Learning the friendly way

Let's talk about cryptocurrency payments in plain and simple English: think of crypto as digital money that works over the internet. With more than 420 million people already using it worldwide, and big companies like Microsoft and Starbucks now accepting it as payment - crypto has officially landed in the mainstream. 

Why people love using crypto for payments

It's cheaper to use

Remember the last time you sent money abroad? Those fees probably weren't fun. Crypto usually costs much less to send, whether you're paying someone across the street or across the world.

It's super fast

With regular bank transfers, you might wait days for your money to arrive. With crypto, payments usually go through in minutes. It's like sending an email instead of waiting for a letter in the mail.

It's really safe

Crypto uses a special technology called blockchain that makes it very hard for anyone to cheat or steal. Think of it like a digital safe that keeps getting stronger every time someone uses it.

It works everywhere

Crypto doesn't care about country borders. You can pay anyone, anywhere, anytime. No need to worry about different currencies or bank holidays.

The numbers that matter

More businesses are jumping on board every day. In 2021, people used crypto for over $754 million worth of payments, with this number growing by roughly 17% each year. As more businesses incorporate crypto into their payment systems, they have found more customers making larger checkouts. 

How to pay with crypto (it's easier than you think)

1. Pick crypto at checkout: Just like choosing credit card or PayPal
2. Scan or copy: Use your phone to scan a QR code or copy a payment address
3. Send your payment: Click to send from your digital wallet
4. Wait a minute: Your payment gets confirmed quickly
5. You're done: The store gets their payment, and you get your stuff

Advantages of using crypto

For shoppers:

• Your personal information stays private
• No one can steal your card details
• Payments go through quickly
• Works the same way everywhere in the world

For businesses:

• Get paid faster
• Spend less money on processing fees
• Reach customers everywhere
• No worries about fake payments

Is it hard to start using crypto?

Not at all! If you can use a smartphone app, you can use crypto. Here's what you need:

1. Get a digital wallet (it's like having a banking app)
2. Buy some crypto, Bitcoin is often a good place to start
3. Start paying at places that accept it

Looking to the future

More and more stores and websites are starting to accept crypto every day. It's becoming as normal as using a credit card or mobile payment. Sure, it's new and different, but so was paying with a card instead of cash when that first started. 

Simple tips for using crypto

• Start small until you're comfortable
• Double-check addresses before sending
• Keep your wallet information safe
• Use well-known services and stores

Why this matters

Whether you're a shopper who wants more ways to pay or a business owner looking to reach more customers, crypto payments are worth checking out. They're:

• Fast
• Safe
• Work everywhere
• Usually cheaper than regular payment methods

The bottom line

Cryptocurrency isn't just for tech experts anymore. It's becoming a normal way to pay for things, just like credit cards and digital wallets. While it might seem new and different at first, it's actually pretty simple to use once you try it.

Remember: You don't need to understand all the complex technology behind crypto to use it, just like you don't need to know how a credit card machine works to swipe your card at the store.

Ready to try?

If you're curious about using crypto for payments, start small. Simply download the Tap app from your Tap store (we encourage you to read the reviews and information before engaging in any crypto app - we’re confident you’ll still choose Tap) and create an account. 

You will then need to complete a quick identity verification step (NB no matter which crypto platform you might go with) and once you’re verified you can buy any cryptocurrency you like. If you’re looking to pay with crypto, it is worth noting that Bitcoin is the most widely accepted. 

Then try buying something inexpensive from a well-known store that accepts crypto using the steps above. The process should be as smooth as if you were using your digital card. If you run into any difficulties, we have 24/7 customer support in the app that will gladly help you through. 

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We’ve all been here: you land that dream job or get a nice raise, and suddenly your old budget feels unnecessarily restrictive. A few premium subscriptions here, some fancy dinners there, maybe a nicer apartment – before you know it, your higher income somehow feels tighter than before. 

Welcome to lifestyle creep, the subtle way our spending habits expand to match (or exceed) our growing income. It’s real, and it’s out there. Here’s how you can fight back. 

Why it happens

Lifestyle creep isn't just about splurging. Often, it's a series of small, seemingly reasonable upgrades. That €15 lunch delivery doesn't feel extravagant when you're having a hard day, and those €20 fitness classes are justified as a worthwhile investment in your health. 

