Much like traditional stock portfolios, crypto portfolios can too be balanced to ensure a spread of returns and risks over the asset class. Building a diversified cryptocurrency portfolio can be done in many ways, however, in this article, we will be exploring a general approach that investors can use to build their own. 

From thoughtful diversification to asset allocation to buying your cryptocurrencies, the road to building a balanced crypto portfolio is not a complicated one. It will require some upkeep though, so be sure to factor in that you will need to balance your portfolio regularly. 

Starting with the basics, a cryptocurrency portfolio is a collection of varied crypto holdings held by an individual (these portfolios hold one asset class, while others can hold multiple asset classes and would require further asset allocation).

Some investors also choose to use a third party tracker which calculates the portfolio’s holdings and profits. A balanced portfolio will have a collection of coins, products and tokens, each with its own risks and rewards.

It should have a mixture of high and low market cap coins and might look something like this: 35% Bitcoin, 10% Ethereum, 25% stablecoins, 15% NFTs, and 15% altcoins (this is an example based on the current climate of the cryptocurrency market and not financial advice).

The 5 main types of cryptocurrencies on the crypto market

Before we start building our portfolios, let’s begin with understanding the 5 main categories that can be found on the cryptocurrency market today.

Most of the 20,000 cryptocurrencies on the market at the moment will fall into these options.

Payment Focused

Consider these the original first-generation cryptocurrencies, starting of course with Bitcoin. Many earlier projects were designed as systems of transferring value, take for example Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). 

These types of coins typically have a high market cap.

Stablecoins

This category refers to all coins that are pegged to a fiat currency and commodity. These coins naturally bypass any volatility, ensuring a stable anchor in your portfolio and a safe haven for when the markets experience a dip.

While they might seem to represent more traditional assets, stablecoins provide a valuable contribution to the crypto ecosystem.

Examples include PAX Gold (PAXG) which is pegged to the price of gold, while options like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are pegged to the US dollar. 

Utility Tokens

Utility tokens are unique to their ecosystems and generally offer a product or service. This could come in the form of a coin used to pay transaction fees on a network, or a coin created to launch a crowdfunding initiative.

Examples include coins found on dapp and smart contract development platforms, Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Coin (BNB). 

Security Tokens 

Much like the traditional securities in the stock market, security tokens can take on many forms.

These digital forms of traditional securities have been integrated with blockchain technology and span across three categories: equities, debt and a hybrid of debt and equity. This can range from representing a bond issued by a project, equity in a company, or even voting rights. 

Governance Tokens

Governance tokens offer holders voting powers and a share of the project’s revenue. Similar to utility tokens, the value of a governance token directly relates to the success of the underlying project. Examples include Uniswap (UNI) and PancakeSwap (CAKE).

How to build a balanced crypto portfolio

When it comes to building a well balanced crypto portfolio there are plenty of different schools of thought.

These are our top recommendations, however, we encourage you to do your own research and ultimately go with what feels right. 

1. Diversify Risk

Ensure your crypto portfolio has an adequate amount of risk tolerance by incorporating high, medium and low-risk coin options, portioned appropriately.

It’s important to first establish what level of risk you are willing to take, and plan your portfolio accordingly. 

2. Include Stablecoins

While these aren’t associated with wild gains, stablecoins help to provide your portfolio with liquidity and are key to many DeFi dapps.

They also allow traders to quickly and easily exit a position or lock in gains whether in a bear market or a bull market.

3. Monitor The Market

Ensure that you are checking in to see what is happening in the market regularly and adjusting your well balanced crypto portfolio to best manage this.

Crypto markets can still be very volatile, so ensure that your trading decisions reflect what is happening. 

4. Monitor Your Emotions

This might be one of the biggest overseen aspects of trading but ensure that you have a grip on your emotions as they can play an integral part in your decision making.

Fear and greed are strong contenders when it comes to making logical trading decisions, make sure that these are not influencing any of your trades.

Don't let greed interfere, changing potential big gains to huge losses. Things can go terribly wrong when emotions are behind the wheel of trading decisions.

5. DYOR

We cannot stress it enough - always do your own research when exploring engaging with other cryptocurrencies. Never engage in a project that you cannot fully explain to another trader. Crypto involvement requires a substantial amount of due diligence.

