Titcoin

When currencies meet pleasure

How many of you tried to subscribe to a porno website but was afraid that his/her parents will notice at the end of the month when the credit card bill will arrive?


Now, with titcoin, this is not a problem anymore!

Titcoin is a type of electronic cash that can be discreetly exchanged for adult products and services, and subsequently converted into fiat currency.


Titcoin is an extension of the Bitcoin protocol with enhancements specifically designed for online porn and adult entertainment transactions.


Titcoin already increased the porn's market share by 30%!

Concerning privacy and discretion, banks and other financial institutions are required to keep personal records of all customers. A cryptocurrency system only records anonymous deposit and withdrawal addresses for each transaction without requiring any personal information.

So, now, will you invest in cryptocurrencies ;) ?

Kraken Investment Case Study

"Founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, Kraken is the world's largest global Bitcoin exchange in euro volume and liquidity. Along with bitcoin and euros, hundreds of thousands of traders, institutions and authorities trust Kraken to facilitate trading in US and Canadian dollars, British pounds, Japanese yen, and a variety of digital assets like ether."

"Challenge Summary: Bitcoin vs Ethereum: You have $1M to invest across these two blockchain technologies by buying bitcoins and ethers – the digital assets or “cryptocurrencies” that power these decentralized computer networks. You cannot touch your investment for the next 5 years. How much of that $1M do you invest in each? Why?"

Check the article on the link below to know more about this competition related to cryptocurrencies!

Competition Kraken Economist

Depois de Lisboa, Temos Madrid

Ao longo dos últimos anos, Lisboa tem vindo a destacar-se no panorama internacional de startups, inovação e tecnologia. A cidade tem sido por muitos apontada como o próximo Sillicon Valley europeu e para realçar este ponto, Lisboa recebeu no início do mês de Novembro a famosa conferência de tecnologia e inovação: o Web Summit. Durante este evento inúmeros temas foram debatidos, mas tem sido Fintech que tem atraído maior atenção durantes estes dias. Desta forma, a equipa do Web Summit vai organizar um novo evento: MoneyConf. Este, terá lugar em Madrid durante o mês de Junho e contará com a presença de reconhecidas instituições bancárias e empresas tecnológicas, que juntas irão definir o futuro deste mercado promissor.

Durante esta conferência, as pessoas terão a oportunidade de perceber como os bancos estão a adaptar-se a esta mudança e como as principais startups e empresas tecnológicas estão a mudá-la. Adicionalmente, um dos principais temas recaí sobre cryptocurrencies e perceber a importância que estas terão neste processo e quais os principais agentes responsáveis pelo mesmo.

O painel ainda não está completo mas já conta com representantes de instituições como BBVA, TransferWise, Saxo Bank, Master Card e Balderton Ventures. Este evento será um dos maiores eventos em Fintech deste ano e sem dúvida muito promissor.

Ficamos então à espera de mais informações e que a MoneyConf chegue Madrid 2017!  

Check this post in english here: https://goo.gl/e6s20I

After Lisbon, We Have Madrid

Throughout the years, Lisbon has been gaining its relevance in the startup, innovation and technology international panorama. The city has been considered by many as the new european Sillicon Valley. To highlight this, Lisbon received in the beginning of this month, the famous tech conference: the Web Summit. During the event, several topics were covered, however, Fintech has been the one that has attracted the more interest and relevance during the days. Therefore, the team behind the Web Summit is now going to host a new event: MoneyConf. It will take place in Madrid during the month of June and is going to feature some of biggest international banks institutions and tech firms, that together will the discuss and shape the future of this new promising market.

Additionally, during this conference people will have the opportunity to find out how, in one side, banks are adapting to the changes in the market and how, on the other side, startups and tech companies are disrupting it. Moreover, one of the main topic will be cryptocurrencies and understand the relevant role of these in this change and some of the companies behind it.

The final panel is not yet complete, however it already counts with names from important organizations such as: BBVA, TransferWise, Saxo Bank, Master Card e Balderton Ventures. This event will be one of the major events in Fintech and with no doubt very promising.

We will wait for more information regarding the event and that the MoneyConf Madrid 2017 arrives!

TEDxTampaBay | David Morris | At the Speed of Money: How Cryptocurrency Will Transform Everything

At TEDxTampaBay, David explores how Bitcoin and related technologies will radically change just about everything.
Check it out people! It is incredible!