The problem isn't any single expense, it's how these small changes compound over time, transforming from luxuries into what feel like necessities. And those small expenses can add up dramatically: an extra €50 per week on conveniences means €2,600 per year that could have gone toward retirement, a dream vacation, or your emergency fund. That’s a chunk of change in the end. 

Breaking the cycle

1. Find your motivation

Before making changes, identify why you want to control your spending. Maybe you want to switch careers, start a business, or build an emergency fund. Having a concrete “why” makes it easier to resist those immediate gratifications.

2. Audit your joy

Review your recent expenses and honestly assess which ones truly enhance your life. That streaming service you barely use? The subscription box that sits unopened? These are easy cuts. But don't stop at the obvious – examine everything, including your "necessary" expenses. Sometimes what we think we need is just habit in disguise.

Start doing this weekly, eventually moving up to monthly, until your inner accountant is completely satisfied with where your money is going. The idea here isn’t to strip all joy from your life, it’s merely to streamline it. 

3. Create friction

Make impulse spending harder:

• Remove saved payment information from shopping sites and phone settings
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails
• Establish a 48-hour waiting period for non-essential purchases

4. Address your triggers

Our spending habits are heavily influenced by our environment. Consider:

• Unfollowing social media accounts that trigger spending urges
• Finding free or low-cost alternatives to expensive social activities
• Being honest with friends about your financial situation and goals
• Planning social activities that don't revolve around spending

5. Regular check-ins

Schedule monthly "money dates" with yourself. Review your spending, celebrate wins, and adjust your strategy. Make it enjoyable – pour yourself a drink and put on your favourite record. This isn't about punishment, it's about alignment with your goals.

The mindset shift

Remember that reducing expenses isn't about deprivation, it's about choice and control. You might find that some lifestyle upgrades are worth keeping because they genuinely improve your quality of life. Others might be easy to let go once you realise they're not adding that much value.

The goal isn't to return to living like a college student. Instead, aim to be intentional about which upgrades you keep and which you can live without. This mindful approach to spending helps steer your money toward things that truly matter to you, rather than disappearing into a series of forgettable purchases.

By taking control of lifestyle creep, you're not just saving money – you're buying yourself options, flexibility, and peace of mind. And those are luxuries worth keeping.

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Crypto is never short on surprises, and staying true to its word 2024 has delivered a wild new trend: PolitiFi coins. These politically-themed digital assets have managed to give the election a run for its money in terms of surprises, breaking onto the scene with an eye-popping 782.4% growth in just 8 months. 

To put that into perspective, “traditional” meme coins only managed 90.2% growth in the same time. Political views aside, one thing we can all agree on is that there is never a dull moment in the crypto space. 

What is PolitiFi?

These politically-themed meme coins draw inspiration from famous political figures and events, often in a playful or satirical way. But most of these coins are not officially linked to any real politicians. Much like other meme coins, their value is totally speculative, riding the waves of community buzz and whatever’s trending in the news.

From zero to $2.1 billion

What started as a seemingly niche intersection of politics and crypto has grown into a substantial market worth $2.1 billion as of November 2024. While this represents just 1.77% of the broader meme coin market, PolitiFi's rapid incline tells an intriguing story of how quickly new crypto categories can capture investor attention - and capital.

Politics meets blockchain

What sets PolitiFi apart is its unique responsiveness to real-world political events. For instance, when Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican caucuses in January, MAGA (TRUMP) surged 79.1% in a single day.

Continuing on this narrative, the market has shown similar sensitivity to events ranging from legal verdicts to health scares, with tokens like Jeo Boden (BODEN) and Kamala Horris (KAMA) swinging dramatically on related news. 

The Trump assassination attempt even saw MAGA (TRUMP) rally 41.2%, while Biden's COVID-19 diagnosis caused Jeo Boden to plummet 27.3%.

No jokes, just a new political ecosystem

While most PolitiFi tokens began as satire, some have evolved to serve more practical purposes. MAGA (TRUMP), for instance, channels transaction fees directly to Donald Trump's Ethereum wallet and aligned charities, creating an unconventional yet innovative intersection between cryptocurrency speculation and political fundraising.

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Is crypto a new form of political expression?

Time will tell whether PolitiFi is just another crypto trend, but for now it serves as a new way for people to engage with politics. These tokens mix financial speculation, political commentary, and grassroots fundraising, creating a space where community opinions can be quickly turned into monetary support.