While there is value in taking advice from a strong trader, ensure that you do your own vetting of the project before blindly trusting a stranger, this is your own money after all. 

6. Onlycommit what you’re willing to lose

As a golden rule of thumb when it comes to allocating funds, only allocate what you're willing to lose.

If you’ve made trading decisions that are causing you sleepless nights, consider a different approach, and ensure that should something go wrong that you have the financial means to stay standing. Your overall portfolio should be correctly balanced in order to ensure you can have rest-filled nights.

How to use a portfolio tracker

While typically used for short-term and day traders, trackers can also provide value to long term investors. Trackers provide a reliable way of monitoring the performance of your low, medium and high risk assets.

Crypto trackers also allow investors to measure their results across several blockchains and wallets in real-time, allowing one to directly measure the success or losses of their crypto holdings.

Portfolios typically involve holding multiple coins across various blockchains, so finding a compatible and suitable portfolio tracker makes sense.

First, you’ll need to select a good portfolio tracker that best suits your needs. Below we’ve outlined the top crypto portfolio trackers, although it's best to get a feel for the platform before diving in.

For instance, Pionex is better suited to high volume investors while Delta is better suited to beginners. See our selection below of top options on the market at the moment.

• CoinMarketCap
  One of the most used sources of information in the crypto space, CoinMarketCap also provides tracking functionality. Users can enter their coins, what price they were bought at and monitor their progress.
• Pionex
  Favoured to high volume investors, Pionex provides a more advanced option when it comes to tracking your crypto portfolio.
• CoinGecko
  Most commonly known as being a data aggregator, CoinGecko also allows users to track over 1,000 coins across its mobile and desktop crypto trackers.
• Delta
  Delta not only provides a very user-friendly crypto tracker, it also allows users to track a wide range of assets including fiat currencies, stocks, bonds, futures, and ETFs.

Aside from the look and feel, other factors to consider are safety and security, and whether it supports the wallet and coins in which you've allocated resources.

Building your crypto portfolio manually

When you’re ready to start building your well-balanced crypto portfolio, you will need to find a reliable platform and wallet on which to do so.

Ensure you stick to a regulated exchange and that the security behind the wallet you choose is of high standards. 

Tap mobile app offers a secure and convenient platform through which users can buy, sell, trade and store a wide range of cryptocurrencies. Learn more here on our website available on both desktop and mobile devices.

Next, you will need to decide on which coins you'd like to engage with, ensuring that you strategically distribute your capital with appropriate weightings.

Take cues from our Types of Cryptocurrencies above, deciding on how you wish to allocate the coins in order to build a balanced crypto portfolio.

We encourage you to conduct extensive research in this phase: A golden rule of engaging with cryptocurrency is to comprehend what crypto is before allocating any funds to it, as well as to understand each individual coin.

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The age old question, when will all the Bitcoins be mined, has been on everyone's mind at least once and today we are going to go over exactly how long it will take to mine all Bitcoins.

There are a few chapters we need to cover first. For one we need to look at Bitcoin’s total supply, followed by the halving mechanism that Satoshi Nakamoto himself implemented, and then we can set about working out when the last Bitcoin will be mined. Sound good? Dive in and join us for the ride.

Bitcoin’s total supply

When Bitcoin was first announced to the world in a whitepaper in 2008, the public was introduced to a new kind of monetary system. Unlike the fiat system that all countries operate off, these cryptocurrencies presented a digital answer that could navigate value around the world in seconds and didn’t rely on any banks, financial institutions or governments to operate them. 

Created as a response to the 2007 - 2009 global financial crisis, the mysterious entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto chose to also make the currency deflationary. Unlike its fiat counterpart, Bitcoin was created to increase in value over time, proving to be a viable store of value. Written into its code was the fact that only 21 million Bitcoin will ever exist, ensuring that the new age currency would have a deflationary nature to it. 

Of the 21 million BTC that will ever enter circulation, as of May 2021 a total of 18.7 million have entered the market. This accounts for roughly 89% of the total supply of Bitcoin, which might lead one to believe that the end is nearer than we think. However, think again.

