $VTHO token is Binance – it has the most number of traders and highest liquidity. You can purchase VET on cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance, Huobi, and OKEx.

    What is VeChain’s token?

    VeChain’s token is called VET, and it is used to power the VeChain network and reward users for their contributions.

    What is VeChain’s roadmap in 2023?

    The VeChain Foundation says the project’s developers plan to spend the first half of the year at work on a carbon footprint explorer, a wallet browser extension and an Ethereum (ETH) token bridge, among other projects.

    Resources:

    Website https://www.vechain.com

    Foundation: https://www.vechain.org

    Medium (update and key articles): https://medium.com/@vechainofficial

    Development Plan https://cdn.vechain.com/vechain_ico_ideas_of_development_en.pdf

    Telegram https://t.me/vechain_official_english

    Vechain Mainnet Launch Guide http://www.asiacryptotoday.com/vechain-mainnet-launch

  • Enjin (ENJ) Explained: Blockchain Gaming Platform

    Enjin (ENJ) Explained: Blockchain Gaming Platform

    Enjin is a blockchain gaming platform focused on the creation of digital collectible items that are truly owned by the user. The platform offers methods for creating digital assets (known as ERC1155 tokens) for use across multiple Video Games. Their uses include collectible art or even in-shop coupons. Blockchain gaming allows gamers to have true ownership of their in-game items and trade them for value.

    Enjin Platform uses Blockchain technology for these key benefits:

    • True item ownership – with transactions that cannot be censored powered by the Ethereum blockchain.
    • Convenient Exchange of value – digital items can be traded or sold instantly. The Enjin Wallet also allows users to access decentralised exchanges such as Kyber Network and Changelly.
    • Reserve Value – unwanted digital items can be “melted” into the Enjin Coin cryptocurrency.
    • Single Wallet for all items – the Enjin Wallet users to keep all digital assets in one single location.
    • ERC-1155 Token Standard – a superior version of the ERC20 and ERC721 token. Its transaction bundling and multi-send features mean it will save users’ costs.

    What is Enjin Coin (ENJ)?

    Enjin coin’s (ENJ) value comes from its use case as a stored reserve value in every item created on the Enjin Platform. $ENJ is locked up when items are created and released when items are destroyed.

    Items store (lock up) a certain amount of ENJ, with items such as the infamous “Monolith” storing 1,155,777 ENJ. ENJ from items can only be extracted by destroying the item (“via the melting process”). This creates a situation where more and more ENJ is locked up and overall supply is reduced as the platform is used by more games.

    #meltismurder
    Popular meme “Melt is Murder” discourages the destruction of items

    In terms of economics ENJ is a scarce resource and each game acts as a “value trap” for ENJ – locking up ENJ reserve and increasing the scarcity of $ENJ. With a limited supply of 1,000,000,000 $ENJ, this cryptocurrency acts as a form of “Digital Gold” – its value determined by the dynamics of supply and demand within the game’s ecosystem.

    Enjinx showcases all valuable assets and games on the Enjin Plastofrm

    Cross-game items – Enjin Multiverse

    One of the unique advantages of Blockchain gaming is the ability to create items that can be used across different games by different developers. This means players can carry their items between games like it is a single world (also known as the Multiverse).

    Multiverse items are possible because assets are stored on a decentralised blockchain – so independent developers can all access the item. To encourage the development of cross game items, Enjin announced its newest asset the Stormwall. It is an example of what we can expect with its gaming assets. Stormwall is a shield that moves across Enjin’s Multiverse of games.

    In the below video we see Stormwall being as a playable item in 32 different games including 9Lives Arena, Age of Rust, Cats in Mechs and more.

    Why is a Multiverse Beneficial?

    One of the biggest questions asked about cross-game items is – why is it beneficial for game developers and players? For developers, supporting cross-game items mean that they gain the benefits of additional exposure from games participating in the multiverse and increased retention from players who want to test out the item. This is especially important in this age as player attention is extremely valuable and having players “check out” how an items works in a different game drastically improves player interest.