"The Unbanked". How could digital currency help developing countries?

Access to banks is privilege that most people in the world enjoy and take for granted. It enables the use of facilities such as current accounts, credit cards, savings accounts. However, according to the World Bank, approximately two-and-a-half billion people globally do not have such access and are, in effect, disconnected from the global economy and formal financial systems. For these people, referred to as the “unbanked”, accumulating and maintaining any significant wealth is difficult.

Those unable to access bank accounts often are reliant on receiving money from family members in other countries. Remittances totalling nearly $600 billion were sent globally in 2015, according to the World Bank; of this sum, it is estimated that the destination of approximately 75% was developing countries. Such cross-border payments represent one application of cryptocurrency – a means of currency exchange in which transactions are made securely. While there is much still to be investigated about cryptocurrency, it is undoubtedly an application of crypto technology that is generating significant interest.

A recent Wired headline read ‘Bitcoin dead? It goes big in 2016’. The explanation given for this statement was that Bitcoin enabled a more straightforward and cost-effective means of transferring money between locations than traditional methods. This, the article continued, was true both for businesses when accepting payments from customers on the internet and for consumers when moving money between countries.

At London School of Economics (LSE), an expert in cryptocurrencies and their impact on world finance, Dr. Garrick Hileman and colleagues conducted a research concluding that the countries showing the greatest potential for the implementation of cryptocurrencies are to be found in the former Soviet Union, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The nature of cryptocurrencies makes them particularly suited for such areas. Requiring no credit checks or maintaining balance, being able to potentially grow over time and being resistant to both political and financial corruption, many users in these countries could not reasonably expect to be eligible for other forms of financial services.

The cost-effectiveness of cryptocurrencies is due in part to their not requiring expensive institutions and having negligible costs associated with them. It follows that they may be a catalyst for aid distribution. For example, the transfer of cash by electronic means such as SMS has increased in popularity over the past few years, while Bitcoin services have the potential for changing the ways in which the transfer of money between and to those in need is performed. The benefits of such means of transfer are highlighted by the fact that one third of the food assistance provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) takes the form of vouchers or cash rather than actual food.

One negative aspect of cash transfers is that they are vulnerable to fraud and other difficulties. This is true whatever the nature of the transaction, be it between any combination of individuals, governments, people, etc., as they involve bodies or institutions that may have their own interests at heart more than those of the people with whom they are transacting. Financial inclusion in developing countries can be broadened, according to a Gates Foundation report of 2014, by the fast growth and development of systems for digital payments, as they enable the required transparency, security and rapidity at an affordable price previously described.

Bitcoin services are becoming increasingly widespread across the world. Five examples of the implementation of its developing popularity are given below:

• Philippines: While most of the population of the Philippines own of have access to a mobile phone and the internet, online shopping is far from easy as nearly three-quarters are unbanked and only one in fifty people uses a credit card. A system named Coins.ph is designed to overcome this problem by enabling transactions with Bitcoin and subsequent cashing out with the local currency. The result is a more straightforward online selling and purchasing process that aims to reduce time delays and transportation expenses.

• India: A lower proportion of India’s population is unbanked, with around two in five people having no access to traditional financial services and so relying mostly on cash. However, while smaller businesses are dependent on physical currency, larger retailers such as Flipkart and Amazon are driving forward online commerce. The Bitcoin system in use in India is Unocoin, which enables digital payments for smaller companies, thereby allowing them to eradicate chargebacks and to reduce the costs of transactions significantly.  

• Kenya: BitPesa, provides benefits to the Kenyan population in terms of reduced fees and increased financial protection. Money transfers are free of charge with a guaranteed exchange rate of three per cent – this ensures that both receiver and the sender is protected from the risk of loss from fluctuation in the rate. The system allows shillings to be sent for a three per cent fee between mobile accounts utilising Bitcoin; this is one-third the fee that is more typical of physical currency. The BitPesa system is typically used by clientele such as entrepreneurs, expatriates and migrants.

• South Africa: In South Africa, there is convenient integration of Bitcoin with the conventional banking system. In Johannesburg, a Bitcoin ATM (the first of its kind on the continent) allows customers to convert physical money into Bitcoin; cash deposited is instantly transferred to their digital wallets. A local company, PayFast, processes payments for online companies in a way that protects them from volatility in the digital currency market. When a Bitcoin transaction is made to one of the 30,000 companies using the system accepting the digital currency, the payment is instantly converted into the local currency.

