Learning the friendly way

Whether you're new to investments or you've been active in the markets for years, it's never too late (or early) to get your head around the different types of investment opportunities available. As we know, one size never fits all, so in this piece we're going to run you through the options out there and help you to determine which category will best suit your needs. 

The 3 tiers of investments

First and foremost, when diving into the world of investing one must first determine their risk tolerance. How much risk you are willing to engage in will help you establish which investment avenue to go down. The three options are:

1. Low-risk 

These types of investors are not looking to take risks with their capital. The primary goal is to preserve the initial investment despite the opportunity to gain returns. This is a great start for new investors as the risk is minimal while they learn the ropes. 

A great investment option here is a money market fund. The funds are typically managed by professional, licensed fund managers, and involve bank deposits, commercial papers and treasury bills. While the risk is low, the potential for returns is moderate and the investment is liquid, meaning that the investor typically have access to the funds at any time. 

2. Medium-risk 

Providing an option for the more confident investor, medium-risk investments incorporate moderate risks but have measures in place to stop any high losses. This strategy is often made up of low-risk and high-risk investments, ensuring a balance between the two components. 

Medium-risk options include a mix of mutual funds and dollar funds, which will invest in medium-risk stocks, bonds and treasury bills. The risk of losing capital is therefore lower than with high-risk investments while your potential for returns are higher than low-risk investment options. 

3. High-risk 

This category is for the investors with an appetite for risk. They're comfortable with losing their invested capital in the pursuit of higher gains. A huge note here is that Ponzi schemes are never good investments. Rather stick to professionally managed investment funds that are catered to those with a high-risk threshold. 

These might include equity mutual funds that invest in stocks of vetted companies with large public listings. These are best catered to long-term timelines, as volatility might hinder the returns in a shorter space of time. High-risk investments have the potential to bring about higher returns, however this is never a guarantee. 
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How to distinguish what type of investor you are

While a professional financial advisor can do this for you, we've created a three step, simple way to determine whether you fit into the conservative investor (low-risk), moderate investor (medium-risk) or aggressive investor (high-risk) category. Consider these three factors below:

• what is your age?

If you're younger, there are more years ahead of you to recover from a bad investment. As a result, each passing birthday slightly lowers your risk tolerance.

• what is your marital status?

As a general rule of thumb being married incurs more expenses and allows for less risk taking when compared to a single person with no-one else to be responsible for. With fewer financial responsibilities comes a high opportunity for risk-taking. 

• what is your net-worth?

Last but not least, your net-worth will also impact your appetite for risk. The more money you have, the more you can risk to make that money grow (and the bigger the cushion if an investment does go south). 
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In conclusion‍

It's important to remember that one investor type is not better than another, rather, it is what's best suited to your needs and requirements. The longer you leave these investments the higher the returns, so be sure to have a solid savings account built up prior to investing to ensure that should something go wrong you have alternative sources of funds to support that. Liquidating your investment early might lead to losses and most certainly lost opportunity. 

The Graph is making the process of interacting with blockchains much simpler by streamlining the building of new apps and the process of tracking valuable data, powering the growth of DeFi and Web3 platforms. The platform allows developers to provide improved user experience across the board, as opposed to having to create custom back-end infrastructure for each application.

The Graph indexes blockchain data in a unique and decentralized way which allows for the seamless querying and retrieving of data that is easily accessible and can be adopted by many. The platform's contribution to the global DeFi and Web3 infrastructure will be felt in years to come.

What is The Graph?

The Graph is a unique decentralized protocol that utilizes DLT (decentralized ledger technology) and the powerful GraphQL programming language to enable blockchain data collection without relying on third parties. The cutting-edge technology makes it simpler than ever before to index, organize, and query blockchain data information with remarkable accuracy and speed.

The Graph provides indexing and querying services that are compatible with networks like Ethereum, IPFS and PAO, with more to come in the future. The infrastructure can then organize data through the hosted service and implement automated workflow processes through open APIs, called subgraphs in The Graph ecosystem.

This indexing protocol resolves the issue of querying data security, chain reorganization, and other related matters with the subgraphs.

The launch of The Graph mainnet marked a milestone in creating entirely decentralized applications compatible with an expansive network of service providers. With these open, public subgraphs, developers can now build thousands of dapps on the network, with hundreds already hosted by The Graph mainnet. This allows for secure blockchain data access making the world far more connected than ever before.

The Graph (GRT) successfully raised $12 million from a public token sale and an additional $7.5 million from a private round funded by Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, and Framework Ventures including Multicoin Capital's investment of $2.5 million.

How is The Graph network secured?

The Graph mainnet is powered by nodes, while indexers, curators, delegators, and consumers use GRT tokens to ensure the integrity of the data secured within the network. GRT is The Graph network's native cryptocurrency which helps to assign resources within its ecosystem. All network participants are required to stake GRT in order to perform their roles, and in return can earn fees from the network.

