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Category: Crypto Trends

Make sense of the news and how it affects the blockchain space as a whole. Crypto trends is a collection of relevant news and insights to help you make an informed decision.

  • OKX Exchange Review (2023): Strong Security, Cheap, and Good Functionality

    OKX Exchange Review (2023): Strong Security, Cheap, and Good Functionality

    OKX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange offering a comprehensive one-stop marketplace for spot trading, derivatives, and other crypto-related services. Offering a wide range of services, from margin trading and mining pools to decentralized options and cloud services, making it an ideal platform for both novice and experienced traders.

    Sign up here to get started

    What is OKX?

    OKX is a popular crypto brokerage and trading platform that provides users with a secure and easy-to-use platform to acquire and trade cryptocurrencies. It supports multiple cryptocurrencies and provides low trading fees, making it a great choice for those looking to invest and make a profit. This OKX exchange review will answer all of your questions about the company and the platform itself, helping you to decide whether or not it’s suitable for you. It is important to pay attention to all the pros and cons to make the right choice, as the number of people investing and trading in cryptocurrencies has been significantly increasing over the last few years.

    Founded in 2017, the platform has grown to become a major player in the crypto space, offering a wide range of services. According to a recent report, OKX has over 20 million registered users and a daily trading volume of over $2 billion. The company has recently rebranded to OKX, but many people still refer to it as OKEx. If you’re looking for alternative exchanges, Binance and Coinbase are considered to be leaders in the space.

    Key Features of OKX

    Option for a decentralized exchange: In addition to standard DEX trading, OKX’s decentralized platform also provides swap trading, liquidity pools, farm pools, a decentralized wallet, and other features for individuals who like to exchange in a decentralized way.

    Enhanced security measures: Security is prioritized by OKX, as evidenced by the requirement for two-factor authentication, smartphone verification, Google Authenticator options, and anti-phishing code.

    Margin trading: There are many tools available for customers to use in order to trade, including margin trading with up to 125x leverage, perpetual trading, futures trading, and options trading.

    Finance options: There are several financial alternatives accessible, some of the broadest in the market, including Earn, which enables you to make passive income on your cryptocurrency holdings, Loan, Jumpstart token staking function, mining pool, OKX bridge feature, OKB utility token, OKX Cloud, and OKX Blockdream Ventures.

    Fiat-to-crypto on-ramp: You can change your fiat currency into cryptocurrency with OKX, which supports 400+ trading pairs and accepts Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard, bank transfers, Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc. Also, they support more than 30 cryptocurrencies, including the Canadian dollar (CAD), the Chinese yuan (CNY), the euro (EUR), the Japanese yuan (JPY), the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), the Chilean peso (CLP), and many others.

    Key Advantages of OKX

    In order to understand why so many individuals selected OKX over other platforms, I’d like to start my evaluation with its advantages. Maybe OKX is just what you’re looking for, who knows?

    650+ Trading Pairs, 340+ Cryptocurrencies

    OKX is a popular cryptocurrency exchange platform that supports more than 340 cryptocurrencies and offers over 650 trading pairs. It supports multiple fiat currencies, including EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, JPY, and AUD. You can also choose from multiple payment options, including credit/debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, Payeer, Skrill, GooglePay, and ApplePay. With its wide range of options, OKEx is a great choice for those looking to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies.

    Good Functionality

    It has more than 650 pairs to choose from, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. With up to 100x leverage, users can multiply their funds and get more profit. However, it is important to note that options trading and borrowing crypto can be risky and should only be done by experienced traders. OKX is a great platform for those looking for a comprehensive cryptocurrency trading experience.

    When it comes to buying, selling, and trading cryptocurrencies, OKX is not like other exchanges. It also enables:

    • Lending and borrowing crypto
    • Trading on margin
    • Spot trading
    • Options trading

    You probably already know that there aren’t many systems that can give you this capability if this isn’t your first time reading an OKX exchange review.

    Tight Security

    OKX is a secure crypto exchange that provides robust security features. When registering, OKX will recommend you to use multi-factor authentication – 2FA or MFA – for extra security. You can also set an anti-phishing code that will be sent together with all emails from OKX. Furthermore, OKX has its own cold wallet that will keep your private keys offline, providing an extra layer of security for your assets. With these features, OKX ensures that your cryptocurrencies are safe and secure.

    Comes with Mobile App

    The OKX mobile app is a great way to trade on the go. It is compatible with iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, and can be easily downloaded from Google Play and App Store. With over 264,000 reviews and an average score of 4.5, customers are highly satisfied with the app’s user-friendly design, clear layout, and glitch-free performance. Download the OKX app to manage your account from the palm of your hand and enjoy the ultimate trading experience.

    Friendly Customer Service

    OKX is a crypto exchange platform that provides 24/7 customer support. According to user reviews, OKX customer service is helpful and responds quickly. My personal experience was the same – OKX support provided the information that I was looking for. Therefore, it’s fair to state that OKX has really good customer support, which is not as common as you might think.

    Low Fees

    OKX is a popular cryptocurrency exchange that offers competitive trading fees for both regular and advanced users. For regular users, the maker fee is 0.08% and the taker fee is 0.1%. For advanced traders, the maker fee is 0.06% and the taker fee is 0.08%. VIP members get even lower trading fees. All of the relevant information can be found on the dedicated trading fee page on OKX. This makes OKX an attractive option for crypto-enthusiasts and day traders who are looking for competitive fees.

    Key Disadvantages of OKX

    Despite its attractive features, OKX also has some drawbacks that can affect your trading experience.

    Not Especially Beginner Friendly

    OKX is a great platform for experienced traders, offering a wide range of features such as margin trading, spot trading, options trading, and crypto lending and borrowing. However, these features can be too advanced and risky for newbie traders. To help new users get familiar with the platform, OKX Academy provides tutorials, trading ideas, industry analysis, and a blockchain glossary. With thorough research and practice, newbies can easily get the hang of OKX and start trading with confidence.

    How Can I Start Trading on OKX?

    OKX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform that offers a wide range of services and features. It has a user-friendly interface, low fees, and a wide selection of trading pairs. It also provides advanced trading tools and features such as margin trading, futures trading, and spot trading. The platform is highly secure and offers a variety of payment methods. It also has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Overall, OKX is a great choice for those looking for a reliable and secure cryptocurrency exchange platform.

    How to Register on OKX?

    • Step 1: Go to the OKX website.
    • Step 2: Click the “Sign up” button, which you’ll find on the top-right of the page.
    • Step 3: Enter your email address and password. Instead of an email address, you can use your phone number.
    • Step 4: Click “Sign up”.

    After creating your account, you will need to fill in additional information to verify that it’s you. To do that, you will only need your ID or passport number.

    How to Make a Deposit on OKX?

    Make a deposit as soon as you register. You only need to buy cryptocurrency to do that. You won’t encounter any difficulties because OKX offers you a variety of payment methods.

    Choose from the payment methods below and deposit credit in your account:

    • Credit/debit card
    • Bank transfer
    • PayPal
    • Payeer
    • Skrill
    • GooglePay
    • ApplePay
    • etc.

    You have a virtually limitless number of alternatives when buying cryptocurrency on OKX.

    Conclusion

    OKX is a Malta-based cryptocurrency trading platform that was founded in 2017 and is now one of the most popular crypto exchange platforms. It offers low fees, supports more than 340 cryptocurrencies and over 650 trading pairs, and provides features such as margin trading, spot trading, options trading, lending, and borrowing crypto. While it is a great platform for experienced traders, newbies may find it difficult to use due to its extensive features. If you are looking for an alternative exchange, ByBit, Binance, KuCoin, and Kraken. are some of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges in the industry, each with its own set of benefits.

    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.

  • bitFlyer Exchange Review (2023): A Trusted Japanese Cryptocurrency Exchange with Reasonably Low Fees

    bitFlyer Exchange Review (2023): A Trusted Japanese Cryptocurrency Exchange with Reasonably Low Fees

    bitFlyer is an often overlooked cryptocurrency exchange, but don’t be fooled – it could be the perfect platform for you – just read some user reviews to find out! Many digital currency holders who are not Japanese still find a lot of value in this crypto exchange platform. Let us now go into the details.

    Sign up here to get started

    What is bitFlyer?

    bitFlyer is a regulated Japanese cryptocurrency exchange that offers virtual currency exchange and trading services in Japan, the United States, and Europe. With bitFlyer, users can buy and sell Bitcoin, as well as other cryptocurrencies using their preferred fiat currency, such as USD, EUR, or JPY. Additionally, users can make quick crypto purchases using a bank card and other payment methods. bitFlyer is a secure and reliable platform that provides users with a safe and convenient way to trade cryptocurrencies.

    bitFlyer is a popular and secure cryptocurrency exchange that offers low fees, responsive customer support, and an easy-to-use platform. Despite differences in regulation, the exchange remains user-friendly and provides an excellent fiat gateway for all jurisdictions. With its excellent security, low fees, and responsive customer support, bitFlyer is the best-kept secret amongst European and US traders.

    Key Features of bitFlyer

    bitFlyer’s key features include:

    • Purchase and trade Bitcoin and major altcoins. Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and other prominent cryptocurrencies are supported via the bitFlyer exchange.
    • The fees are really modest. bitFlyer has some of the lowest costs among authorized exchanges, making it an excellent fiat gateway for both beginner and experienced crypto traders.
    • An exchange that is extremely secure. bitFlyer has never been hacked and is the best exchange in terms of regulatory compliance in the crypto-verse.
    • Simple to use. bitFlyer provides two trading options: a simple interface for basic trades and a complex Lightning exchange for experienced investors.
    • Futures trading and margin. Japanese consumers can trade on bitFlyer’s Lightning FX platform, which allows for up to 4x leverage.
    • Account for a corporation. Institutional investors can apply for a corporate account, which has additional benefits and services.

    Key Advantages of bitFlyer

    We’ll begin our bitFlyer review by talking about the best parts of the exchange in question.

    A Safe Cryptocurrency Exchange

    When it comes to finding the best exchange for yourself, security should be your top priority. Exchanges that are regulated and follow all of the necessary rules and laws of their location, as well as comply with KYC norms, are the most secure. While some may consider this an invasion of privacy, it is the norm and necessary to ensure the safety of your crypto assets. Make sure to do your research and find an exchange that is secure and meets all of your needs.

    BitFlyer is a secure and reliable cryptocurrency exchange that complies with all rules and regulations. It has never been hacked and keeps 80% of its users’ crypto assets in cold storage devices. Cold storage refers to hardware crypto wallets that are always offline, meaning no hacker can access them or the assets they contain. BitFlyer is a safe and secure exchange that provides users with peace of mind when trading cryptocurrencies.

