Recommended Coins
and Their Purposes
If you have no crypto assets yet, here are the coins I
recommend for long-term holding, to make sure
you end-up making profits in time!
Coin #1: Bitcoin (BTC)
In the digital age, the ideal brand-new currency should have at least these three
characteristics:
It should be free from the control of any authority so that it cannot bemanipulated and printed at will (and devalued), and nobody can tell anyone
what they can and cannot use it for.
The currency should be borderless, so that it can be easily exchanged across any
location with anyone.
It should be apolitical, so as to not favor a specific system or group of people. In a
nutshell, these (among many others) are the characteristics of bitcoin, which
looks like an appealing alternative to any fiat-based monetary system.
Bitcoin is the world’s first decentralized digital currency. Its value primarily comes
from it being the first digital currency that no single person, organization or
authority has control over.
Anyone can buy it, anyone can receive it — and
nobody can tell anyone what they can or cannot do with it.
It is a money free from dictatorship, oppression and hyperinflation, and a
financial safe haven for anyone living under those circumstances.
It has a limited
supply of approximately 21 million total bitcoins that will never be changed, and
we know exactly how many are being released into the world at what rate, as
well as approximately when the last bitcoin will be created.
It is generally more difficult to understand why a decentralized currency is
valuable to people who live in first-world countries because their society’s money
is most likely very sound, or so it appears to be.
In order for people in first-world
countries to understand why bitcoin is valuable, they must recognize why the fiat
money system is unsound.
THE PROBLEM WITH FIAT
In reality, any money controlled by a central bank is not truly sound, when you
consider the big picture.
Generally speaking, governments have created monetary
systems that allow them to manipulate the supply of their country’s money,
assuring its value is backed by their word that it will always be worth something.
The problem is that “something” has slowly been worth less and less since fiat
money was taken off of the gold standard.
The reason for this is simple: Governments like to spend more than they accrue
from taxes and other income streams; so, by their own power, they print
enough money for their needs.
When more money is printed and put into an
economy, it decreases the value of each dollar already in circulation.
Bitcoin’s beautifully designed characteristics mean it is poised to have an
impact in people’s lives in the most unstable economies (like Argentina and
Venezuela, for example), where the government heavily manipulates its money.
As a brief primer, countries like Venezuela and Argentina have experienced times
where their governments printed so much of their own currency that their
citizens were not able to spend it fast enough before it would lose value.
This hashappened multiple times in each country and, as a result, their entire monetary
systems fell apart, and affected citizens had to find an alternative medium of
exchange.
People are entitled to freedom as a human right, and governments who ruin their
own money arguably take away their people’s economic freedom.
Their access to the same economic opportunities as the rest of the world is virtually non-existent,
and thus the greatest thing they desire is a currency that can’t be controlled by a
reckless central authority.
In 1912, Ludwig von Mises, a renowned Austrian economist, wrote in The Theory
of Money and Credit that sound money “has two aspects. It is affirmative in
approving the market’s choice of a commonly used medium of exchange. It is
negative in obstructing the government’s propensity to meddle with the currency
system.”
He continues, “It is impossible to grasp the meaning of the idea of sound money if
one does not realize that it was devised as an instrument for the protection of
civil liberties against despotic inroads on the part of governments.”
WHY DO WE USE FIAT MONEY?
The reason why most people accept our current monetary system is because it’s
what we have and it’s what we have had for as long as we can remember.
Because people alive today were born into the existing system of government-
issued money, most of society has accepted that the gradual increase in price
for everything from groceries to education is a natural phenomenon.
It is hard to believe that prices will gradually increase forever, and coffee could
very well be close to $20 per cup in 50 years (compared to the $2 average today
and the $0.15 it cost in 1920). We accept that these increases are the natural
result of inflation, which they correctly are, but the underlying reason why the
inflation occurs in the first place is due to manipulations of a central authority.
Unfortunately, when people are used to something for so long, they naturally find
it hard to believe that a newer way might be better.
