Understanding Crypto Rules on Social Media And How To Win Business Organically

April 12, 2022, 1:54 pm UTC.

Understanding Crypto Rules on Social Media And How To Win Business Organically

Digital marketing and cryptocurrencies should go together like apple pie and ice cream. Crypto and blockchain brands want to promote in various digital spaces, including social media. And with the progression of token friendly spaces like the Metaverse it should be an ideal fit. But, to advertise on these platforms, you need to understand the cryptocurrency ad policies. As a leading financial services marketing agency, this is a space we follow closely. Here’s the lowdown on crypto social media rules and how you can win business organically.

The Crypto Landscape

The global cryptocurrency market is valued at more than $2 trillion. Additionally, the World Economic Forum estimates show that 10% of global GDP will be stored on blockchain technology by 2027. These statistics present an excellent opportunity for brokers and crypto exchanges. So, what’s the problem? Let’s look at the crypto advertising policies of the main social media networks.

Facebook Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy

As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to gain traction, we now have more explicit rules to adhere to. Many marketers in the finance space will be familiar with a popup like this one:

Facebook announced on December 1, 2021, that it is relaxing its cryptocurrency advertising policies. Facebook or Meta (as it is now called) updated its eligibility for running cryptocurrency ads on its platform. More specifically, Facebook expanded the number of regulatory licenses it accepts to 27, up from 3.

To run cryptocurrency ads on Facebook, you will need to show that you have one of these licenses. 

The Licenses, According To Facebook Guidelines Are As Follows:

  • Australia: AUSTRAC & ASIC
  • Austria:  FMA
  • Canada: FINTRAC
  • Estonia: Fin-FSA
  • France:  AMF
  • Germany:  BaFin
  • Gibraltar: GFSC
  • Hong Kong: (SFC
  • Indonesia: BAPPEBTI
  • Japan: FSA
  • Luxembourg: CSSF
  • Malaysia: Recognised market operators (RMOs)The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC)
  • Malta: CAP 590 & (MFSA
  • Netherlands: DCB 
  • Norway: Finanstilsynet
  • Philippines: Certificate of Authority (COA) to operate as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), issuer: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
  • Singapore: Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licence under the Payment Services Act for digital payment token (DPT) service, issuer: Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
  • South Korea: Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) report (which can only be obtained upon obtention of ISMS certification), issuer: Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU)/Financial Services Commission (FSC)
  • Sweden: FSA
  • Thailand: The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
  • United Arab Emirates: Licence to engage in arranging, advising, dealing, managing or other relevant financial services and/or operating an exchange and/or provide money services – each in relation to crypto assets, issuer: Abu Dhabi Global Market, Financial Services Regulatory Authority Licence to operate a stored value facility (that includes virtual assets), issuer: United Arab Emirates onshore, Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates Licence to engage in investment business/operating an exchange – specific to investment tokens, issuer: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Financial Services Authority
  • United Kingdom:  FCA
  • USA: FinCEN MSB registration, issuer: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) BitLicense, issuer: Department of Financial Services, New York state (NYSDFS)

Crypto Advertising On Instagram

With more than 2 billion active users, the Facebook-owned social media network can be a lucrative advertisement platform. Instagram’s ad revenue is expected to reach US$ 40 billion by 2023. Being a sister platform to Facebook, Instagram adopts a similar policy regarding cryptocurrency advertising. As such, Meta’s new cryptocurrency advertising guidelines in December 2021 still apply on Instagram.

In June 2021, Kim Kardashian got into trouble after promoting crypto on Instagram. The celebrity influencer shared the Ethereum Max project with her more than 250 million Instagram followers. Under new ASIC rules, FX brands must hold their influencers accountable for the information they post. Watch out for that if you choose to work with an influencer. 

Advertising Cryptocurrency On Twitter

Twitter is another popular social media network with more than 300 million monthly active users. Twitter prohibits any form of financial speculation to promote or attract interest in stocks and shares. But, you can promote cryptocurrency products or services with prior authorisation from Twitter.

