While the crypto industry continues to grow at a breathtaking pace, one problem continues to run wild. That problem is the fact that blockchains are not interoperable, meaning that they can only exist in their individual nature. Polkadot set out to change this, creating a network that aims to connect multiple blockchains in one simple solution. As a direct competitor to Ethereum, the blockchain network has a different structural approach.

What Is Polkadot (DOT)?

Polkadot is a blockchain network created by one of the Ethereum founders. Through the use of intricate architecture, the platform aims to connect multiple networks through their relay chain and parachain system (more on this below). 

Similar to Ethereum, developers can create their own decentralized apps (dapps) and smart contracts on the network. Referred to as a sharding multichain network, Polkadot aims to provide a platform on which developers can build multiple blockchain networks off a common standard. Traders can then trade a range of products built on the network, similar to how ERC-20 tokens are traded.

Who Created Polkadot?

Founded in 2016, Polkadot was created by one of the Ethereum co-founders, Gavin Wood, alongside Peter Czaban and Robert Habermeier. Woods notably created the Ethereum language Solidity, which allows developers to create dapps on the Ethereum network. 

Wood is also the founder of Parity Technologies and the president of Web3 Foundation. Web3 Foundation is a Swiss foundation that was designed to facilitate a user-friendly, open-source decentralized web. The company's approach to crypto is one of its kind and sets it above any other competitor.

How Does Polkadot Work?

As mentioned above, Polkadot utilizes a relay chain and parachain system. Each parachain is a blockchain in itself, however, they all rely on the relay chain to facilitate transactions. These blockchains work in a "parallel" manner (hence the name) and can each hold their own tokens and individual use cases. The relay chain provides blockchain support to the parachains on the network.

Finalizing the transactions and being responsible for maintaining network security, the relay chain is able to facilitate 1,000 transactions per second (TPS). Utilizing a hybrid consensus mechanism, the enterprise network has created proof-of-stake (PoS) and a nominated-proof-of-stake (NPoS) model. 

Through this variation, anyone can stake DOT in a particular smart contract and perform network roles such as being a :

• Validators (validate data in parachain blocks, vote on network changes)
• Nominators (select validators by delegating their staked DOT to them)
• Collators (nodes with full histories of each parachain, that transfer this information into blocks for the relay chain)
• Fishermen (responsible for monitoring the network and reporting bad behaviour to the validators)

These four roles allow Polkadot to have a highly sophisticated user-driven governance system as each role contributes to maintaining and securing the network while eradicating bad behaviour. 

The network is working on a third blockchain functionality known as a bridge. Bridges will allow blockchains on the Polkadot network to interact with "outside" blockchains, essentially allowing tokens to be swapped directly without needing to go through an exchange. 

Through this intensive structuring, Polkadot aims to solve two problems that the blockchain network is currently plagued with scalability and governance. 

What Is DOT?

DOT is the native cryptocurrency to the Polkadot network and is used as a governance and utility token, allowing users to vote on proposed upgrades and used for gas fees. It plays an integral role in maintaining and operating the network. As a digital currency, it can also be used to execute cross-border transactions.

The platform was launched in 2020 and has already established itself in the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies. 

Does Polkadot Have A Max Supply Cap?

To answer the question "what is the total supply of Polkadot" the answer is that there isn't one. The network opted to leave the total number of DOT infinite. At the time of writing the circulating supply was just short of 1 billion coins.

What Is The Difference Between Polkadot And Ethereum?

A common question in the crypto community, not just because they share similar use cases but also because the two networks share a founder. Both networks provide a platform on which developers can create their own blockchains, and following the launch of Ethereum 2.0., will both be using a PoS consensus. 

Structurally the Polkadot platform differs in that it makes use of parachains and a relay chain. This is a unique feat in the blockchain industry. Through this structure, the network aims to improve on several of Ethereum's functionalities and deliver a trifactor of governance, scalability and interoperability to the blockchain industry, without compromising security. 

How Can I Buy Polkadot?

If you're looking to incorporate Polkadot (DOT) in your cryptocurrency portfolio, look no further than Tap Global. A recent addition to the exchange's portfolio, users can buy, sell, trade and store DOT directly through the professional app. Whether looking to trade DOT for its technology and smart contract capabilities, or to tap into a new market, Tap allows traders to diversify their cryptocurrency portfolio in one secure location.

