Learning the friendly way

Overexposure is a common pitfall in trading, which occurs when a trader invests too heavily in a single asset, exposing themselves to a significant amount of risk. If the asset does not perform as expected, the trader's entire portfolio can suffer significant losses.
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To mitigate the risks of overexposure, traders can employ a strategy known as diversification. This involves investing in a range of assets across various industries and sectors, spreading out the risk and increasing the likelihood of positive returns. By diversifying their portfolio, traders can reduce the impact of a single asset's poor performance, as losses in one area can be offset by gains in others.
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Avoiding overexposure is an essential aspect of risk management, as it helps traders balance potential gains against potential losses. While it may be tempting to invest heavily in a single asset that appears to be performing well, this strategy can be risky, as even the most successful assets can experience significant losses due to unforeseen events or changes in the market.
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In addition to diversification, there are several other strategies traders can use to avoid overexposure. These include setting stop-loss orders, which automatically sell an asset if its price falls below a specified threshold, and regularly reviewing and adjusting investment strategies based on market conditions and performance.
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It is also important for traders to conduct thorough research before investing in any asset to ensure they fully understand the potential risks and rewards. By being informed and educated, traders can make more informed decisions about their investments and minimize the risks of overexposure.
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In conclusion, overexposure is a common risk in trading that can have significant consequences for a trader's portfolio. Diversification is an effective way to mitigate the risks of overexposure, and traders can also use other strategies such as setting stop-loss orders and regularly reviewing their investments.

Spot trading is a simple way to invest and trade a financial instrument, commodity, or foreign currency or a cryptocurrencies on a specific date. Your first experience with forex or crypto investing will most likely be a spot transaction in the spot market, for example, buying Bitcoin at the market price and holding it in a secure wallet. Below we explore what spot trading is exactly. 

Spot exchanges exist for a variety of assets, including cryptocurrencies, equities, commodities, forex, and bonds. You're probably more familiar with spot markets and spot trading than you think. NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange are both examples of spot markets. 

What is spot trading?

Spot traders attempt to make money in the market by purchasing assets and waiting for them to appreciate in value. When the price of a commodity rises, spot traders will sell their assets for a profit. Spot traders can also short markets. This method involves selling financial assets and repurchasing them when the price drops.

The spot price of an asset is the current market value. You can purchase or sell your assets immediately at the best available spot price using a market order on an exchange. However, should there not be enough liquidity in that market at the time your order might not be executed. There also may not be sufficient volume to meet your demand at that price.

For example, if your order is for 5 BTC at the spot price, but only 2 are on offer, you will have to fill the rest of your order with BTC at a different price. Spot prices change in real-time, and are updated and changed in real-time as orders are matched. Over-the-counter spot trading is different than this (more on this below).

Delivery times vary depending on the asset, with cryptocurrencies typically executed instantly while stocks and equities might take a few days. This might be displayed as T+2 which illustrates the trade date plus two business days. With modern-day digitized systems, delivery is almost immediate, particularly with the crypto markets operating 24/7, while OTC and peer-to-peer trading might take a little longer.

Spot trading vs margin trading

In some spot markets, margin trading is available, but it isn't the same as spot trading. Spot trading necessitates that you immediately fully acquire the asset and take delivery of it. 

In contrast, margin trading allows you to borrow money from a third party with interest, allowing you to enter larger bets/trades. As a result, borrowing provides a margin.

However, just like any other investment, trading cryptocurrency carries the risk of massive losses if you don't know what you're doing. Margin trading is advised for seasoned traders only. 

Spot markets vs futures markets

Spot markets allow you to make fast exchanges with a guaranteed delivery time. On the other hand, futures trading is based on contracts that must be paid for in the future. A buyer and seller agree to exchange a specific quantity of items at a specified price in the future. When the settlement date arrives, most buyers and sellers will typically choose to make a cash settlement instead of delivering the asset. 

How OTC exchanges differ from other exchanges

While most people will do spot trading on exchanges, you may also trade directly with others without the assistance of a third party. Over-the-counter trades are the prime example of this. Here we explore how OTC exchanges differ from centralized and decentralized exchanges. 

Centralized Exchanges

Exchanges are divided into two types: centralized and decentralized. A centralized exchange manages the trading of assets like cryptocurrencies, foreign exchange, and commodities. The exchange serves as a go-between for market participants and protects the traded assets as a custodian. 

A centralized cryptocurrency exchange is a marketplace where buyers and sellers of cryptocurrencies trade one for another with one authority overseeing all operations. It is responsible for ensuring that operations like regulation, KYC (Know Your Customer), fair pricing, security, and customer protection are in order and running optimally at all times. 