    For players, having cross-game items mean that their items are naturally move valuable, especially long term value. This means that the effort used to earn valuable items are not wasted if they can be used in new upcoming games.

    The Enjin Coin Ecosystem

    Enjin have created an entire ecosystem where you can create, store, trade and use these items.

    • Enjin Wallet – Cryptocurrency wallet to safely store cryptocurrencies, blockchain gaming assets and exchange value. For more information check our EnjinWallet review.
    • EnjinX – Blockchain explorer to view transactions and items
    • Unity Plugin – Allows game developers to directly implement and issue items in games on multiple platforms like iOS, android, PC and MacOS.
    • Marketplace – buy and list items with the safety of smart contracts that independently facilitate the trade.

    Enjin for Mobile Games

    One of the biggest use case for non-fungible tokens is in mobile games. Mobile gaming is currently valued at $63.2 billion USD globally and growing on a year by year basis (Source: newzoo). Enjin has a direct partnership with game engine Unity which hosts the Enjin SDK which allows for easy integration of Blockchain assets directly into the game.

    Enjin Partnerships

    Enjin has a strategic partnerships with increase the rate of adoption of Blockchain Gaming and growth of the ecosystem. On the gaming side there is a partnership is with cross-platform game engine Unity with the introduction of the SDK

    The Enjinwallet has recently become the first wallet to offer full Binance Chain and all BEP-2 (Mithril, ChangeNow) based tokens.

    Enjin and Samsung Partnership

    Samsung’s s10 presentation at MWC Barcelona 2019 that broke the internet

    Enjin has been partnered with smartphone manufacturer Samsung Electronics to as a technology provider. Enjin Wallet directly interacts with the Samsung’s Blockchain Keystore, a trusted zone on new Samsung devices which is specifically designed to key cryptographic private keys safe. Samsung will also support Enjin’s ERC-1155 token standard and increase the adoption of Blockchain based non-fungible tokens.

    Enjin and Microsoft Partnership

    Microsoft Azure Heroes using Enjin ERC 1155
    Microsoft Azure Heroes using Enjin ERC 1155

    Microsoft has chosen Enjin as technology provider with the deployment of Azure Heroes, a program that will directly use ERC-1155 non-fungible tokens as a reward. This Blockchain-based reward will be given to contributors who help produce material for the Microsoft Azure platform, with participants given cute badge(r)s. For example, makers that contribute to the developer community or content heroes will be given rare badgers.

    These collectable badgers are a proof of achievement as an Azure Hero which you can show off on your social media. As these are tokenized assets on the blockchain, they cannot be faked. So no fake achievements or heroes here!

    https://twitter.com/AzureHeroes/status/1310851813164412928

    Enjin has entered the (DeFi) game

    Enjin Coin (ENJ) is now supported by the Aave Protocol. This means users can deposit ENJ in the Aave Protocol and earn interest whilst others borrow your ENJ. The Aave Protocol protects your deposits as it is controlled by immutable and transparent Ethereum smart contracts. Your ENJ is also secured by other cryptocurrencies left on the Protocol as collateral.

    How to connect Enjin Wallet to Aave Protocol

    Now with the Enjin-Aave partnership, you can directly interact with the Aave Protocol with your Enjin Wallet (which in our opinion is the best mobile wallet EVER). Here’s how: On the Enjin wallet, go to “DApp Browser”. On the search bar, go to app.aave.com. Click “Browser wallet” and when asked to choose your market, choose “Aave Market”.

    Connect Enjin Wallet to Aave Protocol
    Connect Enjin Wallet to Aave Protocol

    Enjin and BMW

    After much speculation, Enjin has confirmed they are partnering up with BMW to integrate Enjin Coin token swap into BMW’s Vantage App. The Vantage App is a Korean customer loyalty app for car-owners. Users can use the app to pay for goods/services such as gas, highway tolls and parking fees. There will also be referral rewards for dining and shopping.

