Based on recent information, you can expect to see some of these trends continue this year. For example, the rise of initial coin offerings (ICOs) is continuing unabated.
ICOs are not limited to just cryptocurrencies either, but also include startups with their own tokens that have yet to be launched.
Additionally, more crypto hedge funds have opened up this year than ever before-and 2018 looks promising for continued growth in established crypto hedge funds. Crypto news is reporting the latest crypto investments, launches, regulations and many other events in the DeFi world.
All of these factors are helping to drive the price of cryptocurrencies higher, surpassing the price of digital currency’s major competitor, gold.
Crypto Circle X has some more information about the trends in crypto currency.
This article primarily focuses on the trends that I consider to be positive for both older and new investors. However, don’t let it fool you into thinking that this is all good news.
Here are some points discussed about trends in crypto currency-
1. Lack of Regulation:
The lack of regulations in the cryptocurrency market is a double-edged sword for investors. On one hand, it has led to the creation of various scam tokens and an environment where fraud can run rampant.
On the other hand, it has helped to create a space for new and innovative companies that nobody else could have imagined would exist in such an unregulated marketplace.
2. Lack of Course Corrections:
While price-related corrections have in part helped to bring at least some stability to this volatile asset class, they have not been enough to prevent the overall trend from continuing.
The fluctuations are mainly due to market sentiment rather than because of actual changes in the underlying value of these digital assets.
3. Cloud Mining
Cloud mining is a trending topic nowadays. Renting computer power from a third party to earn cryptocurrency is called cloud mining. There are many ways for cloud mining. You can use your powerful computer for mining cryptocurrency or give rent to cloud mining agencies to use their powerful computers to mine crypto. If you are interested in cloud mining then visit Truely which has given the list of best cloud mining providers with all details.
4. Speculative Mania:
Rather than being driven by any intrinsic value, much of the market’s price movement is fueled by speculative mania.
To put it another way, it is simply a “buyer’s market” with an ample number of buyers but a limited number of sellers-and that is driving this trend upward rather than downward.
5. Lack of New Money:
While there have been a number of ICOs that have made significant headway as a result of raised funds, the amount of new money being pumped into the market is not keeping pace with the massive demand for digital currency.
In fact, despite months and months of hype about an impending bubble, it appears that there has been little substantial increase in the number of newcomers to the market.
6. Lack of Scalability:
Another huge problem that cryptocurrencies must overcome is the issue of scalability.
Some of the most popular currencies like Bitcoin can only process up to 7 transactions per second (TPS), while some alt-coins like Ripple are able to process up to 1,500 TPS.
While TPS will likely increase as scalability mechanisms like the Lightning Network are developed, this is still a serious issue that needs addressing sooner rather than later.
7. Decentralized Regulation:
While there is no central authority governing cryptocurrency prices, there are some interesting variations in how different jurisdictions plan to monitor and regulate it moving forward.
Of course, this will be an ongoing process that will likely take years (or even decades) to fully develop.
For example, Japan has classified some cryptocurrencies like Ripple as legal tender, while South Korea has made it legal for banks to participate in the market.
This may cause prices there to be more volatile than they otherwise would be if Korea would stay with its original ban until the market matures.
8. Fast-Growing ICOs:
The number of small investors entering the market is likely to see a significant rise because of the growth in ICOs (initial coin offerings) this year.
But what exactly are ICOs?
The way they work is that an individual or company will release their own token (a form of digital currency) and offer it for sale to the general public.
They seek funds for this token through an ICO, which can be launched through various cryptocurrency exchanges.
9. Exchanges Losing Ground:
Early on, the exchanges were the primary mechanism for individuals to buy and sell cryptocurrency. However, this is changing rapidly with brokerages like Coinbase taking precedence.
Of course, certain exchanges still allow customers to purchase digital currencies with fiat (government backed) currencies like US dollars or Euro.
But they are also regulated by government agencies like the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the United States or ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission) in Australia.
10. Institutional Money on Its Way:
Institutional money is still waiting on the sidelines for regulatory clarity before stepping into the market with large amounts of dollars or pounds or any other government backed currency.
However, some smaller sums of institutional money has begun to enter the market via venture capital, hedge funds and other traditional investment vehicles.