In return, the exchange takes a cut on transactions, listings, and other trading activities. As long as an exchange has enough users, these exchanges can make money through bull and bear markets. 

To use a centralized exchange, you must first load your account with the fiat or cryptocurrency you want to trade. A reputable centralized exchange must ensure that transactions run smoothly.

Decentralized exchanges

A decentralized exchange (DEX) is another trading platform popular in the cryptocurrency industry. A DEX provides many of the same basic services as a centralized exchange, although instead of matching orders through the use of traditional technology, it does so via blockchain technology. In most cases, DEX users do not need to create an account and can trade peer-to-peer without having to load funds onto the platform. 

DEXs operate using smart contracts which execute trades directly from the traders' wallets, bypassing exchanges entirely. Many individuals appreciate the freedom and privacy that comes with a DEX because it provides greater anonymity than a typical exchange. This, however, has its drawback, such as security concerns. 

Over-the-counter

Lastly, there is over-the-counter trading (OTC), also known as off-exchange trading. OTC exchanges allow brokers, traders, and dealers to trade financial assets, currencies and securities through direct transactions. Spot trading on the OTC market uses a variety of communication channels to arrange trades, including phones and instant messaging.

OTC trades avoid the use of an order book providing certain benefits. If you're trading a low-volume liquid asset like a small-cap coin, a big order on a centralized or decentralized exchange may cause slippage. Because the exchange is unable to completely fill your order at the desired price, you must accept greater prices in order to complete it. With large OTC trades, the trader will get better prices.

Even liquid assets like Bitcoin can suffer from slippage when orders are too big. So, large BTC purchases may also profit from OTC transactions.

Final thoughts

Spot trading is a widely used method of trading, particularly for beginner traders. Although it's relatively straightforward, it’s always best to be well informed and well-educated. 

Used across all markets, the spread is the difference between the buy (offer) and sell (bid) prices of an asset. Spreads provide an additional opportunity to traders to make money through buying and selling assets.

The spread of an asset will depend on the current demand or an asset and the market’s volatility and is presented in either a percentage or value form. Assets with markets displaying higher levels of demand will typically have smaller spreads and usually higher price points. 

As an example, when you look at an order book for Bitcoin you will usually see prices reflected in green and red reflecting the offer prices and bid prices. The spread will then be indicated above the most recent trades. As another example, consider foreign exchange counters where the buy and sell prices are different, this difference is known as the spread. Market makers use spreads to generate money from transactions completed at market prices.

Let's put this in context: George buys 100 shares for a £2 ask price in “ABC” a publicly listed company. George pays £200 in return for 100 shares. If he decides to sell the shares back at the same price he bought them for, he would sell the 100 shares for the bid price at £1.95 and would receive £1.95 each instead of £2. This would mean he gets a return of £195 and loses £5, which would be paid to the market maker.

The Sandbox is a pioneer in the movement to incorporate blockchain technology into the gaming sector. Created in 2011, The Sandbox is an play-to-earn game that allows users to be both creators and players, with the ability to monetize their in-game assets and earn SAND tokens.

Powered by the SAND token, the Sandbox’s native token serves as the foundation for all transactions and interactions. SAND tokens can be obtained by playing games, selling digital assets on the Sandbox Marketplace, participating in competitions, or buying it through a reliable exchange. 

What is the Sandbox platform?

The Sandbox is an Ethereum-based play-to-earn gaming ecosystem and metaverse that allows players to create, share, and monetize in-world assets and gaming experiences. The platform combines the powers of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), DeFi and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The Sandbox metaverse offers players a space to interact with one another and the games they have created.

The Sandbox is made up of three main components: 

1. VoxEdit, which allows users to create and animate 3D objects in the metaverse (i.e. animals, people, tools, etc). These are known as ASSETS and utilize the ERC-1155 token standard which allows both fungible and non-fungible (NFTs) to be minted at the same time. 
2. The Sandbox Game Maker, where users can create 3D games for free.
3. The Sandbox Marketplace, where users can sell their ASSETS for SAND tokens. 

Who created The Sandbox?

Initially developed as a mobile gaming platform by Pixowl in 2011, The Sandbox was intended to be a competitor to Minecraft. It quickly grew very popular and soon had more than 40 million downloads worldwide. However, in 2018, the co-founders Arthur Madrid and Sebastien Borget decided to explore the potential of creating a 3D metaverse on the blockchain.