    Generally Simple to Use

    Crypto exchanges have become increasingly popular, but many newcomers can be overwhelmed by difficult and confusing interfaces. bitFlyer reviews show that this is not an issue with the exchange, as its interface is not complex and even complete newcomers can use it without any issues. bitFlyer is a great choice for those who are new to crypto trading, as it is easy to use and understand. It also offers a variety of features, such as a secure wallet, low fees, and a wide range of trading options. With its user-friendly interface and features, bitFlyer is an ideal choice for those who are just starting out in the world of crypto trading.

    Supports The Majority of the Cryptocurrencies

    The bitFlyer exchange supports the majority of the “main” cryptocurrencies on the market, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Monacoin, Lisk, Ripple, Basic Attention Token, Stellar Lumens, and NEM. However, the availability of these coins and tokens varies depending on the region. For example, if you reside in Japan, you’ll be able to trade all of the assets, while European traders won’t be able to trade Ripple and BAT, and US-based traders won’t be able to exchange and trade Monacoin, Lisk, Ripple, and BAT. Despite these restrictions, you can be sure that you’ll be able to trade and exchange Bitcoin, Ethereum, and some other more well-known crypto coins.

    Fees are Really Low

    This platform is one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges on the market, offering some of the best fees that you can find. Depending on your region of residence, you can expect fees up to 0,15% for Japanese traders, 0,2% for European traders, and 0,12% for US clients. Futures trading is completely free of charge for Japanese traders. bitFlyer is one of the lowest fee-providing cryptocurrency exchanges, making it a great choice for anyone looking to trade crypto.

    Reasonable Account Verification Limit

    bitFlyer is a regulated cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy and sell Bitcoin without having to verify their identity. This is rare, as most exchanges require full verification before trading. Users can deposit and withdraw up to €249,99 per transaction and €2499,99 per cumulative year without having to provide ID and residential proof. bitFlyer also offers a range of other services, such as margin trading, futures trading, and more. The platform is secure and reliable and provides a great way to get started with cryptocurrency trading.

    Key Disadvantages of bitFlyer

    Let’s take a look at some of the less-than-positive bitFlyer customer evaluations.

    Cryptocurrencies Are Limited

    BitFlyer is a popular crypto exchange, but it has a major drawback – it only offers 11 coins for trading and exchange. This might be fine for beginners, but more experienced traders may find this too limiting. Other mainstream exchanges offer a much wider selection of coins, so if you’re looking for more variety, you may want to consider Binance or Coinbase.

    A Centralized Exchange

    bitFlyer is a regulated, centralized crypto exchange that follows all of the rules and regulations in place. This means that users must identify themselves in full before they can start trading and exchanging. While this is not an issue for most users, it does not suit crypto enthusiasts who believe strongly in the concept of decentralization. This is because bitFlyer, like many other crypto exchange sites, holds users’ private keys, meaning they do not have full control over their cryptocurrency. Despite this, bitFlyer has a professional nature and a spotless track record, so users should not have to worry about any issues.

    How to Register on bitFlyer?

    To begin, there is the registration process:

    • Step 1: Navigate to the bitFLyer website. The site may differ depending on your location; 
    • Step 2: Click the Sign Up for Free button! – Your email address will be requested.
    • Step 3: You must now confirm your email address, create a password, and enable two-factor authentication. Given that an SSL certificate is also involved, the platform’s security is quite solid!
    • Step 4: Once you have completed the 2FA and agreed to all of the documentation, your account has been activated! You can now opt to verify your identity right now or at a later time.

    The signup process is quite straightforward and quick!

    How to Add Funds to bitFlyer?

    After you’ve registered your account, you’ll most likely want to fund it and begin trading. The procedure is straightforward.
    You’ll want to go to the left side of your screen and select Account Funding. You will then be routed to a new page on the site.

    Now that you’ve validated your account, you’ll be able to contribute funds with ease. However, if you haven’t yet completed verification, you must do so by providing the site with your name, surname, and all other essential information.

    The funding process takes very little time and is quite simple – once you have your funds set up, you can start purchasing and trading the crypto-coins of your choice right away!

    Conclusion

    bitFlyer is a reliable and secure cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to purchase and trade a variety of main crypto assets. The exchange is praised for its simplicity and user-friendliness and is considered safe and secure. However, the available cryptocurrencies may vary depending on the region. If bitFlyer doesn’t meet your needs, there are other alternatives, such as Binance and Coinbase, that may be worth considering.

    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.

  • Coinbase Review: MUST READ

    Coinbase Review: MUST READ

    Coinbase is one of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency exchange and is well known because unlike other exchanges, is based in and subject to US regulations. The Exchange is split into several categories, Coinbase– for retail users, Coinbase Pro– their professional trading platform for individuals, Coinbase Prime– for institutional clients. In this review we highlight each of their various features and controversies that you need to know.

    Key Advantages of Coinbase

    • Regulated under US law.
    • One of the few exchanges available for US citizens.
    • Maintains an insurance policy against theft or hacks.

    Key Features and Functions

    One point to note is that Coinbase only offers spot trading, unlike other exchanges which offer other products such as derivatives, futures trading etc.

    The Exchange is split into several categories catering for different types of users. Coinbase is for retail users, Coinbase Pro for individual professional traders and Coinbase Prime for institutional clients. This distinction is because they each have different functions to cater for the user. By way of example the main difference between Coinbase and Coinbase Pro are that Coinbase Pro offers charting tools, real-time order books, among other tools to help the advanced trader make most out of the Exchange. Coinbase Pro and Coinbase Prime both offer cheaper transaction fees and more supported cryptocurrencies. However they are still substantially fewer than other Exchanges out there.

    Despite only offering spot trading, Coinbase does have its own suite of products to assist users in getting started. For example it has its own wallet, and allows users to earn cryptocurrencies by participating in their courses.

    Coinbase products
    Products offered by Coinbase

    History of Coinbase

    Coinbase was launched in October 2012 and is based in the United States. Their headquarters are located in San Francisco, California. It is also becoming widely used in Europe where it has an operating license. It currently has over 30 million users and over USD$150 billion being traded on the Exchange.

    The Exchange has currently expanded to over 100 countries across the globe.

    [wp-compear id=”5176″]

    Supported Countries

    Coinbase is available in over 100 countries. Most notably the US, which a lot of Exchanges cannot support due to regulatory issues. However whilst Coinbase says it is “available” in some countries, it may not offer the full set of services i.e. being able to “convert” between different cryptocurrencies, and to “buy and “sell” the same. Check here for the services available for your specific country.

    Supported Cryptocurrencies

    Coinbase supports 91 cryptocurrencies- relatively fewer compared to other major exchanges such Binance. Also, the availability to buy, sell, send and receive a particular cryptocurrency depends on (a) whether you are using Coinbase or Coinbase Pro; and (b) your location.

    Check here for the full list of Coinbase’s supported cryptocurrencies.

    We can see that Coinbase is actively trying hard to list more cryptocurrencies. Whilst its current cryptocurrency support is sufficient for most average traders, they do lag behind their competitors in this respect. So unless we see more listings in the future, we will be keeping our score of 3.8/5 for cryptocurrency support…for now.

    Payment Methods

    Coinbase provides a variety of payment methods and most importantly, allows traders to pay in their local currency. However there are regional restrictions for payment methods. Below is a helpful list of the accepted payment methods for various countries.

    • Bank deposit: Europe, US, UK
    • Debit card: Available for most countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, Europe, Mexico, UK, US.
    • Credit card: Australia, Singapore
    • Paypal: Canada, Europe (most countries), US and UK

    You can check here to see the accepted payment methods for your specific country. Although we noticed that the information on supported payment methods is slightly different from the information on their other page.

    The Exchange also has its own Coinbase Card– a Visa-based debit card allowing customers to make purchases online and in-store using cryptocurrencies. However it is currently only available to UK and European customers.

    Deposit and Withdrawal Fees

    Cryptocurrency

    There are no fees for cryptocurrency deposits onto Coinbase. As for withdrawals, Coinbase will only charge you the relevant network fees required for sending your funds.

    Fiat

    Not all fiat deposits or withdrawals are free, and the amount depends on the method used. Coinbase supports fiat deposits/withdrawals via ACH, Wire (USD), SEPA (EUR) and SWIFT (GBP).

    Coinbase fiat deposit withdrawal fees
    Coinbase fiat deposit withdrawal fees (Image credit: Coinbase)

    Trading Fees

    Coinbase charges different fees depending on whether you are on Coinbase, Coinbase Pro or Coinbase Prime. Fees are cheaper for the latter 2 due to the larger volume by these traders.

    Coinbase charges its fees based on a maker-taker fee model. Placing an order at market which is filled immediately incurs a taker fee between 0.04% and 0.50%. Conversely, if you place an order which is not immediately matched the order is placed on the order book. When another user puts in an order and matches yours on the book you are charged a maker fee between 0.00% and 0.50%. The taker and maker fees are reduced if the value traded is higher.

    For stablecoin pairs specifically (e.g. USDC/USDT to DAI/PAX, or to fiat etc), Coinbase charges 0.01% and 0.00% for taker and maker fees respectively.

    Controversies

    In late February 2020, Coinbase was identified as one of the entities working with Clearview AI, a controversial facial recognition technology provider who was facing legal threats from Apple and Google for lack of scrutiny into its practices. Coinbase admits to testing Clearview’s software but denies that customer’s data was used in any of such tests. (https://yellowtail.tech/)

    The Exchange has come under fire from users during the Bitcoin price dump on 10th May 2020. On 10th May 2020 at 17:26 Pacific Time, the Exchange’s website and mobile app both experienced outages. 10 minutes later Coinbase came out with a notice saying that it was still investigating this outage, by 18:14, service had been restored. However during this time the price of Bitcoin tumbled from USD $9,500 to $8,100, leaving users only able to helplessly watch the crash and unable to trade.

    Coinbase is pretty much infamous for crashing during huge fluctuations in Bitcoin prices. On 29th April 2020, the Exchange suffered an outage whilst Bitcoin prices shot up to just under USD $9,000. And AGAIN on 10th May 2020.

    Needless to say, users are not happy with the situation, with some noting that Coinbase “crashes” when there is a huge change in Bitcoin prices. And whilst some attribute this to the Exchange being overloaded with users, others are not satisfied with how Coinbase has not fixed this over the years considering the high fees charged from users.

    As to the latest crash on 1st June 2020, Coinbase says that the Bitcoin price spike led to an increase in traffic by 5 times in only 4 minutes. As a result their autoscaling system was overwhelmed and created a backlog which meant that new survey requests were dropped or timed out. Coinbase however alleges that they are working on reducing the impact of price-related traffic spikes.