These core flaws that plague the fiat monetary system do not exist in bitcoin.
systems fell apart, and affected citizens had to find an alternative medium of
exchange.
People are entitled to freedom as a human right, and governments who ruin their
own money arguably take away their people’s economic freedom.
Their access to the same economic opportunities as the rest of the world is virtually non-existent,
and thus the greatest thing they desire is a currency that can’t be controlled by a
reckless central authority.
In 1912, Ludwig von Mises, a renowned Austrian economist, wrote in The Theory
of Money and Credit that sound money “has two aspects. It is affirmative in
approving the market’s choice of a commonly used medium of exchange. It is
negative in obstructing the government’s propensity to meddle with the currency
system.”
He continues, “It is impossible to grasp the meaning of the idea of sound money if
one does not realize that it was devised as an instrument for the protection of
civil liberties against despotic inroads on the part of governments.”
WHY DO WE USE FIAT MONEY?
The reason why most people accept our current monetary system is because it’s
what we have and it’s what we have had for as long as we can remember.
Because people alive today were born into the existing system of government-
issued money, most of society has accepted that the gradual increase in price
for everything from groceries to education is a natural phenomenon.
It is hard to believe that prices will gradually increase forever, and coffee could
very well be close to $20 per cup in 50 years (compared to the $2 average today
and the $0.15 it cost in 1920). We accept that these increases are the natural
result of inflation, which they correctly are, but the underlying reason why the
inflation occurs in the first place is due to manipulations of a central authority.
Unfortunately, when people are used to something for so long, they naturally find
it hard to believe that a newer way might be better.
WHY BITCOIN IS VALUABLE
These core flaws that plague the fiat monetary system do not exist in bitcoin.
Bitcoin’s supply is fixed by code that all participants of the network agree upon.
The distribution rate of new bitcoins into the world is fixed and transparent, as
is the approximate date when the last bitcoin will be created.
Bitcoin also has no
public face that can strongly influence the direction of the currency. It’s the
correction of these flaws of our current system that bring value to bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies have taken the world by storm. Since 2013, the value of all
cryptocurrencies in circulation has soared from $1.6 billion to more than $1.6
trillion at Wednesday's prices, and roughly $1.4 trillion of that value was added
in the past year, according to CoinMarketCap.
Bitcoin has been the leader of the pack, thanks to its first-mover advantage as
the original cryptocurrency.
However, in recent months, Ethereum has stolen
Bitcoin's thunder. In the past year, Ethereum has gained roughly 1,600%, while
Bitcoin is up 300%.
Ethereum has caught fire for a number of reasons, but the most important aspect
of the Ethereum network is its use of smart contracts.
These smart contracts built
on the Ethereum network are spurring a couple of innovations that give
Ethereum its value: decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs),
whose popularity should be closely followed by investors.
The DeFi movement can't be ignored
One of the biggest innovations spurred by the Ethereum network is DeFi.
DeFi uses smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain to offer traditional
financial products, like insurance or loans, without the need of intermediaries
like brokerages or banks. Two hands, made out of digital networks, form a
handshake.
These smart contracts eliminate the need for a trusted third party to verify the
transaction. Nick Szabo, an early pioneer of digital currencies, likened them to
digital vending machines.
Smart contracts are programmable contracts
between two parties that self-execute when specific conditions are satisfied.
The third party is eliminated because the contract is programmable and exists
on the blockchain, a secure and decentralized form of digital ledger technology.
The ultimate goal of DeFi is to eliminate third parties and make financial products
such as loans, insurance, and trading more accessible to underserved markets.
According to World Bank, 1.7 billion adults across the globe lack access to
banking services. However, two-thirds of those do have access to a mobile phone
and internet connection, and could benefit from DeFi. Given the problem it looks
to solve, DeFi is a very attractive space right now.