The Graph Foundation offers the network participants coordination and support while steering and growing the ecosystem. The foundation is financially and legally accountable to The Graph Council, which oversees governance decisions.

Who created The Graph platform?

Driven by his firsthand experience of how hard it is to create new dapps on Ethereum, Yaniv Tal joined forces with Brandon Ramirez and Jannis Pohlmann in 2018 to form The Graph team. The Graph aims were to design the world's first decentralized indexing and querying application that could make Web3 and dapp creation accessible to anyone. This vision included the ability to build immutable APIs with the GraphQP query language. 

The three co-founders previously launched a developer tools startup together sharing a common interest in optimizing API stacks. All with engineering backgrounds, Yaniv Tal acts as project lead, Brandon Ramirez is the research lead and Jannis Pohlmann the tech lead.

The Graph launched on December 17, 2020.

How does The Graph protocol work?

By leveraging the Graph Protocol, developers and users can open APIs to build subgraphs for a variety of applications. In April 2021 alone, The Graph’s hosted service managed 20 billion queries - further demonstrating its power in data indexing, querying data, and its collection of data.

The Graph node sustains the whole system, scanning through the blockchain database to organize and index data. The platform's structure is centered around delegators, indexes, curators, and consumers, who use GRT tokens to participate in the network. 

Indexers - Graph node operators

With staked GRT, indexers can provide querying and indexing services to the network, earning query fees and rewards for their efforts. They are also responsible for running node software providing a vital part of The Graph ecosystem that grants access to data stored on Ethereum or other supported networks at lightning speed. Indexers are the most technical positions within the ecosystem.

Curators - identity blockchain data sources

Curators are responsible for developing subgraphs (open APIs are called subgraphs on the network) and signaling to indexers which ones should be indexed by the network. They also identify the most reliable data sources using their knowledge of the blockchain ecosystem, consumers and apps.

To incentivize the quality of their data sourcing, curators are required to deposit GRT into a bonding curve on specific existing subgraphs, earning a portion of the query fees for the subgraphs they signal on. The earlier a curator signals on a subgraph the higher the share of query fees they earn, dependent on the amount of GRT deposited. 

Curators are semi-technical positions within the ecosystem as they require an understanding of open data. As an example, say a new DeFi subgraph appears and a curator thinks it looks promising. They can signal on the subgraph so that indexers recognize its potential and make it discoverable for dapp developers. In return, curators receive a portion of query fees for being among the first to spot it.

Delegators - securing the network

Delegators are non-technical contributors to the network and are responsible for securing the network without running a node. They select indexers based on performance metrics and delegate GRT to indexers via the Graph Explorer dapp, earning a portion of the query fees and indexing rewards in return. 

Consumers - end-users

Consumers are the end-users of The Graph and are the ones who query subgraphs and pay fees to indexers, curators, and delegators for their services. These query fees are paid through gateways or wallets that are built on top of the open-source contracts on the network. 

What is GRT on The Graph network?

The Graph (GRT) is an ERC-20 token and the native token to The Graph network. The coin is integral to the reward system created to benefit indexers, curators, and delegators, which incentives them to improve the market and network operations. 

Delegators can delegate their GRT holdings to Indexers, who use locked GRT to power the nodes on The Graph network. Curators receive a reward in the form of GRT for providing curation services and consumers pay using GRT to access indexing services. Additionally, unlocking dapps available through The Graph network as well as interoperable networks is done by using GRT tokens. 

Participants of the network earn money by receiving The Graph GRT tokens, which have a market value when traded on the cryptocurrency market.

10 billion GRT were created when the project launched, with an annual issuance rate of 3% for indexing rewards. The platform then burns the withdrawal tax that curators are charged as well as 1% of the total query fees. All issuance formalities are subject to future technical governance. At the time of writing, the current circulating supply of GRT was 6,9 billion. 

How can I buy The Graph (GRT) tokens?

It's now easier than ever to add GRT to your crypto portfolios with the convenient Tap app. The mobile app has recently introduced The Graph among the list of its supported currencies, enabling anyone to effortlessly and safely access this crypto market anytime. Get ready for a whole new level of trading experience.

GRT can be acquired with both cryptocurrency and fiat currency, or users may prefer to turn to more traditional payment solutions like bank transfers. The wallets integrated into the platform make it easy for customers to organize and manage their GRT tokens safely.

While this is an outline of the project we encourage all users to conduct their own research before investing in an cryptocurrencies or investments in the global economy.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of The Graph (GRT) on Tap!