As digital finance, political activism, and social commentary keep overlapping, PolitiFi coins might signal a new era of political involvement. Whether this is a short-lived trend or the start of a big shift in how we connect with political causes is still up in the air.

One thing's for sure: in the unpredictable world of crypto, surprises are the norm, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting.

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This year has seen a gradual but significant improvement in cryptocurrency prices from the chilly crypto winter of 2022. Factors such as cooling inflation and a more relaxed macroeconomic situation have given crypto the space to turn upward and settle in the green. While the road to recovery (to 2021 prices) might be long, there is definite hope on the horizon.

Before we dive in, let’s first review the previous crypto bull runs associated with halvings. When it comes to bull runs, there is a historical pattern of prices rising several months after a Bitcoin halving. This effect tends to take place twelve to eighteen months after the halving event.

This article tends to focus heavily on Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency holds a lot of weight in the industry. Bitcoin market trends tend to dictate the way forward for many other altcoins, while this isn’t black and white, it tends to be the norm. When Bitcoin enters a bull run, so too do other cryptocurrencies, and when the Bitcoin price is down, the same applies. 

What is a Bitcoin halving?

Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, strongly believed that scarcity creates value. When designing Bitcoin, it was decided that there would only ever be 21 million coins, and while these can be broken down into small decimal places, there is no changing that maximum supply. 

In order to leverage the scarcity and ensure an even distribution of new coins entering circulation, Nakamoto designed a halving mechanism. The mechanism ensures that the currency remains deflationary, controls how many new coins enter circulation, and plays little havoc on the market. 

To understand how a halving works, one must first understand how Bitcoins are mined. Through a decentralized network, new transactions are entered into a mempool while they await confirmation. Miners will then compete to verify them by completing a complex cryptographical puzzle. The first miner to successfully complete the puzzle is awarded the job of verifying the transactions as well as earning the rewards. 

Once all the transactions have been verified they are executed and the data from each transaction is added to a block, which is added to the blockchain in chronological order. The miner then receives a transaction fee from each transaction as well as a miner's reward for adding a new block to the blockchain. 

Every 210,000 blocks, roughly four years, this reward is halved, making it a significant factor in what is known as the halving experiences. In 2009, the miner's reward was 50 BTC, today it is worth 6.25 BTC. While the price tends to increase substantially, the reward is automatically halved at these intervals. Written into its code, the halvings are automated activities that cannot be altered.

Reviewing previous bull runs

Bitcoin's first mini bull run

The first recorded "bull run" in the crypto sector took place in April 2011 when the price of Bitcoin rose 3,000% over the space of three months. After reaching $1 in April 2011, the coin went on to reach $32 in June. However, this price increase was short-lived as the price returned to $2 in November.

The next year the cryptocurrency underwent its first halving in November, ending the year between the $13 and $14 price mark.

2012 halving / 2013 bull run

In the first few months after the halving, the price rose from $13 to $30. By April, one Bitcoin was trading for $100, its then all-time high, spurring interest from curious outsiders. By November, twelve months after the initial halving, Bitcoin broke the $1,000 barrier. This too was short-lived as the price dropped to around $530 a month later.

2016 halving / 2017 bull run

The next halving took place in July 2016, when the price was trading at around $600. After years of the Bitcoin price bouncing between $100 and $900, it finally hit the $1,000 mark again in January 2017, six months after the halving. By mid-May, the price had doubled to $2,000, and by December of the same year, the price sky-rocketed to just under $20,000.

Sparking a Bitcoin frenzy, the digital asset became a hot topic in mainstream media and many market participants hopped on the bandwagon. This also sparked widespread development within the industry, with many altcoins being launched and what has become known as the "ICO craze". Due to the quick ascent of this nascent technology, user adoption and regulation became prominent topics of discussion in financial and regulatory circles.

By December 2018, just a year later, the price had shrunk to $3,236, while in December 2019, Bitcoin was trading at $7,200.

2020 halving / 2021 bull run

In 2020 the world was struck by the Covid-19 pandemic, causing unprecedented damage to economies around the world. While Bitcoin and other digital currencies took a knock, the industry proved to be much more resilient than most other traditional markets.

Dropping almost 50% to lows of $4,900 in March 2020, the price gradually recovered to $9,000 in May when the next halving took place. The upward price trend continued its climb, reaching $29,374 in December, another all-time high.