We love Twitter for following crypto and financial influencers. They can help keep you informed on the latest news and potentially consider collaborations. Our top 20 USA finance influencers list has just been published here. 

What Are The Organic Content Marketing Solutions?

When it comes to crypto marketing, PR is expensive. It can cost brands up to 20K for a single crypto piece. Paid social media and Google AdWords are also fraught with licensing issues and red tape. So how do we get so much traction for our finance and crypto clients organically? 

Focus On SEO Content 

When it comes to organic marketing, having a solid SEO strategy is an absolute must. Optimised content is the key to getting noticed online. Of course, you need to show Google your relevance by incorporating common keywords strategically into URLs, titles, content headers and throughout the body of your articles. But it’s helpful to research niche, long-tail keywords that address specific user questions.

According to Google, the word Dogecoin was number four on Google’s 2021 search results, behind only Afghanistan, AMC Stock and covid vaccine. Competitive keywords are expensive on a PPC level. And on an organic level they’re also throw around a lot.  This is where a long-tail keyword strategy comes into play. These might get a smaller number of searches per month, but they tend to convert better as they answer detailed search queries. 

Aim For Featured Snippets 

Another great way to market your crypto brand organically is to aim for a spot in the Featured Snippets section of a Google Search results page. Known as Position 0, such snippets appear above all the other organic search results and get approximately 8% of all clicks. 40.7% of all voice search answers also come from a featured snippet, so this is a SERPs spot your brand should try to fill. 

Get Inspired By Reddit

The Reddit community is a place where questions are asked, mysteries are solved and communities forge together to impact real change. Video game retailer GameStop’s stock increased dramatically due to the actions of users on the WallStreetBets subreddit. And there are plenty of communities obsessing over cryptocurrencies too. 

 

  • Don’t be too promotional. Redditors don’t think a lot of marketers who promote too heavily.
  • Make a note of discussions and frequently asked crypto questions. They will make awesome social media posts or blogs.
  • Follow the latest news and stories and get involved in discussions. If there is a documentary on Netflix (Hunt for the Crypto King) then there will be subreddits talking about it.

 

Read Reddit Marketing Hacks For The Finance Space

Build An Education Centre 

A recent survey across the US, Mexico and Brazil revealed that 98% of survey participants still don’t understand crypto, including basic concepts related to Bitcoin, stablecoins and NFTs. That said, 2021 was a huge year for crypto adoption and with NFTs rising in popularity and being sold on the blockchain, more and more people are likely to garner interest in digital currencies. So, industry education offers a whole range of marketing opportunities. 

Craft A Strong Social Media Presence 

Social media plays a key role in brand awareness and engagement. Many crypto brands give insights into the crypto world on social media providing daily insights, weekly overviews, graphs, charts and more. Consistently posting, responding to fans, following trends, using the right hashtags, joining in conversations and starting interesting debates on forums are essentials.

Engaging organic content marketing is what Contentworks Agency is renowned for. We provide analysis, blogging, social media management and video marketing to leading financial services brands. Contact Contentworks Agency today to learn how we can help boost your brand.

May 10, 2021, 4:47 pm UTC.

Silver Castle, Israel’s First Digital Currency Investment House, Joins TASE Following Its Merger With Publicly Traded ICB

Silver Castle offers capital market investors safe and professional digital assets investment opportunities and is striving to boost awareness of the digital currency investment platform in Israel.

Silver Castle Investment House and publicly traded Israel-China Biotechnology (ICB) have announced today, May 5, 2021, the signing of a memorandum of understanding leading up to the merger of the two companies. As part of the transaction, Silver Castle shareholders will be allotted shares that will constitute 75% of the merged company. The deal is being managed by Cybele-Holdings, Katzenell Dimant Law Offices and Zitvar Galor & Co. Law Offices.

Israel-China Biotechnology, which has previously invested in a number of Israeli biotechnology initiatives, specializes in forming collaborations with Chinese companies. ICB is controlled by Chinese entrepreneur Huang Qingxi and managed by Andrew Zhang. A few months ago, the company began searching for additional investment and merger opportunities in the Israeli market.