The halving mechanism

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Another ingenious idea that the great Satoshi Nakamoto incorporated into the nuance payment system is the halving mechanism. Through the use of blockchain technology, every 210,000 blocks, or roughly four years, a halving mechanism is automatically implemented into the system which reduces the mining rewards (also known as block rewards). This part gets a little technical, so let’s recap. 

All transactions on the blockchain are stored in blocks which are chronologically linked to one another through the process of mining. Miners on the network verify and execute all Bitcoin transactions, and in doing so receive a fee, known as the miners reward. When Bitcoin was launched in January 2009 the miners reward was 50 BTC, however through the halving mechanism, every 210,000 blocks this reward halves. Twelve years later the miners rewards for verifying the transactions and adding a new block to the blockchain is 6.25 BTC. 

This thereby controls the amount of new Bitcoin entering circulation. As fiat currencies are printed and minted, cryptocurrencies are mined. The Covid-19 pandemic saw many countries print more money to distribute to its people and in turn boost the economy, however the long term effects of this can be devastating due to rising inflation and the decrease in value on a global scale. Bitcoin, however, due to the controlled nature of the deflationary currency is set to increase in value. 

How long will it take to mine all the Bitcoins?

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Now that we’ve covered the basics of Bitcoin’s total supply and the halving mechanism controlling the influx of coins entering into circulation, it’s time to establish how long it will take to mine all Bitcoins. 

Based on the table below, we can see exactly when the next halving is due to take place (in 2024), when the miners reward will halve again to 3.125 BTC. While the amount of BTC received for mining a block decreases, bare in mind that the value undergoes significant increases. After that the next halving mechanism is due to go into effect in 2028, followed by another in 2032.

As you’ll notice, the halving in 2032 will be responsible for mining the last chunk of the 99.21872% of the total BTC ever to exist. This leaves 0.78128% remaining. Due to the nature of the halving mechanism, it is believed that the very last Bitcoin will only be mined in 2140. 

In answering the question on how long it will take to mine the last Bitcoin, the answer is an estimated 119 years. Which, facing the cold hard truth, we are unlikely to witness in our lifetime.

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Time to buy Bitcoin?

Considering that the cryptocurrency has witnessed gains taking it from $0.003 to roughly $55,000 in just over a decade, consider what the Bitcoin price might be in the next ten years, or twenty, or 100? Whether you’re buying to invest or buying to trade, Bitcoin has proved time and time again to be a worthy investment. Consider bagging yourself some BTC with the convenience of the Tap app. The app allows you to not only buy the original cryptocurrency, but to sell, store and spend it as you please too. If you’re wondering when the last Bitcoin will be mined, it’s probably time to tap into the future. 

Download on Android.
Download on iOS.

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Technical analysis is a method of evaluating the strength and weakness of an asset by collecting historical price data to identify trends. It involves using tools like charts, graphs, indicators or signals in order to compare them from past data in order to make predictions about what's going to happen next with the market for a specific financial instrument such as equities, crypto, commodities etc.

Technical analysis is a method of evaluating stocks, crypto and commodities using past market data. The goal here is to determine the future price movements. In contrast fundamental analysis which involves analyzing financial statements in order to assess what fair value would be for that company.

Technical Analysis can be applied to any security with historical trading data, such as cryptocurrencies, forex (foreign exchange), commodities and stocks.

Let’s now dive into the subject and learn more about the different tools and techniques that you can use for technical analysis.

The Market trend‍

‍‍The most important step in learning how to spot a trend is to figure out what one is. For any beginner in technical analysis, knowing how to identify the trend should be the first order of business. Let’s watch this Chart below:

We can here observe the three different trends:

The Uptrend: In an uptrend, the asset is going up and making higher highs with each wave. Each high is also greater than the last one, resulting in a series of higher lows as well that push prices even further upward.

The Downtrend: A downtrend is a pattern of decreasing price that continues until it breaks. It’s called "downtrend" because the asset keeps going down, making lower highs and lows each time they form.

The sideways trend: The asset trades between a dynamic range of prices in an horizontal channel.

You may as well encounter different terms such as “Bearish” and "Bullish" to refer to a trend. The term, Bullish comes from the bull who strikes upwards with its horns thus pushing prices higher; in contrast, Bearish comes from bear who drives down markets by striking downwards with their paws.