In the early months of 2021, the Bitcoin price doubled in value reaching $64,000 in April. By July, it was trading around $30,000 again before skyrocketing to $68,000 in November. By January 2022 the price had corrected to $35,000 before the market was faced with several unfavorable factors.

Markets around the world took another hit when Russia declared war on Ukraine, sending the price of everyday items including fuel soaring. Governments increased interest rates to the highest they've been in decades, and global supply chain issues caused by the pandemic continued to drive upset.

With the world in financial uncertainty, not to mention the demise of several cryptocurrency networks and exchanges, many participants pulled their money from the crypto markets as well as tech-based stock investment markets. This saw the price of Bitcoin dip below the $20,000 mark for the first time in two years, causing widespread uncertainty and speculation.

2022 was officially declared a crypto winter and while prices rose roughly 29% year-on-date, 2023 wasn’t the promised land that crypto enthusiasts had dreamed of. 

Are we headed toward the next crypto bull run?

Price increases aside, the Bitcoin Fear and Greed meter observed ( at the time of writing) a hopeful incline from a state of “Extreme fear” to a “Greed” greed rating. This measure of market sentiment is a vast improvement from 2022 and, alongside expert analysis, indicates that the cryptocurrency has moved into the accumulation phase. According to the Wyckoff market cycles, this is the prerequisite to the mark-up phase and indicates the end of a bear cycle.

The digital asset market remains volatile and unpredictable, and one cannot predict what might happen in the coming months or even years. What we do know is that historically bull runs have succeeded halvings, so grab your popcorn we should be in for an interesting ride. 

You've likely come across the term "ERC-20" in your crypto endeavours, with plenty of these token standards currently ranked in the top 10 (even top 100) cryptocurrencies. But what does ERC-20 actually mean, and what is a token standard? In this piece, we're uncovering everything you need to know about these popular crypto terms.

To start things off, ERC stands for Ethereum request for comment.

What is a token standard?

Let's start at the beginning. When Ethereum was created to provide developers with a platform on which to build decentralized apps (Dapps), the team incorporated several token standards. 

These token standards allow new projects to create, issue and deploy various functioning tokens on the blockchain. Each token standard is a smart contract that holds a set of particular "rules" that must be followed in order to be created.

In recent years a number of blockchain platforms that provide Dapp creation functionality have created their own token standards, however, for the sake of this article we are only looking at Ethereum.

The most popular token standards on Ethereum are the ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-777, and ERC-1155 tokens. Each holds its own functionality and would be utilized depending on what the Dapp intends to use it for, i.e. will it be a transferable asset or be used to hold ownership rights. 

What is an ERC-20 token?

By far the most popular token standard utilized on the Ethereum network, the ERC-20 token is a fungible token that can be bought, sold and traded in the blockchain ecosystem. To date over 350,000 ERC-20 tokens have been created. 

Similar to the functioning of other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin, ERC-20 tokens also hold value and are able to be bought and sold, however, they operate solely on the Ethereum blockchain. This means that all ERC-20 transactions conducted are executed on the Ethereum blockchain network.

The rules associated with this particular token ensure that it can function optimally on the Ethereum blockchain, and must be submitted to the community leadership for approval prior to its launch. While some rules are mandatory and others optional, the required ERC-20 rules are as follows:

• total supply: defines the total supply of the token
• balance of: indicates how many tokens are in a wallet address
• transfer To, Transfer From: must be able to be transferred from one user to another
• allowance: ensures that wallets have a sufficient amount before making a transaction
• approve: checks total supply against transactions

The optional elements are centred around the token's name, its ticker symbol and how many decimal places it would have %u200BFor instance, Ethereum's token name is Ether, its ticker symbol is ETH and it is divisible by up to 18 decimal places.

Examples of ERC-20 tokens are Augur (REP), Basic Attention Token (BAT), Maker (MKR), USD Coin (USDC) and OmiseGO (OMG).

Can you mine ERC-20 tokens?

ERC-20 tokens, unlike Ethereum and its native coins (ether), cannot be mined. That is, new tokens are 'minted' when a planned initial token offering (ICO) or security token offering (STO) event takes place. Usually, these events involve users sending ether to a smart contract address and in return receiving the newly minted ERC-20 token.

