In your “bitcoin wallet,” of course... Once you have acquired bitcoin, you will want to make sure that you store it in a secure fashion that suits your taste and needs. You have several options for this, since technically all you’re storing is a few lines of code, and this can be done on a computer, in a cloud, on a removable storage device, or on some sort of physical medium such as paper or even a physical manufactured bitcoin. Continue reading...
Because bitcoin wallets and balances are little more than a few lines of code, it is often desired to move the wallet offline into paper form. Generally speaking, it is not a difficult process. The way bitcoin transactions work, funds are sent to a specific address that signifies the wallet of the payee. People can possess multiple wallet addresses, which can be quickly generated at no cost, and this is often preferential for security and privacy reasons. Services such as bitaddress.org allow users to generate new wallet addresses and then help users encrypt and print paper versions of the necessary information to keep their bitcoin balances offline for cold storage in physical form. Extensive tutorials on how to do this exist online in forums and videos. Some people like this option because it removes any chance of their wallet being hacked. Continue reading...
There have been many incidents where cryptocurrency has been stolen, but the Mt. Gox incident is the largest to date Mt. Gox was at one time the largest cryptocurrency exchange on the net, facilitating as much as 80% of global bitcoin trades, according to some sources. And then about 850,000 bitcoin suddenly went missing. At the exchange rate in 2014, when the problem came to light, that many bitcoin were worth about $450 USD. At the time of this writing, with Bitcoin at a high in 2017, that man... Continue reading...
With every day that passes, bitcoin is becoming a more usable and accepted form of payment for a variety of goods and services, even those in the mainstream economy. To be sure, it’s arguably a long way off from being able to use bitcoin for small purchases at your local coffee shop or for big purchases like buying a house, but it is not unfathomable. The financial company Visa (ticker: V) has been working with bitcoin wallet services and various cryptocurrency exchanges to make cryptocurrency debit cards easy to acquire and use. These cards are known by names such as the Shift Card, Bitwala, BitPay, and others, partially depending on the region of the world in which they can be used. These cards allow users to transfer funds from Bitcoin wallets and immediately convert them into spendable fiat currency wherever Visa debit cards are accepted. Customers can also withdraw national currencies from Visa debit ATM machines based on bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange rates, which often fluctuate wildly. Continue reading...
The Three Rising Valleys pattern forms when three minor Lows (1, 3, 5) arranged along an upward sloping trend line. It often appears at the end of a declining trend – an indication that buyers are overtaking sellers, which ultimately pushes the price higher. This type of formation happens when investors shift into buying mode following a consolidation period. Once the price breaks out from the top pattern boundary, day traders and swing traders should trade with an UP trend. Consider buying a security or a call option at the breakout price level. To identify an exit, compute the target price level by adding the pattern’s height (highest price minus the lowest price within the pattern) to the breakout level (the highest high). When trading, wait for the confirmation move, which is when the price rises above the breakout level. Continue reading...
There are three major ways to structure a bond portfolio: a ladder strategy, a barbell strategy, and a bullet strategy. A ladder strategy is structured by purchasing bonds of varying maturity dates, all at the same time. This means there will be several opportunities to make decisions at different dates in the future, so the owner of this portfolio keeps his or her options open to some extent, and has some liquidity over the course of the duration. A ladder might be used when rates are expected to stay about the same. Continue reading...
The most common way to buy Bitcoin is through online services such as Coinbase, Bitpanda, Bitquick, Localbitcoins, and Spectrocoin, where customers can use credit cards, bank accounts, and various other payment methods to convert cash into coin. Transfers are based on frequently updated rates of exchange and may involve a combination of flat fees and percentages that go to the service. There are also some physical locations where you can perform these transactions, such as Bitcoin ATM machines and convenience stores that can help you transfer money through the same machines that add funds to prepaid phones. Each of these methods offers different advantages in terms of convenience, anonymity, and security. Continue reading...
Point of Sale (POS) systems have become the cornerstone of modern commerce, transforming the way businesses operate and engage with customers. These intricate systems, a blend of hardware and software, not only facilitate transactions but also offer insights into market trends, inventory management, and customer behavior. From the traditional cash register to the sophisticated digital platforms of today, POS systems have evolved to meet the dynamic needs of retailers. They play a pivotal role in both physical stores and e-commerce domains, ensuring seamless transactions and providing valuable data for strategic decision-making. With innovations like Amazon Go redefining the shopping experience, the future of POS systems promises even greater convenience and efficiency. As technology continues to advance, POS systems stand as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between innovation and commerce, shaping the way we buy and sell in the 21st century. Continue reading...
