We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Chain (XCN) on Tap!

XCN is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold XCN for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting XCN will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

Founded in 2014, Chain provides organisations with the infrastructure they need to build better financial services from scratch. The Chain token (XCN) is a utility and governance token for the Chain Protocol that allows its holder to vote on protocol improvements and various community-driven programs. XCN can be used for premium access, discounts, and payment of commercial fees on Sequence and other Chain ecosystem products.

Get to learn more about XCN in our dedicated article here.

When learning about paper wallets it's likely that you came across this option nestled safely in the “cold wallet” section in the different types of cryptocurrency wallets. While the popularity of paper wallets has somewhat declined, there are still a strong number of crypto enthusiasts that still appreciate the completely offline storage option. Let's explore what is a paper wallet and whether it's suited to your crypto needs.

What is a paper wallet?

For those needing a recap, a paper wallet is a piece of paper that holds both one’s public and private keys in both alphanumeric form and QR codes. Known as a non-custodial cold storage wallet, paper wallets allow the holders to manage their own private keys and remain entirely offline. A private key is a unique code that grants a user ownership of their wallet and digital funds, akin to a pin code for a bank account.

Creating paper wallets is incredibly simple, and can be completed in a matter of seconds. As a paper wallet "functions" offline, this makes them free from hackers, unlike a software wallet which is operated online. However, the paper wallet still carries its own set of risks in that the piece of paper cannot get damaged or lost.  Many Bitcoin paper wallets have been lost due to the paper fading or the information becoming illegible.

The objective of keeping a paper wallet is to keep the private key safe whether its for a Bitcoin paper wallet or one designed to hold any other cryptocurrency. Each crypto wallet will be designed to store one specific cryptocurrency.

The term Bitcoin wallet is a generic term for any type of crypto wallet, whether a paper wallet, a software wallet or any type of online wallet or hot wallet. The only distinguishing factor is that the digital wallet only holds Bitcoin.

Precautions for using paper wallets

While storing the paper wallet securely in a safe location makes the top of the list here, other precautions to take are listed below:

Quality printer

Always use a good quality printer. Ensure that your paper wallet is printed with a high-quality inkjet printed to ensure that the characters on the paper don’t fade or bleed over time. Should this happen you could lose access to your funds. 

Don’t share private keys

Never share your private keys with anyone. Paper wallets are designed to show the public key QR code on one side and the private key on the other. When sharing your public key with someone be sure not to accidentally share the private key as then they could gain access to your funds. 

Be sure to set up a change address

If you don't set up a change address before sending funds from a paper wallet, the leftover funds will go to waste. A change address is a separate wallet address that picks up the change from a transaction. 

If you have, for example, 100 BTC in your Bitcoin paper wallet and only spend 0.50 BTC, the remaining  99.5 BTC will either be sent to the change address or lost from your own paper wallet entirely. 

Paper wallets are not designed to be used for sending funds, but instead for receiving and storing funds for the long term. Hot wallets (as opposed to paper wallets) are better suited to users looking to frequently send and receive funds. There are plenty of crypto wallets on the market, ensure that you find the most convenient one for you.

Alternatively, funds can be stored in a yield-generating account where your funds can earn interest. Tap offers a wallet of this nature conveniently located on the app, which allows users to hold several crypto and fiat currencies and earn rewards based on each currency. The longer the funds remain there, the higher the yield.

While paper wallets remain offline, there are still risks associated with them. Be sure to adhere to the above precautions in order to keep your funds safe. 

Are paper wallets still relevant?

In the early days of crypto trading, paper wallets were strongly advised due to the offline safety of storing private keys. They began to be popular around the end of 2010 but unfortunately have been on a decline in more recent years as innovation in the industry has picked up momentum. A paper wallet is resistant to online attacks as long as it's made correctly; you can't hack a piece of paper.

In the past, people could create and print paper wallets for their crypto right from their exchange accounts. But now experts believe that hardware wallets are a more secure option, so most major exchanges don't offer this service anymore.

While some die-hard crypto traders still believe in the solid security of paper wallets, there are plenty of more innovative options available on the market today. 

UNI is the native token to the Ethereum-based automated crypto exchange, Uniswap. A prominent contender in the DeFi space, Uniswap has become synonymous with decentralised exchanges and the automated trading of decentralised finance (DeFi) tokens.

Covering everything from its growth to rewards to its supply, learn about the leading cryptocurrency linked to the automated market maker. 

What Is Uniswap (UNI)?

As mentioned above, Uniswap is a decentralised exchange that facilitates the automated trading of DeFi assets. Decentralised in nature, all trading is facilitated by crypto smart contracts as opposed to employees at a company managing operations, a level up from the decentralised ideology of Bitcoin.

