Blockchain - Cryptocurrency
In the Quest for Monetary Liberalism: Are Cryptocurrencies Reliable Enough?
Cryptocurrencies have had a tremendous run in the last decade or so. In his 2008 paper, Satoshi Nakamoto marked the birth of a new paradigm, a decentralized digital currency that allows uncensored secure transactions. This was effectively considered the first step towards the liberalization of the monetary system. Fast-forward fourteen years, and the topic is again under the spotlight with the Russian-Ukrainian war. A crumbling currency, financial sanctions, and other collateral economic damage from the ongoing conflict revived the crypto scene, with people looking for a safe haven to preserve the value of their savings. Throughout the whole period that witnessed the increasing adoption of cryptocurrency, a resounding question persisted, is crypto reliable enough? Is it truly there to replace aging fiat money-based practices?
A Clash of Generations
Try to convince your grandpa that social media is essential for everyday life, and you will understand the large gap between the two commodities.
Fiat money constitutes the main currency in circulation. The true value of fiat money is measured by the fact that governments back it, and this is where its name originates, as it is a reminiscent vestige of the financial practices that were preponderant in the late 19th and 20th centuries. There are practically no safety nets with fiat currency transactions as they are highly affected by external political and economic factors and financial engineering practices. The free fall of any currency would almost result in wiping out one’s life savings. The devaluation of the currency and the high inflation in several countries worldwide is a testimonial of the unreliability of fiat money.
On the other end, cryptocurrencies, notably Bitcoin, represent the pinnacle of technological development. They were developed basically to address the weaknesses of the reigning monetary system through the decentralization of the decision-making and management process, enforced security in the transactions, and increased resilience against political influences.
Are Cryptocurrencies Secure Enough?
That being said, the properties of cryptocurrencies that attracted many hardcore advocates looking to escape the constraining banking system fail to mask persisting problems, some of which pertain to the already existing fiat, money-based financial models.
Although to a much lesser extent, political influences still affect the value of cryptocurrencies. When China, one of the strongholds of crypto miners, banned cryptocurrencies in 2021, the value of the leading currency (Bitcoin) fell considerably. The recovery phase involved the migration of the mining process to other locations. This incident illustrates that regulatory decisions have a significant effect on the currency’s performance, similarly to paper-based currencies.
Market manipulation is another factor affecting the value of the currency. A well-known practice in the financial world, namely pump and dump, is a highly controversial technique used to inflate the price of cryptocurrencies. This mainly happens in the case of initial coin offerings (ICO), which are hyped for some time to scam early adopters before fading as quickly as their rise to fame.
Cryptocurrencies can sometimes become victims of their own medicine, namely, technology. The world of decentralized finance (DeFi) has been hampered by an increasing number of crimes and security breaches. The main culprits are crypto exchanges which are lucrative targets for hackers, given the high monetary value of cryptocurrencies, notably Bitcoin. A recent example is the BitMart exchange, which recorded a $ 150 million US dollars loss in a crypto-heist in December 2021, which they eventually covered from their own funds. Exchanges are, however, trying to counter security threats by upgrading their security measures proactively. Crypto advocates can also refer to some websites such as CERTIFIED (cer.live), which provide a ranking of available exchanges in terms of their cybersecurity protection levels.
Another solution to prevent security breaches and protect their assets is for users to use cold wallets. Cold wallets are physical devices that allow crypto holders to keep their assets entirely offline. However, any fearing the loss of his valuable device can resort to hot wallets, which are digital alternatives allowing the storage of the cryptocurrencies on a smartphone or computer.
A foreseeable threat looming on the horizon comes from the world of quantum computing. Needless to say, quantum computer development is still in its mere early stages. The provided computational power is still not enough to break the public-key cryptographic algorithm that the underlying blockchain operations rely on. However, suppose the model of the chain is not updated accordingly. In that case, the linked transactions in the distributed ledger are subject to security attacks that would jeopardize the operation of the whole system.
A Bright Light at the End of the Tunnel!
While this looks gloomy as far as the reliability of cryptocurrencies is concerned, the future is not necessarily bleak if proper measures are taken. As said, beauty is often skin-deep, and the beauty of cryptocurrencies is in their underlying model, an amorphous structure that can evolve in terms of maturity and reliability by adopting new technological innovations that will iron out previous imperfections and provide futureproof security and reliability guarantees. This is a key feature that any traditional fiat money-based system cannot achieve without moving into a digital currency model.
Cryptocurrencies rely on a complex relation between advanced communications systems, computational power, and reliable cryptographic algorithms. These three dimensions need to be properly optimized to ensure unprecedented reliability.