Resistance & Support

Understanding the support and resistance levels of a cryptocurrency can help you time your buying or selling to maximize profit. A technical trader identifies these points on their chart so they know where it's best to buy in, when there is likely an upcoming breakout, as well as knowing where not be eager with new investments because prices are more likely than ever before to reverse quickly at this price point. When the resistance level is broken, it usually becomes a support level and vice versa.

Support: Support is a level where buyers tend to concentrate, and this will help the downtrend that has been occurring stop or rebound.

Resistance: A level where an uptrend can be expected to pause or rebound. This is a concentration of sellers and indicates that the market may have reached its peak for now.

Candlestick

Candlestick charting is a popular way to track the market trend.  Candlestick chart, is also known as a Japanese candlestick chart (Developed in Japan in the 1700s, historical records indicate that this tool was first used to track rice prices). This type of financial chart is used to track stock prices or other asset prices. The candlestick's shape can vary depending on the high, low, opening and closing prices of a given day.

A candlestick shows both bullish and bearish price movement over its duration, and gives more detailed information than the simple bar charts. A candlestick looks at the prices during a specific time interval, such as a day. The main feature which distinguishes this from other charts is the ability to plot each day's open, high, low and close values on a single chart.

This method of charting involves plotting price data over time on an open, high low and close basis with wicks projecting out from each end of the body for daily bars or just one day in higher timeframe charts.

Bullish candle: The close is above the opening‍‍ (green)

‍Bearish candle: The close is below the opening (red)

Moving average and (MACD)

The moving average is a technical trading indicator that calculates the constantly changing stock price over time. It smoothes out this data by creating an average of different subsets to help investors make decisions on what direction prices are heading and how long they will continue to change in such directions.  A moving average is a customizable indicator meaning that an investor can freely choose whatever time frame they want when calculating an average.

The Moving average convergence divergence (MACD) is a trend-following momentum indicator that looks at the relationship between two moving averages of an asset's price and gives traders an indication to changes in momentum, strength, directionality and duration of a trend for a given asset.

It combine these 2 moving average: 

-A short-term moving average

-A long-term moving average

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Chart interpretation:

The lines on the chart below can be interpreted as follows:

-If the green line (MACD) is above or crosses over the orange line (signal), it means that momentum for a certain market is bullish. 

-On conversely, if the green line is below the orange one, then this shows bearishness in terms of momentum 

-When the lines diverge, it denotes a strengthening of the current trend. However, when they converge, this shows that there is likely to be an upcoming reversal in trends.

-When they cross, this signals confirmation that we have evidence for a change in momentum.
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Bollinger bands

Bollinger bands attempt to measure market volatility by creating a band around a moving average. This strategy was created by John Bollinger in the 1980s. They serve as a relative indicator of whether prices are high or low on a moving average.

Bollinger bands are typically used by traders who like to use a long-term approach. This technique can be applied to any major currency pair, as well as commodities and stocks. As opposed to short term strategies that try and capture very small price movements, this strategy works best when combined with a directional view where the trader believes that the market will either go up or down in the long run.

The main disadvantage to this technical analysis is that it is not as effective when markets are flat or choppy (trading range). This strategy can also be difficult to use for novice traders who do not have a good understanding of market conditions, and an entry/exit approach.

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News are a big influencer of crypto prices

Cryptocurrencies are heavily influenced by speculation, and even a small piece of news can trigger multiple price reactions by investors. 

For example, when Bitcoin Cash was launched on August 1st 2017, it resulted in a sharp decline in the price of Bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies as investors feared that a new competitor could undermine the value of existing cryptocurrencies.

The use of advance statistical techniques helps you to take into consideration past data to generate price forecasts. The best way to do this would be to look at historical prices and volumes for cryptos, and compare them to current data. This allows analysts and traders to gain some degree of insight on how the market price will react to future events.

Our aims is to help you grow your knowledge about trading and cryptocurrencies. That's why we're here to help you better understand Cryptocurrencies and trading technics. We want everyone who uses Tap not only to feel informed about market trends but also be inspired by crypto culture, which drives people like you and me into a passionate future for this technology.