A real-world example:
Munich-based Etherisc built its first product, flight delay insurance, with smart
contracts on the Ethereum network. It works this way: When a customer
purchases flight delay insurance, it's recorded on the blockchain in smart contract
form. If a flight is delayed by 45 minutes or more, the self-executing contract
pays out customers instantly.
public face that can strongly influence the direction of the currency. It’s the
correction of these flaws of our current system that bring value to bitcoin.
Coin #2: Ethereum (ETH)
Cryptocurrencies have taken the world by storm. Since 2013, the value of all
cryptocurrencies in circulation has soared from $1.6 billion to more than $1.6
trillion at Wednesday's prices, and roughly $1.4 trillion of that value was added
in the past year, according to CoinMarketCap.
Bitcoin has been the leader of the pack, thanks to its first-mover advantage as
the original cryptocurrency.
However, in recent months, Ethereum has stolen
Bitcoin's thunder. In the past year, Ethereum has gained roughly 1,600%, while
Bitcoin is up 300%.
Ethereum has caught fire for a number of reasons, but the most important aspect
of the Ethereum network is its use of smart contracts.
These smart contracts built
on the Ethereum network are spurring a couple of innovations that give
Ethereum its value: decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs),
whose popularity should be closely followed by investors.
The DeFi movement can't be ignored
One of the biggest innovations spurred by the Ethereum network is DeFi.
DeFi uses smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain to offer traditional
financial products, like insurance or loans, without the need of intermediaries
like brokerages or banks. Two hands, made out of digital networks, form a
handshake.
These smart contracts eliminate the need for a trusted third party to verify the
transaction. Nick Szabo, an early pioneer of digital currencies, likened them to
digital vending machines.
Smart contracts are programmable contracts
between two parties that self-execute when specific conditions are satisfied.
The third party is eliminated because the contract is programmable and exists
on the blockchain, a secure and decentralized form of digital ledger technology.
The ultimate goal of DeFi is to eliminate third parties and make financial products
such as loans, insurance, and trading more accessible to underserved markets.
According to World Bank, 1.7 billion adults across the globe lack access to
banking services. However, two-thirds of those do have access to a mobile phone
and internet connection, and could benefit from DeFi. Given the problem it looks
to solve, DeFi is a very attractive space right now.
A real-world example:
Munich-based Etherisc built its first product, flight delay insurance, with smart
contracts on the Ethereum network. It works this way: When a customer
purchases flight delay insurance, it's recorded on the blockchain in smart contract
form. If a flight is delayed by 45 minutes or more, the self-executing contract
pays out customers instantly.
The smart contract allows the customer to avoid
making claims with an insurance company, making insurance more efficient.
Etherisc sees insurance as one industry ripe for disruption by utilizing smart
contracts, saying they could make the purchase and sale of insurance more
efficient, lower operational costs, and provide greater transparency into
the industry.
making claims with an insurance company, making insurance more efficient.
Etherisc sees insurance as one industry ripe for disruption by utilizing smart
contracts, saying they could make the purchase and sale of insurance more
efficient, lower operational costs, and provide greater transparency into
the industry.
Ethereum leads the pack when it comes to decentralized contracts, whose
popularity has taken off this year. According to DeFi Pulse, over $63 billion was
locked up in smart contracts as of Wednesday, a 65-fold increase from the $953
million locked up in smart contracts just one year ago.
Leading the NFT trend, too
The Ethereum ecosystem is perfect for another purpose as well: non-fungible
tokens.
One of the problems in the digital age is the ease with which we can duplicate
digital assets like images, videos, and songs. NFTs aim to make digital
products more like physical ones, by giving them scarcity, uniqueness, and
proof of ownership.
NFTs have exploded in popularity in the past year. According to NonFungible,
there were nearly $67 million in sales related to NFTs in 2020.
So far in 2021,
sales are an astounding $840 million, representing over 11 times growth from last
year's total -- and the year isn't over yet.
Comparing the full month of April to the
same month last year, NFT sales were up 82-fold. To say NFTs have exploded is an
understatement.