GRT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold GRT 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 GRT 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 Graph is a unique decentralized protocol that utilizes DLT (decentralized ledger technology) and the powerful GraphQL programming language to enable blockchain data collection without relying on third parties. The cutting-edge technology makes it simpler than ever before to index, organize, and query blockchain data information with remarkable accuracy and speed.

The Graph (GRT) is an ERC-20 token and the native token to The Graph network. The coin is integral to the reward system created to benefit indexers, curators, and delegators, which incentives them to improve the market and network operations. Participants of the network earn money by receiving The Graph GRT tokens, which have a market value when traded on the cryptocurrency market.

Get to know more about The graph (GRT) in our dedicated article here.

We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Dai (DAI) on Tap!

DAI is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold DAI 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 DAI 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.

Launched in 2017, DAI is an algorithmic stablecoin issued by MakerDAO.  This stablecoin cryptocurrency is aiming to maintain a soft peg with the United States dollar. This goal is achieved through the use of smart contracts which incentivize participants to perform essential maintenance and governance functions.

Due to the coin’s soft peg to the US dollar, the DAI stablecoin not only provides a stable long-term store of value but also a strong medium of exchange.

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

With inflation rates rising across the world, many are naturally looking to regain control of their funds. Affecting everyone from business owners to retirees, and even governments, inflation is the silent killer when it comes to deteriorating personal wealth. In this article, we explore what inflation is exactly, and how you can protect yourself from it. 

What is inflation?

Inflation is a term used to describe the gradual increase in the cost of goods and services in an economy, which results in the reduction of the purchasing power of your money. As goods and services rise in price, each unit of currency becomes able to buy less, thus reducing its purchasing power. Additionally to this, the rise in the cost of living tends to result in a deceleration in economic growth. 

Inflation can be felt far beyond just household goods like food. It is experienced across the board, from services like entertainment, labour, and healthcare to metals and fuel even in transportation and electricity. 

Two indexes used to measure inflation are the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Wholesale Price Index (WPI). CPI examines a basket of household goods and compares the overall prices to the prices registered the year before. Inflation is noted when the same amount of money cannot buy the same amount of goods as previously recorded. 

The WPI measures and tracks the price of goods at the producer or wholesale level. This observes the increases in prices from the foundation up, looking at the raw materials instead of the final product.

Following the pandemic, inflation rates have increased around the world. In some cases, inflation rates are the highest they've been in 30 years, bad news for people's savings and salaries.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) recorded a 7.5% annual increase at the end of January 2022, the biggest increase to date since 1982. While, according to information available through the UK equivalent, the Office for National Statistics, a 12-month increase of 6.2% was observed in March 2022.

Inflation vs interest rates

Not to be confused with one another, inflation is the increase in the cost of living while interest rates determine how much money you can earn/pay as a lender/borrower. Inflation and interest rates typically rise and fall together, with an increase in one generally creating an increase in the other.

The different types of inflation

There are three main types of inflation which are categorised as demand-pull inflation, cost-push inflation, and built-in inflation. Below we outline the differences between the three.

Demand-pull Inflation

Demand-pull inflation is when an increased supply of money leads to an increased demand for goods and services at a pace faster than the economy's production capacity. The increased demand and limited supply result in price rises. 

Cost-push Inflation

Cost-push inflation is the result of increased costs of raw materials and production processes, leading to an increased price in the final product and other consumer prices. 

Built-in Inflation

Built-in inflation is created by a wage-price spiral where consumer prices rise leading workers to demand higher wages which in turn increases consumer prices. 

How to manage funds and navigate inflation

Inflation is an inevitable part of life, however, there are still ways in which one can protect their funds from deteriorating in value. 

Invest in stocks

Stock markets provide much better returns than traditional interest-bearing savings accounts. While managing the stock market is a relatively complicated endeavour and requires more energy, stocks, and ETFs can earn up to 7% annual returns which would both increase your capital and beat inflation.

Invest in property

Property prices tend to increase in value over time. While they require a substantial payment of capital, these can pay off in the long run. 

Invest in commodities

Precious metals like gold and silver, as well as agricultural products and energy resources, offer potential opportunities for preserving wealth during economic uncertainties.

In Conclusion

Managing inflation is integral to maintaining financial stability. Inflation is an inevitable part of the modern economy, however, there are ways to minimize its effects on your savings. Stocks, property, and commodities are all viable options to ensure your personal wealth is protected and growing. 

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We are delighted to announce the listing and support of Quant (QNT) on Tap!

QNT is now available for trading on the Tap mobile app. You can now Buy, Sell, Trade or hold QNT 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 QNT 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 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 Quant protocol was designed to remove barriers commonly encountered on blockchains in communication, interoperability and scaling.

QNT is an ERC-20 token from the Quant blockchain that provides digital access to a particular application or service and is used to access the Overledger network and validate transactions on the network.

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.

Get to know more about Quant  (QNT) in our dedicated article here.