Cryptocurrency users are still a small minority. The total number of users was at 106 million as of January 2021. That sounds like a lot, but when you consider a global population that is nearing 8 billion, you can see that it is just a tiny fraction of people using crypto.
Whether you are in crypto or not, it is going to have an increasing effect on business. You can see Bitcoin mining operations selling shares on stock exchanges, large businesses looking into uses for crypto coins, and more people taking an interest in buying and using cryptocurrency.
At the current trend, crypto coins are becoming more common every year. If it holds, it might not be a matter of if people start using different cryptocurrencies, it could just be a question of when.
In the digital age, businesses are now connected internationally like they never before. Beyond the large multinationals, it is increasingly becoming common for smaller businesses to have significant international connections. This is not only true as it concerns deals with other companies, but businesses now have employees or contractors they work with from around the world.
Using cryptocurrency as a medium of exchange for international transactions could solve a lot of problems for these businesses. First, cryptocurrency could ease the burden of having to convert currency for several different countries. Beyond that, it could also make transactions faster, cheaper and more convenient by cutting out the traditional middlemen that would typically be in the middle of these transactions.
One of the factors that have held back many cryptocurrency markets is the lack of support from mainstream institutions. Banks wouldn’t let you make transactions with crypto exchanges, and it was hard to find businesses that would allow you to use your cryptocurrency. This is changing rapidly.
Beyond the ability of investors to use an ultra fast trading app to make trades, we now see a range of big institutional investors buying cryptocurrency. Along with that, some of the world’s largest financial businesses are starting to work with crypto. As an example, PayPal started offering a range of cryptocurrency services earlier this year. You also have major credit card companies that are starting to work with crypto on a limited level.
One of the main claims of many crypto skeptics is that the coins have no inherent value. This is true in a sense. The value of most crypto coins is solely based on the perception of people in the market. While that might be true, you could make the same argument for most fiat currencies. The value is based on the fact that people will accept it in exchange for goods and services.
Crypto has an advantage over many fiat currencies: the fact that many crypto coins have a limited supply. As inflation acts on fiat currencies, crypto could grow in popularity as a hedge. In the future, many investors will hold crypto in the way that they hold gold as a protection against inflation.
Raising or distributing equity usually means creating conventional shares of the business. While this could be a way to raise money or provide value to employees, it does come with a range of hurdles. One way to get around many of these hurdles would be to create crypto coins that represent shares in the company.
Instead of jumping through all of the regulatory hoops to issue shares, the business could give people crypto coins as equity. Instead of holding an IPO, the business could do an ICO as a way to raise capital from investors.
With the rise in crowdfunding platforms, the ability to raise money is easier than it ever has been. These platforms not only make it easy to raise money from the public, but they also offer a level of transparency that is popular among those looking to donate or invest. With that said, these platforms often take a significant portion of the funds in fees.
Using a blockchain wallet for crowdfunding could be a way to get the transparency of a crowdfunding platform while avoiding the fees. This would allow those looking to raise funds to do so off a platform, but with the blockchain ledger, potential donors or investors could still see the donations coming in.
Crypto is a field that is always evolving. As businesses see the benefits and new applications become available, it will become more common. With that said, the markets are unpredictable. The only thing that we can be sure of is that there will be ups and downs along the way.
Open your free digital wallet here to store your cryptocurrencies in a safe place.
Open your free digital wallet here to store your cryptocurrencies in a safe place.
Today BNP Paribas Group has announced a new partnership that aims at allowing private companies to issue securities through the blockchain ledger.
Open your free digital wallet here to store your cryptocurrencies in a safe place.