Learning the friendly way

MKR, the governance token fueling the network, comes from the same platform that created DAI, the algorithmic stablecoin soft-pegged to the US dollar. MKR serves both the decentralized autonomous organization, MakerDAO, and the software platform, Maker Protocol, both built on the Ethereum blockchain. These two platforms generate DAI and allow users to issue and manage the DAI stablecoin. 

What is Maker (MKR)?

Developed in 2015 and officially launched in December 2017, Maker is a revolutionary project that was built to host and generate DAI, a community-managed cryptocurrency that has its value soft pegged to the US dollar. The MakerDAO forms part of the larger Maker Protocol which allows DAI to maintain its value and operate without the need for a third party. The Maker Protocol requires both tokens to operate: DAI and MKR. 

To understand MKR, one must first be familiar with the DAI stablecoin. DAI serves as a loan option for borrowers, with the platform allowing users to take out a loan in DAI tokens by locking another cryptocurrency, such as ETH. When the borrower pays back the DAI that was borrowed, they are able to reclaim the collateral used for their loan. However, if its value drops below a predefined level it could automatically be sold off.

The Maker ecosystem is one of the first DeFi projects to enter the market, years before the movement took off. The DeFi sector revolves around providing decentralized financial products powered by smart contracts to the masses. 

Though the DAI stablecoin is best known as a service offered by the Maker Protocol, the MKR token is actually the crypto asset that secures changes to maintain its functioning. The governance token MKR gives holders voting rights over the Maker Protocol's development, such as what cryptocurrencies can be accepted as collateral and the price at which these assets will be sold if liquidation is to occur. The MKR price appreciates in value based on the success of DAI. 

The Maker protocol accepts a range of cryptocurrencies, including ETH, MANA, and BAT, as collateral.

Who created the Maker platform?

Established in 2015, the Maker Protocol was developed by a team of tech-savvy developers spearheaded by Rune Christensen. As time progressed, this collective eventually organized and formed into an official entity known as the Maker Foundation, a corporation located in the Cayman Islands.

In 2017, the Maker team raised a remarkable $12 million in funding by selling MKR tokens to some of the most influential venture capital firms at the time including Andreessen Horowitz, Polychain Capital, and 1Confirmation. A year later, another $15 million worth of MKR tokens were bought by Andreessen Horowitz, who expressed the intention to help govern the DAI system by participating in the MakerDAO. 

In 2019, the project raised another $27.5 million from venture firms Paradigm and Dragonfly Capital Partners for expansion to Asia. 

How does the Maker Protocol work?

When the Maker Protocol launched, 1 million MKR tokens were created. These tokens gave holders voting rights on key decisions through a process called Executive Voting.

First, the sentiment of MKR holders is measured on a new proposal through Proposal Polling before committing any changes to the software. The Executive Vote then takes place, and once the highest amount of MKR token holders commits to a proposal and the vote is passed, the winning proposal is implemented into the Maker Protocol. The number of tokens holds more president than the number of token holders, i.e. 10 holders with 1,000 tokens each will outvote 100 token holders with 50 tokens each. 

Non-MKR holders also have the opportunity to participate in the vote via threads in the MakerDAO forum however the MKR holders have the final say.

DAI Savings Rate

MKR holders also have a say in how much DAI holders can earn if they save DAI tokens on the platform, known as the DAI Savings Rate. In previous years this amount has varied between 0% and 8.75%. Following the recent market crash, MKR holders voted to make the DAI Savings Rate zero to encourage holders to sell their DAI and bring the price back into equilibrium.

When the DAI price drops below $1, MKR holders can vote to raise the DAI Savings Rate to encourage more users to hold DAI which increases the price.

What is MKR?

MKR is an ERC-20 token and acts as a governance and utility token to the Maker Protocol with no fixed supply. The token gains value as the use of the Maker Protocol increases as the supply is reduced when the Protocol is working effectively and increased when governed poorly. MKR tokens are created or destroyed through surplus auctions and debt auctions.