If you wish to learn more find more resources in our dedicated education centre available here: Crypto Basics

You’ve likely heard that cryptocurrencies provide a faster, easier and cheaper way to send money overseas. While this is true, what many people don’t necessarily know is how this is true. In this article we’re going to be fleshing out exactly how Bitcoin and altcoin transactions work, and how you can easily tap into this modern day phenomenon. 

What is Bitcoin, and what are Altcoins?

If you’re new around here, let’s get you up to speed. Bitcoin was first introduced to the world through a whitepaper in 2008 by an anonymous entity by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto (to this day their identity remains a mystery). Following the global financial crisis, Nakamoto wanted to create a currency that was free from banks and governments, instead putting financial power back into the hands of the people.

Using blockchain technology, Bitcoin was able to facilitate the peer to peer transfer of value, allowing users to make global payments at a much faster and cheaper rate than ever before. While it took a few years for Bitcoin to enter the mainstream market, during this time a number of alternative cryptocurrencies were created. In the early days, any alternative cryptocurrency was referred to as an altcoin (alternative coin to Bitcoin), while this notion has stuck, the altcoin market has grown into a sizable 9,000+ strong industry.

While many altcoins, like Ethereum and Litecoin, were created using Bitcoin’s blockchain, not all offer the same exact functionality. Each cryptocurrency that comes into existence is designed to solve a “problem” in the market, whether that be linked to data storage, smart contract functionality, faster payments systems, etc. 

How do Bitcoin and Altcoin transactions work?

Now that we understand the just of what they are, let’s explore how they work. We’ll use Bitcoin as the prime example. So while bank accounts require lengthy paperwork and administrative tasks, creating a Bitcoin “account” simply requires one to open a wallet. These can be found in different formats, with several options available on the market catered to the user's unique needs. Once you’ve created a wallet, you’ll need to load it with Bitcoin which can be done through an exchange like Tap. 

Once you have funds in your account, you will be able to send them to another user on the network (note that Bitcoin can only be sent on the Bitcoin network and Ethereum can only be sent on the Ethereum network). To send funds you will indicate on the app (or through the wallet) how much you’d like to send, enter the recipient’s wallet address and then pay a small network fee for executing the trade. 

On the backend your transaction will enter what is known as a mempool, a pool of pending transactions, until it is picked up by a miner. Bitcoin miners are responsible for verifying all transactions on the network, and compete with each other to solve the complex cryptographic puzzle first. The first one to do so is responsible for confirming the next batch of transactions in the mempool and adding them to a block. This block is then added to the blockchain in chronological order to ensure the immutable, transparent qualities of blockchain technology are upheld. Once the block has been added to the blockchain, the miner will receive all the network fees of each transaction verified as well as the block reward to compensate for the time and electricity it took to mine. 

The funds will then leave your wallet and enter the recipient's wallet, and will usually be required to go through 3 confirmations before being able to access the funds. Confirmations are measured by new blocks being added to the blockchain following the block in which the transaction is stored. Three confirmations means that three new blocks need to be added to the blockchain before the funds can be used.

Most altcoins work in a similar fashion, however many use different methods of mining (also known as hashing algorithms) but the concept remains much the same. Miners verify the transactions, add them to a block, the block is added to the blockchain and the transaction is executed.

Ready to Tap into blockchain transactions?

Now that you have a better understanding of how Bitcoin and altcoin transactions work, it’s about time you tapped into the seamless world of cryptocurrency transactions provided by Tap. Through the app you can buy, sell, store and spend your cryptocurrency and fiat portfolios. The app has integrated technology which ensures that users get the best market prices in real time, whenever executing a buy or sell order. Users can also store their cryptocurrencies on the platform through the bespoke backend technology which ensures the utmost security at all times.

Since the advent of cryptocurrencies in 2009, the world has seen a substantial shift in the way that people transact and manage their money online. The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, sparked a wave that has impacted almost every corner of the globe, significantly shifting the financial landscape as we know it. Let’s explore how crypto is expanding economic freedom on a global scale.

What is economic freedom?

