Learning the friendly way

The post-pandemic working world is a different place entirely. These days, many people have given up their nine to five jobs to work from home, joining the gig economy where projects are more short-term and schedules are flexible. After all, all one needs is a reliable internet connection and a space to work.

These temporary projects allow for more freedom when it comes to creative license, time constraints and living a life best suited to the individual. And they just got a whole lot easier thanks to the electronic cash system that is Bitcoin (and other crypto assets).

The Gig Economy Meets Blockchain

There are plenty of upsides to working in the gig economy, most notably that you can pick your own hours. As you are in control of your schedule you can choose your vacation times, you’re your own boss, and you get to choose what jobs you take on.

In the UK alone the gig economy between 2016 and 2019 doubled in size, equating to a staggering 4.7 million workers. Meanwhile, in the European Union, the number of freelancers rose by 24% between 2008 and 2015, from 7.7 million to 9.6 million people.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 36% of all employees in the United States are part of the gig economy, approximately 57 million people. Unfortunately of these 57 million, 58% reported that they have not been paid for work that has been completed. 

This problem could be solved through the use of blockchain and smart contracts. Smart contracts are digital agreements that automatically execute once the criteria have been met. Say you agree to complete a project within a certain time frame, once the project is completed and submitted, the payment is released. No need to request or accept payment, the funds are cleared and deposited directly into the relevant account.

Another positive to merging the gig economy with blockchain technology is the use of cryptocurrencies. 

4 Reasons Why Getting Paid In Crypto Just Makes Sense

While smart contracts would need to be made in order for them to smoothen out the wrinkles of unpaid jobs, cryptocurrencies are available right now. The benefits of crypto transactions when it comes to working remotely just make sense.‍

1) Cryptocurrency transactions are fast and cheap
‍While the thought of using Bitcoin payments might sound scary, they are in fact incredibly simple to send, receive and withdraw. With the use of blockchain technology and the Bitcoin network, international transactions can be completed in minutes with considerably fewer fees. Not just Bitcoin, all digital currencies for that matter.

All you need to do is pick a cryptocurrency, share your wallet address and wait for the crypto transaction to clear. Through the Tap mobile app you can then use the funds to pay bills or sell them for fiat currencies and send them to your personal Tap account to spend as you please or directly to your bank account. 

2Anyone can make crypto payments
‍While opening a bank account is typically a very tedious task, opening a crypto account is very easy. Anyone anywhere in the world can easily create an account, add funds, and start transacting. As the network is entirely digital, employees and employers based anywhere in the world can tap into this and effortlessly make crypto payments.

3) You can work from anywhere
‍On that note, cryptocurrencies give you the freedom to work anywhere in the world as there are no constraints on receiving payments allowing you to sell your skills in the global market. There has also been an increase in jobs looking for freelancers that are willing to accept Bitcoin, goodbye central banks and hello digital assets‍

4)Low transaction fees make small jobs worth it 
‍If you've ever been hesitant about accepting small jobs, this is the one for you. When small jobs pay less, the payments might frequently be entirely overwhelmed by the transaction fees associated with receiving your payment for the job.

That is not the case when it comes to some cryptocurrencies, with Litecoin for example charging merely $0.02 per transaction. 

How To Get Paid In Cryptocurrencies

If you’ve decided to take the plunge, you can either request that your employer pays in crypto, or specifically look for crypto-paying jobs (more on this below). The next step is to set up an account from where you can receive said crypto.

The Tap mobile app will tick all the boxes, and opening an account is incredibly simple. First, you will need to download the app and then register. You’ll be asked to fill in some personal information and then verify your identity with a government-issued identity document. This is all very normal and is required by law. 

Once you are verified, head to the home page, select the Crypto wallet and choose a cryptocurrency you would like to receive / the cryptocurrency you will be paid in. Then select Receive and send the wallet address to your employer/contractor. You will get a notification when the funds arrive in your account. 

If you’re looking for jobs that specifically pay in crypto, look to Purse.io, Ethlance and Coinality. These are part of the gig economy and pay in cryptocurrencies. Good luck out there, it will 100% be worth it!

‍

Used across both the crypto market and traditional stock markets, return on investment (ROI) is a financial measure used to calculate an asset's growth and efficiency over a period of time. This useful measure has been used for decades to determine the success of one's investment.

In this article, we'll help you learn how to calculate the ROI on your investment so that you can implement it across your portfolio to determine your successes. Understanding your assets' ROI might lead to improved sales and revenue and solve a problem that many traders face time and time again.

Many businesses offering trading services might include a project ROI in their monthly or annual report to a customer, illustrating the successes of the site in black and white figures. However, be cautious when a company uses a set amount of return on investment statistics in their advertising, not even the top trading experts are able to predict with exact certainty the events, analytics and metrics that will take place in the future.

How To Calculate ROI

Bear with us as this gets slightly technical, it will all make sense in no time. This formula essentially revolves around determining the overall profit or loss one has made from a particular investment. 

The formula used to determine ROI is ROI = (FVI - IVI) / IVI * 100%. In this formula, the FVI stands for the final value of an investment while IVI stands for the initial value of an investment.

Looking at a practical example, say you bought $1,000 worth of Bitcoin in January 2020 when it was trading for $8,807. Two years later you sell your Bitcoin in January 2022 when it was trading at $43,704 for $3,960.