    Purchases on the BMW Vantage app are rewarded with BMW Coins which can be used as spending for various activities and be swapped for ENJ.

    Note the token swap feature is not available on the Vantage App yet and according to Enjin, more details will be available once it is live.

    Enjin putting property on NFTs with LABS Group partnership

    Enjin is helping LABS Group put property on NFTs and the blockchain with its partnership.

    LABS Group will be using Enjin’s NFT minting platform to tokenise real estate on the blockchain. LABS Group will be offering fractionalized deeds of real estate for as low as USD$100, allowing retail investors (particularly millennials) to finally enter and invest in the real estate market.

    The range of real estate on offer will include buildings, hotel rooms and apartments. Trades will all take place securely through the regulated LABS Security Exchange.

    This marks the introduction of blockchain into the world’s oldest and largest asset class, valued at approximately USD$228 trillion.

    Enjin enters Japanese cryptocurrency market

    Enjin will be the FIRST gaming cryptocurrency to be listed on Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges. And it is going straight for the top with one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges- Coincheck.

    Enjin ($ENJ) will be listed on Coincheck from 26th January 2021.

    This is a significant first step for Enjin into the Japanese market. Enjin’s aims are twofold- for ENJ to be approved by Japan’s finance regulators and to promote adoption of the Enjin Platform in the Japanese gaming industry.

    This listing was one and a half years in the making, having to pass the rigorous auditing and monitoring of the Japanese Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA)- formally recognised by Japanese financial regulators, the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA). The approval process for cryptocurrencies in Japan is notoriously difficult, with only 15 cryptocurrencies (including Enjin) being approved for listing on Coincheck.

    Japan also has a fiercely competitive cryptocurrency exchange market with over 20 exchanges in operation. Coincheck is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan based on volume, founded in 2014 with over 1.7m users and counting, and prides itself on being the top downloaded cryptocurrency app in Japan.

    As Enjin now has its foot in the door of the Japanese market, the Enjin team is now in discussions with various domestic companies and projects. With Japan being the pioneers of the gaming world (think Super Mario, Pokemon and Final Fantasy), it will be interesting to see what innovations Enjin can bring to the space.

    See Enjin’s official announcement on the Coincheck listing.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does it cost ENJ to transfer tokens on Enjin Chain?

    Enjin isn’t a blockchain, rather it’s a project built on Ethereum. In order to transfer Items (non-fungible tokens), you’ll need to use ethereum (similar to how ERC20 tokens work). In the future Enjin is explorer additional scaling options (Efinity) to allow for free item transfers.

    What is the most EXPENSIVE item on ENJIN

    The Monolith is the most expensive item on ENJIN, with 1,155,777 ENJ locked in the item. At the time of writing, this item is worth $168,000 USD!

    What makes ENJIN valuable

    ENJIN is a scarce resource, used to lock value into ever item created on the ENJIN platform. This means as time progresses and more games create items on ENJIN, more and more $ENJ will be locked up creating scarcity in supply

    Where can I buy Enjin

    $Enj is listed on all major exchanges, such as Binance.

    Other Resources:

    EnjinX – Blockchain explorer that tracks the Ethereum Blockchain, ERC-20 and ERC-1155 items
    Egamers – Enjin Games news website
    Everything Enjin – Great site covering Enjin Related News
    Multiverse Era – Telegram Channel about the Enjin Multiverse
    Castle Crypto – Coverage of Enjin games
    AsiaCryptoToday – cover of Enjin Platform

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • DAO Maker ($DAO): can retail investors become venture capitalists?

    DAO Maker ($DAO): can retail investors become venture capitalists?

    One notable challenge for every startup is finding the required capital to set up businesses. This is where concepts like venture capital help such businesses to meet the required level of capital to help them blossom. However, this has traditionally been a field accessible by funds and institutions with ample resources.

    DAO Maker is here to improve the process for both parties by respectively creating growth technologies and funding frameworks for startups, and reducing risks for investors.