Surplus Auctions

The Maker system holds a Surplus Auction when the fees collected exceed an amount decided by MKR holders. DAI that surpasses this threshold must be purchased with MKR in order to settle the auction. This MKR is then destroyed reducing the total supply and thus increasing the token price.

Debt Auctions

Conversely, if the Maker system is underperforming its locked coins are sold for a lower value than before, causing it to raise capital via a Debt Auction. Through this process, new MKR tokens are created and auctioned for DAI. This in turn increases the MKR tokens and reduces the price. 

In this light, MKR holders are incentivized to keep the platform performing optimally in order for it to generate more fees and thereby reduce the MKR supply.

How can I buy Maker (MKR) tokens?

Anyone looking to add Maker MKR tokens to their crypto portfolio can securely purchase Maker tokens through the Tap app. The mobile app allows anyone with an account to conveniently and safely purchase cryptocurrencies through an effortless trading experience. 

Users can buy /sell Maker MKR tokens using both crypto or fiat currencies, and safely store the tokens in the unique crypto wallet integrated into the app. Download the Tap app today to tap into the Maker ecosystem today.

While you’ve likely come across the world of cryptocurrencies, you most probably have stumbled upon the term “blockchain”. But what is the blockchain solution? Blockchain is not only the revolutionary technology behind cryptocurrencies, it also has a large use case outside of the cryptocurrency and even the finance sector.

In the decade since blockchain technologies and digital ledger technology came to light, a host of blockchain networks have been created, most with their own digital currency. As the industry has grown and new blockchain networks have emerged, innovation in the space has increased significantly.

From the Ethereum blockchain providing a platform on which developers can create digital assets and smart contracts to corporate organizations implementing a private blockchain in order to streamline their services, the technology is propelling mankind forward in ways not witnessed in decades.

The blockchain solution provides much more than just digital assets, and industries far beyond just the payment processing ones are catching on. With traditional business networks incorporating the technology, the world of permissioned blockchain is igniting.

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is a decentralized, transparent, immutable technology that keeps a public record of all information entered. Designed to record and distribute information, not to be edited. Also referred to as a public ledger, a blockchain keeps a record of all information ever inputted and stores it chronologically in blocks.

These blocks are linked to each other through a hashing system, which ensures that no one can ever tamper with the previous records, or try to manipulate the information on them. The “chain” of blocks make up the blockchain database.

The decentralized technology is not typically run by one entity, but rather from a variety of computers (also known as nodes) that make up the network, and work together to validate transactions and all information added to the blocks. Blockchain can be used in two forms, as a public blockchain or as private blockchain networks.

The public version allows anyone to view all information on the network, while the private reserves the information for members granted access.

The Advantages of Blockchain Technology

Powerful Technology

Invented in 2008 alongside Bitcoin by an anonymous entity Satoshi Nakamoto, blockchain is the technology that fueled the new way that money is transacted. Not only that, the technology offers incredible use cases far beyond the financial world. 

Fully Trusted, Fully Automated

One of the key features of blockchain is its ability to function without a central authority. The technology is designed to be maintained by various operating systems on the network, with full autonomy dispersed evenly. Information is stored on the blockchain in such a way that everyone can view it but no one can go back and tamper with it.

Powering Industries

While blockchain is the technology behind crypto, it also offers an incredible backbone to a diverse range of industries outside of this space. Companies like Nestle, Microsoft and Walmart are onboarding blockchain, proving to offer a strong and highly adaptable infrastructure to financial, property, and supply chain management entities. The number of blockchain companies is growing by the day.

The Core Benefits of a Blockchain Network

Decentralized

Blockchain networks are designed to be entirely decentralized meaning that there is no one central authority. The entire network is maintained by nodes (computers) around the world and no single entity has control. 

