Tag: DeFi

Some Crypto Trends to Watch Out For in 2022

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2021 was quite the year for the crypto sector. Many of the popular digital currencies as well as emerging tokens saw a surge in adoption. The industry’s market capitalization reached an all-time high thus further proving its potential. Now, as we embark on a new year, stakeholders and enthusiasts are also starting to think about what to expect.

If the previous year is anything to go by, 2022 is also set to be an action-packed year for crypto. With all the trends that have taken already taken off, there is a lot of optimism about what the future holds. A few of the things that will be worth paying attention to include:

More Mainstream Institutional Interest

Crypto and blockchain have certainly come a long way. The skepticism about the technology and its potential to revolutionize global finance has been fading away. This was largely accelerated by institutional involvement. That is, financial and corporate institutions have also gotten in on crypto.

Decentralized Finance, or DeFi, was one of the many revolutionary developments as financial service providers noticed how beneficial blockchain can be to transaction processing. Cross-border payments especially in developing regions began leveraging the technology and that should only get better in 2022.

More Regulation on the Way

It is not just corporates and the financial sector that are paying attention to crypto. Even government and various state authorities are baying for a seat at the table. One of the ways they will be contributing is through regulatory intervention. This not only intends to bring some sort of stability to the rather volatile market but also seal some loopholes that most skeptics have had concerns about.

We, of course, need to fully assess the impact of crypto and blockchain on the economy before any law comes into effect. 2022 seems to be the best year for that as we have had plenty of time over the past couple of years to see how impactful the sector can be.

NFTs and Web 3.0

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were all the buzz in 2021. While this was mostly because of the mind-boggling price tags that accompanied them, they carry more significance, especially for artists. It is a great way for them to finance their art and get compensated for the same. 2021 was a great year for NFTs. 2022 is likely to be an even better year.

One other thing that is growing just as fast as NFTs is Web 3.0, that is, the third version of the internet. It comes with a ton of amazing capabilities that will supercharge what we already have. For the crypto industry, Web 3.0 will have a positive impact as the two concepts are closely tied to each other.

Crypto Developments to Watch Out for in September

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The crypto market is quite dynamic and this has been the case for quite some time as the market players strive to push it further. The sector is yet to reach certain heights especially with regards to mainstream adoption. Even so, the evolution and relative maturity of the sector cannot go unnoticed.

2020 has been a tough year in many ways but, as always, nearly all sectors are finding ways of maintaining some level of normalcy. The crypto is one of these sectors – there have been a few notable developments and even more to come.

This month, there are lots of developments that you might need to pay attention to if you have an interest in the sector. Here is a round-up of a few the most notable ones.

The Ethereum 2.0 Upgrade

Ethereum planned to launch its long-awaited Ethereum 2.0 upgrade in the fall, something that could come to pass as early as before the end of September. This upgrade is a pretty big deal not just because Ethereum is one of the most popular digital currencies but also because of all the improvements it will be bringing. There is a major emphasis on security and scalability which are some of the most vital things when it comes to further adoption of the digital currency as well as the related technology.

For Ethereum miners, the upgrade, according to Ethereum 2.0, will mean the reduction of power consumption by up to 99 percent. Needless to say, this is pretty big especially considering the fact that crypto mining uses as much energy as small nations.

Tighter Regulation in South Africa

Crypto enthusiasts and holders in South Africa also need to get ready for stricter taxations if a recent proposal is passed. Just like in many other countries across the globe, South African authorities have had some concerns regarding the use of crypto for tax evasion.

The proposed law simply intends to solve this problem but its effectiveness cannot be determined at this point in time. Still, it is a monumental change that will have far-reaching effects on the crypto sector.

Next-Generation DeFi

Decentralized finance, otherwise referred to as DeFi, has been all the buzz for a better part of 2020. The concept presents crypto users with new opportunities especially with regards to the fact they could earn interest from the digital currencies they may be holding.

Perhaps the most notable name when it comes to the DeFi conversation is Beam. This digital currency has combined DeFi with privacy. An update titles Eager Electron is coming in September and it is set to bring even more improvements.