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What is Ethereum?
Ethereum (ETH, ether) is both a cryptocurrency and a functional decentralized environment that truly revolutionized the entire IT industry. This platform allows developers to create and deploy decentralized applications (dapps) on it, such as Status or Metamask. As the two leading cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, Bitcoin and Ethereum are often mentioned in the same context. Therefore, it can be difficult for beginners to immediately understand what ethereum is and how it differs radically from bitcoin.
Who are the founders of Ethereum?
The creators of the ether, among whom Vitalik Buterin stands out when launching this platform were pursued by the standard goals for the authors of cryptocurrency – improving Bitcoin. However, it is difficult to name the ether Bitcoin 2.0. They are somewhat similar, but there are a number of conceptual differences between them.
How does it work?
The Ethereum network is a publicly available platform that is decentralized and simplifies the use of blockchain technology. Ethereum cryptocurrency is a payment instrument with great potential. On the basis of the blockchain of Ethereum, many issues can be solved, for example, to certify contracts without the involvement of a notary. Unlike Bitcoin, ETH has more prospects, and its leadership (according to many experts) is only a matter of time.
Methods of storing Ethereum
You have several options for storing ETH. You can leave them on the stock exchange, move them to your wallet on your computer or mobile device, to a stand-alone hardware wallet or to a paper wallet.
From a security point of view, it is not recommended to leave a cryptocurrency on the exchange. Mobile and desktop wallets are a bit safer, but still at risk of hacking. The safest option is to move your tokens to a hardware or paper wallet.
Ways of earning Ethereum?
ETH cryptocurrency in 2017 made a significant spurt in its value, in parallel taking the second place in terms of capitalization among other cryptomonet. This alone was enough for the broadcast to appear on almost all major exchanges, and also to appear in various online exchangers.
The mining option requires an initial investment, be it independent mining of ETH, or the use of cloud services. Ether is one of the main options for “miners” who work with pools. Mining takes place on farms made with powerful graphics cards from Radeon and GeForce. But in the fall of 2017, the first mining ASIC for Ethereum appeared. After that, active conversations about the transition to the PoS protocol began. As soon as the network makes this transition, mining of the ether will become economically unprofitable. Therefore, ETH is difficult to consider as a long-term mining option.
Smart contracts
Smart contracts are the very “secret ingredient” of ethereum. The concept of smart contracts was proposed in 1996 by scientist Nick Sabo. Smart contracts are computer programs that control the transfer of digital currencies or assets between the parties, if certain conditions are met. Ethereum provides the basis for these contracts and at the same time has a level of functionality that is inaccessible to most other cryptocurrencies. It is assumed that the ethereum will find application in areas such as identification systems, insurance payments, etc.
Pros and cons of Ethereum
When it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of Ethereum, it is important to clarify what is at stake: the platform or the cryptocurrency (ether). To begin, let’s talk about the ether – the token (cryptocurrency). There are no serious drawbacks with Ether compared to Bitcoin and other popular coins. Moreover, the network quickly processes transactions, which potentially increases the payment potential of ETH.
Experts agree that one of the key factors in the development of cryptocurrency was the emergence of the full version of Homestead. From this point on, using the platform, you can create applications and projects that are decentralized in nature and using smart contracts. As a result, opened the way for investment. It is also an important advantage that universality can be considered – it supports various programming languages and algorithms of different complexity, and smart contracts are used in different areas.
Bitcoin is now a widely known and used cryptocurrency element. Trading Bitcoin is undoubtedly a greater source of earning money but it is a hectic space. You can easily lose track even if you are out from the loop for a shorter span of time. Still, it is an excellent idea to use or trade Bitcoin but you should sign up only in one online forum. Here we have put together a list of easily discoverable and appropriate groups to speak with. As new platforms are appearing every day, so we make certain to keep you in the loops whenever we find them.
Discuss Bitcoin Online
The web can be the easiest place to find Bitcoin lovers and forums. Most of the forums are devoted to Bitcoin by taking part in interesting conversations. No matter you are a developer, entrepreneur or just a fan; feel free to start any discussion regarding your preferred Bitcoin subject.