Silver Castle Investment House was established in 2018 by senior Israeli banking and capital market executives (CEO) Eli Mizroch, Zvi Ziv, Gabi Ravid, Chen Munitz, Rami Beinish, and Danny Silbiger.

The investment house offers a variety of products and services that provide customers with a convenient, easy and safe way to invest in digital assets through hedge funds that specialize in digital currencies. Moreover, the company is exploring additional channels, including bitcoin-backed loans, R&D in advanced trading strategies and products for institutional clients. The company’s vision is to offer smooth and regulated access to crypto-based assets and identify cryptocurrency investment opportunities.

Silver Castle CEO Eli Mizroch: “The move to join TASE is a significant milestone in the evolution of public awareness, as well as in the promotion and recognition of the field of digital assets in Israel. In view of the growth in the global digital currency market, we believe that the Israeli capital market is absolutely ready for digital investing. As the first dedicated crypto-investment house, we offer our clients a direct approach towards innovative investment opportunities, and can make crypto-investing accessible through our professional, experienced and valued team here in Israel.”

Israel-China Biotechnology CEO Andrew Zhang: “The field of cryptocurrency is a fascinating and evolving field. We looked into a number of ventures, and reached the conclusion that Silver Castle and its management team’s vision will contribute significantly to ICB shareholders.”

Since the beginning of the year, Bitcoin has experienced a phenomenal increase of 85% in value. But despite this growth and its popularity, the cryptocurrency market is still in its infancy. According to estimates, Israeli investors currently own between NIS 1.5 billion and NIS 2.5 billion, with figures rising steadily.

October 29, 2020, 5:45 pm UTC.

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Should Try Covesting On PrimeXBT

Covesting has been available to the global trading community on PrimeXBT, and chances are, you have come across screenshots of trader’s PnLs or the global leaderboards on Twitter and elsewhere online.

Between what we’ve gathered from word of mouth and our own real-world trials and tribulations as a trader, we’ve put together a list of all the reasons you should give Covesting on PrimeXBT a try.

1) Investing takes patience: Today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world leads to rapid rewards when we want. When we want information, we Google it. When we want to know what’s going on with a family member, we send them a quick text message or Facetime. But returns on investments take years sometimes, and investors need to be ready for the long haul.

2) Better ways to profit: New investors learn quickly that if they only bought low and sold high, that they’d have far more to show on their balance sheet.

3) Hodling is hell: The popular crypto term “HODL” is derived from the phrase “hold on for dear life,” and it was created to prepare crypto investors that it won’t be easy to stomach the volatility that’s about to come.

4) Trading is tougher: While hodling can be difficult, trading is even more challenging and takes strong emotional discipline and strict risk management.

5) Technical analysis takes time: Even if you have nerves of steel, you still may not have the analytical eye for markets. This natural talent cannot be taught and requires constant monitoring of markets.

Any of these five reasons are enough to try Covesting as a follower. Followers can copy the trades of strategy managers who are ranked by ROI for all the world to see on the fully transparent global leaderboard system.

A five-star rating system and a wealth of success and risk metrics are available to help followers choose whom to follow. But there are still five more reasons to try Covesting, this time, for those aspiring to be strategy managers.

6) Making a name for yourself: Technical analysis is about playing probabilities and putting together a plan that includes strict risk management and trade execution. Those who do this well gain fame and following quickly. By having your name visible while rising the ranks of Covesting can help traders stand out from the crowd.

7) Bolstering profitability with follower funding: The more you grow your name and following, the faster profits will increase. Strategy managers who use Covesting can earn a profit share from the success fees generated from follower’s funds.

8) Keeping the trading community honest with transparency: Competition breeds excellence between brands, and the same is true for traders. By having all trader’s wins and losses transparent for the entire world to see, along with how much they risk and how much ROI total they’ve generated, it weeds out the liars and puts the best of the best head to head.

9) Aiming for the stars: Covesting’s five-star rating system is something all traders will want to shoot for. It highlights the platform’s smartest money, and not just risky traders who bring in big ROI only to later lose it. To achieve the full five stars, you must strike a balance of wins and losses that favors victory, keep margin allocation within reason, and maintain specific activity and account requirements to show that you are serious about being a strategy manager.