Uniswap was created to provide liquidity to the DeFi industry and allows anyone to create a liquidity pool for any pair of digital assets. After launching in late 2018, the platform experienced an unexpected boom when the DeFi movement exploded. Despite being a technical process, customers and traders around the world joined in on the action.

Following the DeFi phenomenon of increased liquidity mining and yield farming platforms, the automated market maker (AMM) saw a significant increase in the tokens invested in and traded on the platform. 

Competing with centralised exchanges, Uniswap provides a trading platform to anyone, without the need for any identity verification or credentials. With no KYC verification, users can swap a wide range of tokens depending on the liquidity pools available.

Who created Uniswap?

Created by Hayden Adams, an Ethereum developer, Uniswap was designed to introduce AMMs to the Ethereum network. Adams worked closely with Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin, as he built and implemented the protocol. 

Adams states that he was inspired to create the platform following a post by Buterin himself. In a short amount of time, this protocol became one of the biggest disruptors to the financial market.

How does Uniswap work?

A unique element of the platform is the advent of the Constant Product Market Maker Model. This pricing mechanism works in a way that instead of determining the price of a token by connecting a buyer with a seller, the price is determined by a constant equation (x multiplied by y = k).  

In order to add a token to Uniswap, users would need to fund it with the equivalent value of ETH and the ERC-20 token in question. Say, for instance, that you wanted to add a token to Uniswap called FIRE. You would need to launch a new Uniswap smart contract for the token FIRE and also create a liquidity pool that holds the same amount of FIRE and ETH. 

In this case, x in the equation would equal the number of ETH while y equals the number of FIRE in the liquidity pool. K represents the constant value, using the balance of supply and demand to determine the value. As someone buys FIRE using ETH, the FIRE supply decreases and the ETH supply increases, thus driving up the price of FIRE. 

The platform allows any ERC-20 token to be traded, with an easy means of creating the smart contract and liquidity pool necessary. In May 2020, Uniswap V2 was launched which allowed for direct ERC20 to ERC20 exchanges as well as support for several incompatible ERC20 tokens like OmiseGo (OMG) and Tether (USDT). 

In order to trade on Uniswap a user will need to have a wallet that complies with the platform, like MetaMask, Fortmatic, WalletConnect, or Portis Wallet.

How does the Uniswap token work?

Launched in September 2020, 400 governance tokens (UNI) were airdropped to each wallet that had made use of the platform before 1 September that year. 66 million of the 150 million UNI tokens distributed were claimed in the first 24 hours. 

According to the platform, Uniswap tokens were created to "officially enshrin[e] Uniswap as publicly-owned and self-sustainable infrastructure while continuing to carefully protect its indestructible and autonomous qualities."

Providing both profitability potential and governance rights, holders of the digital asset have the right to vote in how the platform develops, unifying the protocol's authority and cutting out the middleman. This grants holders immediate ownership of a number of Uniswap initiatives including the UNI community treasury, eth ENS, the protocol fee switch, SOCKS liquidity tokens and the Uniswap Default List (tokens.uniswap.eth).

The launch of UNI was seen as a direct retaliation to SushiSwap, another decentralised exchange that cloned the platform and added its own token (SUSHI). 

The digital asset is an Ethereum-based ERC-20 token and operates on the Ethereum blockchain.

What is Uniswap Version 3?

More commonly referred to as Uniswap V3, the latest version of the automated market maker was launched on 5 May 2021. This upgrade incorporated better capital efficiency for liquidity providers, improved infrastructure and enhanced execution for traders. Prior to the launch of Uniswap V3, the price of the native token reached its all-time high.

Where can I buy Uniswap (UNI)?

Users looking to incorporate Uniswap (UNI) into their crypto portfolios can do so securely and conveniently through the Tap app. Simply download the app, sign up for an account and complete the quick verification process. Once approved, users can easily load funds (both crypto and traditional fiat currencies) and buy UNI tokens. These tokens will then be stored in the user's secure UNI wallet, and can be used for a number of functions or simply held there.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Polygon ( MATIC ) on Tap!

MATIC is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. Buy, Sell, Trade or hold MATIC for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting MATIC will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.
The MATIC token is highly liquid with a market cap of $8,031,194,777 at the time of writing.
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MATIC is an ERC-20 token native to the Polygon Network used for a variety of purposes, such as paying transaction fees, staking, and governance. Polygon (formerly Matic Network) is a Layer-2 solution that operates on the Ethereum network. By using sidechains, Polygon offers developers secure and instantaneous transactions that can easily scale. Those who create decentralized applications (DApps) will find the Polygon network advantageous due to its cheap fees and speedy transaction time.

Get to learn more on Polygon MATIC here.