    Background and Team

    The Founder of DAO Maker is Christoph Zaknun who entered the cryptocurrency space in 2017. The idea of private permissionless money and the gains associated with cryptocurrency lured him further into the creation of ICO DOG, a platform that allowed for investing in token presales.

    His Co-founder, Giorgio Marciano, also acts as DAO Maker’s CTO. Marciano has over 16 years of experience in developing software and products.

    Other notable team members include Hatu Sheikh, who has overseen over 35 crypto assets marketing campaigns, and Malte Christensen, who works as the COO and Head of Sales, Dima, who works as the Head of Visual Communication.

    What is DAO Maker?

    DAO Maker is a provider of a participation framework that allows retail investors (small-scale investors) to participate in global retail venture capital. Essentially, the primary goal of DAO Maker is to raise a fundraising platform that would allow for equal participation of crowd equity and tokens.

    The reality is that most of these small-time investors are likely unable to afford to invest large sums of money in venture capital. DAO fills the gap by enabling the average man on the street an opportunity to grow his own capital. This creates a win-win situation, the business is able to effectively provide a new source of funding while at the same time helping to improve the lives of many.

    Achievements of DAO Maker

    The platform has over time proven itself to retail investors. In the last 2 years, over 70,000 unique retail investors were signed up and allowed to participate in the funding of early-stage ventures. Apart from attracting investors, DAO Maker has also been able to attract startups with enormous potential to join the burgeoning ecosystem.

    Advantages of DAO Maker

    One major reason these startups join the DAO Maker ecosystem is simple: it provides them a safe, decentralized, and free environment that allows them to reach their potentials. In addition, the platform also has one of the leading solutions that would allow for the growth of these companies.

    As a result, the ecosystem has seen a marked increase in the demand for its services, which enabled them to begin working on a permission version.

    DAO Maker’s approach to fundraising stands out since not only does it connect startups with funding, it also assiduously works to assist them in facing challenges in the initial stages of their development.

    This is why the track record of the fundraising platform has defied many market cycles.

    DAO Maker’s Venture Bond

    DAO Maker’s new flagship product is Venture Bond. It allows startups to issue bonds that users can access, whilst users benefit from close to zero-risk venture investments.

    Venture Bonds work as follows:

    • startups issue Venture Bonds;
    • users purchase these bonds, giving the startups a principal sum of money;
    • startups then use the principal sum generated by bond purchases to generate interest through insured margin funding activities in decentralised finance (DeFi) or centralised finance (CeFi);
    • the generated interest serves as the funding for the startups;
    • the startup will then deposit tokens/equity to the Venture Bond holders; and
    • when the Venture Bond matures, the principal sum is returned to the buyer, so they are left with both their initial funding and also any newly acquired tokens or equity.
    DAO Maker's Venture Bonds
    DAO Maker’s Venture Bonds (Image credit: DAO Maker)

    Other DAO Maker Services

    Other notable services of DAO Maker are Refundable Strong Holder Offering and Dynamic Coin Offering.

    Strong Holder Offering

    Strong holder offerings are designed to build a community that would actively participate in providing an increased level of awareness for a company, and at the same time, induce confidence by imposing a strict refund policy.

    DAO Maker strong holder offerings
    DAO Maker strong holder offerings (Image credit: DAO Maker)

    Dynamic Coin Offering

    For dynamic coin offerings, 100% of the circulating supply is backed by a notable portion of the funds raised during the sale.

    DAO Maker then escrows this fund through a trusted and insured custodian, allowing the platform users the opportunity to claim a refund within a specified period.

    Social Mining

    One of the earliest offerings of DAO Maker is Social Mining, which has played a pivotal role in the successful launch of some tokens in the space. The software was conceptualized in 2018, and since then, it has seen various upgrades and usage, which made it an essential part of the DAO Maker community.