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Ripple är ett populärt val för den som vill diversifiera sin kryptovalutaportfölj och är utan tvekan en av de mest intressanta tillgångarna på marknaden. Omgiven av både kontroverser och lovord, har Ripple banat väg för ett nytt sätt att tänka kring digitala betalningar — och lockar lika mycket beröm som kritik.

Låt oss dyka djupare och utforska vad Ripple (XRP) är och varför denna digitala valuta ofta hamnar i rampljuset.

Vad är Ripple (XRP)?

För att förstå Ripple måste vi titta på dess tre grundpelare:

• Ripple Labs är företaget bakom tekniken och produkterna som utvecklas.
• RippleNet är nätverket som möjliggör globala betalningar mellan finansiella institutioner, byggt ovanpå XRP Ledger.
• XRP är den kryptovaluta som driver nätverket och möjliggör snabba och kostnadseffektiva transaktioner.

Ripple är i grunden en digital betalningsplattform som gör internationella överföringar snabbare och billigare. Företaget bakom Ripple utvecklar flera produkter som riktar sig till banker och finansiella institutioner, och bygger därmed en bro mellan den traditionella finansvärlden och den nya digitala ekonomin.

Till skillnad från många andra kryptoprojekt bygger Ripple inte på klassisk blockkedjeteknik, utan använder en egenutvecklad distribuerad ledger-teknologi. Målet är att erbjuda ett modernt alternativ till traditionella betalningssystem som SWIFT, med fokus på internationella och remitteringsmarknader.

Vad är XRP?

XRP lanserades 2013, då totalt 100 miljarder XRP skapades. I dag är omkring 52 miljarder i cirkulation, medan resten hålls i företagets förvar och släpps ut gradvis — ett system som skiljer sig från traditionell mining.

Även om XRP är den inhemska valutan på XRP Ledger, kan nätverket hantera transaktioner i flera olika valutor. XRP fungerar som en "brygga" för att snabbt konvertera mellan valutor.

Historien bakom XRP

Redan 2004 startade Ryan Fugger Ripple som ett onlinebetalningsföretag i Vancouver. Några år senare, när kryptovalutor började få genomslag, kontaktades Fugger av två utvecklare som ville kombinera sina idéer med hans.

Resultatet blev OpenCoin, grundat 2012 av Chris Larsen och Jed McCaleb, med Fugger i teamet. Året därpå, i september 2013, bytte företaget namn till Ripple Labs, som senare kortades till Ripple 2015.

2016 tilldelades Ripple en av de fyra första Bitlicences — ett krav från delstaten New York för att få bedriva verksamhet med virtuella valutor.

Hur fungerar Ripple?

Ripple använder ett annat system än exempelvis Bitcoin eller Ethereum för att upprätthålla sitt nätverk. RippleNets ledger hanteras av XRP-communityn och kan genomföra transaktioner på bara 3–5 sekunder.

Nätverket består av oberoende validator-noder som bekräftar transaktioner genom konsensus. Dessa noder är oftast banker, universitet och företag utanför kryptosfären.

Ripple tillhandahåller produkter och tjänster till betalningsföretag världen över och har integrerats i flera banksystem för att modernisera traditionella betalningslösningar.

Ett exempel är Ripples xCurrent-teknologi som användes för att lansera One Pay FX, en mobilapp för internationella betalningar från den spanska banken Santander. I Japan används Ripple också för att driva MoneyTap, en app som kopplar samman 61 banker för att möjliggöra inhemska betalningar. Ripple fortsätter att implementera sina lösningar globalt.

Ripple och SEC

2020 startade ett av kryptovärldens mest omtalade rättsfall när den amerikanska tillsynsmyndigheten SEC stämde Ripple och två av dess ledare, med anklagelser om att de brutit mot investerarskyddslagar.

SEC hävdade att Ripple olagligt samlat in 1,3 miljarder dollar genom ett oregistrerat värdepapperserbjudande. Som en direkt följd av stämningen förbjöd amerikanska börser all handel med XRP, och en utdragen rättsprocess tog sin början.

Kärnfrågan i fallet är huruvida XRP klassas som ett värdepapper. SEC menar att företaget sålt XRP som ett oregistrerat värdepapper, medan Ripple hävdar att XRP är en valuta.

I en viktig vändning slog domaren i fallet nyligen fast att XRP inte nödvändigtvis är ett värdepapper i sig, vilket delvis motsatte sig SEC:s påståenden. Dock erkände domstolen att vissa försäljningar av XRP till institutionella köpare ändå kan klassas som värdepapperstransaktioner.