An ERC-20 token is technically a smart contract so it's possible for the developer team behind an ERC-20 token to issue new tokens at will. However, this isn't recommended because users would be less likely to trust these tokens if they could be minted at will. There must be a measure of scarcity in order for tokens to be valuable.

The pros & cons of ERC-20 tokens:

Some of the main benefits of ERC-20 tokens include: 

Fungible

Fungible ERC20 tokens are interchangeable, just like cash. Although the coins are technically distinct, they function in exactly the same way. You can trade one for another and they will be functionally equivalent, just like cash or gold.

Fungible tokens are fantastic, and there's a lot of value in the technical aspect. On a technical level, it's worth noting that fungible tokens don't add extra value to goods. They're typically beneficial in a variety of commercial scenarios.

Broad adoption

The popularity of ERC-20 tokens is quite apparent in the cryptocurrency industry. The number of exchanges, wallets, and smart contracts that already support newly-launched tokens has made it easy for new projects to integrate with them. There is plenty of developer support and documentation to go around.

Flexibility

The first thing to note about ERC-20 tokens is that they are highly flexible and may be used in a variety of circumstances and applications. This is due to the fact that these tokens are very customizable. They can be used in a lot of different scenarios such as Loyalty points programs, in-game currencies, or digital collectibles such as NFT's.

Some of the main cons of ERC-20 tokens include:

Mainstream

The popularity of ERC-20 tokens is also their greatest weakness. There are so many projects using the same standard that it's difficult to stand out from the crowd without differentiating your token in some way. Moreover, since they're essentially all the same on a technical level.

Fraud and Scams

It takes minimal effort to create a simple ERC-20 token, meaning that anyone could do it for good or bad purposes. As such you want to be careful with what you're investing in when considering blockchains projects because there are some Pyramid schemes masquerading as legitimate projects out there and trying to get unsuspecting investors involved in their scams. As a result, when looking at blockchain projects, you need to be cautious with what you invest in.

Other ERC Token Standards

While there is a large range of ERC tokens available, below we've outlined the most popular ones (excluding the ERC-20 one as it is listed above). 

ERC-721 

This token standard is for a non-fungible token (NFT) which gained huge popularity in the last year across the gaming and digital art worlds. These tokens represent ownership of something, and cannot be used interchangeably. 

ERC-777 

An evolution of the ERC-20 token, the ERC-777 provides more usability, particularly pertaining to its ability to mint or burn tokens. It also holds improved transaction privacy and an emergency recovery function. 

ERC-1155

This token standard allows for the creation of both utility tokens and non-fungible tokens. Making trading more efficient, the token standard allows for bundling of transactions which in turn saves costs. 

Learn more about cryptocurrencies and blockchain

You can learn more about crypto basics from our specially created Learn centre, which covers everything a trader ought to know about cryptocurrencies and the blockchain industry. 

Τον Μάρτιο του 2022, η Chain επαναπροσδιόρισε το token της από CHN σε XCN και γνώρισε ευρεία επιτυχία. Το κοινό, πολλαπλών περιουσιακών στοιχείων, κρυπτογραφικό καθολικό έχει λάβει σημαντική προσοχή από την αγορά και αυξήθηκε σε αξία σχεδόν κατά 50% τους πρώτους μήνες μετά την κυκλοφορία.

Έπειτα, μετά την εφαρμογή αναβαθμίσεων που περιλάμβαναν την Αποκεντρωμένη Αυτόνομη Οργάνωση της Chain (DAO), την κυκλοφορία beta του προϊόντος Chain Cloud, το staking του XCN, καθώς και την εισαγωγή σε διάφορα ανταλλακτήρια κρυπτονομισμάτων, η Chain (XCN) έφτασε στην υψηλότερη τιμή της στην ιστορία της. Ένα αξιόλογο επίτευγμα για το οικοσύστημα της Chain, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη ότι η ευρύτερη αγορά κρυπτονομισμάτων βρισκόταν σε πτώση εκείνη την περίοδο.

Τι είναι το Chain;

Το Chain είναι μια υποδομή cloud blockchain που επιτρέπει στις εταιρείες να δημιουργούν και να παρέχουν βελτιωμένες λύσεις χρηματοοικονομικών υπηρεσιών μέσω του μοναδικού κλειστού blockchain δικτύου τους. Αυτό τους δίνει την ευκαιρία να αναβαθμίσουν την τεχνολογία τους σε blockchain χωρίς να αντιμετωπίζουν τους κινδύνους που συνδέονται με τα μεγαλύτερα δημόσια δίκτυα. Η πλατφόρμα τους επιτρέπει να εκδίδουν, αποθηκεύουν και μεταφέρουν ψηφιακά περιουσιακά στοιχεία στα ιδιωτικά ανεξάρτητα δίκτυα της εταιρείας τους μέσω διαφόρων προϊόντων του οικοσυστήματος Chain.