    Is Coinbase safe in 2022?

    The Exchange has top of the range security features. Additionally, being licensed in the United States, users have additional protection since Federal laws apply.

    In terms of the Exchange’s method for fund storage, only 2% of customer funds are held in hot wallets. The other 98% is kept in secure cold wallets in different parts of the world. So far, it has not been hacked…yet. Also, Coinbase has an insurance policy that insures against theft of cryptocurrencies resulting from security breaches, hacks, employee theft or fraudulent transfer.

    On account security, Coinbase advises its users to use two-factor authentication. The system supports either short messages sent to the registered mobile phone number, Google Authenticator, among other reliable ways to prevent malicious account login.

    HOWEVER, storing substantial assets in exchanges is not recommended as exchanges are prone to hacks. The best practice is to only leave enough assets for day-to-day trading on exchanges, the remainder should be stored offline on hardware wallets for.

    To learn more about hardware wallets, check out our reviews on the Ledger Nano X and Trezor Model T.

    Is Coinbase affected by the liquidity issues at FTX?

    Coinbase issued an announcement on 8th November 2022 concerning transparency, risk management, and consumer protection. In the announcement, Coinbase confirmed they have approximately US$15 million worth of deposits on FTX which they use to facilitate business operations and client trades. However, they do not have any exposure to Alameda Research, and no loans to FTX.

    As at 10th November 2022, there do not appear to be widespread reports of issues with withdrawing or trading funds on Coinbase. Their status page is also only showing that there are delayed withdrawals on the Polygon Network ONLY but a fix has been implemented. Therefore, it appears that Coinbase is not affected by the issues surrounding FTX exchange.

    Conclusion: Coinbase exchange pros and cons

    Pros

    • Coinbase has remained one of the most secure and reliable cryptocurrency exchanges.
    • The Exchange maintains an insurance policy against hacks and theft, which is reassuring for users.
    • Generally available in many countries, including the US with many payment options.

    Cons

    • Fee structure is highly confusing and not the cheapest out there.
    • Lack of features.
    • Not many supported cryptocurrencies compared to other exchanges.
    • Seems to be unable to handle sudden surges of users and has a history of crashing during periods of high price volatility.

    Final Score

    Services offered: 3/5
    Cryptocurrency support: 3.8/5
    Fees: 3/5
    Security: 4.5/5
    Final Score: 3.6

    To learn more, check out our review of the Top Cryptocurrency Exchanges of 2023!

    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.

  • Wootrade ($WOO): Boosting the power of cryptocurrency trading?

    Wootrade ($WOO): Boosting the power of cryptocurrency trading?

    Wootrade ($WOO) is a digital asset liquidity pool that partners with cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets and over the counter trading desks (OTCs). They also have a darkpool trading platform which claims to offer zero (or even negative) trading fees and above average liquidity for spot and futures trading.


    Check out our interview with Jack Tan, CEO of Wootrade!

    Better trading (no strings attached)?-Wootrade

    Background

    While both automated market makers (AMMs) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs) belong to the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, they are quite distinct from each other.

    There is no limit order functionality for AMM providers such as Uniswap, whilest the trading role of DEXs is more complete and closer to that of a common cryptocurrency exchange. At present, AMMs are extremely popular. They draw more consumers and have rates of exchange that outweigh those of DEXs. 

    Wootrade collaborates with DEXs as they solve their liquidity challenges using Wootrade. Exchanges would find it easy to draw even more customers by providing more liquidity and delivering more full features. In DeFi cryptocurrencies, standard exchanges have smaller trading rates than Uniswap, and even losing customers, owing to the popularity of the DeFi sector.

    Although supporting both centralized and decentralized exchanges to improve their AMM competition, Wootrade has already listed DeFi coins and intends to consistently list more.

    Team

    It is worth noting that Mark Pimentel, Wootrade’s Co-founder, worked at Citadel and Knight Capital (acquired by Virtu in 2017), respectively. Pimentel initially operated in the high-frequency trading department at Citadel, and then went to Knight Capital’s electronic marketing group in the United States. There, he was in charge of operating the substantial dark pool.

    When Pimentel stepped into the crypto ecosystem, he came across a common problem between quantitative funds and exchanges i.e. the market liquidity is fragmented. He aimed to add his trading skills and familiarity with the dark pool to Wootrade. The inclusion of Wootrade’s token economy was intended to make this model more robust, fairer, and more efficient.

    What is Wootrade?

    Built by industry-leading proprietary trading company Kronos Research, Wootrade provides dramatically enhanced liquidity, spreads, and fees. Wootrade is regarded as the next evolution of crypto trading.

    Wootrade features specialized market-making skills based on alpha through collaborations with the world’s top proprietary trading teams. A self-reinforcing and mutually-advantageous dynamic between traders, exchanges, market-makers, and investors all connected by the WOO token has been created by this innovative framework.

    Mark Pimentel and Jack Tan, Founders of Kronos Research, had invented the Wootrade concept to address the big pain points for more challenging crypto traders. Kronos Research has evolved from a team of 2 to more than 60 persons now and trades over a billion dollars on a daily basis.

    How does Wootrade achieve high liquidity and zero fees?

    Wootrade claims to have above average liquidity and zero trading fees, but how do they achieve this?

    Taking BTC as an example, at a depth of 100 BTC, Wootrade will sustain a spread of 0.2%. In addition, it does not charge any handling costs or operating costs to users. Kronos Research, a quantitative market research institution, has incubated Wootrade. The fact that Kronos excels in a number of trading techniques is popularly known.

    In various market conditions, Kronos has a daily trading volume of more than $1 billion and can guarantee substantial returns. Although Wootrade implements zero-fee trading, retail-oriented exchanges do not generally compete with it. In fact, exchanges or DEXs, wallets, brokers, and trading institutions are mostly Wootrade customers.

    Currently, over 10 exchanges and institutional customers are linked to the platform. In addition, through the exchanges that collaborate with Wootrade, a total of more than 65,000 end users have used their trading profile. New exchanges were queuing up for entry after releasing Wootrade 1.0, as market demand surpassed the expectations of the team.

    Open governance on Wootrade

    The aim is for the group to have more and more autonomy to grow the project as it sees fit. Voting power grows exponentially in relation to the amount of time involved, but anyone who buys tokens only to vote would not have any control over decisions.

    Instead, those who have carried for the right length of time will be able to control with the greater weight the choices made. Additionally, the incentive scheme is aimed to enable those with the right combination of talent and expertise to engage more effectively in the governance and decision-making process.

    The aim of Wootrade is to reach 40% of the cryptocurrency market’s liquidity. This includes a significant number of exchange customers and market makers to be on board. There is a big market for wealth management businesses on both exchange investors and AMMs on the platform.

    Since it’s not easy to check and trust the trading staff, investors sometimes skip good opportunities. Wootrade can, therefore, be fitted with an oracle computer to solve this. This helps market makers to submit their NAVs and results to the blockchain. For its retail customers, exchanges may then verify and pick outstanding items.

    WOO token ($WOO)

    Wootrade has its own native token that will act as a value and rewards carrier generated by the system. The WOO token will be used to vote on governance decisions concerning the platform. WOO can also be used in staking/mining reward systems, retail users can stake WOO and ETH or USDT into an asset managment product and receive rewards.

    For those who are interested in spot/futures trading, WOO can be used as collateral on the Wootrade platform.

    Customers can also get a discount when using WOO to pay for say management fees for asset management items. For Wootrade’s clients or partners that do not have their native token, they can also choose to adopt WOO as their platform token. Thereby giving consumers another place to use WOO.

    Prime Nodes on Wootrade

    For B2B clients they are different tiers to stake the WOO tokens on the exchange or platform for eligibility to become a Prime node. In addition to the staking requirement, they also need to demonstrate a unique marketing plan and business proposition.

    Once they become a Prime node, every dollar of flow they route to the network gives them a reward of a certain number of WOO tokens. The concept behind this is that after a while of doing this, they would not need to charge their users and fees and simply scale off the rebates provided by Wootrade.

    Essentially, Wootrade’s rationale is that they do not think businesses would try and rely on market makers (which require a huge fee for their services). Especially when the alternative provided by Woodtrade is that they would get access to a zero fee trading network with proven liquidity, AND get paid to trade there.

    WOO tokenomics

    • Ticker: WOO
    • ICO Token Price: 1 WOO = 0.03 USD
    • Fundraising Goal: $650,000
    • Total Tokens: 3,000,000,000

    WOO is available for spot trading on Uniswap, Huobi, MXC and Gate.io

    Conclusion

    Wootrade sees the potential for conventional and decentralized finance to incorporate concepts. The crypto industry will increasingly be affected by this new technology. The conventional business of asset management will now pay attention to the optimized use of blockchain technologies and token architecture.

    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.

  • Reef Finance ($REEF): The All-In-One Defi Platform

    Reef Finance ($REEF): The All-In-One Defi Platform

    In the last months, we have witnessed the crypto space and blockchain industry go beyond the norm. With more decentralized finance (DeFi) projects than ever, it is clear that the next target should be greater adoption. However, the complexity of dealing with multiple (d)Apps interfaces in order to access a wide array of services, inevitably narrows down the number of participants. Reef Finance is built to change that.

    The way Reef Finance works is by reuniting all blockchain services together in a single, unified interface. This makes the whole DeFi user experience seamless and convenient. In just a single dApp, anyone can buy crypto, perform trades, stake assets, take loans, farm, manage their portfolio and more without any fuss.

    Tackling Defi’s Fragmentation

    What Denko Mancheski, CEO of Reef Finance, and his team had in mind when they started working on the project, was to solve an inherent complexity. Mancheski believes that, while there have already been many useful innovations in crypto recently, mass adoption is still difficult to achieve. The reason he points out is the psychological barrier that dampens the DeFi communities’ growth. True enough, the DeFi space today seems very fragmented. There are features existing in a particular application that are unavailable in another, and there are contract functions that would complement each other, but only exist on separate platforms.

    The space offers promising products, but they are too overwhelming to spur adoption, especially for beginners. This is why Reef Finance’s goal has been, according to Mancheski, to “abstract away complexities” and try to “onboard a simple non-tech savvy user.”

    What is Reef Finance?

    Reef Finance (“Reef”) is a non-custodial multi-chain smart yield engine and liquidity aggregator. Powered by Polkadot, it enables cross-chain integrations across various DeFi protocols.