Immutable

Once the information has been added to a blockchain, no one can tamper, edit, or remove it. As information is verified and added to blocks, this solidifies its presence on the blockchain forever. 

Transparent

Blockchain offers a transparent view of all the activity that takes place on the network. This takes away the need for any checks or balances as all the information is available at any given time, in real-time.

What is the Difference Between a Public Blockchain and Private Blockchain?

When understanding what is blockchain, a common question is whether blockchain is secure. The answer is yes, blockchain is very secure.

Due to its decentralized nature, the technology requires a network of operators (computers) to verify and input all the information. As soon as one tries to input incorrect information or conduct illicit transactions, the network will recognize this and reject it immediately. 

The difference between a public and private blockchain is that public blockchain networks are open for anyone to see, while private blockchains are closed to an organization or a selected group of people.

Cryptocurrency networks are examples of public blockchain networks in that anyone can view all the transaction data. For a private blockchain, however, users will need special permission to access this information.

How is Blockchain Tamperproof?

Each block is made up of three things: the hash code of the previous block, the relevant information, and its own hash code.

When a new block is added, the new block will again have the hash of the previous block, the relevant information, and its own hash. This special sequence of hashes ensures that all blocks are stored chronologically, in a linear fashion, meaning that you cannot tamper with one block's information without tampering with every block after that.

Tampering with blocks would take an enormous amount of computing power and is largely considered impossible. Hence the security of using a digital asset or digital currency.

Blockchain Explained: How Does It Work

At its core, blockchain records and distributes information to a wide network of users that participate in verifying the information and maintaining the network. Let’s take a deeper look at Bitcoin transactions to further explain how blockchain works. 

If one user wanted to send a portion of Bitcoin to another user, they would require the user’s wallet address. Each wallet is made up of two codes, a public and private key, which enable the user to receive BTC (through the public key), as well as access BTC and conduct transactions (through the private key). The sender will then input the receiver’s wallet code and send the amount of Bitcoin they desire. 

This transaction will then enter a pool of transactions waiting to be verified by a miner on the network. The miner will ensure that the sender owns the amount they are sending, and verify the transaction along with a number of other transactions.

On the Bitcoin network, the size of one block is 1MB, which equates to roughly 3,200 transactions able to be stored in one block. When building a blockchain network, the size of the blocks can be increased or decreased to suit the use case. 

Once the transaction has been verified, the miner will record transactions processed and ensure they are added to the chain. The transaction ledger will then be distributed to the rest of the operators on the network. This new version will then override the older versions, and so on as more blocks are added.

Once the block is added to the blockchain and distributed, the funds will reflect in the receiver’s wallet. No need for a bank account or legal contracts, Bitcoin (and other digital currencies) operate entirely separately from traditional banking institutions and allow for the fast, efficient and cost-effective transaction of value.

Fraudulent transactions cannot take place as this will be flagged long before the block is added to the chain. Blockchain work in such a way that network participants can immediately flag ill actors and dismiss fraudulent financial transactions.

Understanding the Difference Between Blockchain and The Bitcoin Blockchain

The burning question: how does blockchain compare to Bitcoin. The answer is that it doesn’t, there are two separate, co-dependent technologies. Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency, is built on blockchain technology and requires it to function. There is no Bitcoin without blockchain technology.

Consider it the backbone of all cryptocurrencies. Blockchain technology, however, is an adaptable technology that can be used outside of the cryptocurrency industry. The technology can be used in any industry, provided that they require a transparent, immutable public ledger. 

One thing the two do have in common is that they were both introduced to the world at the same time. While the concept of blockchain technology was initially invented by researchers W. Scott Stornetta and Stuart Haber in 1991, it was referred to as distributed ledger technology (DLT) and was created purely to store office documents.

The anonymous entity Satoshi Nakamoto built on this and ultimately solved the double spending problem it was plagued with. In 2008, Nakamoto released both blockchain technology and Bitcoin in a whitepaper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.