Ripple-chefen Brad Garlinghouse kommenterade domen som "en enorm seger för Ripple, men ännu viktigare för hela branschen i USA."

Detta fall ses som avgörande för hela kryptomarknaden, eftersom det kan komma att sätta prejudikat för hur andra kryptovalutor regleras i framtiden.

Ripple vs Bitcoin

När man jämför XRP med den första och största kryptovalutan, Bitcoin, är det viktigt att förstå deras olika syften.

Bitcoin skapades för att vara ett globalt, decentraliserat betalningssystem och en digital värdebevarare. XRP, däremot, är utvecklat för att möjliggöra snabba och billiga internationella överföringar.

Medan Bitcoin är byggt för att stå utanför banksystemet och undvika central kontroll, är Ripple tvärtom skapat för att involvera banker och finansiella institutioner och hjälpa dem att dra nytta av kryptons möjligheter.

Bitcoin använder mining och Proof-of-Work för att verifiera transaktioner, medan Ripple använder validator-noder utanför kryptosfären. Ripples system gör transaktioner snabbare och mer energieffektiva.

Hur köper man XRP?

Om du vill lägga till XRP i din kryptoplånbok, kan du enkelt och säkert göra det via Tap-appen. XRP är numera tillgänglig i appen och kan smidigt köpas, säljas, handlas och lagras direkt i din personliga kryptoplånbok.

Ladda bara ner appen, skapa ett konto och genomför den snabba verifieringen — sedan är du redo att börja använda XRP!

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Risk management involves identifying and analysing the risks involved, and then choosing whether to accept this risk or make changes to avoid the risk. This process is one we carry out daily, from crossing the street to engaging with a stranger, however, in this realm we’re looking at it from a finance/investment point of view. 

If you have a fund manager or financial adviser, they will generally be responsible for calculating and communicating the risks associated with any type of investment. This will cover the potential returns as well as the potential risks to your capital. 

For example, investing in an emerging asset will hold a lot more risk than buying the stocks of a well-established institution. It’s worth noting that high risk doesn’t necessarily equate to a negative, typically assets with higher levels of risk bring about higher levels of return (high risk, high reward).

Each person’s level of risk will vary from one to another and should be decided prior to making any investments. Once this is established, your investment portfolio will work within those realms so as to manage that level of risk. 

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Under 2021 dök en oväntad trend upp – hundinspirerade kryptovalutor började ta plats på marknaden, och Shiba Inu hamnade snabbt i rampljuset. Även om den från början klassades som ett skämtmynt visade nätverket snabbt att det hade mer att erbjuda. I den här artikeln går vi igenom vad Shiba Inu är, hur det startade och varför det blivit en av de mest omtalade kryptovalutorna.

Vad är Shiba Inu-myntet?

Shiba Inu hämtade sin inspiration från Dogecoin, som i sin tur bygger på den välkända Shiba Inu-hundmemen. Nätverket skapades 2020 som ett alternativ till Dogecoin, men är byggt på Ethereum-nätverket. Myntet SHIB följer ERC-20-standarden och är bara en del av Shiba Inu-ekosystemet.

Ekosystemet inkluderar även decentraliserade börsen ShibaSwap där man kan handla SHIB och andra tokens. Projektets vitbok kallas “woofpaper” och beskriver hur användare kan “gräva” i Puppy Pools för att tillföra likviditet, “begrava” tokens för att tjäna ränta, samt använda de andra två tokens: Doge Killer (LEASH) och Bone ShibaSwap (BONE).

Utöver det finns även NFT-spelet Shiboshi Game och Shiba Artist Incubator – ett konstnärsinitiativ inom NFT-världen.

Varför har Shiba Inu blivit så populär?

Efter lanseringen kallades SHIB snabbt för “Dogecoin-dödaren” och växte explosivt i sociala medier. När kryptobörsen Coinbase lade till SHIB i sitt utbud under 2021, steg priset med över 40 % på två dagar.

Shiba Inu fick ett enormt genomslag under 2021 – bland annat tack vare hypen kring Dogecoin och Elon Musks kryptorelaterade tweets. I november samma år hade SHIB stigit över 60 000 000 % sedan januari.

Trots att Musk nämnt Shiba Inu på X (Twitter), har han själv sagt att han inte äger några SHIB-tokens.

Vem skapade Shiba Inu?