Devoted Bitcoin Online Forums
If you are thinking about jumping into the Bitcoin facilities, it would be better to sign up at least in one forum. Get ideas about some devoted online forums down below:
- Bitcointalk: This online forum was created by none but the creator of the Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.
- Bitcoin.com: This site is the best place to discover Bitcoin in basic for Bitcoin Cash.
- Bitcoin Garden: It is a devoted forum for the designers in the Bitcoin area
- Bitcoinforum: To discover all the basics of Bitcoin, this site is excellent for Bitcoin Core
- Bitco.in Forum: At this site, all the academics, entrepreneurs and designers come together to go over the future of Bitcoin.
- CryptoCompare Bitcoin page: This forum hosts conversations related to the most recent trends in Bitcoin.
- Investing.com Bitcoin page: This one has their own corner dedicated to Bitcoin conversations.
- StackExchange Bitcoin page: Lastly, this supplies an online forum where you can ask and address concerns connecting to Bitcoin.
Talk About Bitcoin on Reddit
Reddit is another popular online forum where you can talk about the basics of Bitcoin.
- r/Bitcoin: It is the primary Bitcoin subreddit
- r/BitcoinMarkets: It is a channel concentrating on Bitcoin tokens
- r/BitcoinStocks: This channel focuses on trading Bitcoin stocks
- r/Jobs4Bitcoins: It is a location offering the abilities for Bitcoin
- r/BitcoinMining: This one can be your go-to place on Reddit for Bitcoin miners
- r/BitMarket: This one is a peer-to-peer option for trading on exchanges
- r/BitcoinSerious: It is an online forum if you are a serious Bitcoin users
- r/BitcoinBeginners: If you are a newbie this can be an excellent location to begin
- r/LocalCommunities: It is another fantastic location where you can discover your nearby Bitcoin enthusiasts
Talk About Bitcoin on Telegram
Some area of Cryptocurrency area exists on Telegram. Almost every ICO has their own Telegram group where you can find out a lot from such forums like:
Discuss Bitcoin on social networks
Where to discuss Bitcoin offline
Though most of the conversations are surrounded by the online locations for Bitcoin, still there are ways where you can interact face-to-face within the local neighborhood. There are some sites focused on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies hosting meetups and conferences. Here is a list of community pages where you can find your fellow Bitcoin enthusiasts:
Introduction to IOTA Token
IOTA is an extremely original project both in terms of ideas and implementation. And what pleases most about this project is the developers. They make every effort to develop the project. Among a large number of blockchain projects that “flooded the entire planet”, closer to the top ten, is the IOTA Coin cryptocurrency, whose work is based on another technology –Tangle. Today, we decided to make out for you the prospects of this project, and look into the “future” of the Internet of things.
Where does it come?
The goal of the project is a developed infrastructure where various devices will conduct transactions between each other, paying for services, access or resources. We are talking about “smart cities”, in which there are “smart homes”, “smart appliances” and “smart gadgets.” All this should interact with each other, making our life more efficient and comfortable. Moreover, it is assumed that transactions between devices should be carried out in real time, in free competition and without commissions. The project started at the end of 2015 when developers managed to collect 1337 BTC as part of the ICO. Then 2,779,530,283 tokens were issued, and since then there have been no additional issues. In general, the project developers do not plan to carry them out.
IOTA scalability
IOTA is a grandiose project that should revolutionize the “Internet of Things”, allowing all devices connected to the network to perform microtransactions without a commission. This communication protocol works smoothly, and it is obvious that IOTA has a bright future. Since the project is only at the beginning of its journey, you can still successfully invest in this cryptocurrency, the rate of which has not yet reached its peak.
Is it worth investing?