Σύμφωνα με το whitepaper της πλατφόρμας, το πρωτόκολλο Chain ορίζει ότι "επιτρέπει στους συμμετέχοντες να εκδίδουν και να ελέγχουν τα περιουσιακά στοιχεία τους προγραμματιστικά χρησιμοποιώντας ψηφιακές υπογραφές και προσαρμοσμένους κανόνες."

Σχεδιασμένο για να βελτιώνει τα τρέχοντα προβλήματα στον τομέα των χρηματοοικονομικών εκκαθαρίσεων, το πρωτόκολλο Chain προσφέρει βελτιωμένες λύσεις για τα πάντα, από τα τέλη μεταφοράς μέχρι τη διαφάνεια των συναλλαγων, τις καθυστερήσεις εκκαθάρισης, τα θέματα ασφάλειας και την αναστρεψιμότητα των συναλλαγών.

Άλλα προϊόντα του οικοσυστήματος Chain περιλαμβάνουν μια τυπική και μια premium επιλογή τόσο ενός προϊόντος RPC/API (Remote Procedure Call API) όσο και μιας υπηρεσίας  γνωστής ως Sequence.

Το τυπικό RCP/API παρέχει στους χρήστες πρόσβαση σε διάφορες υπηρεσίες εντός του Chain Cloud που τους επιτρέπει να αναπτύσσουν προϊόντα σε δημόσια blockchains. Οι premium επιλογές πρόσβασης παρέχουν πρόσθετες λύσεις και τη δυνατότητα να αναπτύσσουν σε ιδιωτικά δίκτυα. Αυτή η  premium επιλογή χρεώνει ένα ετήσιο σταθερό ποσό σε XCN.

Το Sequence παρέχει στους χρήστες της πρόσβαση στην υπηρεσία λογιστικής cloud blockchain της Chain, όπου μπορούν να διαχειρίστουν τα υπόλοιπα σε τοκενοποιημένη μορφή. Και πάλι, υπάρχει μια τυπική επιλογή ή μια premium επιλογή πρόσβασης με πρόσθετα οφέλη, πληρωτέα σε XCN.

Το πρωτόκολλο προσφέρει επίσης στους χρήστες ολοκληρωμένες λύσεις που καλύπτουν τον "σχεδιασμό, ανάπτυξη, συμβατότητα, πώληση και χρήση" NFTs μέσω του προϊόντος Sequence NFT.

Η Αποκεντρωμένη Αυτόνομη Οργάνωση της Chain (DAO) διαχειρίζεται το σύνολο του Πρωτοκόλλου Chain, το οποίο διέπεται από τους κατόχους του token XCN. Για να συμμετέχουν στην Chain DAO και στη διακυβέρνηση του Chain, οι κάτοχοι XCN πρέπει να δεσμεύουν(stake) τα tokens τους.

Ποιος δημιούργησε το Chain;

Το δίκτυο blockchain Chain ιδρύθηκε το 2014 από τον Adam Ludwin, προσφέροντας μια λύση στα σύγχρονα χρηματοοικονομικά συστήματα. Οι προγραμματιστές λάνσαραν το Chain Core αφου συγκέτρωσαν πάνω από $40 εκατομμύρια μέσω χρηματοδότησης και στρατηγικών συνεργασιών με εταιρείες όπως Nasdaq, Orange, Capital One και Citigroup.

Το 2018, η πλατφόρμα πωλήθηκε στην Lightyear Corp., μια θυγατρική του Stellar Development Foundation, αλλά από το 2021, η εταιρεία λειτουργεί πλέον ως ιδιωτική εταιρεία με νέα γραφεία, μετόχους και νέο διοικητικό συμβούλιο.