• Argentina: BitPagos, provides a means of overcoming many problems associated with the Argentinian financial system for many residents. These include high inflation (which is approaching forty per cent), strict controls on capital and a restricted payment options. The electronic system offers more cost effective finance than the local system in that Bitcoin transactions are free and credit card transactions are made for a fee of just five per cent.

Digital currency technology such as Bitcoin is being implemented in pilots such as these as a means of bringing cheap financial services to regions of the developing world in which the incidence of the underbanked is high. Businesses operating Bitcoin can exploit the ability to transfer money using such decentralized networks in order to benefit from reduced costs in the knowledge that transactions are both secure and instantaneous. For customers, the digital systems provide the opportunity for money management and the convenience that is afforded by the use of mobile phones to access banking facilities.

Venezuelans are turning to cryptocurrencies after country’s hyperinflation

Disponible en español

President Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela has seen the bolivar plummet in 2016, losing close to 50 per cent of its value against the US dollar, and inflation spiral, with 15 recorded rises over a 12 month period. An unstable currency has rocked the economy, and reduced people’s faith in wages and prices, since the notes they use devalue almost as soon as they have been pocketed. The future does not look any brighter, for the IMF has forecast a consumer-price inflation rate of 480 per cent by January 2017, rising to a staggering 1640 per cent in 2017.

One of the consequences of this continuous fall in the value of the bolivar is the spiralling rise in the black market exchange rate for US dollars. The official rate, set by the government, is 9.95 bolivar for each dollar; in reality, people are paying around 1800 bolivars for every dollar they buy as of today.

    Source: www.venezuelaecon.com

Given the fact that the bolivar lost 60 per cent of its value in four weeks in 2016, it is perhaps unsurprising that some Venezuelans have chosen to change their bolivars into bitcoins, considering the latter a relatively stable form of currency - and one which has been holding and indeed increasing in value throughout 2016. This reaction to a failing national currency is not limited to Venezuela, for while bitcoins cannot be classified as a totally non-volatile form of currency, which has prevented them from being used widely worldwide, their fall in value cannot compare with that of the bolivar. However much the bitcoin might fluctuate in value, this will not compete with the radical downward spiral of the Venezuelan state currency.

Diario Bitcoin reports that the first week of August saw 141.7 million bolivar changed into bitcoins, the equivalent of 141 million USD. This was up on the previous week’s figures, which recorded 117.116 million bolivar being changed to bitcoins, the equivalent of 117 million USD.

REMITTANCES:

In 2005, both Moneygram and Western Union reacted to government regulations and sanctions by withdrawing from Venezuela. As a result, many families were no longer able to receive financial support from outside Venezuela. This gap in the market is gradually being filled by three bitcoin exchanges which have been set up: the first was SurBitcoin, and this has now been supplemented by the newer Yabit and Cryptobuyer. Thanks to these payment networks, it is now possible to send funds into the country. Unlike central government in neighbouring Ecuador and Bolivia, the Venezuelan authorities have not regulated the use of bitcoin, mainly because it is not considered a currency, but a form of property. Local legislatures, which deal with money transactions did, however, question SurBitcoin closely once it was launched, to determine whether its function was to launder money illegally.

To date, the Maduro government has not intervened and we can but hope that the introduction of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will succeed in providing Venezuelans with the financial power and tools people need to safeguard their economic future, nevertheless it provides oxygen to a suffocating economy.

Los venezolanos están recurriendo a las criptomonedas ante la situación de hiperinflación que enfrenta el país

Available in English

El régimen del Presidente Nicolás Maduro ha provocado el desplome del bolívar en el 2016, perdiendo casi el 50 por ciento de su valor con respecto al dólar estadounidense, todo esto debido en gran medida a la espiral de inflación en la que se encuentra la economía del país, con 15 aumentos registrados durante un período de 12 meses. La inestabilidad del bolívar ha provocado que la población haya perdido la fe en los salarios y los precios; las monedas se devalúan tan pronto el venezolano mete el dinero en su bolsillo. Por otro lado, el futuro no parece mucho más brillante, el FMI ha pronosticado una tasa de inflación de precios al consumidor del 480 por ciento en enero de 2017, llegando a la asombrosa cifra de 1.640 por ciento en 2017.