Among the partners of the IOTA project you can find such major representatives of the world of science and business as the Imperial College of London, the Norwegian Ministry of Health, Deutsche Telekom, Bosch, Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture, Fujitsu, and a number of famous universities around the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that the value of the coin is increasing day by day. At the moment, one IOTA token costs $ 4.02, and the total capitalization is $ 11,174,045,281, providing IOTA fourth place in the ranking of the 100 most successful cryptocurrencies.
How to buy IOTA
IOTA can be purchased for Bitcoins, dollars, and broadcasts on Bitfinex, as well as on Binance, IOTA Exchange and Bit520. Anyone wishing to withdraw IOTA coins from the exchange can use the services of a paper wallet since this is the simplest solution for the long-term storage of cryptocurrencies. Technically savvy users can install a desktop wallet. We advise you not to use mobile and web wallets, as they are still under development.
IOTA wallets
Despite the fact that the project is developing technically quite rapidly, in terms of user convenience, it is a little behind. Although it is difficult to blame him, he was created for very different purposes. Many buyers have IOTA accounts on stock exchanges since at the moment there are no user-friendly wallets. But it is not very safe.
Review recap
If you are interested in this project, then you can read the instructions for its purchase in this article, and the instructions for using the wallet for IOT are here. You can follow us on social networks facebook, google + and twitter. That’s all, thanks for staying with us.
Bitwala Review
The company was formed in 2014 in Berlin. It is one of the pioneers, if not the first, in the Bitcoin debit card space. Bitwala caters to 200 countries with over 57,000 users and counting, worldwide. One of the biggest competitive advantage Bitwala enjoys is that it supports over 20 fiat currencies whereas most of its competitors only support a few. Being a prepaid card, it allows its customers to convert their cryptocurrency in real cash instantly upon withdrawal. The Bitcoin debit card is available for both business and personal use, making it a popular debit card among most professionals.
However, the card isn’t available for the general public at the moment due to their partnership ending with Visa. As per the officials, the debit card will soon be re-launched and available for use in 2019.
Advantages
The Bitwala Bitcoin debit card offers a number of perks to its customers. Some of these are summarized below:
- Supports 20 fiat currencies and 40+ cryptocurrencies, making it one of the most flexible debit cards in the cryptocurrency space.
- Offered in over 200 countries.
- Features a user-friendly and straightforward interface on the website.
- Compared to its competition, it offers flexible rates price-wise.
- Offers a business card form of the Bitwala Debit card.
- Has great customer service which receives praise from customers.
- Availability of the debit card regardless of whether the user wishes to verify their identity or not.
- Transparency in their fee structures, providing users with reassurance.
Disadvantages
- The company has a third-party exchange, potentially incurring additional costs.
- The Bitwala Bitcoin debit card isn’t available for use right now due to its ceasing of partnerships with Visa.
Bitwala Bitcoin debit card Charges
- The issuance fee of the Bitwala Bitcoin debit card is $2.
- There is a $1/month service fee.
- There is a $0.5 top-up fee every time the user loads the debit card.
- There is a 3% fee on international transactions.
- Domestic ATM withdrawals cost $2.50 whereas if you withdraw cash internationally, you have to pay $3.50.
- Bitwala’s Bitcoin debit card foreign exchange charge is 3%.
Summary
- Physical card: Yes
- Virtual card: Yes
- Card type: Visa
- Mobile app: Yes
- Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ripple (XRP), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and 40+ others
- Supported fiat currencies: USD, GBP, JPY, EUR, MYR, BRL, VND, AUD, MNX, and 20+ other currencies
- Anonymous: No
Final Word
Bitwala Bitcoin debit card is a flexible debit card when it comes to cryptocurrencies. Offering its services to 200 countries allows it to enjoy a competitive edge. Whilst most other debit cards only offer Bitcoin as the primary cryptocurrency, Bitwala supports LTC and ETH as well. Professionals with an assorted cryptocurrency portfolio invest in the Bitwala debit card as it offers support for over 40 altcoins.
Once its contract with Visa is reestablished, the debit card will be available for use. For now, there are only 4 active debit cards in the cryptocurrency market and the Bitwala isn’t one of them.