10) Become number one: Becoming the top-ranked trader on Covesting comes with some perks. Everyone knows and sees your name regularly, and you get to soak up the spotlight as the most profitable trader on the platform. It also provides the greatest possible visibility with potential followers, who will more easily see who they should put their money behind.

That’s five more reasons to try Covesting, but there are so many reasons more. Try for yourself today on PrimeXBT, and award-winning Bitcoin margin trading platform offering CFDs on stock indices, forex, crypto, gas, oil, gold, silver, and more.

July 30, 2018, 12:47 pm UTC.

Financial Marketing in Q3: Work Hard Play Hard – Guest Editorial

The following is a guest post by Charlotte Day, Contentworks.

Q3 is a strange time for brokers and banks. On the one hand it’s summer, it’s hot, everyone is taking vacation and many traders and investors ease off too. On the other hand, marketing still needs to happen and as G.O.T famously states, “Winter is Coming”. That’s right, September will be here before you know it, so summer is a great time to prepare. Contentworks – a leading marketing agency providing tailored solutions to the finance sector primarily – knows exactly how to turn up the heat in summer to achieve top-notch results.

Of course, before you embrace the summer vibes and start drumming up strategies, it’s essential to get up-to-date with the latest rules and regulations governing the finance sector. So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at the financial landscape to avoid compromising compliance in any way.

  • The financial rulebook – what’s new?

MiFID II came into play at the start of the year and hopefully you’re now fully up-to-speed with all the latest requirements. GDPR updates swung into action in order to protect consumer privacy and financial services ad bans were rolled out by tech giants to prevent malicious activity. Q1 and Q2 were therefore busy for marketers, but don’t sit back in Q3 as things have a habit of changing.

  • Facebook updates ad ban policy

Facebook has recently relaxed its crypto policy lifting its ban on crypto ads. However, those wishing to advertise digital assets once again via this popular social platform will need to go through a fairly detailed application process. It should also be noticed that ICO and blockchain ads are still prohibited from the site although Facebook are prepared to regularly review their stance on financial assets in light of a volatile and ever-changing landscape.

  • Cryptocurrency regulations

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have been disrupting the financial sector for months now and have been giving regulatory bodies quite a headache. While countries like China have banned crypto trading and mining entirely, members of the G20 met in March in order to decide crypto’s fate. It was eventually revealed that more information was needed before crypto regulations could be imposed but July was given as a strict date for recommendations of how to proceed.

The crypto world therefore looks set to be on the brink of change and marketers need to stay in the know.

  • How to Navigate Q3 Seamlessly

Summer is usually a quieter month for the financial services sector which is why content marketing agencies like Contentworks ramp up their efforts accordingly. With traders jetting off on holiday, now is the perfect time to make a splash and get noticed – here are some of Contentworks’ top tips.

  • Get active on social media

If you don’t embrace social media this summer, you’re missing a trick. Traders might be on vacation, but they’re often connected to Wi-Fi so don’t miss the chance to:

Run exciting competitions. Photo competitions often go down well with traders and investors who love to show off their lavish holiday destinations.

Offer giveaways and freebies. Everyone likes something for nothing, so why not give back a little over the summer months?

Say thank you! Rewarding loyal customers is a great way to keep them hooked on your trading platform or to your financial services.

Interact and talk to your social communities. Go quiet and you’ll soon find interest dwindles.

  • Create useful content

Being overly promotional at a time when people are sipping cocktails and getting a tan can totally kill the mood. Not many want to see in-your-face banner ads these days – especially millennials who have a deep mistrust of that kind of marketing – so how about taking a different route by generating useful yet enticing content that people will actually want to read?

Blog Articles! These might seem like old school marketing options but they’re as relevant now as they ever were helping to drive traffic to specific landing pages and improve SEO rankings. Give it a try, but make sure you touch on relevant subjects that people will want to read at this time of the year such as listing top destinations investors may want to visit. You could also take the evergreen option by producing articles that won’t go out of date, but it’s wise to capitalise on the mood by offering easy-to-read tips and hints, top tens or how-to content.

