Important: This position should not be considered investment advice. The author focuses on the best coins in terms of actual usage and adoption, not from a financial or investment perspective.
In 2017, crypto markets set a new standard for easy profits. Almost every piece or chip has made incredible returns. “A rising tide floats all boats,” as they say, and the end of 2017 was a deluge. The increase in prices has created a positive feedback cycle, which attracts more and more capital to Crypto. Unfortunately, but inevitably, this galloping market leads to huge investments. Money has been thrown indiscriminately into all sorts of dubious projects, many of which will not bear fruit.
In the current bearish environment, hype and greed have been replaced by critical judgment and prudence. Especially for those who have lost money, marketing promises, endless shillings and charismatic oratories are no longer enough. Well, the fundamental reasons to buy or hold coins are once again Paramount.
Basic factors in cryptocurrency valuation-
There are some factors that tend to overcome hype and prices, at least in the long run:
The adoption angle
Although the technology of cryptocurrency or ICO business plan may seem surprising without users, they are just dead projects. It is often forgotten that widespread acceptance is an essential characteristic of money. In fact, it is estimated that over 90% of Bitcoin’s value is a function of the number of users.
While acceptance of fiat is mandated by the state, acceptance of cryptography is purely voluntary. Many factors play a role in the decision to accept a coin, but perhaps the most important factor is the likelihood that others will accept the coin.
Security
Decentralization is necessary for the I push model of real cryptocurrency. Without decentralization, we’re a little closer to a Ponzi scheme than a true cryptocurrency. Trust in individuals or institutions is a problem – cryptocurrency tries to solve.
If dismantling a coin or a central controller can change the transaction record, it calls into question its basic security. The same goes for parts with untested code that haven’t been thoroughly tested in years. The more you can count on the code to work as described, regardless of human influence, the more secure the coin is.
Innovation
Valid coins strive to improve their technology, but not at the expense of security. True technological progress is rare because it requires a lot of expertise – but also wisdom. While there are always fresh ideas that can be screwed up, if it leads to vulnerabilities or critics of the coin’s original purpose, it misses the point.
Innovation can be a difficult factor to assess, especially for non-technical users. However, if a currency is stagnating or not receiving updates that address important issues, it can be a sign that developers are low on ideas or motivation.
Incentives
The economic incentives inherent in currency are easier for the average person to understand. If a coin had a large pre-mine or an ICO (initial offering) team had a significant share of tokens, then it is quite obvious that the main motivation is profit. By buying what the team has to offer, you play your game and enrich it. Be sure to provide tangible and reliable value in return.
5 Cryptocurrencies to Buy in 2018
There has never been a better time to reassess and rebalance your crypto portfolio. Based on their solid fundamentals, here are five pieces that I think are worth holding or perhaps buying at their current depressed prices (which, just be warned, could go lower).
#1. Bitcoin (because of its decentralization)
Number one belongs to Bitcoin (BTC), which remains the market leader in all categories. Bitcoin has the highest price, the widest assumption, the most security (due to the phenomenal energy consumption of Bitcoin mining), the most famous brand identity (forks have struggled to match), and the most development Active and rational. It is also the only piece to date that is represented on traditional markets in the form of Bitcoin futures on the US CME and CBOE.
Bitcoin remains the main engine; The performance of all other parts is highly correlated with the performance of Bitcoin. My personal expectation is that the gap between Bitcoin and most if not all other parts will widen.
Bitcoin has several promising innovations in the pipeline that will soon be installed as additional layers or soft forks. Examples are the Flash system (LN), tree, Schnorr signatures, Mimblewimbleund many more.
In particular, we plan to open up a new range of applications for Bitcoin, as it enables large-scale, micro-transactions and instant and secure payouts. LN is becoming more stable as users test their various capabilities with real Bitcoin. As it becomes easier to use, it can be assumed that it benefits greatly from the adoption of Bitcoin.
#2. Litecoin (because of its persistence)
Litecoin (LTC) is a clone of Bitcoin with a different hash algorithm. Although Litecoin no longer has Bitcoin’s anonymity technology, incredible reports have shown that Litecoin’s dark market adoption is now second only to Bitcoin. Although the currency I have is much more suited to the role of acquiring illegal goods and services, perhaps this is a result of Litecoin’s longevity: it was launched in late 2011.
Another factor in Litecoin’s favor is that it integrates Bitcoin SegWit technology, which means that Litecoin is LN ready. Litecoin can benefit from the exchange of atomic chains. In other words, secure peer-to-peer currency trading without the involvement of third parties (ie exchanges). Because Litecoin keeps its code largely in sync with Bitcoin, it is well-positioned to benefit from Bitcoin’s technical advances.
#3. Ethereum (because of smart contracts)
Ethereum (ETH) is currently experiencing some major problems. First of all, governments crack down on ICOs, and rightly so: many turn out to be either fake or bankrupt. Since most icos are launched on the Ethereum network as an ERC token 20, the ICO mania has brought a lot of value to Ethereum in recent years. If proper rules are put in place to protect investors, scams in Ethereum projects can claim some legitimacy as a crowdfunding platform.
Another major problem facing Ethereum is the delayed transition to a new hybrid system of work and battery detection. Ethereum GPU mining is currently profitable, but Bitmain just announced an Ethereum ASIC minor, which will likely have an impact on GPU miners’ bottom lines. It remains to be seen whether this will change the POWs and how successful this change will be.
If Ethereum can survive these two main problems – regulation and mining – it will show great resilience. Otherwise, there are several competing currencies that follow its shadows, such as Ethereum Classic (etc), Cardano (ADA), and EOS.
#4. Monero (because of its anonymity)
Although its adoption in the dark markets is not all that might have been expected, I (XMR) remains the privacy of the prime minister. Its reputation and market capitalization are still above those of its rivals – and for good reason.
Monero’s code requires less trust than Zcash’s “loyal” key ceremony, and it had an honest start, unlike Dash. That Monero recently changed its Pow to defeat the development of a small ASIC for its algorithm confirms the commitment of the decentralization part of mining. The significant drop in hash rate is due to the new version, which is constantly being reported against ASICs. This could also be an opportunity for GPUs and even smaller processors to come to me. The new version of Monero, 0.12, also includes other improvements that show that Monero continues to grow along sensitive lines.
#5. iPRONTO (decentralized incubation platform)
iPRONTO is an incubation platform Ethereum chain dedicated to investors who are looking for a safe and reliable platform to invest in new ideas and future innovators who can present their ideas and get opinions from users, experts in the field about the practice and implementation of derived ideas.
Innovators’ ideas are supported because the NES in Smart Contract format will be signed between the expert platform and the customer if the client’s business idea is sent to the Commission for examination and registration on the platform. The idea will not be released to all users on the chain’s public platform, but only to selected members of the target community who are willing to sign a Smart Contract to maintain the confidentiality of the idea.