The Ethereum network plays a key role in NFTs, as most NFTs are priced in Ether -
- the digital token of the Ethereum blockchain. In fact, the earliest and most
popular NFTs, with names like CryptoKitties and CryptoPunks, are run on
the Ethereum blockchain.
Ethereum is my favorite cryptocurrency
While Bitcoin was the original cryptocurrency, I think the smart contracts built
into the Ethereum network make it a better cryptocurrency to invest in over
the long haul. After all, there's no denying the popularity of DeFi apps and NFTs
-- which are largely hosted on the Ethereum blockchain.
However, when dealing with cryptocurrencies, investors must be careful of a
potential bubble, especially in the NFT space. According to NonFungible, the
average sale price for crypto art had dropped 60% from its February high through
the end of April. If the NFT bubble does pop,
Ethereum and other
cryptocurrencies will take a hit.
As an investor, it's important to understand the volatility of cryptocurrencies
and allocate your capital accordingly. Despite how much I like Ethereum, I also
know the price could potentially correct 40% to 60% or more due to rampant
speculation in the space.
This doesn't mean it's a bad long-term investment, though.
The best approach as a long-term investor is to allocate a small percent of your portfolio to the
cryptocurrency and dollar-cost average into that position over time.
Dollar-cost
averaging will help smooth out the average price paid for your position, as you
should be buying along peaks and valleys along the way while keeping a long-term
investment perspective in mind.
Coin #3: Cardano (ADA)
Cardano is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap.
It’s designed to
be a next-gen evolution of the Ethereum idea — with a blockchain that’s a
flexible, sustainable, and scalable platform for running smart contracts, which
will allow the development of a wide range of decentralized finance apps, new
crypto tokens, games, and more.
be a next-gen evolution of the Ethereum idea — with a blockchain that’s a
flexible, sustainable, and scalable platform for running smart contracts, which
will allow the development of a wide range of decentralized finance apps, new
crypto tokens, games, and more.
As of March 2021, however, smart-contract functionality has yet to be rolled out
by developers. An upgrade scheduled for the second quarter of 2021 will unlock
smart-contract features, bringing Cardano one step closer to its goal of
providing developers with a blockchain platform that is robust, secure, scalable,
and highly energy-efficient.
Much like the Ethereum blockchain’s native cryptocurrency is ETH, the Cardano
blockchain’s native cryptocurrency is ADA — which can be bought or sold via
exchanges like Coinbase.
Today, ADA can be used to store value (perhaps as
part of your investment portfolio), to send and receive payments, and for
staking and paying transaction fees on the Cardano network.
part of your investment portfolio), to send and receive payments, and for
staking and paying transaction fees on the Cardano network.
How does Cardano work?
Cardano’s goal is to be the most environmentally sustainable blockchain platform.
It uses a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros, as
opposed to the energy-intensive proof-of-work system currently used by Bitcoin
and Ethereum. (Ethereum is also moving to a proof-of-stake system via the ETH2
upgrade).
What is proof of work? Decentralized cryptocurrency networks need to make
sure that nobody spends the same money twice without a central authority
like Visa or PayPal in the middle. To accomplish this they use a “consensus
mechanism.”
The original crypto consensus mechanism is called proof of work,
first popularized by Bitcoin mining.
Proof of work requires a huge amount of processing power, which is
contributed by virtual “miners” around the world competing to be the first to
solve a time-consuming math puzzle.
first popularized by Bitcoin mining.
Proof of work requires a huge amount of processing power, which is
contributed by virtual “miners” around the world competing to be the first to
solve a time-consuming math puzzle.
The winner gets to update the blockchain with the latest verified
transactions, and is rewarded with a predetermined amount of crypto.
What is proof of stake?
Rather than using a network of miners racing to solve a puzzle, proof of stake
uses a network of invested participants called validators. Instead of contributing
processing power to secure the network and verify transactions as miners do,
validators stake their own ADA.
The network selects a winner based on the amount of ADA each validator has
in the pool and the length of time they’ve had it there — literally rewarding the
most invested participants.