Want to improve your content and social media marketing? Contentworks is rapidly becoming the go-to agency for brokers, ICOs and blockchain brands looking for standout content and video material as well as social media management. Talk to the team at www.contentworks.agency

Disclaimer: FinanceFeeds does not necessarily agree with the ideas expressed in this guest article. FinanceFeeds does not provide investment advice and does not endorse any activities related to cryptocurrencies, digital assets, tokens, virtual currencies and initial coin offerings.

July 2, 2018, 9:46 am UTC.

Facebook U-turn: How to Survive the Ad Ban Rollercoaster – Guest Editorial

The following is a guest post by Charlotte Day, Contentworks

If you work in the finance sector and have anything to do with financial services marketing (particularly in the crypto space), go get yourself a nice big mug of coffee – you’re going to need it. Why?

You know Facebook – the social media giants who led the crypto ad ban movement just six months ago unapologetically disrupting tried and tested promotional techniques? Well, they appear to have done somewhat of a U-turn when it comes to their ‘forbid-all-crypto-shenanigans’ policy.

Now we’re being nice, so were not going to speculate why crypto is back on the scene, but in all fairness they did say that their ad ban restrictions would be reviewed over time as they got to grips with the increasingly popular and ever evolving crypto, blockchain and ICO sector!

Updated Facebook Policy – What You Need To Know

As finance gurus you’re probably used to regulatory twists and turns. It’s fair to say that 2018 has been a pretty rough ride what with many regulation changes taking hold of the sector, but the recent Facebook updates are actually fairly simply.

In short, Facebook is updating their policy to “allow ads that promote cryptocurrency and related content from pre-approved advertisers.” They will, however, “continue to prohibit ads that promote binary options and initial coin offerings.”

If you wish to run a cryptocurrency ad on the social media platform, you must submit an application to help Facebook assess your eligibility. This should include any licenses you’ve obtained, whether you are traded on a public stock exchange and other relevant public background on your business.

While this might re-open up some old marketing avenues, beware that Facebook has a habit of changing their minds. They recently announced intentions to “look how well this policy works” and “revise it over time” if necessary.

How to Navigate the Revised Rules

If you’re wondering what to do now, here are some suggestions:

Option 1: Stick to your post ad ban strategy

Not so long ago we were writing about how to navigate Facebook ad blocks. Much of this advice still stands so if you’ve already adapted your strategy – keep up the good work. You’ve already survived one battering by social media giants and will survive again should Facebook backpedal again #justsaying.

Key points to remember include:

  • Embracing the art of storytelling
  • Generating authentic ideas
  • Producing sharable content
  • Being educational and informative
  • Remaining compliant

Option 2: Embrace new trends

As the recent ad bans forced many companies into taking a new approach, you may also want to pursue – or continue to pursue modern and trendy marketing technique such as influencer marketing.

The benefits of influencer marketing include.

  • Maximum exposure, minimum costs – influencers have a large social following and therefore attracting the attention of a thought leader in your field could do wonders for business
  • Increased interaction within your sector – the more eyes on your company, the more likely you are to improve ROI and gain new clients
  • A compliant yet effective strategy – an influencer plugging your brand or products won’t break ad ban rules yet could increase your popularity on social sites.

Option 3: Go for it on Facebook

If you’ve done the tracking and Facebook ads are worth your time – go for it! Fill out an application and see if Facebook accepts it. From there, you’re probably pretty clued up on how to run a social media campaign and can try to regain the traffic you may have lost.

If you’re running an ICO, don’t try and squeeze through the Facebook advertising cracks. While we’re sure a few bad apples will make their way back onto the Facebook crypto scene, it’s not worth wrestling with the social giants who will be able to take you down in an instant.

Good luck! If you need any help with your ongoing social and content marketing strategy, speak to the Contentworks team today. We’re clued up on all the latest regulations and will help you survive the rollercoaster.