    Essentially, it makes Decentralized Finance much easier to access, with the ability to diversify a portfolio in a single click. It functions as a one-stop-shop for DeFi projects that users can access without having to switch from different applications, one after another. Within its interface users can access different exchanges and, through the help of smart contracts, Reef combines the liquidity of these markets. Furthermore, trading can be easily done on the platform. 

    Reef Finance is the first Polkadot project ever launched on Binance Launchpool. The farming started on December the 23rd and will continue for 30 days. The platform will be beginner-friendly and will launch in Q1 2021, while the protocol has recently been audited by Halborn.

    Why Polkadot?

    Reef’s deployment on the Polkadot ecosystem will benefit users in terms of transaction costs and speed. As it is well known to many, the ‘traffic’ on the Ethereum’s network has often resulted in skyrocketing fees and long transaction times. This will continue at least until Ethereum 2.0 is fully deployed, which isn’t likely to happen for a while. 

    Polkadot, on the other hand, doesn’t suffer from the same issues. Parachains’ independence on the network prevents network congestion. It also powers Reef’s cross-chain functionality through the ‘Bridge’ protocol. By implementing this blockchain innovation, Reef can rely on products and services from different networks into a single interface.

    The Reef platform is made of three major components that complement each other.

    Global Liquidity Aggregator

    Reef offers a simil-exchange service linked to some of the biggest trading platforms in the space. The uniqueness here is that the aggregated liquidity goes through CEXs and DEXs. In this way, users can hedge the downsides of the two types of liquidity sources, among which trading fees and high slippage.

    Reef can access all the liquidity combined of CEXs and DEXs
    Reef can access all the liquidity combined of CEXs and DEXs

    The centralized exchange liquidity will be accessed through the use of brokerage services, such as Tagomi, Caspian or Quantreq. Conversely, decentralized liquidity will come from sources like on-chain order-books (0x) and AMMs (Uniswap, Balancer, Bancor….). Reef’s liquidity aggregation will also assist in protecting users from market manipulation and front-running attacks.

    All of this will make trading on Reef not only easy and affordable, but also diverse.

    Smart Yield Farming Aggregator

    Reef Yield Engine enables staking in multiple asset baskets which can be automated through the help of an AI that users can configure based on their financial needs. Users can decide how much to allocate to each basket and the operating system will dynamically rebalance and adjust them, moving portions of the allocations to other more convenient assets/pools.

    The purpose of the ‘Reef Intelligence Engine’ is to enable the AI to manage assets on user’s behalf. This helps automate the nitty-gritty of trading and staking for Reef’s newcomers. Planning a profitable allocation of assets according to each trader’s risk level has never been much easier in Defi. The engine is machine learning-powered, enabling its growth over time.

    Since the AI is data-driven, the information it holds is fed by an off-chain oracle (they have a partnership with Chainlink also). The oracle supplies data to proxy smart contracts that serve as the AI’s backbone. It monitors every pertinent information concerning services offered on the platform, whether they are social media data, latest news, or on-chain data.

    Reef also integrates with some Defi insurance protocols to provide coverages for its users.

    Smart Asset Management

    The third founding element of the platform is its asset management option. Users can seamlessly rebalance their allocations between their baskets through an easy UI accessible from mobile devices or computers. The AI engine will also make intelligent recommendations to help with taking decisions.

    The $REEF Token

    $REEF is the native, utility token of the Reef platform. It is mainly used to pay for transaction fees as well as support the protocol rewards structure.

    An important role for the platform is that of Network Collators. They assure that the network is healthy by keeping a copy of the full state of Parachains at a given time. They are similar to miners producing blocks, supporting the Polkadot blockchain. The Collators receive $REEF tokens as a reward for all basic operations such as processing transactions, deploying smart contracts, submitting a proposal and more.

    Staking and Governance

    Reef Protocol utilizes Polkadot’s Proof of Stake base consensus mechanism and it’s governed through a DAO structure. By holding and staking $REEF tokens, users can take part in important protocol decisions concerning the structure of the asset baskets, reserve limits, yield rewards, liquidity pools, and others.

    Stakers have the freedom to choose how they want to receive their rewards, whether in ETH/USDC or $REEF. Opting for the native token will lead to better rates.

    New Partnerships and roadmap

    Even though Reef Finance launched in late September, its development has been in progress for long. The project secured over 20 partnerships in 2020 and more are coming this year. Among them, important were those with Matic, Kava, Covalent, Bluzelle and Chainlink. Reef’s integration with Binance Access Api will also allow a FIAT ramp for cryptocurrency purchases along with a decentralized trading opportunity within their platform.

    In January, they secured a new partnership with OpenDefi, a platform that allows the tokenization of insured and physically backed real-world assets, held by custodians. Users can stake to receive instant loans against their assets and enjoy yield opportunities. More on the partnerships and on OpenDefi can be found here and here.

    Another notable collaboration is the one with Manta Network, a cross-chain privacy devoted Defi platform and price-stable Dex. Reef users will be able to access the liquidity offered by Manta Network Dex, reinforcing the core aspect of Reef Finance: liquidity aggregation.

    On January the 20th a two-week “zero gas fee” initiative started on OpenOcean, a trading platform, which has given traders the opportunity to receive a refund for all the fees spent while trading $REEF. The offer was limited to a total of 40,000 $REEF.

    The official Roadmap is constantly updated and more information on future news can be found on Reef Finance’s Medium page. This project is definitely one of the most anticipated and rumored in 2021!

    Conclusion

    DeFi innovation has to attract a lot more people to keep creating a vibrant and supportive community. After all, it is adoption that helps sustaining all these blockchain developments in the long run. Simplifying access to multiple DeFi products and creating a unified platform is exactly what the space needs today.

    Reef Finance’s target to abstract (?) DeFi looks promising. Not only do they make it easier for users to tap into other exchanges, but the platform also introduced AI technology to make it convenient for traders to manage their assets. The project may be young, but it has the tools users need to efficiently and profitably take control of their funds.

    Our interview with Denko Mancheski, CEO of Reef Finance

    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.

  • InsurAce Protocol: Insuring decentralised finance?

    InsurAce Protocol: Insuring decentralised finance?

    The cryptocurrency industry has enjoyed rapid growth and adoption thanks to its accessibility and open-source nature. Different people from all over the world can participate freely in crypto projects, with the option of anonymity. And thanks to this ease of access, the total locked value (TVL) in DeFi grew to over $3 Billion in 2020 and $44 billion in 2021, according to DeFi Pulse.

    However, as an industry based majorly on the internet with trillions of liquid digital assets, it is no surprise that it makes the perfect attraction for hackers hoping to run off with a score.

    Luckily, in the decentralized finance (DeFi) corner, liquidity providers (LPs) can still protect their investment through insurance protocols, each of which is armed with their unique solutions – one of the more promising ones is InsurAce.

    Background

    InsurAce was created by Oliver Xie, a cryptocurrency enthusiast and computer programmer. The decentralized insurance protocol was developed during the peak of DeFi growth in the third quarter of 2020, launching officially in October of the same year.

    The protocol is headquartered in Singapore, led by Oliver’s vision and steadfastness. After just two months of existence, the protocol was able to raise $1 Million in seed funding, from renowned institutions such as DeFiance Capital, Signum Capital, and Parafi Capital. Later, in February 2021, and an additional $3 Million was raised during its strategic round.

    They currently run a tight team, with a few experts and professionals at the helm of affairs, most of which are based in Singapore.

    What is InsurAce?

    InsurAce is an insurance protocol that offers DeFi assets a reliable, decentralized, and flexible coverage. Users are also able to enjoy low premiums and a sustainable investment return.

    InsurAce’s flexibility is its major highlight as it gives users the ability to cover their assets with a portfolio-based product design that optimizes cover cost. Users would also benefit from their cross-chain coverage and wallet accessibility, along with the protection of their assets and investments.

    How Does InsurAce Protocol Work?

    As both a DeFi and Insurance protocol, InsurAce runs two different arms that work synergistically to benefit all parties involved. As a decentralized platform, each role is filled by its users, each of which are rewarded with the INSUR token.

    The protocol also offers a more streamlined experience with its permissionless feature, where users can enjoy full anonymity without the KYC process that complicates other DeFi Insurance platforms.

    The Two Arms of InsurAce Protocol

    The first part of the investment arm involves contribution by a first-party known as the investor. As the name suggests, investors finance portfolios, each portfolio with its own risk/reward ratio which investors can choose from.

    The next party is the insurer, and these are participants that stake assets in the mutual insurance pool created by investors. The more direct class of users are the “insured” – they are the insurance customers, and they get the benefit of buying insurance covers, either in single or multiple pools.

    2 Arms of InsurAce Protocol (Image credit: InsurAce whitepaper)

    Features

    The InsurAce protocol will be responsible for providing a supporting architecture for the smooth operation and integration of the arms. To start with, the protocol will function to ensure adequate evaluation of risk to manage losses.

    Two risk assessment procedures exist. One with experts analyzing potential assets and pools with thorough auditing and code analysis. After which, a community assessment is carried out by volunteer members for further analysis and to come up with a risk score.

    It will also be in charge of claim requests, for insurers to check out their buys.

    More important, however, is the availability of liquidity for all users. To ascertain this, InsurAce plans to develop an enriched product line that is capable of covering a diverse number of DeFi protocols. By providing insurance services to multiple DeFi projects the platform retains its flexibility, remains open to opportunities while keeping tokens moving.

    The insurers would enjoy access to a wide range of asset pools in addition to considerably reduced cover costs and zero premium protection.

    SCR Mining and Governance

    When users bring in capital to stake into different mutual pools, they are rewarded with INSUR tokens as incentives. This process is known as Mining, and it offers rewards based on the magnitude of user contribution to the platform.

    As with most other DeFi projects, a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) would be responsible for managing and regulating the activities of InsurAce protocol. To be eligible to become a member of the DAO, users must own INSUR Tokens.

    An advisory board made up of InsurAnce employees and independent experts will oversee the affairs of the DAO community, provide guidelines for its operation, and provide a contingency plan if the decentralized voting mechanism should fail.

    INSUR Token

    The INSUR token is the standard token on the InsurAce platform. It is based on Ethereum’s ERC20 standards and serves a variety of utility functions.

    As a governance token, it confers voting rights on its holders. Users who have the INSUR token can propose changes, vote on issues and proposals, and participate in claim assessments on the protocol. When a token holder participates actively in governance, he becomes entitled to a share of the fees generated on InsurAce.

    The token also incentivizes involvement in all the different roles available on the protocol. It serves as the reward for mining through capital provision, liquidity support, staking in investment pools and products.

    There will be a total of 100 million INSUR tokens in supply. And it is planned to be launched through a Liquidity Bootstrapping Pool (LBP) on Balancer from March 15th to March 17th, 2021. The proposal would see a total of 6,675,000 tokens vested after the LBP ends – with about 45% of the total token distribution kept in SCR mining reserves.