The Bitcoin blockchain refers to the network, while blockchain technology refers to the technology as a whole.

In Conclusion

What is blockchain? Blockchain technology is the transparent, immutable storage of information. As mentioned earlier, this technology has use cases far outside of just the cryptocurrency and financial ecosystems.

Industries like renewable energy, supply chain management, and even farming sectors are now incorporating blockchain technology into their business systems, empowering them with a fully automated and safe means of storing records. 

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One of the largest and oldest dapps in the DeFi (decentralized finance) space, Compound Finance has built a reliable reputation among traders looking for lending and borrowing services. Compound operates using its native ERC-20 COMP tokens which provide community governance as well as other services.

What is the Compound protocol (COMP)?

Built on the Ethereum blockchain, the Compound protocol provides liquid money markets offering services such as lending and borrowing. Supporting a number of crypto assets, the Compound protocol allows users to deposit crypto into lending pools providing capital for borrowers on the network and allowing them to earn interest in return.

After depositing funds into the lending pool, lenders are issued "cTokens" (cETH, cDAI, cBAT) which represent the deposit made. These tokens can then be traded or transferred within the platform, or redeemed for the original cryptocurrency deposited. This process is conducted by smart contracts and operates entirely automatically with interest rates algorithmically assigned based on the activity in its liquidity pools. 

The Compound protocol also uses the ERC-20 native COMP token which is distributed to traders that utilize the Compound market, i.e. borrowing, withdrawing or repaying the asset. COMP tokens are distributed each time an Ethereum block is mined proportional to the interest collected from each asset. The COMP cryptocurrency grants COMP token holders governance and voting rights.

Following notable investments from the likes of consulting firm Bain Capital Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and Polychain, the platform has grown and established a strong reputation within the decentralized finance space and the greater crypto world.

The history of Compound and who created it

Compound was founded in 2017 by Robert Leshner and Geoffrey Hayes, who both previously held high-profile jobs at PostMates, an online food delivery service. Leshner holds the CEO position while Hayes remains the CTO at Compound Labs, Inc, the software development firm behind the Compound protocol. Compound Labs is an open-source software development firm creating cutting-edge tools, products, and services for the innovative DeFi ecosystem.

In 2018, the platform raised $8.2 million from notable venture capital firms Bain Capital Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. A year later, Compound raised an additional $25 million from many of the same investors along with new ones including Paradigm Capital.

How does Compound work?

The Compound protocol leverages the power of Ethereum smart contracts and cryptocurrency incentives to benefit lenders and borrowers. Lend and borrow services make up the two main use cases for the platform, as outlined below.

Interest rates on Compound are dynamically managed based on the supply and demand of particular crypto assets within the coin pools. The higher the liquidity, the lower the interest rate. Prices are determined by using the Open Price Feed based on Chainlink's oracles which collect the data from numerous exchanges.

In order to use the Compound DeFi protocol to engage in lending or borrowing services, you will need to connect one of the supported crypto wallets. Currently, the app supports MetaMask, Ledger, WalletConnect, and Tally Ho. The interface has been designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, perfect for traders new to the space as well as seasoned DeFi participants.

Lending/supplying

The process of lending on the Compound platform is called supplying. Lenders are able to earn interest on their cryptocurrency by depositing cryptocurrencies into the Compound platform. Borrowers are also required to deposit digital assets into the protocol, which can earn interest but cannot be withdrawn for the duration of the borrowing period.

The platform currently supports roughly 20 crypto assets, from Basic Attention Token (BAT) to Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), with Ethereum (ETH) and a number of stablecoins (DAI, USDC, and USDT) being the most actively used.

Once users lend assets to the platform, they are issued with ERC-20-based cTokens corresponding to the cryptocurrency deposited (i.e. cETH, cDAI, etc.). These tokens confirm the liquidity providers' deposits and offer a number of other incentives.