Una de las consecuencias de esta caída continuada en el valor del bolívar es el aumento de la tasa de cambio en el mercado negro de dólares estadounidenses. La tasa oficial, está establecida por el gobierno en 9,95 bolívares por cada dólar; pero en realidad, la gente está pagando alrededor de1.800 bolívares por cada dólar que compran en el mercado paralelo – 180 veces más.

 
 Source: www.venezuelaecon.com

Teniendo en cuenta el hecho de que el bolívar perdió el 60 por ciento de su valor en cuatro semanas en 2016, no es sorprendente que algunos venezolanos hayan optado por cambiar sus bolívares a bitcoins, considerando que esta última es una forma de moneda relativamente estable y que además ha visto incrementado su valor a lo largo de 2016. Aunque las bitcoins no se pueden clasificar como una forma totalmente no-volátil de moneda, su caída en el valor no se puede comparar con la del bolívar. Por mucho que el bitcoin fluctúa en valor, esta fluctuación no compite con la radical espiral descendente en la que se encuentra sumergida la moneda venezolana.

Diario Bitcoin informa que la primera semana de agosto de este año, un total de 141,7 millones de bolívares se transformaron en bitcoins, el equivalente a 141 millones de dólares. Un incremento con respecto a la semana anterior, que registró 117.116 millones de bolívares cambiados a bitcoins, el equivalente a 117 millones de dólares.

REMESAS:
En 2005, tanto Moneygram como Western Union reaccionaron a las regulaciones gubernamentales y las sanciones retirando sus negocios de Venezuela. El resultado ha sido que muchas familias ya no sean capaces de recibir apoyo financiero de fuera de Venezuela, remesas que eran enviadas por familiares y amigos. Esta brecha en el mercado poco a poco está siendo ocupada por empresas de criptomonedas: la primera fue SurBitcoin, y le han seguido dos más de reciente creación: Yabit y Cryptobuyer. Gracias a estas redes de pago, ahora es posible enviar fondos al país. A diferencia del gobierno central de los vecinos Ecuador y Bolivia, las autoridades venezolanas no han regulado el uso de Bitcoin, debido a que la constitución venezolana no lo considera dinero sino una forma de propiedad. Sin embargo las autoridades locales encargadas de controlar las transacciones de dinero en el país, vigila SurBitcoin de cerca desde que se puso en marcha para determinar si su función era la de blanquear dinero.

Hasta la fecha, el gobierno de Maduro no ha intervenido para regular las “cripto-empresas” que operan en el país, pero por otro lado tampoco podemos esperar que la introducción del bitcoin y otras criptomonedas doten a los venezolanos con las herramientas necesarias para ganar poder económico y salvaguardar su futuro económico, sin embargo, proporciona oxígeno en medio de una economía sofocante.

Regulation vs. Cryptocurrencies

Lesen Sie diesen Post of Deutsch.

Currency Regulation By Means of Monetary Policy

Currencies are regulated by a central bank's monetary policy. This monetary policy usually follows macroeconomic objectives of the respective country or monetary union. Hence, the central bank defines an Official Cash Rate (OCR), at which it lends money to commercial banks that then lend to final customers at their own rates. By means of increasing or decreasing the OCR, the central bank can therefore influence inflation. This in turn has a direct impact on the country's currency, which influences the general economy. 

Why Cryptocurrencies Cannot Be Regulated

Cryptocurrencies have an underlying code, with a set increasing rate of the total monetary supply. It is not possible to change this code or the inclination rate. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies do not represent a single country's economic interest. They are operating across all borders and only require Internet access. Therefore, cryptocurrencies cannot be regulated. 

So What Do Regulators Do?

Regulators do not care a lot about cryptocurrencies yet, as their user base still is relatively small. Nevertheless, with increased user numbers the attempts to regulate cryptocurrencies are likely to increase. The only possibility for regulators to have a hand on cryptocurrencies is the regulation of providers of cryptocurrency services. Nowadays, these service providers are regulated as any other financial service provider, depending on the country they are located in. Nevertheless, thanks to the decentralized and non-physical attributes of cryptocurrencies, services can be provided from anywhere in the world with not much more than a regular laptop. You see how difficult it will be for regulators to actually have any influence on cryptocurrencies. We are excited to see how they will be able to impact cryptocurrencies in the future.