    What social mining does is simple; it enables any project to create token-based incentives that encourages community members to offer value. In other words, it helps energize a project’s community to participate in its growth and development.

    The first use of this software was with LTO Network, where it served as a core component in the community creation of the project, and subsequently enjoyed tremendous growth despite the bear market of 2018. Despite the notable success of this first project (LTO), there were still some notable lapses like the dependence of the software on centralized involvement, which negated the core idea of building a decentralized and self-organizing community in the first place.

    However, since then, the team of developers have developed the software to allow pluggable DAOs and also allowing for stake-based voting. The voting allowed the community to determine the value each token holder contributed to the project. This voting system became a quite effective distribution network that was decentralized as token holders were the ones in charge.

    As it stands, work has already begun on the two key pathways social mining is being geared to: granting permissionless support for tokenized startups and permissioned access for equity startups.

    DAO Maker Token ($DAO)

    DAO, the protocol’s native token currently allows its holders to stake in the platform and enjoy governance power in submitting proposals, as well as vote on them.

    By participating in governance, stakers would also receive a part of the fee generated from the source. And in order to promote long-term participation, the staked DAO tokens are locked for a period of time.

    As can be seen below, more utilities for the DAO token are in the works.

    Conclusion

    The idea behind DAO Maker is to create a platform where startups can enjoy early stage exposure from retailers. Thus, DAO Maker could be a single platform that elevates the capabilities of ordinary retail investors. The platform would also enable them to be issued with equity, while others are issued with tokens. All in all, the platform will enable varying levels of downside protection as early-stage startups face inevitable risks in their early days.

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • DODOEx ($DODO): A Revolutionary On-Chain Liquidity Provider

    DODOEx ($DODO): A Revolutionary On-Chain Liquidity Provider

    DODO Exchange ($DODO) is a platform that supplies on-chain liquidity in order to support the Proactive Market Maker algorithm (PMM) to provide everyone with pure and contract-fillable liquidity on the blockchain.

    Overview

    The dawn of decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) brought with it automated market-making (AMM). Unlike in centralized exchanges, AMM doesn’t rely on buyers and sellers for a trade to take place. Instead, smart contracts sit at the center of the trade with liquidity pools providing the reserves.

    Unfortunately, in the DeFi scene, the AMM approach has faced challenges as to how to address issues such as slippage and impermanent loss effectively. As a result, platforms such as DODOEx are using a fined-tuned formula known as proactive market maker (PMM) which provides minimum slippage and improved fund utilization. Here, we take a close look at DODOEx, its contribution to the DeFi world, as well as what makes it unique.

    Background

    DODOEx, founded by three veterans in the blockchain industry, who has huge influencing power in China’s DeFi Community – Mingda Lei, Qi Wang and Diane Dai.

    Mingda Lei, he is the architect behind this new market-making algorithm for the protocol. He was a Physics PhD dropout from Peking University. He used to worked for a China-based DeFi project called DDEX as the key developer of the project. The second co-founder is Qi Wang. He is the founder of DOS Network, a China-based layer two oracle project. Before entering into the crypto industry, Wang used to worked as a software developer for firms like Pure Storage and Oracle. The third co-founder, Diane Dai, she started the first subscription-based WeChat channel that focuses on DeFi in China called DeFi Labs.

    Apart from the influencing team, DODOEx is also backed by many prominent investors such as Framework Ventures, DeFiance Capital, Pantera Capital, Binance Labs, Coinbase Ventures, Alameda Research, SevenX Ventures and more.

    What is DODOEx?

    Simply put, DODOEx is a decentralized liquidity provider using a new market making strategy. Notably, the new algorithm differs greatly from the AMM approach common with popular DEXs and/or DeFi platforms such as Uniswap and Curve.Finance.

    For example, instead of spreading funds uniformly over a price range, PMM allocates funds with close respect to market prices. One disadvantage of equally allocating funds is that only those funds with a close connection with the market price get utilized in trades. Therefore, in an AMM scenario, there’s a huge difference between the liquidity provided and the liquidity that is actually in use.