Made up of the Overledger blockchain operating system and QNT token, the goal of the Quant Network is to allow multiple blockchains to work together and to give more flexibility when it comes to linking different global networks, services, and chains. With an impressive founder and resilience to the bear market, QNT has made a considerable impression in the industry.

What Is The Quant Network?

The Quant Network was designed to connect blockchains and networks on a global scale, prioritising interoperability and trust functions between them using the Overledger operating system, the first OS built for blockchains.

The Overledger network acts as the backbone of the project and is not a blockchain but rather an Application Programming Interface (API) gateway that allows developers to build decentralised multi-chain applications (known as Mapps) and bridges the gap between various blockchain networks.

The Quant project believes that this technology will be the foundation on which the future digital economy will be built. In light of this, the network has been working with central banks in the US and UK to build Central Bank Digital Currencies (CDBCs).

Founded in 2015 the platform officially launched in 2018 following a successful ICO earlier that year. July 2020 marks the launch of the world’s first blockchain operating system in July 2020, Version 1.0.

Who Created The Quant Network?

Quant was founded by Gilbert Verdian, a cybersecurity expert who has held government-level positions around the world. These positions include the UK Treasury, the Australian Department of Health, and the US Federal Reserve, and private sector roles at HSBC Bank, Mastercard’s Vocalink, BP, and more. 

With over two decades of experience in the cybersecurity space, Verdian learned the power that blockchain technology holds when it comes to solving a plethora of security problems related to the exchange of digital assets and information on a global level. 

Verdian sits as the chair of the UK Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology committee and is a member of the EU’s Blockchain Observatory and the Federal Reserve. 

In 2017, Colin Paterson and Paolo Tasca joined the project as co-founders, each bringing their own impressive experience. Paterson, acting Chief Technology Officer, is a cybersecurity expert having worked with Deutsche Bank and Vocalink and acted as the chief information officer of NSW Ambulance, the CISO of eHealth NSW, and the security lead of the Ministry of Justice, UK, prior to joining the project. 

Tasca, Chief Strategist, serves as the Executive Director of the University College London (UCL) Centre for Blockchain Technologies, Executive Board Member of the DEC Institute, and as Co-Chair of the Hedera Treasury Management and Token Economics Committee.

How Does The Quant Network Work?

The Quant network is centred around the Overledger feature. With Overledger, businesses can connect their preexisting technology infrastructures with a number of blockchain ledgers using an easy-to-use API.

APIs are software that creates or processes requests between two programs, acting as an intermediary. Many online applications rely on APIs, including finance trading software and social media sites.

The Overledger operating system lets developers launch Mapps, which are decentralised applications that work with numerous existing blockchains. Overledger operates in a similar manner to Windows, Android, or Macintosh OS in that it allows applications to run on it. The technology sits between underlying blockchain infrastructure and allows the Mapps to communicate seamlessly with multiple blockchains.

In order to access Overledger and build Mapps on the network, developers are required to hold QNT tokens and use these tokens to pay transaction fees, as well as a fiat-based annual licence. The platform also allows developers to create their own tokens using its QRC-20 token standards (similar to Ethereum ERC-20 tokens) as well as create QRC-20 smart contracts. These functionalities were created in a drag-and-drop style so that anyone with no prior experience can create them.

As an example, a developer within the ecosystem could create a smart contract that incorporates both the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks. The interconnected smart contract could stipulate that Jane will pay Sandy 1 BTC only once Paul has paid Jane 1 ETH.

What Is QNT?

QNT is an ERC-20 token that is used to access the Overledger network and validate transactions on the network. There is a maximum supply of 14.6 million QNT tokens, of which over 80% are in circulation (at the time of writing).

All product users, developers, and gateway operators are required to purchase annual licences, used to maintain platform efficiency. These licence fees are converted to QNT and locked up in the Quant treasury. If a user does not renew their licence, they forfeit their fees, discouraging them from dumping tokens on the market if the price increases.

Transaction fees for using Overledger are paid for in QNT to gateway operators. Since its launch in August 2018, QNT has seen consistent price growth and activity on the network.

Where Can I Get QNT?

You can simply buy / sell QNT through the Tap app, one of the most secure solutions in the crypto space as being a fully regulated crypto fintech. Using a range of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies on offer, users can exchange any of the supported currencies to build a healthy portfolio that can be safely stored in its unique wallet linked to your account. Find links to download the app from the Tap website.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Maker (MKR) on Tap!

MKR is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold MKR for any of the other asset supported on the platform without any pair boundaries. Tap is pair agnostic, meaning you can trade any asset for any other asset without having to worries if a "trading pair" is available.

We believe supporting MKR will provide value to our users. We are looking forward to continue supporting new crypto projects with the aim of providing access to financial power and freedom for all.

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

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

Get to know more about Maker (MKR) in our dedicated article here.