Once the winner has validated the latest block of transactions, other
validators can attest that the block is accurate.
When a threshold number of attestations have been made, the network updates the blockchain.
All participating validators receive a reward in ADA, which is distributed by the
network in proportion to each validator’s stake.
Becoming a validator is a major responsibility, but interested parties can also earn
ADA rewards by “delegating” some of their crypto to a staking pool run by
someone else.
The Cardano blockchain is also divided into two separate layers: the Cardano
Settlement Layer (CSL) and the Cardano Computing Layer (CCL).
The CSL contains
the ledger of accounts and balances (and is where the transactions are validated
by the Ouroboros consensus mechanism). The CCL layer is where all the
computations for apps running on the blockchain are executed — via the
operations of smart contracts.
The idea of splitting the blockchain into two layers is to help the Cardano
network to process as many as a million transactions a second.
What are Cardano native tokens?
On March 1, 2021, the Cardano blockchain introduced the ability to create native
tokens. Like Ethereum tokens — which can include things like NFTs or stablecoins
like USD Coin — Cardano native assets can be created and distributed on the
blockchain and are able to interact with smart contracts.
But unlike Ethereum-based tokens, Cardano native tokens aren’t created via
smart contract. Instead, they run on the same architecture as the ADA
cryptocurrency itself.
According to the nonprofit Cardano Foundation,this makes
Cardano native assets “first-class citizens” on the blockchain.
Their native
architecture can theoretically make these tokens more secure and reduce the
fees associated with transactions.
Coin #4 : Polygon (MATIC)
What is Polygon?
Previously known as Matic Network, Polygon is a framework for building
interconnected blockchain networks.
It seeks to address some of Ethereum's major limitations—including its
throughput, poor user experience (high speed and delayed transactions), and lack
of community governance—using a novel sidechain solution.
Rather than being a simple scaling solution like its predecessor Matic Network—
which uses a technology known as Plasma to process transactions off-chain
before finalizing them on the Ethereum main chain—Polygon is designed to be
an entire platform designed for launching interoperable blockchains.
Through Polygon, developers can launch preset blockchain networks with
attributes tailored to their needs.
These can be further customized with a
growing range of modules, which allow developers to create sovereign
blockchains with more specific functionality.
How does Polygon work?
Polygon's architecture can best be defined as a four-layer system composed of the
Ethereum layer, security layer, Polygon networks layer, and execution layer.
The Ethereum layer is essentially a set of smart contracts which are
implemented on Ethereum.
These smart contracts handle things like transaction
finality, staking, and communication between Ethereum and the various Polygon
chains.
The security layer runs side by side with Ethereum and provides a
"validators as a service" role which allows chains to benefit from an additional
layer of security. Both the Ethereum and Security layers are optional
Beyond this, there are two mandatory layers.
The first is the Polygon networks
layer, which is the ecosystem of blockchain networks built on Polygon. Each of
these has its own community and is responsible for handling local consensus and
producing blocks.
The second is the Execution layer, which is Polygon's Ethereum
Virtual Machine (EVM) implementation used for executing smart contracts.
Chains launched on Polygon are capable of communicating both with one
another and with the Ethereum main chain thanks to Polygon's arbitrary message
passing capabilities. This will enable a variety of new use-cases, such as
interoperable decentralized applications (dapps) and the simple exchange of
value between diverse platforms.
Polygon: Ethereum's Internet of Blockchains
Polygon is designed to facilitate a future where different blockchains no longer
operate as closed-off siloes and proprietary communities, but instead as networks
that fit into a broader interconnected landscape.
Its long-term goal is to enable an open, borderless world in which users can
seamlessly interact with decentralized products and services without first having
to navigate through intermediaries or walled gardens.
It aims to create a hub
that different blockchains can easily plug into, while simultaneously overcoming
some of their individual limitations—such as high fees, poor scalability, and
limited security.
Money earning Crypto currency
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