The fifth generation of wireless communications technologies has brought notable improvements in terms of higher data rates, lower delays, and a flexible architecture with network slicing capabilities. It even exceeded traditional and technical improvements to provide a platform as a service (PaaS) capabilities, thus unlocking new opportunities to integrate with cloud/edge computing services and optimize overall performance. This will eventually translate into a much better operation of the underlying blockchain with faster confirmation and integration of the different transactions. Users can even download a whole copy of the digital ledger much faster indeed.
The developments in the Quantum-X areas, X referring to communications, computing, and security, directly impact the reliability of cryptocurrencies. Futureproof resilient security algorithms can be developed to thwart any potential attack and preserve the chain’s integrity.
Cryptocurrencies are indeed and will remain an attractive field of study and investment. The longevity of the area is directly correlated to the ability to maintain high-reliability levels in terms of performance, security, and availability. This could not be achieved without adopting a proactive approach to integrate new technological advancements into existing models. Another challenge lies in cryptocurrencies maintaining their decentralized model. The current wars and the use of cryptocurrencies to circumvent sanctions and fund illegal actions have led more people to call for additional regulatory measures, which is clearly against the spirit of the approach once introduced by Nakamoto. It is the same regulatory measures that raised uncertainty levels over fiat currencies.
In the realm of cryptocurrencies, the Pi network is an unusual example. Despite receiving a lot of interest and attention, it is not available anywhere. The Pi coin is currently only available through mining, and so you cannot buy Pi Coin in India or anywhere else as of yet as it has not yet been listed on any cryptocurrency or non-crypto exchange.
The Pi coin has a large following despite not having a price yet; the project’s straightforward idea and strong technological base have already drawn quite a few cryptocurrency aficionados. The Pi network has a vibrant community that has stuck around despite the recent crypto crash, and its user base is constantly expanding.
How Can I Buy Pi Coin in India?
You must register for an account with a cryptocurrency exchange in India in order to trade or sell Pi coins. Despite India’s rough stance on cryptocurrency exchange that leave many in the dark, you may purchase Pi coins and trade them for any other cryptocurrency on multiple exchanges.
To keep track of PI transactions, you may also download the Pi coin wallet app from the Google Play store. However, as PI is still in the testing stage, purchasing it is not an option. In the third phase, when Pi transitions to a fully decentralized blockchain, users who have mined Pi can transfer or withdraw their money.
When the Pi Network opens up and releases to the public, which should be sometime between mid-2022 and 2023, you will likely be able to purchase it on multiple crypto exchanged as the crypto coin is especially popular in India due to its simplified, cheap, and convenient mining ability.
If you’re wondering where to buy Pi Coin in India, it involves five steps. After the account has been opened, it must first be registered. Before individuals can start investing in Pi Coin, they must first complete the KYC procedure, Google 2-Step Verification, and provide bank information.
Can I Buy Pi Coin in India with Regular Money?
Many cryptocurrency exchanges are accepting fiat currency directly. However, some may require you to first purchase a stablecoin such as USDC or USDT and then use that stablecoin to purchase cryptocurrency. BuyUcoin, one of India’s leading crypto exchanges, will allow you to buy Pi Coin in India using the local currency.
Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges in India
- BuyUCoin
- Binance India
- WazirX
- CoinDCX
- CoinSwitch Kuber
- UnoCoin
- Bitbns
Since the network is still in its second phase of testing, the price of PI in India at the moment remains unknown and cannot be accurately predicted. Users will be able to exchange it when Phase 3 is released, just like any other currency.
Based on Pi Network’s performance, it is anticipated that the currency would start off with a relatively low value compared to the USD and gradually climb over time as the adaptation rate rises. Based on the statistics, it is anticipated that the PI coin would significantly alter the cryptocurrency landscape.
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Whether making Cryptocurrency legal in India or not is still up for debate, but the Supreme Court asked the government to be very clear about its position. The national government is drafting a bill to control cryptocurrencies and other digital assets in India. In the Union Budget 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the federal government would impose a steep tax of 30% on virtual assets, such as cryptocurrencies and Nonfungible Tokens, or NFTs. Budget 2022 suggested creating a new section 115BBH to impose income tax on cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets in order to implement this crypto tax.
Is Cryptocurrency Legal in India?
According to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, taxing cryptocurrencies does not make them legal tender in the nation. The nation has the right to impose taxes on cryptocurrency transactions, and these taxes have hit the Indian crypto market hard. The finance minister stated that an official position on regulation wouldn’t be taken until the ongoing consultations were over.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) of the nation is making rapid progress with its investigation into any potential foreign exchange.