Before we evaluate how this $2 trillion industry is contributing to financial liberation, let’s first establish what economic freedom is. Explained simply, the term refers to measures that grant users the freedom to manage their money, property, and labour in each country, which is then compared globally.

More accurately, the measure of economic freedom is determined by using the Index of Economic Freedom, which weighs up 12 factors contributing to a country’s overall measure. This is broken down into 4 categories, each carrying varying subcategories, such as market openness measuring a country’s trade, financial and investment freedom. The others are regulatory efficiency, rules of law, and government size, each with its own subcategories.

This index was first published in 1995 by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal and is used around the world today. This year, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Ireland have ranked as the most financially free countries in the world.

Crypto and economic freedom

Cryptocurrencies were first established to provide an alternative monetary solution to the global financial crisis that sent the world into disarray in 2007. Satoshi Nakamoto created the new age payment system to empower individuals to hold control over their own finances, allowing them to manage and transact their money without the control of an authoritarian entity. For the first time in history, people were able to send money overseas without incurring the usual costly and time-consuming setbacks incurred with regular, global fiat transactions.

Due to the decentralized nature in which they are run, people are responsible for managing their own crypto wallets and specialised users on the network positioned across the globe are responsible for verifying and executing transactions. After Bitcoin entered the scene a significant number of new cryptocurrencies have been launched, over 12,000 at the time of writing. While some maintain the same “medium of exchange” model, many new cryptocurrencies have emerged providing alternative solutions to the industry.

Ethereum, the world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency, for example, provides a platform on which developers can create their own decentralized apps and cryptocurrencies, while other cryptocurrencies revolve around faster transaction times, cloud storage and private transactions. Each of these projects utilizes a blockchain network that was designed to improve and innovate the crypto and blockchain space.

Spanning beyond government control and lengthy paperwork, cryptocurrencies are able to provide a global currency that operates entirely online and is not confirmed to the borders of a country. Cryptocurrencies are global, accessible 24/7 and cannot be frozen in accounts.

How crypto is driving economic freedom

Requiring only an internet connection and start-up funds, Bitcoin (and cryptocurrencies in general) allows anyone around the world to create a wallet and start trading. One doesn’t need access to a large bank branch or lengthy paperwork, one simply needs an internet connection and a smartphone.

Curling back to the factors that contribute to economic freedom, cryptocurrencies are able to seamlessly check six of twelve of the categories of the Index of Economic Freedom through their innate properties. 

• Trade Freedom [Market Openness]
• Financial Freedom  [Market Openness]
• Business Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Labour Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Monetary Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Property Rights  [Rule Of Law] 

The remaining categories however revolve around the governments running the nations in question, particularly the rule of law and government size categories. Nevertheless, cryptocurrencies can still assist in creating better-functioning economies and provide the technology that allows for a more open and free financial system.

A free and open financial system

As cryptocurrencies remove the barriers of borders, they allow people to transact their money in the same way that they communicate with each other (through the internet). As the digital age continues to evolve, we are likely to continue seeing a significant increase in the level of economic freedom that crypto provides to users around the world, empowering both the individual and the nation.

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Since Bitcoin entered the financial landscape in 2009 it has made immense leaps and bounds in becoming the internationally recognised digital currency it is today. Despite the giant progress, crypto still has the potential to further infiltrate many aspects of society, particularly how we travel. 

This unprecedented technology can ultimately revolutionise the way we live our lives. Let’s take a look at how crypto is easing international travel, and how you can use it to your advantage.

Blockchain in travel

Many are familiar with cryptocurrencies, but few are aware that blockchain is the technology behind them. Blockchain technology, in simple terms, is a giant public ledger that stores data in a chronological, immutable manner. Particularly flourishing in supply chain management and the broader tech space, blockchain is also proving to be a useful asset to companies operating in the travel sector. 

With a wide range of options within the sector, from flights to car rental to hotels, blockchain is slowly starting to prove to be a powerful force in each case. Already several companies have adopted the technology and used it to add more streamlined and efficient services to the travel industry. 

For example, a French company, Sandblock is harnessing the technology and allowing travel companies to create their own loyalty tokens to attract and retain customers. These tokens can then be traded for a variety of services (beyond the company that issued them) or exchanged for alternative coins or fiat currencies. 