Many people know about venture capitalists that help provide the funding for startup companies in Silicon Valley and other areas. In reality, only a small portion of venture capital is directed at seed money for startups. The rest of it is directed at companies in various phases of growth that need capital to fuel a new expansion or to turn their business around. Venture capital comes from individual investors or venture capital firms who agree to infuse new money into a business in exchange for an equity stake in the business going forward. Continue reading...
Mining for cryptocurrency may or may not be profitable for you, but the good news is that you can easily run the numbers. Mining profitability is will primarily depend on the hashrate (mining speed) of your mining hardware, and the amount of energy it takes to run the hardware. Mining software usually comes with system monitors that will tell you with a fair degree of accuracy what the numbers are, and several online calculators exist to help as well. The cost of energy is the main concern, many miners will seek to be near the cheapest sources of energy, such as a hydroelectric plant in Sweden or countries with energy subsidies such as China. Continue reading...
Blockchains can validate, clear, and document transfers of value much faster and more securely than traditional methods. Blockchains offer an extremely efficient and reliable means of processing transactions of any size in a way that reduced the likelihood of fraud and failed payments. If a cryptocurrency wallet says that there is a specific balance present in a specific wallet, then that balance is there; it can be validated using the transaction record held on the thousands of computers on a b... Continue reading...
DeFi, in its essence, represents a financial technology revolution built on secure distributed ledgers, much like the ones powering cryptocurrencies. This innovative approach fundamentally challenges the conventional centralized financial system, where banks and brokerages have historically held the keys to capital access and financial services. Instead, DeFi empowers individuals through peer-to-peer digital exchanges. Continue reading...
Unlock the mystery of liquidating cryptocurrency from a paper wallet with our in-depth guide. From wallet sweeping to secure fund transfers, and selling your cryptocurrency, we've got you covered. Plus, we share essential tips on how to protect your financial data in the digital world. Dive in to turn your digital assets into tangible profits Continue reading...
Step into the future of payments with digital wallets! As technology reshapes our world, digital wallets emerge as a secure and convenient way to manage finances. From storing credit cards to event tickets, these wallets encapsulate your financial world in one place. Whether you're curious about how they work, their global impact, or the renowned players in the market, this guide offers a deep dive into the transformative world of digital wallets. Embrace the future, understand the technology, and unlock the potential of streamlined financial transactions. Continue reading...
It is possible to participate in bitcoin mining indirectly, by partially funding a remote mining operation. Cloud mining is separate and distinct from pool mining, because instead of owning hardware and pooling resources with other miners to increase the likelihood of securing profits, cloud mining simply secures funding from investors, essentially, who have a contract to participate in profits of a mining pool in a remote locations based on the bandwidth of Gigahashes/s that they would like to fund (“buy”). Continue reading...
Several services make it easy to accept bitcoin payments, or a programmer can help you set up your own node. The most convenient way to accept bitcoin payments as a merchant is to use the services made available by exchanges like Coinbase and Bitpay, who make it simple enough to add a button to your website and to accept payments in person via NFC and QR codes. These exchanges have established what is called Full Nodes on the blockchain, which are slightly more efficient than using regular client software on the blockchain, and have optimized them for merchant services. Continue reading...
Individuals who do not have the computing power to compete with large bitcoin mining operations can join a mining pool and split the rewards. Mining pools allow individuals with insufficient computing power to join a mining pool and split the rewards proportionally to the amount of computer power that they contributed. If a user contributes 3% of the computing power that it took for the pool to solve a block, that user will receive 3% of the reward. Continue reading...
It used to be that litecoin mining could only be done by GPU, but now ASIC machines are getting all the glory. For a time, new miners preferred to mine litecoin instead of bitcoin because ASIC miners had rendered old-fashioned GPU mining for Bitcoin unprofitable. During that time, when ASIC machines had not be designed for Litecoin Scrypt mining, anyone with a good enough GPU could profitably mine litecoin with the same computer they used at home, while they were off at work or asleep not using it. If you aren’t aware, GPUs (graphics cards) compute the kinds of functions necessary for mining at many times the speed that CPUs (core processors) alone would. Continue reading...
Unlock the world of Bitcoin transfers with our comprehensive tutorial. From obtaining the receiver's address to confirming transactions, we guide you through each step. Dive in to understand transaction times, fees, and how to handle unconfirmed transactions. Empower yourself with knowledge and make your Bitcoin transfers seamless and secure Continue reading...
Ethereum is an open-source, public, blockchain-based distributed computing platform. Ethereum provides a cryptocurrency known as ether. Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs what are known as “smart contracts.” Smart contracts are applications that run on custom built blockchain, which functions on its own accord through rules programmed into the protocol, and which also makes decisions and keeps records based on consensus throughout a peer-to-peer network. A blockchain oversees its own activities without requiring any trust in a central authority or the other parties involved. Continue reading...