    DODO Exchange
    DODO Exchange (Image credit: DODO Exchange Website)

    How DODOEx Uses PMM to Beat AMM

    Compared to Uniswap’s AMM, DODOEx’s PPM has a better trading amount-vs-price curve. Why? Because, being a proactive formula, it reacts to the changes in the market price to effectively shift the price curve in a similar direction. Consequently, the section around the market price is considerably flat, ensuring sustained liquidity provision and utilization.

    DODOEx-Proactive Market Maker
    DODOEx – Proactive Market Maker (Image credit: “DODO: A Revolution in On-Chain Liquidity” Medium Article)

    Furthermore, apart from shifting the curve, DODOEx unlinks the base currency from the quote currency in a trading pair. Interestingly, this results in less risk and allows liquidity providers (LPs) to use the token at their disposal.

    For instance, if it’s an ETH-DAI trading pair, the LP has to deposit either ETH and DAI. Under these circumstances, DODOEx presents numerous advantages to traders and LPs

    Advantages of DODOEx to Traders

    • Although the protocol is decentralized, DODOEx traders have enough liquidity close to what is offered by centralized platforms.
    • There’s a possibility of having price differences between other exchanges and DODOEx which can be commercialized by arbitrageurs.
    • Liquidations, auctions, and other on-chain activities powered by smart contracts can utilize liquidity from DODOEx.

    Advantages of Using DODOEx as an LP

    • By unlinking the base and quote tokens, LPs can use any asset type at their disposal.
    • No minimum restrictions on deposits.
    • LPs share the network’s transaction fees.
    • LPs don’t incur price risks when depositing their own tokens.
    • They can use their coins to create trading pairs.

    DODOEx’s Native Token ($DODO)

    DODO is an ERC-20 token and forms DODOEx’s native currency. DODO is the platform’s governance token. DODOEx’s governance structure consists of three decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO); admin, risk control, and earn.

    The admin DAO is responsible for overseeing all the decisions made on the DODOEx ecosystem. Being the administrator, it has a considerable influence on the other DAOs.

    The risk control DAO, as the name suggests, deals with the system’s risk features. Earn, on the other hand, governs how incentives are shared on the platform.

    DODO token distribution
    DODO Token Distribution (Image credit: “Announcing the DODO Token and Initial DODO Offering” Medium Article)

    DODO’s total supply is 1,000,000,000 tokens which are allocated to the core team (15%), investors (16%), initial liquidity provision (1%), operations/marketing (8%), and lastly, the DODOEx community takes 60%.

    DODO’s Initial DODO Offering (IDO)

    The IDO was held on 29 September 2020 on DODO Exchange platform. DODO Exchange has listed the DODO-USDT trading pair. 1% of the total DODO supply is locked in the DODO liquidity pool and the initial offering price is $0.10 per token.

    Earning DODO: Staking and Mining

    The DODOEx system provides two ways to earn DODO tokens; staking and mining.

    Staking

    This involves locking your present DODO token holding and acquiring more tokens in the process. This can be done by:

    • Accessing the exchange through app.dodex.io.
    • Connecting your wallet through MetaMask.
    • Click “mining” on the upper far right corner.
    • Select DODO.
    • Click stake (note that there’s no way to edit the stake or unstake amount. Therefore, you can either stake or unstake your entire DODO balance).
    • Confirm your option on the exchange and on the wallet.

    Mining DODO 

    It involves providing liquidity in any supported trading pair using the pool tab. To access the pool option,

    • Visit app.dodoex.io.
    • Connect your wallet through MetaMask.
    • Select “Exchange” from the top right.
    • Click on “pool” and select your preferred pair. Note that you can deposit any coin on the trading pair. For example, if it’s the ETH-UDSC pair, you can deposit either ETH or USDC.
    • Click “Deposit,” define the token amount you wish to deposit, and select “Confirm.”
    • Access your wallet to confirm the transaction after which you click the “mining” button on the top right corner.
    • Approve the transaction and confirm it in the popup window that appears. In effect, another approval is required since you are now dealing with DLP tokens allocated from depositing your cryptocurrency on the above steps.
    • In the last step, confirm and stake.