    Conclusion

    The sheer amount of fortune going into DeFi project and associated mining mechanisms is too much to leave to the whims of hackers and project developers. The impressive progress made by pioneer insurance projects like Nexus Mutual and Augur should not be taken for granted either.

    However, these insurance protocols are still scarce in numbers and hardly enough to cover the ever-growing need of the DeFi sector.  Which makes it difficult not to root for a platform like InsurAce that puts everything in place, taking the best out of existing protocols and adding a fresh detail.

    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.

  • BitStamp Exchange Review (2023): Well-established Exchange on Security and Regulation

    BitStamp Exchange Review (2023): Well-established Exchange on Security and Regulation

    Bitstamp is a Luxembourg-based cryptocurrency exchange that offers users a secure platform to trade Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) against fiat currencies (USD, EUR, GBP) and deposit/withdraw fiat currencies using credit/debit cards. In this Bitstamp review, we’re going to share how Bitstamp works, its fees, who it works best for and whether or not it’s safe. What is more, you’ll know if Bitstamp is the right exchange for you.

    Sign up here to get started.

    What is BitStamp?

    Bitstamp is one of the oldest and most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges in operation. It is registered in Luxembourg and headquartered in the UK, and caters to both beginner and experienced traders. Customers can exchange bitcoin (BTC), XRP, ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), and bitcoin cash (BCH) with each other and against fiat currencies (USD, EUR, GBP). They can also deposit and withdraw fiat currencies using their credit and debit cards. The trading and currency dashboards are clearly laid out and easy to use, making it a great choice for both novice and experienced traders.

    Bitstamp was founded in 2011 as a European alternative to Mt.Gox. Bitstamp offers a secure and accessible middle ground between advanced trading and trading for beginners. With its user-friendly interface, advanced security measures, and a variety of trade types, it is a great choice for both experienced traders and those just starting out in the world of cryptocurrency.

    Bitstamp offers users the ability to deposit and withdraw funds using their credit and debit cards, although this is usually more expensive than using a bank transfer. It has a solid security record, although it was subject to two cyberattacks in 2014 and 2015. Since then, it has managed to operate without incident and has been fully regulated by the Luxembourg government in 2016, making it a reliable and secure platform for users.

    The BitStamp Team

    The exchange company is led by CEO Nejc Kodric, with CTO David Osojnik, CFO Edward Kemp, and COO Vasja Zupan as key team members. Bitstamp offers a secure and reliable platform for customers to buy and sell digital assets, with a focus on providing a safe and secure trading environment. The company is committed to providing customers with the best customer service and support, and is constantly innovating to ensure customers have the best experience possible.

    Key Features of BitStamp

    BitStamp key features include:

    Trusted Crypto Exchange for Global Traders: Bitstamp is a leading cryptocurrency exchange that offers traders from around the world a secure and reliable platform to buy and sell digital assets. With high liquidity and a fiat-to-crypto gateway, It is one of the most trusted and established exchanges in the industry.

    Regulated Exchange: Bitstamp is the world’s first fully-licensed European cryptocurrency exchange, regulated by the Luxembourg Financial Industry Supervisory Commission (CSSF). It is a secure and reliable platform for trading digital currencies, offering users a safe and compliant way to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

    Buy cryptocurrencies with a bank card: Bitstamp offers a convenient way to purchase Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with a bank card. Customers can instantly buy digital currencies with their bank cards, making it easy to get started with cryptocurrency trading.

    Low SEPA transfer fees: For Europeans, SEPA transfers are a low-cost way to deposit and withdraw cash directly to and from their bank accounts. SEPA transfers are more affordable than wire transfers, making them a great option for those looking to buy or sell cryptocurrency.

    Mobile Application: Bistamp’s mobile app allows users to trade cryptocurrencies on the go, with support for both Android and iOS devices.

    Perfect for Beginners: Bitstamp is a user-friendly cryptocurrency exchange that offers both beginner-friendly and advanced trading interfaces, making it easy for anyone to buy and sell digital currencies.

    In summary, Bitstamp is a secure and reliable cryptocurrency exchange, offering a wide range of trading options for both novice and experienced traders. With over 9 years of experience, Bitstamp has proven its security and high liquidity, making it a great choice for those looking to buy and sell digital assets.

    Key Advantages of BitStamp

    Fiat Trading

    Bitstamp is a cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies with fiat currencies. It supports USD, GBP, EUR, and Swiss Francs, making it a great option for beginners who are just getting started in the crypto world. It also offers a secure platform and low fees, making it a great choice for those looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. With its easy-to-use interface and wide range of fiat currencies, Bitstamp is a great choice for those looking to get started in the crypto world.

    Payment Methods

    Bitstamp makes it easy to get started with cryptocurrency trading, offering users the ability to fund their accounts with credit cards and bank transfers. This makes it simpler than ever to buy and sell digital currencies.

    Security

    Bitstamp is one of the most secure cryptocurrency exchanges on the market, with almost all of its funds kept in cold storage and fully insured. In 2015, Bitstamp was hacked and 19,000 Bitcoins were stolen, worth around 5 million USD. However, no customer funds were lost and the platform was completely rebuilt to prevent future hacks. The exchange has worked hard to ensure customer safety and security, and is now one of the most trusted exchanges in the industry.

    Finally, it also offers its users two-factor authentication, text message alerts, and PGP encryption to keep user information private.

    Fees

    Bitstamp offers some of the lowest fees in the market, making it an ideal choice for new traders. Fees vary depending on the payment method and location, but are generally low and easy to understand.

    Customer Service

    Bitstamp is committed to providing excellent customer service, with a UK-based helpline for emergencies and a detailed FAQ page. They respond to user emails within three days, ensuring traders are kept happy and satisfied.

    Reputation

    Bitstamp is a reliable and professional crypto exchange, with links to financial institutions worldwide and full licensing. It has been audited by Ernst & Young, one of the Big Four accountancy firms.

    Mobile App

    Bitstamp’s mobile app has been highly rated by users, receiving an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars on the Apple Store. This is a testament to the quality of the app, which provides users with a convenient and secure way to access their accounts.

    Key Disadvantages of BitStamp

    Coin Selection

    Bitstamp is a popular cryptocurrency exchange that offers a limited selection of around 70 digital assets for trading. These include Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP). While this selection is suitable for beginner traders, more experienced traders may prefer an exchange with a larger selection of trading pairs, such as Binance, which offers more than 1400.

    User Friendliness

    Bitstamp is a professional trading exchange that can be difficult for new users to understand. For those with no trading experience, Coinbase may be a better option as it is simpler and easier to use.

    BitStamp Fees

    Bitstamp is a cryptocurrency exchange with a competitive fee structure. Cryptocurrency deposits are free, while withdrawals incur a fixed network fee which differs per cryptocurrency. An exception to this is when customers withdraw bitcoin using BitGo Instant, which costs 0.1% of the amount being transferred, and when they withdraw Ripple IOUs, which costs 0.2% of the transferred amount. Bitstamp’s fees are cheap compared to many rivals, making it an attractive option for those looking to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

    Currency/Withdrawal Fee Bitstamp Kraken Bitfinex Coinbase Pro
    Bitcoin (BTC) 0.0005 BTC 0.0005 BTC 0.0004 BTC Free
    Ethereum (ETH) 0.001 ETH 0.005 ETH 0.00135 ETH Free
    Litecoin (LTC) 0.001 LTC 0.001 LTC 0.001 LTC Free
    Ripple (XRP) 0.02 XRP 0.02 XRP 0.1 XRP Free
    Bitcoin Cash (BCH) 0.0001 BCH 0.0001 BCH 0.001 BCH Free

    International wire transfers have a deposit fee of 0.05% (minimum of €7.50) and a withdrawal fee of 0.1% (minimum of €25). European customers making a SEPA bank transfer deposit funds to Bitstamp free of charge, while SEPA withdrawal costs €3.00. Bitstamp offers customers a secure and convenient way to buy and sell digital currencies with competitive fees. The platform is designed to make it easy to buy and sell cryptocurrencies with fiat currencies, with no hidden fees or charges. Customers can also benefit from the low fees associated with SEPA transfers, making it an attractive option for those looking to buy and sell digital currencies.

    Any amount purchased directly with a bank card comes with a 5% fee on Bitstamp’s behalf, and may have additional fees charged by the card issuer. Bitstamp offers a secure platform for users to buy and sell digital currencies, with a range of features and tools to help them manage their investments. 

    It offers competitive trading fees, with a starting rate of 0.50% for users with a 30-day trading volume of less than $10,000. This rate is lower than many other exchanges, making Bitstamp an attractive option for traders.

    The minimum trade amount at Bitstamp is 25 EUR/USD or 0.001 for BTC-denominated pairs. Bitstamp charges a 0.50% fee for any trader whose 30-day volume is less than $10,000. Other exchanges like Kraken and Bitfinex tend to charge less per trade, with Kraken offering a 0.16% fee for market makers and 0.26% for takers, and Bitfinex charging 0.1% for market makers and 0.2% for takers. Bitstamp is a reliable and secure platform for traders looking to buy and sell digital assets.

    It offers low-cost SEPA deposits and withdrawals, and discounts for high-volume traders. Although it is not the cheapest option out there, it is still a cost-effective choice for low-volume traders. The platform is secure and reliable, and offers a wide range of trading options. It is a great choice for European traders looking for a secure and cost-effective trading platform.

    Is BitStamp a Wallet?

    Bitstamp is an online platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies, but it is not a wallet. Wallets are used to store and access cryptocurrency codes, and they can be either hot (online) or cold (offline). Bitstamp is not a wallet, but it does provide a secure platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. It also offers a range of features such as two-factor authentication, multi-signature accounts, and a variety of payment methods. Bitstamp is a reliable and secure platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies, but it is not a wallet. To store and access your cryptocurrency codes, you will need to use a wallet.

    It is important to never keep all your cryptocurrency online, and a combination of hot and cold storage is the best way to ensure your funds are secure. For added security, a hardware wallet such as the Ledger Nano X is recommended. This device is similar to a USB stick and provides an extra layer of protection for your crypto assets. With Bitstamp, users can rest assured that their funds are safe and secure.

    Who Is Bitstamp Best For?

    Bitstamp is a secure and reliable platform with millions of satisfied users. It offers a professional design and features that are ideal for experienced users, but may be confusing for beginners. The platform is easy to use and provides a safe and secure environment for users to buy, sell, and trade digital currencies. It also offers a variety of features, such as low fees, fast transactions, and a wide range of payment options. Bitstamp is a great choice for those looking for a reliable and secure platform to buy, sell, and trade digital currencies.