Borrowing

After depositing a particular cryptocurrency into the decentralized finance protocol, users are assigned a "borrowing capacity". This is a limit set in USD based on the rate of the crypto asset which is determined by the Open Price Feed. When depositing multiple cryptocurrencies, the borrowing capacity will factor this in.

Users can also borrow cryptocurrencies supported by the protocol based on a coin's collateral ratio. For instance, if DAI has a collateral ratio of 70%, users can borrow DAI up to 70% of the total amount deposited. Typically, collateral ratios are between 60% and 85%.

Similar to the lending process, when borrowing cryptocurrency borrowers are issued cTokens. So when borrowing DAI for instance, borrowers will be issued cDAI tokens, with the interest payable based on these tokens as well.

Withdrawing

After paying back the borrowed debt, users can redeem their deposited funds. Without having to deal with other traders, the protocol seamlessly utilizes a dynamically maintained set of liquidity pools. The platform also does not charge any withdrawal penalties or hold users to minimum investment times.

When users redeem their funds, the cTokens issued are added to the accumulated interest and converted back to the originally deposited cryptocurrency. These funds can then be withdrawn into the connected wallet.

Account Health

The Compound platform uses a system called "account health" to establish whether accounts are in risk of liquidation. This system measures the sum of the deposited funds against the total amount borrowed. If a user's account health falls dangerously low, the account could be liquidated, and some of the collateral forfeited.

This process is managed in a decentralized way where platform users act as liquidators and monitor for risky accounts. Should they liquidate an account they earn a portion of the liquidated funds.

What is the COMP token?

The COMP token is the Compound platform's native token which mainly serves as a governance token, with a built-in incentive for users holding the token. Holders of COMP tokens are able to vote on all important decisions pertaining to the protocol, including interest rates. Much like the cTokens, COMP tokens are based on Ethereum’s ERC-20 token standard. 

Compound tokens have a total supply of 10,000,000 tokens, of which over 70% of Compound coins are in circulation (at the time of writing).

How can I buy COMP tokens?

With Tap's mobile app, users can easily acquire COMP tokens and store them in the integrated wallet with confidence, either to hold long-term, sell, trade or use on other DeFi platforms. Not only does Tap provide an effortless way of trading digital assets, but also a safe space to keep your investments secure over long periods of time.

In order to access the mobile app users will need to download the app and create an account. After a quick verification process, users have access to a wide range of vetted cryptocurrencies as well as fiat wallets where funds can be safely stored or used in the real world. Whether you're looking to buy Compound or sell Compound coins, Tap provides a seamless solution to your crypto needs.

USD Coin is a prominent stablecoin in the cryptocurrency market. Providing a plethora of use cases to both crypto and traditional investors, financial services and traders, USD Coin sits among the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation.

In this article, we explore this celebrated stablecoin and all it has to offer in terms of being a traditional investment opportunity, savings relief and digital value settlement service.

USD Coin is relatively new to the market, launching in September 2018. The stablecoin is pegged to the US dollar, meaning that its value will always reflect the price of the dollar on a 1:1 ratio.

This is established by keeping an equivalent amount of the circulating supply in a reserve account, i.e. for every 1 USDC in circulation, $1 needs to be held in reserve. The reserve is a mixture of cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds.

What Is The Point Of The USD Coin?

Built on top of the Ethereum network, USDC is a tokenised version of the US dollar that can operate over the internet and public blockchains. It is designed to provide a stable digital currency in an industry prone to volatility.

Setting itself apart in an increasingly saturated stablecoin market, USD Coin has received wide interest due to it providing a strong layer of transparency. The platform maintains strict protocols to ensure that the reserves are always at the correct levels, ensuring holders that they can withdraw 1 USDC for $1 at any given time, by way of enlisting a major accounting firm.

All USD holdings are required to be reported regularly by USDC issuers, which are in turn published by Grant Thornton LLP (as witnessed in the news). Unlike Bitcoin, while the company uses the decentralized network of Ethereum to function, it has a centralized agency controlling it.