    Core Components of the DODO Contract Framework

    A set of smart contracts powers the DODOEx protocol. However, for optimal interaction, these smart contracts are divided into three core components. They include:

    The Core – This holds all the ecosystem’s data and logic. It consists of the transparent proxy contract and the logic implementation contract.

    DODO contract framework
    DODO Contract Framework (Image credit: DODOEx ‘Smart Contract Framework’ Github)

    The Entrance – The entrance contract helps in streamlining activities on the transparent proxy contract, which is associated with oracles and fine-tuning parameters. Consequently, it helps mitigate the losses for users.

    The Helper – This section of the DODOEx ecosystem holds contracts that are meant to help remove the complexity of the platform away from its users.

    Conclusion

    The network’s next-generation liquidity provision algorithm ensures high fund utilization and ensures LPs don’t lose value between depositing and withdrawing, commonly known as impermanent loss.

    In addition, DODOEx is beneficial to both traders and liquidity providers. For example, it provides enough liquidity for traders and LPs share a section of the system’s transaction. Also, DODO mining and staking enable investors to increase their token holdings.

    Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more

    With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces

    The DeFi series on this website also covers topics not explored on YouTube. For an introduction on what is DeFi, check out Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Overview: A guide to the HOTTEST trend in cryptocurrency

    Tutorials and guides for the ESSENTIAL DEFI TOOLS:

    More videos and articles are coming soon as part of our DeFi series, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel so you can be notified as soon as they come out!

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • Coin DeFi($COIN): Cross-chain P2P DEX powered by AI?

    Coin DeFi($COIN): Cross-chain P2P DEX powered by AI?

    Coin DeFi ($COIN) aims to disrupt finance services by democratizing the industry, returning financial sovereignty to the people via decentralized Finance (DeFi). Through Coin Protocol, anyone can make cross-border and peer-to-peer transactions with ease and convenience, without incurring expensive fees. It also offers greater profit-generating opportunities through its stake-based incentive program.


    Background

    Coin DeFi is a project founded by Damon Nam (also the project’s CEO), who worked with Microsoft for 16 years, and has more than 20 years of experience in the tech industry. The team’s CTO, Byron Levels, also worked with Microsoft for 8 years.

    A group of advisors coming from different fields of expertise is supporting the development of the platform. These are professionals who have been known to work on blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and marketing initiatives, such as Christina Apatow, founder of FetchyFox, Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable, Alex Mashinsky, founder of the Celsius Network, and Jeremy Gardener, founder of Augur.

    What is Coin DeFi?

    Coin DeFi is an Ethereum-based DeFi platform designed to facilitate a peer-to-peer transaction system that implements a community-based governance model. Through the platform, users can conveniently conduct cross-border money transfers, purchase cryptocurrencies, and earn additional profit from their assets through staking.

    There are two main components to the Coin ecosystem, namely, the COIN protocol and COIN token.

    COIN Protocol

    The COIN protocol is the project’s blockchain platform powered by smart contracts. The deployment of smart contracts enables the network to achieve greater performance and scalability while facilitating peer-to-peer transactions without the need for any third-party oversight.

    The COIN token is the backbone of the protocol’s economy. It is the platform’s native cryptocurrency asset that primarily functions as a medium of exchange as well as a staking token. It is also required for the execution of smart contracts on the platform and in backing the incentive scheme for the protocol’s liquidity providers. More details on this later.

    COIN Exchange

    The platform also features a non-custodial, peer-to-peer crypto-assets exchange. COIN Exchange is a cross-chain, decentralized wallet and exchange supported by smart contracts that enable atomic swaps complemented with AI technology.