Disclaimer: The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not endorse investment in cryptocurrencies, tokens and any activities related to them such as ICOs. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and the post do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds and/or its editorial staff.

June 20, 2018, 1:00 pm UTC.

Why Has Crypto Dipped So Low in 2018? – Guest Editorial

Over the weekend the price of Bitcoin dropped to a two-month low, seemingly in response to news that Coinrail had been the victim of a hacking attempt, and in the following 24 hours dragged its fellow cryptocurrencies down with it. Bringing the total loss of value for Bitcoin to %50 this year

What happened to the crypto-crazed hype of 2017? Why has the crypto-market lost so much value over the course of only five months? It can’t be as simple as one hacked exchange. Can it?

Of course not, but it is one of several contributing factors including increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement, and decreased trading volumes.

Now that the crypto-hype has passed and we have accepted digital currency as part of the financial landscape what has contributed to the loss of value that has plagued Bitcoin since January?

For many crypto detractors the fall in value has been “a classic asset bubble bursting”, but that’s not all there is to it. There are still plenty of pro-crypto traders that are just riding (and trading) the dip, waiting for the next rally

So what are the major factors affecting the decreasing prices in the cryptocurrency markets? I’ll start with hacks because we started there.

Increased hacking levels

It can’t be denied that while the blockchain itself is considered “immutable” and “unhackable” the points of weakness along the path such as exchanges are not as safe as previously thought.

Through no fault of their own, exchanges, wallets and platforms are becoming increasingly viable targets for hackers. The hacking of Coinrail last week was just the latest in a string of targeted attacks across the field of exchanges. There have been several high profile attacks in recent months.

Increased numbers of successful hacks across exchanges have led to a decrease in investor confidence.

Decreased Trading Volumes

When Bitcoin price crashed after its December high of >$19,000, the number of investors and transactions naturally dropped. But it wasn’t just the price drop that affected trading volumes (although it is a significant factor). High transaction charges had an impact too.

Another contributing factor to the decrease in Bitcoin trading volume is that many platforms, which previously only allowed for payment in Bitcoin, have added additional payment methods including some fiat payments and other altcoins such as ETH, BCH, LTC and others.

Increased Regulation

If anything has significantly affected Bitcoin and all of its altcoin affiliates, increased regulatory scrutiny has to have been the primary. Up until the major explosion of cryptocurrency development and utility in 2017, there was not much in the way of governmental scrutiny or oversight. Now that people have made their huge gains and Bitcoin utility is increasing, along with some of the other high profile coins, governments want to get their hands on any revenue. As well as weeding out the scams and con artists, swindled investors don’t make any taxable profits.

One of the major draws of cryptocurrency has been its lack of government involvement and its anonymity. Increased regulatory pressure to eliminate anonymity and place governmental restrictions on its uses and tradability has caused some of the crypto community to take a step back and reassess their investment

Hostility or Indifference from Institutional Investors

The most notably hostile approach to Bitcoin was from Warren Buffet, of Berkshire Hathaway, you can’t get much more hostile than calling Bitcoin “rat-poison squared”.

However, it isn’t just the hostility that damages a cryptocurrency’s hope for uptake, but also the indifference.

You can’t hope to create a globally viable digital currency without the major investors who invest in (and control?) the fiat markets. What good is a fantastic cryptocurrency without institutional utility? It doesn’t matter if the whole retail world gets on board with Bitcoin, if the big investors, governments and monetary funds don’t get on board the system is pointless. Please excuse the hyperbole.

So how will this situation resolve?

It’s only June, there is still plenty of time in the 3rd and 4th quarters of the year for Bitcoin and the altcoin tribes to rally and make another reasonably successful run.

As far as hacking is concerned, it’s going to happen. However, every time there is a hack, the security gets tighter, and the hackers have to work harder. It’s a developing environment, and it takes time to iron out the wrinkles in the system. There was a similar lack of confidence when countries scrapped the gold standard. It’s not unusual for new developments to have swings in confidence while smoothing out difficulties.