    This exchange is a great choice for beginner crypto traders who want to get started quickly and easily. The exchange offers fiat trading and credit card purchases, making it easy to get started. Bitstamp is a perfect choice for users who don’t want to wait to start trading. The exchange also offers a range of features and tools to help users make informed decisions. 

    Conclusion

    Bitstamp is a trusted crypto exchange, renowned for its security and customer-focused team. With a user-friendly interface, it’s becoming one of the world’s most popular crypto exchanges. If you’re looking for a secure and reliable platform to trade cryptocurrencies, Bitstamp could be the perfect choice for you.

    Sign up here to get started today!

    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.

  • Bibox Exchange Review (2023): More for Trading Cryptocurrencies

    Bibox Exchange Review (2023): More for Trading Cryptocurrencies

    Bibox is the world’s first AI-powered digital asset exchange with a Swiss VQF license. It offers robust security, a wide range of trading options, innovative listing programs, and top-notch customer service. This exchange review will include both pros and cons of Bibox, including information about the company, the main features and even more.

    Sign up here to get started.

    What is Bibox?

    Bibox, the pioneering AI-powered digital asset exchange, has been providing robust and secure systems. Moreover, it also provices a wide range of trading options, innovative listing programs, and top-notch customer service since 2017. As one of the few blockchain enterprises with a Swiss VQF license, Bibox has earned the admiration and trust of cryptocurrency experts and traders around the world.

    Bibox offers daily trading services trusted by over 1 million cryptocurrency traders and investors from 160 countries, particularly in Asia, Europe, and North America. With 579 tokens and 826 trading markets, Bibox’s spot daily trading volume exceeds 1 billion US dollars.

    Bibox offers a variety of products. Bibox CopyTrading is a pioneering cryptocurrency trading platform that allows traders to share in the profits of fund management strategies. Additionally, Bibox’s AI-powered Trading Bot helps users maximize their trading profits through advanced quantitative analysis. Furthermore, Bibox’s SELECTED service offers a unique line of listing and trading services. It includes Super Start, Pre-taste, and S-POOL, which only feature high-quality blockchain projects. Bibox users can take advantage of discounted prices and near-zero risk of loss when purchasing project tokens.

    Key Features and Advantages of Bibox

    Low Trading Fees

    When selecting the best crypto exchange platform, it is essential to consider trading fees as they can significantly impact your profits. To maximize your earnings, it is wise to opt for a platform that offers low trading fees. Bibox offers some of the lowest trading fees in the top-tier crypto trading platform industry, with takers paying 0.20% and makers paying 0.075%. This is lower than the industry standard of 0.25% – 0.15%.

    Makers are those who create an order to be filled by someone else, while takers are those who place an order to buy cryptocurrencies at a specific price. Generally, makers pay lower fees than takers. Bibox does not charge any fees for deposits, however, a 1% fee applies for withdrawals. The minimum withdrawal amount is $15.

    Decentralized Exchange

    Bibox is a popular decentralized exchange, allowing users to directly trade cryptocurrencies without any controlling institutions. This type of peer-to-peer (P2P) trading is becoming increasingly popular due to its lack of centralized control. Decentralized exchanges make registration quick and easy, allowing you to start trading without having to provide your personal information.

    Decentralized exchanges such as Bibox offer users more freedom, but they often have lower liquidity than centralized crypto exchanges, resulting in less stable prices for assets. Additionally, there are some issues that people distinguish when discussing decentralized crypto exchanges, which will be discussed further in this Bibox exchange review.

    Easy to Use

    It’s essential to select a platform that makes it easy to buy and sell cryptocurrencies if you’re into daily trading. Fees and security measures are important, but usability should not be overlooked.

    Bibox offers a user-friendly interface, making it ideal for beginners. The exchange provides all the necessary information to make informed decisions. These includes the current value, lowest price per day, fluctuations in the trade, and the highest price for 24 hours. Additionally, Bibox has a mobile app available for IOS and Android devices, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

    Very Secure

    Bibox ensures the highest level of security for its users with SSL encryption technology, multi-factor authentication and Google 2-Step Verification.

    For maximum security, it is recommended to store the majority (if not all) of your cryptocurrencies in secure wallets such as Ledger (Nano S and Nano X) and Trezor (One and Model T). These cold wallets keep your private keys offline, ensuring your assets are kept away from prying eyes.

    Key Disadvantages of Bibox

    Despite all the positive aspects of Bibox exchange, there are some drawbacks that should be taken into consideration. For those looking for a reliable cryptocurrency exchange platform, Binance, Kraken, and KuCoin are more suitable options.

    Doesn’t Support Fiat Currencies

    One of the biggest issues with Bibox is that it does not support fiat currencies, meaning users must first purchase cryptocurrencies on another platform and then transfer them to Bibox. To make this process easier, we have provided a step-by-step guide on how to make a deposit at the end of this Bibox review.

    Bibox offers a wide selection of over 50 cryptocurrencies to trade against Ethereum or Bitcoin, including but not limited to:

    • BTC
    • ETH
    • LTC
    • EOS
    • BIX
    • NEO
    • QTUM
    • etc.

    After buying cryptocurrencies, you can choose from a wide range of available options, so you don’t have to worry about the supported coins.

    Negative Reviews Online

    When conducting research for this Bibox review, I encountered a large number of negative reviews. Despite not having any issues when using this platform, I paid close attention to what other customers had to say. It’s wise to be cautious when reading online reviews about any company. Many customers have reported that they were unable to delete their accounts, as well as claims of fake volume and hidden fees.

    Decentralized = Not Controlled

    Bibox is a decentralized exchange, meaning that it operates without a central authority. This is beneficial as it allows users to trade directly with each other, without their personal information being stored on the platform. However, this also means that there is no central authority to provide oversight or protection.

    Since there is no central authority controlling the platform, it is vulnerable to hacking. If the platform is hacked, users will not be able to recover their cryptocurrencies.

    How to Use Bibox Cryptocurrency Exchange?

    How to Create an Account on Bibox?

    Create your account on Bibox quickly and easily by following these simple steps:

    1. Create an account on Bibox by clicking the “Sign Up” button on the homepage.
    2. Sign up with your email and password, and enter a referral code (if you have one) to get started.
    3. Click “Receive SMS” to get a 6-digit code for verification.
    4. Create an account now by adding the code to access our services.

    The Bibox registration process is quick and easy, as it is a decentralized crypto exchange.

    How to Make a Deposit on Bibox?

    Make a deposit to your account quickly and easily with this step-by-step guide. Follow these simple steps below:

    1. Access Funds Quickly by Clicking the “Funds” Button at the Top Right Corner of the Page.
    2. Deposit funds quickly and easily by clicking the “Deposit” button at the top of the page.
    3. Choose the currency you wish to deposit and get started now.
    4. Copy your deposit address by clicking “Click to copy” after selecting the asset.
    5. Transfer your cryptocurrencies from your trading platform or wallet to your deposit address by selecting “Withdraw” or “Transfer”.

    Scan the QR code to quickly and securely transfer your assets.

    If you’re looking for the simplest way to purchase cryptocurrencies, Binance is the perfect choice. This digital currency exchange allows you to easily buy the most popular coins with your credit card. Unfortunately, Bibox does not support fiat currencies, so you cannot purchase BTC, ETH, or any other cryptocurrency on the platform with your credit card.

    Choose reliable wallets like Ledger and Trezor to protect your assets from theft. These hardware wallets will ensure your assets are secure.

    Conclusion

    Bibox is a Singapore-based decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that offers low trading fees, good security measures, and an easy-to-use platform. However, it does not support fiat currencies, is not regulated, and has received multiple negative reviews online.

    It is essential to keep your cryptocurrencies secure at all times when using this platform. To ensure the safety of your digital assets, we recommend using a reliable hardware wallet such as Ledger or Trezor. These wallets are also known as cold wallets as they store your private keys offline.

    This Bibox review should have answered all of your questions and prepared you to join the crypto world. If you prefer exchanges that support fiat currencies and have a better reputation, there are plenty of options to choose from.

    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.

  • Plus Token (PLUS) Scam – Anatomy of a Ponzi

    Plus Token (PLUS) Scam – Anatomy of a Ponzi

    What is Plus Token?

    “Plus Token” was a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme disguised as a high-yield investment program. Platform administrators closed down the operation in June of 2019. Fraudsters abandoned the scheme by withdrawing over $3 Billion dollars in Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and EOS) and leaving the message “sorry we have run“. This has led to an international manhunt for the platform administrators and creators of Plus Token. Plus token has been blamed for causing Bitcoin prices to fall in 2019 as stolen funds were sold via Bitcoin OTCs.

    PlusToken had a major following in Korea and China – especially among investors not familiar with cryptocurrencies. Plus token was a High Yield investment program that offered massive rewards on “investment” to unsuspecting victims in China and Korea. The scheme offered 9% to 18% monthly returns on investment – with larger investments getting more rewards. This type is similar to other High Yield investment programs like “Bitconnect” which collapsed in January of 2018.

    [wp-compear id=”5217″]

    How did the Plus Token Ponzi Scheme Work?

    Plus Token is a classic Ponzi scheme it lures unsuspecting victims to invest with promises of high returns and low investments. Plus Token maintained an illusion of sustainable business by pretending the funds are used to develop cryptocurrency-related products such as the Plus Token Wallet and Exchange. However, returns are generated by dividing more recent investments to pay off older members. The illusion of a sustainable business is what classifies this as a Ponzi Scheme, as victims actually believe that they are investing in a business that generates high returns.

    Plus Token also had a strong referral element, which gave huge bonuses to any member who referred friends and family into the scheme. Investors were divided into 4 “tiers”, according to how much they invested and how many other referrals they can make. This meant the more a member referred, the exponentially higher the return. Members started to refer their friends and family to invest in large sums of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, EOS, and Litecoin.

    Plus Token relied heavily in conferences and meetups to promote the token. The following video is taken at a Plus token gathering.

    Payments stopped 30th June 2019

    Early signs of trouble started surfacing in June of 2019 as users started reporting delays in fund withdraws. Some took to complain on the Chinese social media site “Weibo” citing that they were unable to receive funds despite writing for 35 hours after submitting withdrawal requests (Source Blocktempo).

    Initially, Plus token blamed on “higher miner fees” for the withdrawal delays. They claimed the sent transactions with 1 sat /byte, leading to long delays on the Bitcoin Blockchain. Plus token supporters avidly as their followers to “believe” in the system and disregard the “false information”.