    Some of the digital assets that can be traded in the protocol are Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and a selection of ERC-20-compliant tokens. Since the platform features cross-chain atomic swaps, a user can trade any token with another digital asset through the platform, even if they belong to different chains.

    To facilitate these peer-to-peer trustless, and cross-chain swaps on the exchange, it utilizes Hashed Timelock Contracts (HTLC). Basically, this is a system that requires transaction recipients to first acknowledge payments by way of a cryptographic proof within a defined time period, which is also the same technical framework implemented in Bitcoin’s Lightning Network.

    Liquidity

    Liquidity is a common concern amongst many decentralized exchanges (DEXs). To address this, COIN partnered with Coinbase to leverage their order books. This is facilitated by a matching algorithm that combines the liquidity in COIN and Coinbase order books.

    What the platform earns from transaction fees, they use for their COIN buyback programs and pool deposits. Here, half of what they earn is redistributed to liquidity providers and market makers as a reward. The rest is allocated to buy COIN tokens back to support its supply of liquidity and staking reserves.

    Governance Model

    The governance of the platform follows the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) model, one that is community-driven.

    In this framework, COIN holders are considered the protocol’s stakeholders. Developers on the platform can propose protocol amendments, upgrades, features, and other changes, which stakeholders have to vote on before they are deployed. If the community doesn’t agree with any proposed modification on the protocol, it can be rejected by the community if it doesn’t garner enough votes.

    Coin DeFi’s Native Token ($COIN)

    COIN is the platform’s native utility token. Apart from functioning as a medium of exchange, the token can be used to pay for the platform’s transaction fees, staking, and voting. The incentive system of the platform also utilizes COIN tokens as its rewards.

    COIN is also a network access token, which means that the token is required to execute smart contracts, represent their voting rights, and compensate liquidity providers.

    $COIN Buybacks (Source: CoinDefi Pitch Deck)

    Staking

    $COIN can be used to supply liquidity to the platform. Furthermore, there are smart contracts designed to enable staking functions on the protocol. COIN holders only need to deposit their tokens and lock them in smart contracts. In return, they can earn additional COIN tokens as a reward.

    The reward for stakers is in proportion with the amount that they staked, prevailing interest rates, and the duration of their stake.

    A portion of the COIN tokens deposited on staking smart contracts goes to the platform’s staking reserve. This is used to supply funds that are redistributed to long-term COIN stakers. Around 25% of all COIN tokens in circulation fills the supply of this pool.

    $COIN Distribution (Source: CoinDefi Pitch Deck)

    Coin DAO

    The protocol also enables the implementation of a DAO, through a stakeholder model represented by COIN tokens, which enables the community to gain better control over the direction of the platform, including the introduction of new products, amendments to the existing protocol, and other forms of protocol modification, through a stake-based voting system.

    COIN holders can deposit tokens in the governance smart contract within the platform. The amount of tokens that holders lock in these contracts guarantee them an equivalent voting power on the platform. For example, a user who has locked 100 COIN tokens gains an equivalent of 100 votes as a consequence.

    Conclusion

    There are a lot of DeFi projects in the cryptocurrency space today. While Coin DeFi’s objective is a promising alternative away from the traditional financial system, it certainly comes with a lot of other competitors in DeFi offering the same financial products and services as well.

    From where the project stands today, it still has a lot to prove when compared with the more prominent DeFi platforms and exchanges. Perhaps its biggest strength is its AI assistant implementation to support platform users, but we have yet to see how that will be developed for the benefit of its user base. As a relatively young DeFi project, how it will grow its own community in the months ahead is going to be a significant factor in assessing how successful the project can be.

    Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more

    With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces

    The DeFi series on this website also covers topics not explored on YouTube. For an introduction on what is DeFi, check out Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Overview: A guide to the HOTTEST trend in cryptocurrency

    Tutorials and guides for the ESSENTIAL DEFI TOOLS:

    More videos and articles are coming soon as part of our DeFi series, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel so you can be notified as soon as they come out!

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.