4% of Americans Have Quit Their Jobs After Profiting from Cryptocurrency Investments: Survey

Data from the research company Civic Science revealed that roughly 4% of US residents have resigned from their jobs over the past 12 months as they have made sufficient profits from cryptocurrency investments. Interestingly, the majority were low-paid workers with annual salaries of less than $50,000.

Crypto Gave Them Reason Not to Work

The poll conducted by the consumer intelligence platform – Civic Science – added that a further 7% of the participants know someone who has quit their job because they have accumulated cryptocurrency profits.

When taking a closer look, the large proportion of the individuals taking that decision are those in the lowest income brackets since 64% were people receiving not more than $50,000 per year. On the other hand, only 8% of those earning over $150,000 have done that.

The American billionaire entrepreneur – Mark Cuban – shared the results on his Twitter account. He hinted that this percentage might increase in the future due to the recent rally of most cryptocurrencies.

The survey further showed that active or occasional traders on the stock market are significantly more likely to have invested in digital assets.

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Subsequently, Civic Science asked those who are crypto investors and those willing to become to explain why they are dealing with the asset class. The top answer with 28% was “long-term growth investment,” while 23% said they expect short-term gains. Other major reasons were “independence from government involvement” with 12% and “hedge against adverse economic conditions,” accumulating 11% of the votes.

Not surprisingly, the younger age groups have demonstrated much more acceptance towards bitcoin and the altcoins. To those under 35-years-old, the digital asset market looks rather promising since 36% of them expect their cryptocurrency investments to make them wealthier than their parents. This percentage dropped sharply to 6% when speaking of people above 55-years-old.

American Youngsters And Their Approach Towards Crypto

According to another survey, around 40% of Americans under 29 years old feel confident when investing in cryptocurrencies. At the same time, the elderly expressed almost no desire to enter the market.

Millennials, particularly those who are millionaires, are the most active group to operate with the asset class. Nearly 50% of them responded that they had allocated at least 1/4 of their portfolios in cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, 30% have staked 50% or more.

George Walper – President of the consulting firm Spectrem Group – explained why the younger generations find the market so tempting:

“The younger investors jumped on it early when it was not as well known. They were more intellectually engaged with the idea even though it was new.”

The older investors and the boomers can not understand whether investing in digital currencies is legit. As such, they are “further behind on the understanding,” Walper opined.

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Crypto Analyst Alex Krüger Predicts Bitcoin Price for End of 2021, Says $1 Million BTC Inevitable in the Long Run

Popular economist and cryptocurrency analyst Alex Krüger is providing an outlook for Bitcoin (BTC) over the coming weeks and months.

In a new interview with YouTuber and crypto strategist Scott Melker, Krüger predicts that Bitcoin will eventually hit the $1 million price tag. However, he says the timeframe for the price target is up for grabs.

“One million Bitcoin? I think it will happen, most definitely. I have no idea when. I think it’s way out there.”

The crypto analyst is also unveiling his year-end price target for the largest crypto asset by market cap.

“$100,000 by year-end is possible. I think it’s very unlikely – or let’s put it this way, it’s unlikely – it’s not very unlikely. I thought it was delusional under normal circumstances. But these are not normal circumstances.

We just had a slew of ETFs (exchange-traded funds) approved and that changed everything, I think. So my base-case scenario is more like $75,000 – $85,000. Can we hit $100,000 by year-end? We definitely can.”

Krüger also says that Bitcoin could emerge as a bigger asset class than gold in a decade.

“Bitcoin becomes an asset. It could be bigger than gold in 10 years. I think Bitcoin’s role is actually competing against gold. It is the gold of the younger generations.”

The economist adds that cryptocurrencies will continue to outperform other assets for the foreseeable future.

“I still think, actually, that crypto is going to continue to be the best performing asset class by a long stretch. Across time frames, actually.”

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Bakkt Set To Expand Its Crypto Offering To Include Ethereum

Digital asset marketplace Bakkt on Friday announced that users and partners will soon be able to buy, sell and hold ether (ETH). Users will also be able to send Ethereum to family and friends through its app. Institutional clients can also choose the Bakkt Warehouse for custody of ether.

Related Reading | Bakkt and CME launch new products, Bitcoin’s price reacts accordingly

The platform is adding ethereum to bitcoin, which it already offers. With these two coins, its users have access to two cryptocurrencies representing more than half of the total market value of all cryptocurrencies. The company, however, did not give a specific date for when the Ethereum offer will be available to its users. 

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The U.S. company also offers several other crypto services. They include a monthly bitcoin futures contract, crypto payments with a Visa debit card, as well as a Bakkt card with Apple or Google pay.

Offering Ethereum To Users

Bakkt’s decision to add Ethereum to its offering comes amid growing interest and adoption of cryptocurrencies. 

In a survey that the platform conducted, nearly half of respondents said they had bought some form of cryptocurrency within the last year. Others also expressed interest in adopting the asset class before year-end.