Trading volumes will stabilize and when they do the prices will stabilize.

Regulation will happen, there is no doubt about it. The systems that fight to maintain the anonymity and reduced controls that governments and global financial institutions will implement will be driven into the realms ‘underground’ trading. Regulation is not a bad thing when it comes to clamping down hard on borderline pyramid schemes and unsubstantiated developments. Legitimate currencies, which embrace regulatory controls, will flourish under the veil of credibility that acceptance of regulatory control bestows.

Institutional investment is coming. With companies such as Goldman Sachs and Fidelity making plans and entering the crypto-market, there will be a race to see who can take the best advantage of joining the crypto trading community. A survey by Triad Securities indicates that huge 62% of institutional investors are buying or thinking of buying. That will be a huge boost to crypto viability and credibility. The major exchanges are prepping for institutional investment, with Coinbase announcing the launch of a cryptocurrency asset management platform directly targeted at institutional investors.

Crypto has taken a beating over the past five months, but the continued attempts to break resistance points and the ‘controlled’ decline hasn’t been a straight up or down situation. Continued development on the Bitcoin blockchain will see improvements in scalability and cost. Regulation will see credibility increase and new investment from large institutions will mean validation for cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin isn’t dead, it’s just having a bad ‘day’.

Disclaimer: FinanceFeeds does not endorse investment and any activities related to cryptocurrencies, crypto-assets, initial coin offerings, digital assets and tokens. The views expressed in this article do not reflect FinanceFeeds’ views on the matter

June 18, 2018, 12:07 pm UTC.

Mark Chesterman appointed COO of Stater Global Markets

Mark Chesterman, former Chief Operating Officer (COO) at IG’s Institutional division, has joined Stater Global Markets in a newly created COO role.

Mark brings a wealth of industry experience to Stater Global Markets. During his 14 years at IG Institutional, he held a variety of positions prior to being promoted to COO. These include Global Business Development Officer, Head of Futures & FX, and Chief FX Dealer.

As part of his remit at Stater Global Markets, Mark will work closely with CEO, Ramy Soliman on global expansion plans and new product development. He will also oversee the day-to-day activity of the firm, ensuring the Stater platform remains operationally robust and agile.

Ramy Soliman, CEO, Stater Global Markets comments, “Mark played a key role in IG’s rapid growth into a FTSE 250 organisation and the world’s largest spread betting and CFD brokerage. His extensive experience in trading, operations and management is tailor-made for our requirements. Mark headed up IG’s institutional division, overseeing liquidity management and working closely with banks, hedge funds and brokers. He also played a major role in business development in Asia and was instrumental in setting up IG’s cryptocurrency offering. Mark is highly intelligent, with an Executive MBA from London Business School specialising in strategy and entrepreneurship as well as a Masters in Finance, also from London Business School.

“An appointment of this calibre highlights our global growth ambitions. Mark will bring invaluable insight to Stater and his appointment frees up some of my time to enable me to focus on business development and sales opportunities.”

Mark Chesterman adds, “I am excited to be joining a young, agile organisation with significant growth opportunities and strong financial backing from a very credible investor. I’ve been watching Ramy and the team build Stater over the last couple of years and have been really impressed by the thought and quality which has been key to their early stage growth. I believe that Stater is the only truly liquidity agnostic Prime of Prime in the market and, in my view, having no vested interest in how a client trades is exactly the positioning a Prime of Prime should have. I’ve always been impressed by Ramy’s integrity and am looking forward to working closely with him.

“As part of my new role, I will also have the opportunity to get involved with Stater Blockchain. This is a particular area of interest to me and so working at a firm with a mandate to build blockchain products is very exciting.”

Stater Global Markets is an FCA regulated Prime of Prime brokerage which offers institutional clients direct access to Tier 1 bank and non-bank liquidity, clearing and institutional grade technology. The London-based firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stater Blockchain Limited.

June 7, 2018, 5:16 pm UTC.

Bitcoin Futures Are Back—Here’s Why

The following is a guest post by Amram Margalit, Leverate.