Shiba Inu skapades anonymt av någon som kallar sig Ryoshi, på samma sätt som Bitcoin skapades av pseudonymen Satoshi Nakamoto.

Vid lanseringen skapades en total tillgång på 1 kvadriljon SHIB-tokens. Ryoshi låste 50 % i Uniswap som likviditet och skickade resten till Ethereum-grundaren Vitalik Buterin. Buterin brände 90 % av dessa tokens och donerade resterande 10 % till en covid-hjälpfond i Indien – något som både ökade intresset och priset.

Hur fungerar Shiba Inu?

Plattformen ShibaSwap är en decentraliserad börs där man kan tjäna ränta via smarta kontrakt. SHIB fungerar precis som andra kryptovalutor och kan förvaras i plånböcker som stöder ERC-20-tokens.

LEASH var först tänkt att fungera som en stablecoin kopplad till Dogecoins pris, men omvandlades till en ERC-20-token med möjlighet att stakea och få belöningar i xLEASH. BONE fungerar som governance-token i Doggy DAO – alltså ett styrningsverktyg för användarna att rösta om plattformsuppdateringar.

Shiba Inu lanserade dessutom 10 000 unika “Shiboshi”-NFT:er på Ethereum-blockkedjan i oktober 2021, tillgängliga för handel.

Vad är SHIB?

SHIB är den inhemska kryptovalutan i Shiba Inu-nätverket. Vid tiden för denna artikel tillhörde den topp 20 största kryptovalutorna sett till marknadsvärde, och har under kort tid fått en betydande plats inom kryptovärlden.

Var kan jag köpa Shiba Inu?

Det är enkelt att komma igång med SHIB via Tap-appen. Du kan handla med både fiat och andra kryptovalutor, och SHIB lagras direkt i den dedikerade plånboken kopplad till ditt konto. Smidigt, snabbt och lättillgängligt – direkt i mobilen.

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‍‍Slippage plays an important role in trading cryptocurrencies for retail investors as it determines the difference between the amount that you expected to pay in a transaction and the amount the trade was executed at. Below we're uncovering what slippage in crypto is, explaining how it can contribute to risk, and providing some practical examples on how to avoid it. 

What Is Slippage In Trading?

Slippage is when an investor opens a trade but between creating the trade and the trade executing, the price changes due to price movements in the greater market. This can often be a costly problem in the financial sector and particularly when trading digital currencies on crypto exchanges.

How Does Slippage Occur?

The two main causes of slippage are volatility and liquidity, outlined in more information below.

Volatility is when the price changes rapidly, as is common in cryptocurrency markets, and as a result the price changes between the time of creating the buy or sell order and the time of execution. 

Liquidity concerns on the other hand are when the coin you are trading is not traded very often and the range between the lowest ask and the highest bid is wide. This can cause sudden and dramatic price changes, resulting in slippage. Fewer people trading an asset results in fewer asking prices, resulting in less favourable prices. 

This is common among altcoins with low volume and liquidity. While slippage can occur in forex and stock markets too, it is much more prevalent in crypto markets, particularly on decentralised exchanges (DEXs). 

There are two types of slippages:

Positive Slippage

Positive slippage is when a trader creates a buy order and the executed price is lower than the price initially expected. This will result in the trader getting a better rate. The same is true for a sell order that experiences a higher price point at trade execution, resulting in more favourable value for the trader. Positive slippage banks profits.

Negative Slippage

Negative slippage is when the trader loses out on the trade, with the price of the buy order higher than expected at the time of execution. The opposite is true for sell orders, meaning that the execution price is lower at the time of execution, similarly resulting in losses for the trader. 

Can Slippage Be Avoided? How To Avoid Slippage

While one can't eradicate slippage entirely, there are several measures one can take to better manage slippage, as regularly falling victim to negative slippages can result in losing a lot of money. 

• Create limit orders

Instead of creating market orders, traders can instead create limit orders as these types of trades don't settle for unfavourable prices. Market orders are designed to execute a trade service as quickly as possible at the current available price.

• Set a slippage percentage

Traders can create a slippage percentage that eliminates trades happening outside of the predetermined range. This can range from 0.1% to 5%, however, if the slippage percentage is too low this could lead to the trade not being executed and the trader missing out on large drops/jumps.

• Understand the coin's volatility

When in doubt, get educated. Learn about the coin's volatility as well as the volatility on the trading platform you are using. Understanding more about previous patterns can assist in making more informed decisions on when to open and close a position, and avoiding negative slippages.