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ETHUSD Chart on TradingView.com

ETH price at $4,494.99 | Source: ETHUSD on TradingView.com

Ethereum has become very popular over the years, and it is currently the second-largest crypto with a market cap of approximately $532 Billion.

“By giving users greater opportunities to utilize their digital assets such as Ethereum, including buying, selling, spending, and sending, Bakkt facilitates the flow of digital commerce in line with the company’s mission of connecting the digital economy.”

Speaking on the platform’s latest announcement, CEO Gavin Michael said, “At Bakkt, providing flexible opportunities for users to enjoy their digital assets is a top consideration, and adding Ethereum brings a popular and growing cryptocurrency to our roster.”

“Bakkt users have already enjoyed the app’s capabilities to leverage bitcoin and we are confident that our addition of Ethereum will be a complement to our growing ecosystem of partners and assets.”

Bakkt Providing Easy Access To Crypto

The company has been on a mission to expand crypto adoption. It started trading as a public company on the New York Stock Exchange last month following a merger with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings.

The company partnered with Google in October to allow users to spend their crypto with the Bakkt Visa debit card at all merchants that use Google Pay. It is also using Google Cloud to build new analytics with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geolocation.

Related Reading | Mastercard Furthers Investment Into Crypto Card Integration

Also, in October, it partnered with Mastercard to enable institutions to offer a broad set of cryptocurrency solutions and services to customers. This partnership resulted in Bakkt’s shares jumping to more than $25 per share.

Featured image by Financial Times, Chart from TradingView.com

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Bitcoin Trades Sideways As US Congress Passes The Controversial Infraestructure Bill

The US Congress has just passed legislation that could potentially change the way Americans think about Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency industry. The approval of the infamous Infrastructure Bill, which received a final vote of 226 to 206, is a controversial moment for the budding industry.

If the bill is signed by US President Joe Biden, then most of the crypto businesses registered in the United States —like Coinbase, Kraken, or even a DEX developed in America— would be considered as brokers and will have to report their transactions to the IRS.

This will require crypto traders to file 1099 forms with the IRS. American crypto businesses will also have to reveal the names and addresses of their clients.

Because of its nature, many crypto companies voiced their concerns that the bill could affect a wide range of operators, including miners, dApp developers, exchanges, custodians, and even wallet providers.

A Political Challenge

Joe Biden said the bill’s approval was “a monumental step forward as a nation,” mainly because it needed the votes from the republican party in order to be approved. The approval happened thanks to an intensive debate with progressives and moderates.

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The votes followed the parties’ political lines. Most of the democrats voted in favor of the president’s proposal. In contrast, most of the republicans voted against the democrat president’s ideas.

Among the Democrats, the exceptions were Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush, who opposed the bill in its current nature for not being enough to fulfill its primary goals. They

As for the Grand Old Party, there were 13 Republicans who voted in favor of the proposal, a move that cemented the victory of those in favor of the Infrastructure Bill.

Bitcoin Still Has Not Made Up Its Mind

The Bitcoin price has not reacted too strongly in either an upward or downward direction despite the potential implications of the news.

After reaching a new ATH at around $67K, the BTC price fell towards a low of $56.425. Since then, it recovered and started moving in a sideways channel, without much strength in the short term.

Price of bitcoin. 4 hour candlesticks. Image: Tradingview
Price of bitcoin. 4 hour candlesticks. Image: Tradingview

The bill’s passage did little to change this behaviour. Bitcoin is currently swapping hands at the lower side of the channel —$61200— as traders, analysts and bitcoin entrepreneurs wait to see what happens in the near future.

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Institutional Crypto Platform Bakkt Expands Services Beyond Bitcoin, Adding First Altcoin to Roster

Digital asset manager Bakkt is expanding its services to support the second-largest crypto asset by market cap.

According to a new press release, Bakkt will support Ethereum, the leading smart contract platform.

Explains Bakkt CEO Gavin Michael,

“At Bakkt, providing flexible opportunities for users to enjoy their digital assets is a top consideration, and adding Ethereum brings a popular and growing cryptocurrency to our roster.

Bakkt users have already enjoyed the app’s capabilities to leverage Bitcoin, and we are confident that our addition of Ethereum will be a complement to our growing ecosystem of partners and assets.”

Bakkt was formed in 2018 by Intercontinental Exchange which operates clearing houses, marketplaces and regulated exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world.

Bakkt will soon enable customers to buy, sell and hold Ethereum (ETH) while allowing institutional clients to use the Bakkt Warehouse to custody ETH.

Michael first announced in January that the company had plans to support multiple crypto assets aside from BTC.

Ethereum surged to its all-time high of $4,674.90 on Wednesday. ETH is trading at $4,510.87 at time of writing, down 0.5% on the day, according to CoinGecko.

Last month, Bakkt announced a partnership with Google enabling Bakkt customers to use Bakkt Visa debit cards online and in stores wherever Google Pay is accepted.