Who Created USD Coin?

The coin was created by the Centre Consortium, a foundation consisting of the peer-to-peer payment service company, Circle and cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase. Circle and Coinbase were the first commercial industry users of the stablecoin.

In 2020, Circle and Coinbase announced an upgrade to the USDC protocol and smart contracts. These upgrades were implemented to increase the cryptocurrency's usability for everyday payments, commerce and peer-to-peer transactions.

Both companies are well-funded and have achieved regulatory compliance, confirming the cryptocurrency's stability and international transparency appeal.

How Does USD Coin Work?

USD Coins are created through a process of minting. Users send USD to the USDC issuer's bank account, which then uses the USDC smart contract to create the equivalent amount of USDC. The digital currencies are then delivered to the user, with the fiat payment held in reserve.

Should the user wish to liquidate their USDC, they can send a request to the USDC issuer who then sends a request to the USDC smart contract to take a certain amount of USDC out of circulation. The issuer then sends the equivalent amount of USD (minus fees) to the user's bank account, taken from the reserve.

USD Coins can be traded through exchanges for other cryptocurrencies, or sent to crypto wallets around the world (provided that they support ERC-20 tokens). The coins are also often used to hedge against cryptocurrencies going through turbulent or crashing market periods.

What Is USDC?

USDC is a fiat-collateralised ERC-20 token hosted on the Ethereum blockchain platform. The stablecoin has an unlimited total supply with currently just under 37 billion USDC in circulation.

The coin provides an easy means of transferring funds internationally at a fraction of the cost and time that sending the traditional fiat would take. It has also proven to be a popular innovation in the DeFi (decentralized finance) space.

How Can I Buy USDC?

If you're looking to add USDC to your crypto portfolio you can do so conveniently through the Tap app. In a recent upgrade, the Tap app has added support for a number of prominent cryptocurrencies, including USDC.

Users can simply exchange one of the supported cryptocurrencies for USDC, or purchase USDC using fiat money. These can then be stored in the unique wallets integrated into your Tap account.

Near Protocol incarne une nouvelle génération de blockchains, pensée pour être aussi simple à utiliser qu’efficace. Lancé en 2020, il propose une alternative rapide et économique aux premières blockchains, tout en conservant un haut niveau de sécurité. Après quelques années de développement, Near Protocol s’est imposé comme l’un des acteurs majeurs du secteur des blockchains de layer 1.

TL;DR

• Scalable et accessible aux développeurs : Near est une blockchain décentralisée de layer 1 conçue pour supporter des dapps à grande échelle.
• Sharding et faibles coûts : Grâce à son mécanisme "Nightshade", Near divise la charge sur plusieurs shards pour traiter les transactions rapidement et à faible coût.
• Interopérabilité cross-chain : Son "Rainbow Bridge" permet de transférer des actifs facilement entre Near et Ethereum.
• Token natif (NEAR) : Le token NEAR alimente tout l’écosystème — paiements, staking et gouvernance — avec un plafond d’émission fixé à 1,23 milliard de tokens.

Near Protocol, c’est quoi exactement ?

Near Protocol est une blockchain décentralisée qui vise à rendre la création et l’utilisation d’applications décentralisées (dapps) plus simple et plus accessible, que ce soit pour les développeurs ou les utilisateurs.

Son originalité ? Near utilise un consensus Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) baptisé "Nightshade" qui applique une technique de sharding. Concrètement, le réseau est divisé en plusieurs segments capables de traiter des milliers de transactions par seconde, tout en maintenant des coûts de transaction très bas et en réduisant son empreinte carbone comparé aux blockchains en Proof-of-Work.

Near se distingue aussi par ses adresses lisibles par l’homme (fini les longues séries de chiffres et lettres !), et par son environnement de développement intuitif, notamment grâce au support de WebAssembly (WASM).