How To Calculate Slippage

Slippage can be calculated in two ways, either in dollar amount or percentage. Although to work out the percentage, you will first need the dollar amount. This is calculated by subtracting the price you expected to pay from the price you actually paid. This amount will indicate if you incurred a positive or negative slippage. 

Most exchanges express this amount in percentages. This is calculated by dividing the dollar amount of slippage by the difference between the price you expected to get and the limit price. Then multiply that by 100. 

For example, say you are looking to buy Bitcoin for $50,000, but are not willing to pay more than $50,500. When the price is at $50,000 you will create a limit order of $50,500, however, the order executes when the price reaches $50,250. This will result in a $250 slippage. 

To calculate the percentage, divide $250 by $500 (the difference between the price you expected to pay and the limit order). 0.5 multiplied by 100 equals 50%. 

In this case, your slippage was $250 or 50%. 

Want to know more about cryptocurrencies and trading? Check out all our other educational articles here. 

Sitting among the 30 biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap, Stellar is focused on bridging the gap between the business of blockchain and the traditional financial institutions. The platform provides a means for users to send assets and money through the blockchain, utilising a decentralised network of authenticators.

Redefining the financial landscape, Steller presents a digital transformation on the traditional services users have become accustomed to. Merging innovation with a practical application, the network is able to help users around the world, as well as financial industries, achieve a more streamlined service. Let's explore what Stellar is.

What is Stellar (XLM)?

Before we dive into the "what", let's first stipulate that one stellar is known as a lumen and uses the ticker XLM. Stellar launched in July 2014 and soon afterwards changed its strategy to be more focused on integrating blockchain technology into financial institutions. 

The concept behind Stellar is to provide a space in which users can transfer everything from traditional crypto and fiat currencies to tokens representing new and existing assets, increasing their transaction performance by using lumens.

Similar to the Ripple XRP network, Stellar is designed to cater to both payment providers and financial institutions, building a bridge between the blockchain and traditional financial sector. Developing on the Ripple concept, Stellar has also positioned itself as an exchange as its ledger has an inbuilt order book that keeps track of all the assets on the network. 

Who Created Stellar?

The founders of Stellar are Jed McCaleb and Joyce Kim, both previously employees at Ripple. McCaleb, who founded and was acting CTO of Ripple, and lawyer Joyce Kim, decided to create Stellar after they left the Ripple team in 2013 following a disagreement on the direction that Ripple was taking. McCaleb is also credited with creating the first successful Bitcoin exchange, Mt Gox. 

McCaleb described Stellar's aim as giving people a means of moving their fiat into crypto and more seamlessly conducting international payments. The network provides cross border transactions with low transaction fees and fast executions. With leading technology and innovative problem solving, the network has made a healthy impression on both institutions and investors alike.

How Does Stellar Work?

Stellar is a hard fork off of the Ripple network with several similarities in design and functionality, however, the platform set itself apart by building in several key features. The platform is secured through the Stellar Consensus Protocol which revolves around these core business concepts: decentralised control, flexible trust, low latency, and asymptotic security.

The biggest upgrade launch came in 2015 when the platform replaced its consensus mechanism with a concept called federated Byzantine agreement. This required nodes to vote on transactions until quorums are reached. Anyone is able to join the consensus, and there are measures in place to inhibit bad actors operating with ill intent on the network.

The software behind the platform is called Stellar Core and can be altered to adhere to the needs of the operation using it. The nodes making up the network can be created to function as either Watchers, Archivers, Basic Validators or Full Validators. For example, watchers can only submit transactions while Full Validators can vote on which transactions are valid and maintain a ledger of all node activity.

Another element to the network is the Stellar Anchors. These gateways are responsible for accepting deposits of currencies and assets and issuing depictions of these on Stellar.

What Is XLM?

Known as lumens, XLM is the native cryptocurrency to the Stellar platform. XLM acts as an intermediary currency for transactions taking place on the network. With cost-effective experience priorities, every transaction on the Stellar network costs 0.00001 XLM, a fraction of a dollar (at the time of writing). 

When the platform launched in 2014, 100 billion lumens were minted, programmed to increase by 1% annually until the total supply reached 105 billion. Five years later the Stellar uses voted to end this process. 

That same year, in 2019, the Stellar Development Foundation (a non-profit organisation) reduced its share of XLM in order to regulate the Stellar economy. This brought the total supply down to 50 billion. At the time of writing, roughly 49% of this total supply is in circulation. 

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