Another example is a Swiss-based, blockchain based company called Winding Tree which was designed to minimize fees for travelers while reducing costs for service providers. The non-profit company aims to cut out the middleman adding high fees to travelers' bookings and connect travelers directly to the service providers using smart contracts. 

These are just two in a wide range of companies already implementing blockchain technology into their businesses, illustrating the unlimited potential the nascent technology holds. 

Crypto bridges the gap

Like blockchain, cryptocurrencies are too playing an impressive role in easing cross-border travel, with plenty more room for development and better adoption. 

Cryptocurrencies facilitate seamless transactions without having to exchange one currency for another when going abroad. Say you lived in America and were visiting Australia, you wouldn’t need to exchange your US dollars for Australian dollars incurring high exchange fees and company-chosen exchange rates if you could just scan a QR code that automatically accesses funds in your universal crypto wallet.

Top tourist destinations around the world have started embracing cryptocurrencies, with a large amount likely to follow. For example, several destinations in Queensland, Australia, that provide access to the Great Barrier Reef have started implementing crypto payments into their tourist-focused businesses, and the reception has been impressive (see more below). 

El Salvador on the other hand approved Bitcoin as a legal tender in 2021, effectively making it very simple for any crypto-savvy tourist to travel around. One doesn’t even need to take a fiat card with them as all transactions can be completed using their mobile device. If that’s not the future of travel, what is?

Advantages of using crypto to travel

For the sceptics out there we’ve outlined several advantages of using cryptocurrencies when traveling, below. 

• It reduces the chance of theft or money loss
• It eases the booking process
• It allows users to avoid excessive exchange rates and ATM fees
• It minimizes the risk of credit card fraud
• Your smartphone functions as a wallet
• No left-over currency when you leave the country
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Globalisation meets blockchain

With increased awareness around countries and societies around the world, thanks to both mainstream and social media, companies expanding on a global level are becoming more and more common. 

However, this level of globalisation is often plagued with inconsistent means of distributing funds, causing delays, disruptions and unnecessary expenses. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology provide the infrastructure to change these difficulties, stablecoins even more so. 

The mobile revolution

According to a recent study, there are 6.37 billion smartphone users around the world, with 80% of the population in possession of one device. This is a significant rise from 2016’s statistics where only 49% of the world owned a smartphone.

Ownership levels are unsurprisingly highest in developed countries like the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, where on average 80% of the population own a smartphone. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are among the lowest percentages, with an average of 27% of the country owning one. 

Despite this, 80% of the developing world are still crypto-capable. All that is required is a smartphone and an internet connection. In the future, more local businesses, hotels, and shops in these countries will set up crypto wallets, enabling them to accept global payments in a matter of seconds (depending on the coin of choice).

This is likely to happen faster in the developing world than elsewhere, as demand for convenient and reliable payment solutions is on the rise. Less developed countries like the Bahamas are already catching on. 

An industry on the up

Crypto is easing international travel and contributing to a growing industry. Since the pandemic emerged, travel was put on a back foot but has since experienced a surge as people seek an alternative change of scenery. Now, cryptocurrency is making travel to remote areas, a growing demand, all the more possible.

Of course, government collaboration is paramount. Brisbane Airport in Australia is the first in the world to accept cryptocurrency at 30 merchants. As mentioned above, Queensland itself is a trailblazer in the crypto world. Agnes Water, a town located at the south of the Great Barrier Reef, has more than 40 businesses that accept Bitcoin. This kind of initiative is precisely what is required from governments and businesses for crypto to help grow the travel industry.

Ironing out foreign currency wrinkles

It is clear that crypto has the potential to revolutionise the way we operate around the world. Cryptocurrencies can make travelling easier and more accessible, and bolster tourism industries in developing countries. Solutions offered by several payment-focused cryptocurrencies could very well take over, as more and more tourists demand easier payment options.

Tap a streamlined cryptocurrency platform, is also contributing to the movement by providing a mobile app that facilitates rapid purchasing, trading, and secure storage of cryptocurrencies. For travellers faced with less tech-savvy merchants, Tap provides a Mastercard enabling users to spend supported fiat and cryptocurrencies at 40+  million merchants around the world.