    Ring Leaders tried to convince the community that Plus Token will come back.

    Scammers: “Sorry We have run”

    As funds began moving, one of the transactions carried the note “Sorry, we have run” as a comment to the transaction. This really needs no explanation – organisers of the scam have initiated their exit strategy and fled the country.

    109 members of Plus Token scam have been arrested

    Reports from Chinese news outlet CLS on 30th July 2020 reported that 109 individuals have been arrested in connection with the PlusToken scheme by the Ministry of Public Security. These include all 27 primary suspects thought to be responsible for the scam and another 82 core members.

    Is Plus Token still scamming users?

    On 29th April 2020, there were screenshots of the PlusToken app circulating on Chinese social media of a supposed notice announcing that version 3.0 beta of the app is now online. Subsequently, on 4th May 2020, a further notice was issued by the PlusToken team saying that version 3.0 beta will undergo compatibility synchronization and will stop all transaction functions. The notice further added that once this version is live, some eligible users will receive a reward. However, it seems more like an effort by PlusToken’s ringleaders to placate those who have invested by giving them hope that the project may return.

    Tip of the Iceberg

    PlusToken can be seen as the tip of the Iceberg as there are many other very similar crypto Ponzi schemes and scams. These include Cloud Token, S Block, and other cloud “mining” tokens. At the end of the day, tokens that ‘guarantee’ high returns without a clear and audit-able business plan should generate red flags.

    Laundering stolen funds into exchanges

    Luckily research is being down to track wallets known to be associated with Plus Token (8btc.com, @doveywan, @PeckShield). Work done by @PeckShield has shown funds moving from large wallets (~5000+ Bitcoin) to smaller wallets, and eventually into cryptocurrency exchanges. Due to the large sums of cryptocurrencies moved and actively being sold off – Plus Token played a role in dropping the price of Bitcoin.

    Known amounts scammed – List sum of BTC from identified and tracked addresses. Reports have been circulating that up to ~1% of the entire Bitcoin supply is involved in the scam. Currently more wallets are being added to this list.

    • 70000 BTC ($700,840,000 USD)
    • 789511 ETH ($142,111,980 USD)
    • 26299109 EOS ($92,046,881 USD)

    Known Bitcoin Wallet addresses (Source 1):

    • 1MFgcyJ7ZNSknbTBRaih6zWDE6V1A64tRY (1865 BTC)
    • 3ETAVt2scYBFkBFksuNDk1i5tDLQ2c4zWR (4922 BTC)
    • 3EYsru4LUcN258sENYPu5Py3S5WnqxEcnE (3657 BTC)
    • 3HKs1g7u5a1uU4pC5HaNooYMbL1Lao4mv4 (3928 BTC)
    • 3ESakThMrdVVrbhhcpf9spicyjCg1Uk8Jm (3289 BTC)
    • 33LNws16Wfs12usWBNfa1MSX3YKY6Hdayf (3270 BTC)
    • 3HwY536CxznDxMjiRCFkpx5ykwJbJMZY4w (1725 BTC)
    • 35bCzX3RQEWdquqCPQkmdJdu2K4ut1roUZ (3676.86 BTC)
    • 31owhyALzzPEqUFwRbU5yQR4wNhYEjCiE5 (749.66 BTC)
    • 3PBN3MCpDcZKr7WdyY1ULq1NeGwLNjpkj7 (12000 BTC)
    • 14bwh6gmvol5ntwbvxqjkjdtzv4y5ebtvm (95228 BTC)
    • 33FKcwFhFBKWHh46Ksmxs3QBu8HV7h8QdF (37922 BTC)

    Known EOS Addresses of Plus Token

    • eospstotoken
    • jnhgvbkkfdjf

    Known Ethereum Addresses of Plus Token

    • 0xF4a2eFf88a408ff4c4550148151c33c93442619e
    • 0x997114ca0830e9bee7443368fa27f4af2d4e55a6
    • 0x0f953ef137ee0894cc06383ccb1ef77e76660b5a

    Plus Token Sell-offs Responsible for Bitcoin Price Drop?

    Since as early as August 2019, Chinese cryptocurrency trading groups have already been circulating that due to the sheer amount involved, the scammers trying to dispose of the ill-gotten Bitcoin are pushing prices downward. And this price dump halted on 15th August 2019, coincidentally when Binance was suspended for trading because of a system upgrade.

    In late November 2019, this issue was again brought to the forefront when Twitter user Ergo reported having traced 187,000 BTC of the approximately 200,000 BTC attributed to PlusToken’s investors. As to these funds, Ergo found they were “shuffled” (albeit badly, if at all) and gradually sent to various cryptocurrency exchanges and OTC brokers, primarily Huobi, for sale on the market.

    Ergo’s findings on the PlusToken funds

    Ergo predicts that if all the “mixed” funds were sold from August to November 2019, it would average out to be around 1,300 BTC sold per day. This could lead people to think it would have an effect on Bitcoin prices, which has fallen from USD $9,981.41 on 1st August 2019 to USD $7,182.89 on 4th December 2019.

    Based on Ergo’s estimates of the amounts sold daily, the sell-off of the remaining 58,000 BTC or so Plus Token funds would continue for another 1.5 to 2 months.

    In an apparent pattern, PlusToken scammers move their funds when BTC prices experience volatility. Such was the case on 11th February 2020, when Bitcoin trading at around USD $9,800, almost 12,000 BTC (worth around USD $118 million) from one of the addresses associated with the Plus Token funds were moved and split amongst various other wallets.

    On 7th March 2020, Bitcoin was again trading at over USD $9,000. Again, Plus Token funds were being funneled through mixing services. This time, Twitter user ErgoBTC noticed that a total of 13,000 BTC (worth around USD $210 million) was involved. Analysts such as Kevin Svenson believe the scammers were “slamming the market with sell orders” every time Bitcoin prices went up so as to unload the funds.

    Is there a pattern to the movement of funds associated with Plus Token?

    According to ErgoBTC, the movement of funds to exchanges took a bit of a break from mid-March to early May 2020. Movement to exchanges has since then resumed and around 300-500 BTC/day is being moved to exchanges.

    Last of PlusToken funds moved to exchanges

    On 22nd June 2020, Twitter user Whale Alert found over 26 million EOS (worth over USD$67mil) had been transferred from a wallet associated with PlusToken to an unknown wallet, prompting cryptocurrency traders to go on high alert for potential downward price movement for EOS.

    Indeed on 24th June 2020 we did see a marked dip in EOS prices, though it cannot be confirmed that this was due to a sale of the PlusToken funds.

    EOS prices from 22 to 26 Jun 2020
    EOS prices from 22 to 26 Jun 2020

    Only a matter of a few days later on 24th June 2020, Whale Alert found another huge chunk of PlusToken funds, this time over 789,000 ETH (worth over USD$187 million) had been transferred from a PlusToken wallet to a new address, and yet again to another unknown address.

    These funds were then further split into multiple unknown addresses of varying amounts.

    Twitter user ErgoBTC, who has been following the movement of the PlusToken funds observes that the ETH that was recently transferred is the remainder of PlusToken’s unmixed coins which are now being moved to mixers. The purpose of this is to cloud the movement history of the PlusToken funds, so that they can avoid being flagged by exchanges when they are eventually sold on the market.

    In addition to the movements of EOS and ETH, it’s been a very busy week for PlusToken. So far they have moved over USD$428 million worth of cryptocurrencies to new addresses and the following exchanges: Binance, Huobi, HBTC, OKEx, Gate.io and MXC Exchange.

    Are Exchanges doing anything to deter scammers?

    Those behind Plustoken rely on cryptocurrency Exchanges to dispose of their scammed funds. Cryptocurrency exchanges do have Know Your Customer (KYC) measures in place which should identify and report any such activity since it clearly constitutes money laundering. However previous massive sell-offs by PlusToken took place in Huobi and Okex, thus demonstrating that their KYC and AML measures were ineffective in stopping them in that instance.

    Since the previous selloff, exchanges have stepped up their standards. For example, in reaction to the selloff Huobi has launched Star Atlas, an on-chain analytics tool to identify problematic activities such as fraud and money laundering on their Exchange. Meanwhile, peer-to-peer exchange Paxful has partnered with Chainalysis so that the exchange’s transactions can be monitored in real time.

    In the latest sell off, it has already been found that substantial funds are being mixed and deposited into Binance, Huobi, HBTC, OKEx, Gate.io and MXC Exchange. Nothing has happened yet, but many traders are already watching to see if a market crash could be incoming, whilst questioning whether the affected exchanges will take any action on the funds that are now in their hands.

    Chinese police seized US$4.2b of PlusToken, forfeited to China’s treasury

    Filings from the Yancheng Intermediate People’s Court reveal that authorities have seized 194,775 Bitcoin (BTC), 833,083 Ether (ETH), 1.4 million Litecoin (LTC), 27.6m EOS, 74,167 Dash, 487m XRP, 6bn Dogecoin (DOGE), 79,581 Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and 213,724 Tether (USDT) from 7 individuals convicted in connection with this case.

    This totals around USD$4.2bn worth of cryptocurrencies!

    Court filings have also indicated that the seized cryptocurrencies will be forfeited to the National Treasury. This is because in China, trading and dealing in cryptocurrencies is illegal. So victims have no legal right for return of the seized assets.

    Hence some victims have joked that they have inadvertently contributed to the national treasury.

    What is happening to Plus Token in 2022?

    It seems that the Plus Token saga, which started all the way back in 2018 had drawn to a close in December 2020 when the court in Jiangsu province, China sentenced the ringleaders of the Plus Token scheme to up to 11 years imprisonment. The main ringleader, Chen Bo and 13 other ringleaders were sentenced to between 2 and 11 years in jail. They were also fined various amounts ranging from 120,000 yuan to 6 million yuan. Another associate, Chen Tao, who was responsible for transferring the illegally obtained funds, was sentenced to over 4 years imprisonment.

    As mentioned in the previous section, all the confiscated cryptocurrencies obtained from the Plus Token fraudsters were turned over to the state.

    The Plus Token scam however is not dead in 2022. We can see from various social media outlets that people making periodical videos saying that the Plus Token project is alive and that they are working with a top Asian cryptocurrency exchange. Furthermore, these “influencers” who apparently have connections with those involved with Plus Token allege that once Plus Token is launched, they will not have a native token but instead the Plus Token proceeds will be issued in the form of that exchange’s own token.

    Note however that the “major Asian exchange” in question has never mentioned any working relationship with Plus Token, nor has there been any announcement that they will issue their own native token.