Ajoutez à cela le Rainbow Bridge, qui assure des transferts d’actifs fluides entre Near et Ethereum, et vous obtenez une blockchain qui attire aussi bien des projets DeFi que des applications NFT, gaming et sociales.

Qui a créé Near Protocol ?

Near Protocol a été fondé par Erik Trautman, un entrepreneur ayant évolué à Wall Street avant de créer Viking Education.

Il s’est entouré de deux cofondateurs techniques de haut niveau :

• Illia Polosukhin, développeur avec plus de 10 ans d’expérience, notamment chez Google.
• Alexander Skidanov, informaticien passé par Microsoft et memSQL, où il a gravi les échelons jusqu’à devenir Director of Engineering.

En 2018, face aux limites de scalabilité des blockchains existantes, ils décident de concevoir un réseau capable de répondre aux besoins du grand public sans sacrifier la sécurité ni la décentralisation.

Aujourd’hui, le projet est soutenu par la Near Foundation, basée en Suisse, qui supervise le développement de l’écosystème.

Comment fonctionne Near Protocol ?

Mécanisme de consensus et architecture

Near repose sur une architecture fragmentée appelée Nightshade. Chaque shard traite ses propres transactions, ce qui permet au réseau de monter en charge facilement et de conserver des frais très compétitifs.

Le protocole utilise également "Doomslug", un mécanisme de finalisation des blocs qui assure que les transactions deviennent quasi-instantanément définitives, sans besoin d’attendre plusieurs confirmations.

Pour participer à la sécurisation du réseau, les détenteurs de NEAR peuvent faire du staking, soit directement, soit en déléguant leurs tokens à des validateurs.

Smart contracts

Near permet de créer des smart contracts en Rust ou en JavaScript, compilés en WebAssembly (WASM). Cela facilite énormément le travail des développeurs, qui peuvent utiliser des langages familiers.

Fonctionnalités orientées utilisateur

Le système de comptes de Near offre des adresses lisibles (ex : "votrenom.near"), rendant l’expérience bien plus intuitive. Il propose également l’abstraction de compte, ce qui permet de récupérer un compte perdu, d’utiliser des signatures multiples, ou même de payer les frais pour d’autres utilisateurs (transactions "gasless").

Interopérabilité cross-chain

Le Rainbow Bridge permet de transférer facilement des actifs entre Near et Ethereum, renforçant l’interconnexion entre les deux écosystèmes.

Le token NEAR, à quoi sert-il ?

NEAR est le token natif qui fait tourner l’ensemble de l’écosystème Near Protocol. Il sert à :

• Payer les frais de transaction et de stockage sur la blockchain
• Faire du staking pour sécuriser le réseau et recevoir des récompenses
• Participer aux décisions de gouvernance de la plateforme

Le token suit un modèle inflationniste avec un plafond d’émission fixé à 1,23 milliard de tokens, dont environ 1,18 milliard sont déjà en circulation à l’heure actuelle.

Comment acheter et vendre des NEAR ?

Si vous souhaitez explorer l’univers de Near Protocol, vous pouvez facilement acheter, vendre, trader ou conserver des tokens NEAR directement via l’application Tap. Vous pourrez ainsi gérer vos NEAR aux côtés de vos autres actifs numériques, en toute simplicité.

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Le Litecoin fait partie de la toute première génération d’altcoins apparus après le lancement de Bitcoin. Cette cryptomonnaie pair-à-pair est aujourd’hui largement utilisée pour les paiements dans le monde réel, mais aussi comme actif dans les portefeuilles d’investisseurs. Depuis des années, elle reste solidement installée dans le top 15 des plus grandes cryptos par capitalisation boursière.

Lancé en 2011, Litecoin a été conçu pour offrir un moyen plus rapide d’envoyer de l’argent sur Internet, tout en restant complémentaire à Bitcoin. C’est pourquoi on l’appelle souvent "l’argent numérique", en écho au "Bitcoin, l’or numérique".