Regulation vs. Kryptowährungen

Read this post in English.

Die Geldpolitik der Zentralbanken

Währungen werden durch die Geldpolitik der Zentralbanken reguliert. Diese Geldpolitik verfolgt für gewöhnlich makroökonomische Ziele des betreffendes Landes oder Währungsunion. Die Zentralbank definiert einen Leitzins, zu dem Kreditinstitute Geld leihen können und wiederum zu ihrem eigenen Zinssatz an ihre Kunden verleihen können. Durch das anheben oder senken des Leitzins hat die Zentralbank einen direkten Einfluss auf die Inflation. Daraus resultiert ebenfalls eine Einflussnahme auf die respektive Währung, was wiederum zu einem Einfluss auf die generelle Wirtschaft eines Landes führt.

Wieso Kryptowährungen nicht reguliert werden können

Kryptowährungen basieren auf einem Code, der eine feste Steigerungsrate der Währungsmenge enthält. Es ist nicht möglich den Code oder die Steigerungsrate zu verändern. Kryptowährungen repräsentieren ebenfalls nicht die ökonomischen Interessen eines einzelnen Landes oder Wirtschafsraum. Sie werden über Grenzen hinweg genutzt und akzeptiert, und man benötigt nur einen Internetzugang um sie zu nutzen. Deshalb können Kryptowährungen nicht reguliert werden. 

Was kann der Regulator also tun?

Regulatoren haben sich bisher wenig mit Kryptowährungen auseinandergesetzt, da ihre Nutzerzahlen bisher verhältnismäßig gering ist. Nichtsdestotrotz, mit der steigenden Popularität von Kryptowährungen werden diese immer relevanter für die Regulierung durch Zentralbanken. Jedoch ist die einzige Möglichkeit der Regulation von Kryptowährungen durch die Regulierung von Serviceanbietern möglich. Heutzutage werden solche Serviceanbieter wie normale Anbieter von Finanzdienstleistungen reguliert, abhängig davon in welchem Land sie operieren. Durch die dezentralen und nichtphysischen Attribute von Kryptowährungen aber, braucht es nicht mehr als einen Laptop mit Internetverbindung irgendwo auf der Welt, um einen Service für Kryptowährungen zu schaffen. Man sieht daher, wie schwierig ein Eingriff in die Welt der Kryptowährungen ist. Wir sind gespannt wie Regulatoren in der Zukunft versuchen werden, Einfluss auf Kryptowährungen zu nehmen.

Cryptocurrencies: Where to use them?

Now that you know what are cryptocurrencies and how you can acquire them, you probably would like to know how you could make use of them!

GEOGRAPHICALLY

The legal status of cryptocurrencies is different from country to country, and still undefined in others. Some countries allowed the use of cryptocurrencies whereas others restricted it or completely banned it. 

USES OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES

The increasing adoption of crypto currencies all around the world has made it a very useful and practical currency. Here is a list of all cryptocurrencies available on the market. 

BUYING PHYSICAL GOODS

Many world-leading companies are now accepting cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. 

Dell - Microsoft - Showroomprive.com - Monoprix - Subway and many others. 

GIFT CARD BUSINESSES

The majority of gift card businesses now accept payments in cryptocurrencies. These gift cards give you access to stores such as Nike, Sephora, Gap and many others. 

MAKING A DONATION

Multiple NGOs and causes now accept cryptocurrencies (bitcoins or other) as a donation. Here are some examples of NGOs that accept donations in crypto currencies: The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice and the Free Knowledge Institute. 

TRAVEL (FLIGHTS AND HOTELS)

It is now possible to pay the trip of your dreams with cryptocurrencies. An increasing number of airlines and online hotel booking websites and hotel chains are now accepting crypto currencies. 

Air Baltic – Air Lithuania – CheapAir.com – Expedia.com – Holiday Inn.

EDUCATION

The University of Nicosia – Cyprus, is the first recognized university in the world to accept payments of tuition fees in bitcoins!

CONCLUSION

Not only is the adoption of cryptocurrencies constantly increasing, but also more people are recognizing its advantages and differentiating characteristics and this is what might make it the currency of the future…