    Plus Token Sources and References

    Chinese Sources and News Coverage

    Special thanks to Matthew Graham for providing the videos and research!

    https://3kemao.com/archives/124864?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 https://www.ccvalue.cn/article/3952.html?from=singlemessage https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EJLo-Rjjzz283FOCbzuLuA https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HQxl5gKd0105tUIsQ0TQPg https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rPtQAo0sf4P_LDM-8K0Z1g

    Crypto Wallet Addresses

    Chainnode Research: https://www.8btc.com/article/440193
    BlockTempo: https://www.blocktempo.com/unable-to-withdarw-plustoken-is-crashing-down/
    Plus Token Wallet Addresses: http://gscaijing.com/archives/21291
    CoinTelegraph https://cointelegraph.com/news/3b-ponzi-scheme-is-now-allegedly-dumping-bitcoin-by-the-hundreds

    Arrests / Man-hunt

    SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3016604/six-chinese-nationals-wanted-beijing-internet-scam-arrested

    SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3112115/chinese-cryptocurrency-scam-ringleaders-jailed-us225-billion

    Plus Token sell-offs and Bitcoin price correlation?

    8BTC: https://news.8btc.com/bitcoin-dip-allegedly-a-result-of-incessant-bitcoin-selloffs-from-3-billion-ponzi-scheme

    Findings from Twitter user Ergo: https://twitter.com/ErgoBTC/status/1197496064854634496?s=20

    Updated on 4th December 2019 to include new section- Plus Token Sell-offs Responsible for Bitcoin Price Drop?
    Updated on 18th December 2019 to correct spelling mistakes and more details of how the Ponzi Scheme operated
    Updated on 9th March 2020 on the latest Plus Token moves in 2020.
    Updated on 25th May 2020 on the latest PlusToken prosecutions and ver 3.0 beta of the app.
    Updated on 25th June 2020 on the movements of PlusToken’s remaining unmixed funds in the week of 21st June 2020.
    Updated on 2nd July 2020 on what exchanges are doing in response

    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.

  • What will happen to major cryptocurrency exchanges and traders? Hong Kong proposes strictest regulations against them yet.

    What will happen to major cryptocurrency exchanges and traders? Hong Kong proposes strictest regulations against them yet.

    On 3rd November 2020, Hong Kong’s Financial Services and Treasury Bureau (“FSTB”) issued a Public Consultation on Legislative Proposals to Enhance Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Regulation in Hong Kong (“Legislative Proposals”). Specifically one of the proposals concerns cryptocurrency exchanges referred to in the Consultation Paper as virtual asset services providers (“VASPs”)

    These regulations are not yet enacted. The FSTB says it welcomes written comments from the public on the Legislative Proposals on or before 31st January 2021.

    Current state of regulation of VASPs and Virtual Assets (“VAs”) in Hong Kong

    Current regulatory requirements for VASPs and VAs in Hong Kong

    The FTSB notes that VAs are not considered as legal tender and are not generally accepted as a means of payment in Hong Kong. However, they are aware that there are some VA trading activities operating locally. In light of this, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) issued a position paper in November 2019 (“SFC Position Paper”). The SFC Position Paper outlined some regulatory standards similar to those applicable to licensed securities brokers and automated trading venues, for licensing of VA trading platforms. Notably, this was only an opt-in and voluntary regime and ONLY applied to those platforms which enabled clients to trade VAs with securities feature. Those platforms which solely traded non-securities VAs are not covered.

    Hong Kong as a member jurisdiction of the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”)

    The FATF comprises of 39 major worldwide economies and oversees the implementation of the FATF Standards, which are comprised of 40 Recommendations and 11 Immediate Outcomes (“Standards”). Member jurisdictions do mutual evaluations to see if they comply with these Standards which are updated from time to time. One of the more recent additions to the Standards was in February 2019, where jurisdictions were required to subject VASPs to the same range of anti-money laundering (“AML”)/counter-terrorist financing (“CTF”) obligations applicable to financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions.

    Hong Kong was subject to a mutual evaluation and a Report on Hong Kong was published in September 2019, where the FATF will specify recommendations on areas for improvement. Hong Kong is scheduled to undergo a regular technical compliance assessment in February 2023 and an effectiveness assessment in June 2024. The Legislative Proposals are specific in that they “…will be expected to have introduced AML/CTF regulation for the VASP…sectors…” So it is quite apparent their intention that the Legislative Proposals will be passed into law in time for June 2024.

    The Legislative Proposals specifically notes that other FATF member economies have either set up or are setting up their own regulatory and supervisory regimes for VASPs.

    Proposals put forward in the Consultation Paper

    Specifically, the Legislative Proposals suggest amending the current Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“AMLO”). Here’s A summary of the Legislative Proposals:

    Expanding the scope of the AMLO to cover VASPs (currently VASPs are not included).

    Implement a licensing regime for VASPs where any person intending to conduct the regulated business of a virtual asset trading platform in Hong Kong will be required to apply for a licence from the SFC and also need to meet a “fit and proper test” similar to that required of other financial sectors. Licensed VASPs will then be subject to the AML/CTF requirements under Schedule 2 of the AMLO and “…other regulatory requirements for investor protection purposes”. Schedule 2 of the AMLO basically sets out requirements relating to customer due diligence and record-keeping, and special circumstances. Examples of this include identification checks and to continuously monitor business relationships.

    Give the SFC powers to supervise a VASPs’ compliance of the AMLO requirements.

    Then the question is, what are VASPs or VAs?

    Scope of the Legislative Proposals

    The Legislative Proposals specifically covers VASPs and VAs, so it is important to know their definition. This is set out in the Legislative Proposals.

    Virtual Asset Services Providers

    The Legislative Proposals takes the definition of VASPs from that of the FATF and is defined as, “…a VASP is a person who, as a business, engages in specified activities involving VAs. The specified activities cover (i) exchange between VAs and fiat currencies; (ii) exchange between one or more forms of VAs; (iii) transfer of VAs; (iv) safekeeping and/or administration of VAs or instruments enabling control over VAs; and (v) participation in and provision of financial services related to an issuer’s offer and/or sale of a VA.”

    Virtual asset exchanges

    The Legislative Proposals proposes to designate the business of operating a VA exchange as a “regulated VA activity” under the AMLO and require a VASP licence from the SFC and subject to passing the “fit and proper” person test and other regulatory requirements.

    Specifically a VA exchange is proposed to be defined as “…any trading platform which is operated for the purpose of allowing an offer or invitation to be made to buy or sell any VA in exchange for any money or any VA…”

    The Legislative Proposals, however mention that “peer-to-peer trading platforms” will not be considered as a VA exchange and thus not subject to the licensing requirements. According to the Legislative Proposals, peer-to-peer trading platforms are platforms that only provide a forum where buyers and sellers post their bids and offers, with or without automatic matching mechanisms, for the parties themselves to trade at an outside venue. However, the actual transaction must be conducted outside the platform, and the platform is not involved in the underlying transaction. If for example the platform comes into possession of any money or any VA at any point in time, they would still be considered a “VA exchange”.

    VA activities outside of exchanges (OTC desks etc): Are they covered?

    However there are other businesses dealing with VAs that aren’t exchanges. For example VA payment systems, VA custodian services and over the counter trading and crypto ATMs (Genesis Block Hong Kong comes to mind).

    According to the Legislative Proposals, they already have interface with financial institutions (e.g. when converting into fiat). This means that their money flow is already traceable for AML/CTF purposes and are already subject to the statutory obligations of reporting suspicious transactions etc. Hence the FSTB says they will nevertheless keep in mind the evolving landscape in relation to these activities and the licensing regime will be kept flexible so it may be expanded to cover other VA activities if the need arises in the future.

    Virtual Assets

    The FSTB also intends to adopt the definition of a VA as provided by the FATF but in more specific terms. The proposed definition is that a VA is, “…a digital representation of value that is expressed as a unit of account or a store of economic value; functions (or is intended to function) as a medium of exchange accepted by the public as payment for goods or services or for the discharge of a debt, or for investment purposes; and can be transferred, stored or traded electronically.”

    What is not covered under the scope of a VA would be central bank digital currencies (China’s DCEP comes to mind), financial assets (e.g. securities) which are already regulated by the SFO, and closed-loop limited purpose items that are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and non-fungible (e.g. gaming coins).

    However stablecoins (i.e. VAs purportedly backed by some form of asset to stabilise their value) are covered by the definition of VAs.

    Regulatory requirements: are retail investors banned from trading cryptocurrencies?

    If the VA business falls under the definition of a VASP and are not other VA activities which are excluded, they will be subject to the licensing regime. With reference to the existing opt-in regime, the Legislative Proposals proposes to empower the SFC to impose licensing conditions on licensed VASPs and regulatory requirements. One such requirement that is particularly concerning to cryptocurrency enthusiasts is the requirement that VASPs should only offer services to “professional investors”. However the Legislative Proposals suggest that this restriction should only be required at the “initial stage” and note that the SFC will continue to monitor the market and reconsider this position as the market matures in the future.

    Hong Kong’s crypto community reacts to the Legislative Proposals

    Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of FTX Exchange gave his thoughts on the Legislative Proposals. He noted that it is still in the consultation stages and that whether or not an exchange “is” in Hong Kong so as to be covered by the Legislative Proposals are subtle and non-obvious.

    OSL, which is the only known recipient of “approval in principle” from the SFC under the current opt-in licensing regime appears more positive. On Twitter, OSL mentions that the Legislative Proposals significantly supports OSL’s strategic objective to be the first choice for regulated digital asset ventures and that it can balance market supervision and development, and provide investors with better protection.

    OKEx has not made any comments on this. We don’t see this as surprising considering they have more pressing issues to deal with, such as the fact that OKEx withdrawals are still suspended due to the arrest of Star Xu.

    Same can be said for Huobi, which is also dealing with rumours concerning the arrest of a Senior Executive by Chinese local officials.

    Bitmex of course is also in a bit of hot water, as civil and criminal proceedings have been respectively issued by the US DOJ and CFTC against BitMEX, its CEO Arthur Hayes, together with other key personnel and affiliates. Their CTO was also arrested in the US.

    Meanwhile, Leo Weese, Co-founder at The Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong gives his take in a blog post. He notes that whilst he is not opposed to regulation per se, the Legislative Proposals “…a massive overreach of the SFC’s mandate and a de facto ban of Bitcoin in Hong Kong”. In particular, Weese criticises the Legislative Proposals as confusing and unclear, noting also that it is the most restrictive proposal compared to any other FATF member economies. However, it can also be considered that it is merely the SFC’s initiative to implement FATF decisions rather a conspiracy to ban Bitcoin. Finally, Weese expects significant push back against the Legislative Proposals given previous resistance against previous initiatives aimed at money laundering.

    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.