Litecoin est basé sur le code source de Bitcoin, mais avec quelques ajustements notables : un traitement des transactions bien plus rapide, des frais minimes, un algorithme de hachage différent, et un plafond d’émission plus élevé. Alors que Bitcoin a un maximum de 21 millions d’unités, Litecoin peut en produire jusqu’à 84 millions, avec un temps de validation des blocs réduit à 2,5 minutes contre 10 pour Bitcoin.

Le réseau a aussi été pionnier dans l’implémentation de technologies innovantes comme le Lightning Network et Segregated Witness (SegWit), qui ont ensuite été adoptées par Bitcoin.

Comment fonctionne le Litecoin ?

Litecoin utilise un mécanisme de consensus appelé Proof-of-Work (preuve de travail). Lorsqu’une transaction est initiée, elle rejoint un pool de transactions en attente. Les mineurs sélectionnent alors ces transactions, en vérifient la validité (soldes, adresses, etc.) et les incluent dans un bloc.

Le premier mineur à résoudre l’énigme cryptographique du bloc obtient le droit de le valider et reçoit une récompense en Litecoin. Cette récompense est divisée par deux tous les 840 000 blocs minés, dans un processus appelé halving, qui régule la création de nouveaux tokens.

Le réseau traite les transactions en moyenne toutes les 2,5 minutes, ce qui en fait un excellent choix pour des paiements rapides du quotidien. Les frais sont généralement de l’ordre de 0,03 à 0,04 $ US, rendant son usage abordable même pour de petites dépenses.

Litecoin et la technologie blockchain

Comme la plupart des cryptomonnaies, Litecoin repose sur la blockchain, un registre public et décentralisé. Chaque transaction est regroupée dans un bloc, vérifiée par les mineurs, puis ajoutée à la chaîne. Cela garantit la transparence et l’intégrité du réseau.

Grâce à la nature distribuée de la blockchain, aucun acteur unique ne contrôle les transactions sur le réseau Litecoin, ce qui renforce la sécurité et la confiance entre les utilisateurs.

D’où vient la valeur du Litecoin ?

La valeur du Litecoin dépend de l’offre et de la demande sur les marchés d’échange. Avec une offre limitée et une liquidité mondiale, il s’agit d’une cryptomonnaie dite déflationniste. Son adoption continue et son utilité en tant qu’actif numérique ont contribué à son positionnement solide au fil des années.

À quoi sert le Litecoin ?

Litecoin fonctionne comme un système de paiement numérique, à la fois moyen d’échange et réserve de valeur. Grâce à sa rapidité et à la fiabilité de son réseau, il est idéal pour des transactions du quotidien — comme acheter un café ou régler une addition au restaurant.

LTC est accepté par de nombreux commerçants et prestataires dans le monde, et son adoption dans l’écosystème crypto ne cesse de croître.

Qui a créé le Litecoin ?

Litecoin a été lancé par Charlie Lee, un ancien ingénieur chez Google et diplômé du MIT. Deux ans après avoir lancé le projet, il a rejoint une grande plateforme d’échange crypto en tant que directeur de l’ingénierie. En 2017, il est revenu à la tête du projet en tant que directeur de la Litecoin Foundation, une organisation à but non lucratif qui soutient le développement de la crypto et de sa technologie.

Développement de Litecoin et sa communauté

Le développement de Litecoin est assuré par une équipe dédiée de développeurs, qui améliore continuellement le protocole. Le projet est open-source, permettant à quiconque de contribuer à son évolution ou de proposer des améliorations.

Des mises à jour régulières sont publiées pour renforcer la sécurité, améliorer les performances et intégrer de nouvelles fonctionnalités compatibles avec les évolutions du secteur.

La communauté Litecoin est particulièrement active. Elle participe à la vie du projet à travers des retours, des propositions, du développement de code ou des initiatives communautaires. Cet engagement constant permet à Litecoin de continuer à se développer dans un environnement collaboratif.

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