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Educational material about cryptocurrency has already been introduced to several universities around the world, and it is now also possible to take a degree where you specialize in crypto-finance. Now, however, some are debating whether or not the future of cryptocurrency is so certain that it would be wise to start teaching it in schools.
From university to high school to…?
Among the American universities offering courses in crypto-finance is the University of California, University o Pennsylvania New York University and Stanford University. Countries like the United Kingdom has also begun offering the classes at places like Cambridge University for students studying finance.
Back in the United States, there has been an increase in demand from high school students that the teachers educate them on the world of cryptocurrency. So strong is the enthusiasm for this subject that the students are happy for it to be taught as a non-curricular educational session. CNN interviewed a high school teacher from New Jersey, who mentioned that cryptocurrency is now part of his Business and Personal Finance course.
Has the time come for cryptocurrency classes in schools?
As the trend only seems to go in one direction, the conversation has naturally fallen on whether or not schools should include cryptocurrency in their curricula. Nate Flanders, the owner of a cryptocurrency trading platform, notes how coding languages are becoming more relevant in today’s society. Studying the coding behind blockchain would, therefore, be very beneficial to students.
Flanders is not alone, as the CEO of Mandela Exchange also is of the opinion that coding should form a much larger part of a school’s curriculum than it does now. Some of the coding languages he thinks there should be more focus on including Java, C++, and Python. He does not believe the schools are far off. With there already being a movement to implement programming languages into school systems, it should only be a short step further to offer blockchain courses.
The volatility of the cryptocurrency market is creating uncertainty
One of the main factors holding cryptocurrency back is the extreme volatility of the market. Although Bitcoin has been around for a decade, it is still considered to be in its infancy. And it is easy to see why. With the popular coin having plummeted in value in 2018, it is anything but a stable currency or asset. It is then easy to understand that many would be hesitant to include courses on a phenomenon that might not be around in a few year’s time.
Many have criticized the volatility and think it is a sign of a Ponzi scheme. Christian Ferri, however, is of a different opinion. As the CEO of blockchain advisory company BlockStar, he believes that volatility is not only an inevitable phenomenon in any economy, but that is is also a good thing. Why? Because every savvy trader will be able to take advantage of all the ups and downs there is in an economy. The only question is who will make a profit and who will lose out.
Cryptocurrency mining has, up until recently, not been for everyone. In order to make a profit, one has to invest in an expensive mining rig, and be prepared for a huge electricity bill. As more tokens of a given cryptocurrency come into circulation, the processing power and electricity required to mine new tokens rises proportionally.
More recently, however, it has been possible to mine for cryptocurrency using smart devices like phones and tablets. This has allowed small-time miners to utilise the processing power of their devices when they are otherwise dormant. It has also allowed for app developers to exploit the app users by secretly using their phone to mine for tokens without their knowledge.
Apple bans Calendar 2 app
Earlier this year, Apple decided to ban one such app from their App Store. Calendar 2 was an app with a different business model than other apps. Rather than asking the users to pay for the app or show them advertisements, the developers opted to have the app mine for Monero tokens as a way of payment. This turned out to be a lucrative idea, as the team managed to earn $2,000 worth of Monero tokens in just three days by utilising the app users’ processing power to mine.
At that point, the reason for banning the app was a violations of Apple’s App Store guidelines, which states that “Apps should not rapidly drain battery, generate excessive heat, or put unnecessary strain on device resources.” Since cryptocurrency mining takes up a lot of resources and processing power, the Calendar 2 app was in clear violation of the guidelines as this is exactly what happens to devices when used for that purpose.
Apple rolls out new guidelines for hardware compatibility
Since the emergence of apps that use the devices for cryptocurrency mining, Apple have had to adjust their guidelines for apps in the App Store. Section 2.4.2 of Hardware Compatibility has now been changed to mention cryptocurrency mining specifically:
“Design your app to use power efficiently. Apps should not rapidly drain battery, generate excessive heat, or put unnecessary strain on device resources. Apps, including any third party advertisements displayed within them, may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining.”
Expanded guidelines for all Apple products
Moreover, Apple has expanded their guidelines section, and have laid out some rules that will apply to all of their devices and operating systems, including iOS (for iPhones and iPads), macOS (for MacBooks, iMacs, etc.), watchOS (for Apple Watch), and tvOS (for Apple TV). The rules are:
1. Apple will allow virtual currency wallet apps, as long as they’re offered by developers who are enrolled as organizations.
2. The only cryptocurrency mining apps allowed are those that mine outside of the device, like cloud-based mining.
3. Apps can help users make pay, trade, or receive cryptocurrency on an approved exchange, but the apps must be from the exchanges themselves.
4. Similarly, apps involved in initial coin offerings, bitcoin futures trading, or other cryptocurrency securities trading need to be from the banks, firms, or other approved financial institutions. And they must be lawful.
5. Cryptocurrency apps can’t offer users virtual coin for tasks like downloading other apps, getting other users to download the app, or boosting social media activity.