Πώς λειτουργεί το πρωτόκολλο Chain;

Το Chain επιτρέπει την ύπαρξη και συνεργασία πολλαπλών, ανεξάρτητων δικτύων blockchain, ακόμη και αν αυτά λειτουργούν από διαφορετικές εταιρείες. Χρησιμοποιώντας την αρχή της ελάχιστης εξουσίας, διατηρείται ο έλεγχος των περιουσιακών στοιχείων ξεχωριστός από τον έλεγχο του ledger συγχρονισμού, ώστε όλοι να παραμένουν ασφαλείς.

Το πρωτόκολλο cloud Chain επιτρέπει σε οποιονδήποτε συμμετέχοντα/χρήστη στο δίκτυο να ορίζει και να εκδίδει περιουσιακά στοιχεία δημιουργώντας τα δικά του "προγράμματα έκδοσης." Μετά την έκδοσή τους, οι μονάδες ενός περιουσιακού στοιχείου φυλάσσονται από "προγράμματα ελέγχου," τα οποία γράφονται σε μια ευέλικτη ολοκληρωμένη γλώσσα προγραμματισμού που μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για τη δημιουργία προηγμένων έξυπνων συμβολαίων(smart contract) για τα δίκτυα blockchain.

Μια ομάδα "υπογραφόντων μπλοκ" ασφαλίζει κάθε δίκτυο. Το σύστημα προστατεύεται από διακλαδώσεις όσο η πλειοψηφία των “υπογραφόντων μπλοκ” ακολουθεί το πρωτόκολλο. Για μεγαλύτερη αποδοτικότητα, το πρωτόκολλο αναθέτει τη δημιουργία μπλοκ σε έναν μόνο "γεννήτορα μπλοκ." Οποιοσδήποτε κόμβος στο δίκτυο μπορεί επίσης να επικυρώσει μπλοκ και να υποβάλει συναλλαγές.

Το λογισμικό Chain Core είναι μια επιχειρησιακή λύση που χρησιμοποιεί το Chain Protocol. Μια έκδοση ανοιχτού κώδικα για προγραμματιστές, του Chain Core είναι διαθέσιμη για λήψη. Επι προσθέτως το Chain χρησιμοποιεί ένα ελεύθερα προσβάσιμο testnet για τη διαχείριση του δικτύου blockchain Chain.

Τι είναι τα XCN tokens;

Το XCN είναι το εγγενές token του οικοσυστήματος Chain και λειτουργεί τόσο ως token χρησιμότητας όσο και ως token διακυβέρνησης. Οι κάτοχοι έχουν τη δυνατότητα να ψηφίζουν σε κοινοτικά προγράμματα και σχέδια βελτίωσης πρωτοκόλλου μέσω της Chain DAO. Το κρυπτονόμισμα προσφέρει επίσης εκπτώσεις σε premium πλάνα, έναν τρόπο πληρωμής για τα τέλη Chain Cloud και Sequence, όπως και την ανάπτυξη κόμβων.

Παράλληλα με την επαναπροσαρμογή του CHN σε XCN, η Chain λάνσαρε επίσης το νέο έξυπνο συμβόλαιο Chain Token στο blockchain του Ethereum. Οι κάτοχοι του CHN έλαβαν XCN tokens με αναλογία 1:1.000. Το Chain (XCN) έχει μέγιστο εφοδιασμό του ύψους 53,47 δισεκατομμυρίων.

Πώς μπορώ να αγοράσω το XCN token;

Για όσους επιθυμούν να ενσωματώσουν το Chain στα κρυπτονομίσματά τους, τα πράγματα έγιναν πολύ πιο εύκολα. Η εφαρμογή Tap πρόσθεσε πρόσφατα το XCN στη λίστα των υποστηριζόμενων νομισμάτων, επιτρέποντας σε οποιονδήποτε έχει λογαριασμό Tap να έχει εύκολη και άνετη πρόσβαση στην αγορά Chain.

Οι χρήστες μπορούν να αγοράσουν/πουλήσουν XCN χρησιμοποιώντας τα διάφορα υπόλοιπα τους είτε από τα κρυπτονομισματικά είτε από τα νομισματικά τους πορτοφόλια ή μπορούν να αγοράσουν το κρυπτονόμισμα με παραδοσιακές μεθόδους πληρωμής όπως τραπεζικές μεταφορές. Μέσω των ενσωματομένων πορτοφολιών στην πλατφόρμα, οι χρήστες μπορούν επίσης να αποθηκεύουν και να διαχειρίζονται εύκολα και άνετα τα XCN τους.