In this scenario, the IVI is $1,000 while the FVI is $3,960. ROI = (FVI - IVI) / IVI * 100% translates to:

ROI = (3,960 - 1000) / 1000 * 100%

ROI = 296%

This equation is considered a base formula as it does not include additional factors like fees and expenses incurred when storing the asset. In order to establish the true ROI on your investment, you would need to determine what additional costs were incurred (transaction fees for example) and use the following formula:

ROI = (FVI - expenses - IVI) / IVI * 100% 

Additional Elements To Consider When Calculating ROI

One thing that ROI does not factor in is the risk associated with the asset. For example, higher ROIs typically come with higher risks while assets with lower ROIs typically hold a much lower risk in terms of gaining returns. 

This holds true in the crypto market where new coins can suddenly soar in price creating a strong ROI for those that invested early. However, this ROI data will not be the same for an investor that enters the market at a later stage, and the risk will be much greater. Be wary of analysts using ROI statistics in digital marketing to make far-fetched conclusions about an asset's future success. Always use Google as a tool to verify the information, particularly for smaller coins.

Another limitation of this approach is that time is not taken into consideration. For instance, if your investment appreciates from $100 to $150, the ROI will always be 50% whether this happened over one year or ten years. This issue can be solved by using another formula, known as the annualized ROI. 

What Is Annualized ROI?

This method illustrates the standardized annual rate of return on investment by considering the investment's tenure, providing insight into the money an investment product has yielded over a certain period of time. This formula will calculate the investment's average performance each year over the entire period. 

The formula for annualized ROI is Annualized ROI = ((1 ROI) 1/n - 1) * 100%. Here, n represents the number of years of the investment. 

Using the latter example above, your $100 growing to $150 will present an annualized ROI of 50% for one year while the ten year annualized ROI is 4.14%. A substantial difference, and one you wouldn't pick up on from using the standard ROI formula. 

What Is Bitcoin's ROI?

As the world's first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin has seen some incredible increases in price. Analysts often use the formulas outlined above for tracking the digital asset's short-term, medium-term, and longer-term ROI. 

As of January 2022, these ROIs are calculated using the trading price of $43,834.36 (at the time of writing). 

Short-term - 1 year (January 2021)

BTC Price: $33,922.96

ROI = (43,834.36 - 33,922.96) / 33,922.96 * 100%

ROI = 29.29%

Medium-term - 2 years (January 2020)

BTC Price: $8,807

ROI = (43,834.36 - 8,807) / 8,807 * 100%

ROI = 3,977.21%

Longer-term - 5 years (January 2017)

BTC Price: $818.41

ROI = (43,834.36 - 818.41) / 818.41 * 100%

ROI = 5,256.03%

These are wildly impressive results, particularly when compared to the traditional stock markets. Excuse us while we go question our personal ROIs for our crypto investments.

‍

Know your customer also known as "KYC" is a regulatory requirement imposed by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and fraud prevention. The requirements for KYC are determined on an industry-by-industry basis. Fintech businesses and the Bank sector typically requires KYC of customers who open a new account with them.

KYC ensures that financial institutions know their customers' identity well enough to understand where funds came from for deposits or how payments will be made before starting to use the company's services. KYC is an efficient first line of defense in combating terrorism financing by verifying customer identities to help identify any potential links to terrorist organizations, bribery, corruption, individuals with a history of money laundering.

KYC is an important measure in anti-money laundering regulations, making it a safety guard for cryptocurrencies. Financial institutions and regulated service providers such as Tap boast robust KYC process to protect our consumers so that you can feel more confident that your funds will remain secure no matter the business environment circumstances.

How does KYC work?

Within the Finance sector, any company or project must meet strict rules and regulations that require to have rigorous identification checks (also called regulatory compliance) such as verification of address information, validation of residency status. Apart from verifying a customer's identity, it's also important to confirm the user's location and address. Your identity documents will provide basic data like your name and date of birth, but more is needed to establish your residence, for example.

During a standard Know Your Customer process, you will be asked for several documents:

-A proof of identity ( such as passport, ID card, driving license)

-A proof of residence

-A selfie (to prove that it's you)

The KYC must be completed at the initial stage as well as on an ongoing basis so that businesses can deliver services or goods to clients. It is a best practice for any business offering financial services to re-verify the identity of their customers at regular intervals to ensure AML. Sometimes new customers have to go through several steps of verification before they can start any financial transaction/investment using the service of the company.

KYC Around The World:

KYC regulations can vary from country to country, but there is a lot of international cooperation on the basic data information needed. For example in America, KYC and AML processes are driven by financial crime prevention legislations such as The Bank Secrecy Act (2001) and Patriot Act (2006). In Europe, KYC compliance regulation falls under EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive with PSD2 providing additional regulatory guidance for all countries within the Union. Internationally however it's been agreed that FATF should coordinate multinational cooperation when it comes to regulatory conditions.

The Benefits: 

In spite of the time it takes to set up accounts, KYC identity verification is worth it when taking into account the benefits, keeping your funds safe, protect you from identity theft, fraud, and other illegal activities is largely the result of robust KYC control. These procedures ensure that financial service providers are not only safe but trustworthy. Trade Crypto with Confidence with regulated companies like Tap boasting robust KYC procedures to safeguard its customer assets and information.

In short: KYC is a common regulatory requirement that financial service providers are obliged to fulfill in order for businesses to operate under the law and consumers should take KYC seriously. KYC requirements differ across the financial sector. It is a necessary measure in anti-money laundering regulations, making it an important safety guard for cryptocurrencies as well as customer assets by preventing fraudulent activity. KYC in the Fintech or Bank sector is generally imposed on new customers who open a new account.

‍

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.

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
  ‍
• Yield on Bonds
  ‍
• 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.