Vanig ICO Review
Shopping has undergone an immense transformation over the past couple of decades. Physical retail stores are in a constant race to compete with online stores, which have lower overheads and more flexibility. The shopping wars will probably go on for some time to come, but in the meantime, developers are working on improving e-commerce even more. Vanig is one of the many exciting projects that deal with supply chain management in the world of e-commerce. Whilst current shopping platforms offer users great flexibility and control like real-time tracking, this ICO promises to take e-commerce to the next level. Not only will the shopping experience become cheaper and simpler, but the supply chain will be shortened. Let us have a look at what exactly Vanig is, how it works, and how you can benefit from investing in their project.
What is Vanig?
The team behind Vanig are building an ecosystem underpinned by blockchain technology, in which businesses and customers can interact and do business with each other seamlessly. They brand their project as the “world’s first integrated e-commerce platform with supply chain”.
One of the main advantages of the Vanig platform is that is reduces the number of intermediaries required to get a product from the production site to the consumer’s home. Rather, customers can communicate directly with the supplier if they so wish. This is reminiscent of the Chinese Alibaba website, where customers contact the factory owners directly and negotiate their purchase with them instead of a middleman. Not only will a project like Vanig reduce the costs of business transactions, but it will also shorten the supply chain, and help build trust between consumers and suppliers.
How does Vanig work?
As mentioned, Vanig is build using blockchain technology, which means that everything is completely decentralized and all transactions are recorded on the ledger. The ledgers used by Vanig is developed by Hyperledger, which is one of the giants in the blockchain space. The platform will also make use of smart contracts, which will offer both businesses and their customers flexibility, control, and transparency. Essentially, the platform offers all the same capabilities like popular e-commerce stores like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba, but with the added benefit of having everything in one place.
What are the key features of Vanig?
The main features of the Vanig platform include a self-contained ecosystem that allows everyone in the supply chain, from manufacturer to consumer, to easily communicate via a peer-to-peer system. All the data generated on the platform is distributed symmetrically, which will allow all users to recall it much faster. The simplicity of the smart contracts used on Vanig will ensure that all transactions are secure and easily executed. The platform also facilitates real-time tracking of products, and gives users access to the sensor feeds and data oracles that track the product. An advantage of the real-time tracking and ledger records is that returning defective products will be simpler. As with Amazon, Vanig will also allow for one-click orders for customers, and bulk upload of CVS files for businesses listing their products.
bitcointalk Username: Ico Friends
Apple recently tightened its guidelines for apps on the App Store. After experiencing quite a few apps that utilized the users’ devices to mine for cryptocurrency, Apple updated its official guidelines to include a section on cryptocurrency mining. Opinions are divided on whether or not this is a reasonable move. Some say that the revised guidelines are too harsh on app developers who make it clear that their revenue will come from cryptocurrency mining. Others say it is a wise move that will help combat phishing and malware, which are huge risks in the digital world.
New guidelines mention mining
Apple’s new guidelines are very thorough, and include references to ICOs, cryptocurrency mining, digital wallets, cryptocurrency exchange services, and any rewards based on digital currencies. Two of the clauses dealing specifically with these issues look like this:
2.4.2 Design your app to use power efficiently. Apps should not rapidly drain battery, generate excessive heat, or put unnecessary strain on device resources. Apps, including any third party advertisements displayed within them, may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining.
3.1.5 (b) (ii) Mining: Apps may not mine for cryptocurrencies unless the processing is performed off device (e.g. cloud-based mining).
Why should mining apps be banned?
One of the main arguments for this kind of striction is that cryptocurrency mining is not profitable when you are using your smartphone. There is a good reason why professional cryptocurrency miners invest a lot of money in building mining rigs, which are essentially really powerful computers. It takes a lot of processing power to mine, and even the newest iPhone will not be able to mine enough for users to make a profit.
Using a smartphone or tablet for mining will, on the other hand, quickly wear down the device by making it work harder than it is designed to do. This will significantly shorten its lifespan, which means that users will need to replace it more often. The only way to make a profit from using devices to mine is to use other people’s devices. This way, you do not have to worry about buying a new smartphone to sustain your mining activities.
Scammers are everywhere
Scammers have caught on to this, and that is why mining malware is such a big problem in the cryptocurrency space. The mining malware is not restricted to smart devices like phones and tablets, however. Scammers have managed to infect several websites of prominent institutions, such as governments and tech companies. Everyone visiting these sites will then unwittingly be mining cryptocurrency for the scammers, using whatever device they visit the website with. Coinhive is a great example of this kind of scam.
While Apple has undoubtedly received some criticism for its restrictive guidelines, it is ultimately good news for the average user. Only by preventing scammers from putting their apps on the App Store can Apple help its users avoid being taken advantage of. Whether official government regulations will be rolled out to prevent malware like Coinhive from infecting websites in the future remains to be seen.