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DeFi can be 100 times larger than today in 5 years

Decentralized finance (DeFi) is a natural product made possible by blockchain technology and has the right and ready infrastructure to propel the technology to a bigger playing field. The space has grown by leaps and bounds since the Ethereum network went live in July 2015, with Ethereum network transactions growing by 33x to 1.2 million per day currently, and blockchain transactions would exceed millions per day if other chains were included.

Most of these transactions originated from the DeFi services such as Uniswap, which facilitates over $1 billion swaps each day, as well as lending and borrowing protocols such as Aave, Compound and BondAppetit, with tens of billions in market size. While these are large numbers by any standard, it is only a decimal point of the trillion-dollar traditional finance (TradFi) industry.

DeFi is only scratching the surface of the TradFi services

The traditional financial system entails enabling exchanges of goods and services, including the stock market, debt market, derivative market, commodities market, payment, etc. This is facilitated by service providers — banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, financial intermediaries, custodians, etc. — who collect trillion dollars of fees from the services provided.

Mainstream DeFi services currently include lending, borrowing, decentralized trading and yield-aggregating — a relatively short list as compared to the wide-ranging financial services offered in TradFi. This will not remain the status quo as the DeFi developers are actively exploring and building more services to the ecosystem. Protocols that find the right product/market fit will see explosive growth, e.g., the recent rise of dYdX.

The trillion-dollar TradFi market is ripe for disruption

Consumer banking. The global retail banking revenue is estimated at $2.3 trillion across multiple consumer finance products, including loan/lending, mortgage product, payment, etc. Specifically, consumer payments and transactions gross over $500 billion annual revenue to banks globally and could be tapped with a frictionless UI, a global stablecoin and broad acceptance points — the ambition of Facebook’s Diem before the regulatory pushback.

Capital market. Global equity market capitalization is estimated at over $100 trillion, compared to only over $243 billion total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance. Security tokens are an inevitable trend that regulators will eventually need to approve and construct the regulatory framework, and centralized and decentralized exchanges that adhere to the know-your-customer (KYC) requirement can tap into this trillion-dollar equity market in TradFi.

Insurance. The global insurance industry is another trillion-dollar TradFi industry that can be perfected with smart contract technology. About one-third of the global insurance premium is allocated for administrative and commission costs, which is essentially short-changing the consumer. Smart contracts enable the cheap, fast and accurate implementation of the insurance processes from underwriting to claims, and will be a lucrative source of revenue for the DeFi industry.

DeFi’s addressable market size

Transaction volume. Ethereum network processes over 1.3 million transactions each day in 2021, encompassing remittance, trading, lending, borrowing and various other types of transactions. This is a tiny number as compared to over 1 billion daily global credit card transactions, and the around 5.5 billion daily trading volume in NASDAQ. Capturing 1% of the credit card transactions on the Ethereum chain is at least 8x-ing its current volume.

Protocol revenue. The annualized protocol revenue in all DeFi protocols is estimated at $5 billion. This, again, is a fraction against the $2.3 trillion global retail banking revenue; $2 trillion global cross-border payment revenue and $35 billion global stock exchange revenue. The TradFi industry is so lucrative that seizing a 1% market share means 10x-ing the DeFi revenue.

Crypto crackdown accelerates DeFi trend. Even though countries like China continue to crack down on crypto, it will only accelerate the use of DeFi. Active Ethereum wallet and browser extension MetaMask users have 10x-ed to 10 million in August 2021. While this is a seemingly high number, it represents only a 5% penetration rate amongst the 221 million global crypto users. This shows that the general crypto users, who are used to frictionless centralized services such as Robinhood, are a massive untapped market for DeFi and can be captured as the UI/UX is improved.

Related: China’s crypto ban: Buy the dip or cause for concern?

DeFi is only three years old with services that became mainstream for the crypto community in the 2021 DeFi summer. Lending platforms, such as Compound and Aave, together with decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap and Curve, cemented their positions as the market-leading protocols with the first-mover advantage. These didn’t come easy. Uniswap’s founder Hayden Adams wrote an article detailing his journey towards the launch of Uniswap V1 — it is a culmination of faith, friendship, support and hard work during the crypto winter. The DeFi builder community has grown stronger in this new cycle with more programmers from the traditional startups and big tech joining the blockchain and DeFi scene, and this can only mean we have more resources than ever to grow the space and technology.

On February 4, 2004, a dorm room project was born and became a $1 trillion company with 3 billion users in 2021 — it is called Facebook, or Meta after rebranding. DeFi has just started, and with the resources and talent flowing into the space now, growing 100x in the next 5 years is not a dream, it is inevitable.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Artem Tolkachev is the founder and CEO of BondAppetit and an investor in DeFiHelper. Since 2011, he has been an intellectual property and information technology lawyer and entrepreneur. In 2016, Artem founded and headed Deloitte CIS Blockchain Lab. As part of that initiative, he led a range of innovative projects involving the implementation of enterprise blockchain solutions, tokenization of real-world assets, tax and legal structuring of security token offerings, and the development of cryptocurrency and blockchain legislation.