According to reports, the ED is looking into every aspect of the offshore transactions carried out by the Indian exchanges. The amount of domestic money that left India is being estimated by the Indian authorities, and is a big factor in whether to make Cryptocurrency legal in India or not. Transaction histories and the companies’ involvement with foreign exchanges are hidden from view for that reason.
When an assessee’s total income includes any income from the transfer of virtual digital assets, the proposed section 115BBH seeks to stipulate that the amount of income tax that is due is equal to the sum of the income tax that is due at the rate of 30% on such income and the amount of income tax that would have been due had the assessee’s total income been reduced by the sum of those incomes, according to the Budget 2022 Memorandum.
From Assessment Year 2023–2024, the recently proposed cryptocurrency tax will be in effect. In the upcoming fiscal year (2022–2023), all of your cryptocurrency-related income will be subject to a 30 percent tax rate. For FY 2021–2022, investors must pay taxes in accordance with the current tax regulations.
With this law, the Indian financial authorities have essentially clamped down on the newly emerged financial market due to fear of financial instability, especially given the recent crypto crash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in November that cryptocurrencies could “spoil our youth” after the central bank had repeatedly warned that cryptocurrencies could pose “serious concerns on macroeconomic and financial stability.”
This view on the dangers of cryptocurrencies comes, ironically enough, despite some pretty impressive statistics, and have been taken into consideration when discussing whether to make Cryptocurrency legal in India.
One of the largest and fastest-growing cryptocurrency markets worldwide is found in India. There are 15 domestic cryptocurrency exchanges in the nation.
According to industry data, there are between 15 and 20 million cryptocurrency owners in India, with estimated holdings worth $6 billion (€5.31 billion).
Despite this, the Indian cryptocurrency market remains under stringent scrutiny that appears to persist for the foreseeable future.
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It is obvious that the crypto market is having a hard time, to say the least. A plethora of terrible circumstances, triggers, and occurrences culminated in the perfect storm that shook the entire crypto market to its core, and we now find ourselves in a massive crypto bear market. However, while the losses have been staggeringly high, some investors’ hopes have been even higher.
It is extremely understandable why many see this crash as the end-time for the world of crypto, given all that is going on in the world. The war in Ukraine rages on, inflation soars, and recession concerns mount. Investors might be excused for selling out and going dark for a while, given the constant news and dire predictions of rising energy prices, rising interest rates, recession risks, and firm closures.
A market is termed to be in a “bear market” if it lost more than 20% in a single year. Ether is down 43%, bitcoin is down 35%, and several other currencies are down much more in 2022. While bear markets are inevitable, it can be hard to produce when they are coming, how long they last, or how bad they get.
Let’s go over some ways to make the best of the crypto bear market, mitigate losses, and surf the waves to a profit.
Risk Assessment
The reality that older plan members have less time to make up any such losses before retirement and that workers with bigger account balances have a lot more to lose in a crypto bear market cannot be avoided no matter how much dollar-cost averaging is used.
An investor who is nearing retirement should approach a bear market considerably more cautiously than a younger worker with a lower account balance does, taking into account the balance of risk and return. But frequently, it isn’t the case.
It is up to you to decide what asset allocation will provide you peace of mind and protect your future given your age, financial situation, and risk tolerance. Figuring it out and acting appropriately is more crucial than giving in to lethargy.
Average Dollar Cost
Regularly investing a certain amount in stocks, whether through a 401(k) or a Roth IRA, will cause you to purchase more when market prices decline and less when they increase, somewhat improving your prospects.
In addition to the advantages of making monthly contributions to any tax-advantaged savings account, dollar-cost averaging has additional advantages. Contributions and employer matching usually make up two-thirds of the yearly balance rise for 401(k) plans, while investment returns make up the remaining one-third. 3 This shows that many 401(k) participants have the resources to promptly rebalance their accounts after downturn markets.
There can be a significant difference in profits and losses related to the size of your 401K.
Diversify your Investments
Growth equities suffer worse during bear markets than value ones do. By lucky accident, despite the decreased risk, lower-risk equities have produced long-term returns comparable to those of riskier ones. 7 That implies any diversification into value stocks, even if it is overdue and occurs during a down market, can pay dividends both literally and symbolically long after the crypto bear market is gone for portfolios heavily weighted toward speculative stocks.
A diverse portfolio includes cash in some form. Even if it doesn’t produce much, it nevertheless serves as a reserve of purchasing power that may be easily mobilized should chances arise during a weak market.
Although it should be no cause for worry, bear markets are a wonderful opportunity to check that your portfolio is adequately diversified and de-risked. Be aware of the amount at stake and the amount of time you have to make up for any losses.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology, and Blockchain sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.
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Ian Terblanche, Global Strategic Sales & Channel Director at Sigfox