The new and improved platform allows users to truly own their creations, in the form of NFTs, and earn rewards while participating in the ecosystem. The Sandbox team introduced the new Sandbox project in 2020 and it became one of the fastest-growing games in the cryptocurrency world, alongside Axie Infinity and Decentraland. 

The following year the platform raised $93 million and attracted over 50 reputable partnerships, including CryptoKitties, Snoop Dogg and The Walking Dead. 

How does The Sandbox work?

The Sandbox is a dynamic virtual world filled with user-generated content. Players can create and develop their own NFTs, including avatars, virtual goods, and even games, using the platform's VoxEdit and Game Maker. They can also interact with other players as well as monetize these NFTs by selling them on the Sandbox Marketplace, fueled by the SAND token.

The Sandbox's VoxEdit

VoxEdit offers artists and players user-friendly software to create, rig, and animate NFTs. The NFTs are in voxel format, square 3D pixels that look like lego blocks, which can quickly be edited to create different shapes. Users can design and create everything from animals and game tools to avatar-oriented weapons and clothing to any goods that you can use in The Sandbox. 

All these virtual goods can then be exported and traded as NFTs on the Sandbox Marketplace for SAND token.

The Sandbox's Game Maker

The Game Maker is designed to allow users to test their 3D game creations within the metaverse. With no prior coding experience needed, the program allows users to design and organize various objects and elements in a space called LAND (including the VoxEdit NFTs).

The Game Maker allows users to curate quests, place buildings, and characters, edit terrains, etc. Users can then share their designs with the greater community or sell them on the Sandbox Marketplace.

The Sandbox Marketplace

The Sandbox ecosystem has its very own NFT marketplace was launched in April 2021 and creates a space where users can trade ASSETS (in-game assets) with the native token, the SAND token.

The ASSETS (NFTs) can be anything from wearables to buildings to entities, and can then be used within the platform in the Sandbox game and incorporated into LAND to create unique games using the Game Maker. The Sandbox's marketplace is accessible to all users on the platform.

What are SAND tokens?

Sandbox, referred to as SAND, is an ERC-20 token with a supply of 3 billion. The token functions as a utility token, governance token, and can be used for staking.

SAND as a utility token facilitates all interactions and transactions within the Sandbox ecosystem. In order to take part in the activities available on the platform, from playing the games to buying LAND, trading ASSETS or customizing avatars, users will need to own SAND. The LAND tokens are ERC-721 tokens while ASSETS are user-generated NFTs.

The native token also functions as a governance token within the Sandbox ecosystem, allowing SAND token holders to vote on changes made on the platform through the Sandbox DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) structure. 

Lastly, the token can be staked on the platform, allowing holders to earn rewards and a share in the revenue from all SAND transactions. Staking offers the bonus advantage of allowing users to increase their chances of finding valuable game resources designed to boost ASSETS' rarity, known as GEMs and CATALYSTs. These are valuable when looking to create assets and play games.

There are two ways to acquire SAND: either through playing games and contests in The Sandbox, or by purchasing it on a cryptocurrency platform like Tap.

How can I buy the SAND token?

For those looking to incorporate The Sandbox into their crypto portfolios, or simply enter the metaverse gaming sector, we have great news. The Tap app has recently added SAND to the list of supported currencies, allowing anyone with a Tap account to easily and conveniently access The Sandbox market. 

Users can buy SAND by using balances in either their crypto or fiat wallets or with your debit card, you can also buy the cryptocurrency with traditional payment options like bank transfers. Through the integrated wallets on the platform, users can also store and manage their SAND holdings easily and conveniently. 

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.

When referring to the yield on an investment, this indicates the earnings generated over a certain period of time. It is generally presented in percentage form and includes the interest or dividends relevant to the initial investment. 

While returns are calculated using the difference in value at two specific points in time, the yield will calculate the total (net) value earned over a period of time. This provides an invaluable tool in helping you understand the potential value of an investment. 

Basic yield is calculated as the net realised return divided by the initial investment amount. For example, if an investor bought $100 worth of Bitcoin which grew to $2,000 in the next year, then the formula would look like this:

$1,900 / $100 = 19
-> which translates to 1900%. 

There are several different formulas based on the type of yield you wish to calculate. These include:

• Yield on Stocks
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• Yield on Bonds
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• Yield to Maturity

• Yield to Worst

• Yield to Call

A high yield isn’t necessarily a good thing. Should the market’s decline or the company pays out high dividends the yield will still reflect as high. Always do your own research when considering an investment, or trust a financial advisor.