The Bitcoin cryptocurrency was launched in January 2009 and began trading at around 5 US cents per coin. It continued to trade in physical form for the next nine years, during which time it attained a high value of 19,511 USD on December 17, 2017. The US Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) chose this point to launch a Bitcoin futures contract, at which time Bitcoin went into freefall.

In actuality, a Bitcoin futures contract had already opened on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) on December 10, 2017, but it made little impact on the physical market. It was only when the CME jumped on board that sellers turned out in their hordes.

Due to the extreme volatility prior to attaining its historical high, many international investors, hedge funds, and money managers had been wary of this new form of electronic money. The Cboe and the CME believed that by introducing a futures contract, it might bring some stability to the market. The opposite was to prove the case. Within three months, Bitcoin value had fallen from just under 20 thousand USD per Bitcoin to around 6 USD. The market made a vain attempt at a rally, pushing back up towards the 10 USD mark, but that faltered, and the Bitcoin value fell back down to the six-dollar mark. In recent weeks, some stability has been seen in the cryptocurrency and the price has once again started to rise. On the Bitcoin futures exchanges, prices have also started to firm. In March of 2018, the Cboe recorded a volume of 19,000 contracts, up from the January volume of 15,000.

One of the critical issues with Bitcoin is that the currency has to be “mined”. This involves computer programmers solving complex mathematical algorithms in order to verify cryptocurrency transactions on a digital ledger called the blockchain. For their efforts, crypto miners are awarded a small fraction of Bitcoins as payment for their calculation efforts. The downside is that these calculations involve much time, computing resources, and electricity. In fact, it has been calculated that the actual cost to mine one Bitcoin is around 8,000 USD, making mining while the market price is below that level unprofitable. While the market price sits above that level, then miners will be attracted back to the market. This situation has been helped by the fact that new avenues for mining have opened, including cloud-based mining resources, which have reduced mining costs still further.

The rapid rise and subsequent collapse of the Bitcoin currency coinciding the introduction of a futures contract is not unusual. In fact, similar events have occurred when futures were introduced with other financial instruments. For example, when derivatives were introduced to enable investors to hedge their exposure to bundled mortgage-backed securities in 2008, that market collapsed as well. Hedgers not only took up short positions to hedge their risk, but short sellers also appeared in droves driving the market lower. A similar situation occurred in December 2017. Holders of physical Bitcoins saw the price driven higher and higher, more on speculation and greed than for any fundamental financial reason. With the launch of the first Bitcoin futures on the Cboe, no action took place and it was only when the CME launched its contract that selling began. At that point, the aggression of the sellers of the futures and physical instrument outstripped the optimism of the buyers, and the market dumped.

One issue with both the Cboe and CME Bitcoin futures is that it is not a natural hedge for the physical Bitcoin instrument. The market will require many more months, and even years of trading to mature and for that mathematical relationship to become established. Until then, the futures contract can only be considered as an imperfect hedge for the underlying Bitcoin.

So, where does the Bitcoin market go from here? If Bitcoin’s glory days are behind it and investors stay wary of its recent volatility, then other cryptocurrencies could step into the vacuum. Increased government regulation could also hurt the popularity of this blockchain currency. However, there are more than enough supporters of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to suggest that cryptocurrencies are not a simple fad, and increased interest from institutional investors in particular could see the currency and its new futures contracts become more popular. With the ever-increasing importance of the Internet in our daily lives, it is only logical that blockchain technology and its associated electronic currencies are here to stay.

Disclaimer: FinanceFeeds does not provide investment advice and does not endorse investments in cryptocurrencies,  ICOs and tokens nor any activities related to them. The editorial team of FinanceFeeds does not necessarily agree with the ideas expressed in this article.

June 6, 2018, 3:49 pm UTC.

A Cruel Summer for Forex Brokers – Guest Editorial

Summer! The perfect time to sit back, relax and watch the flowers grow – right? Well, not if you’re a forex broker. This year has been a rather tough ride for the forex sector so far and with regulatory bodies on high alert, it seems the warmer season could be just as turbulent.

So what’s been going on and how can you make the most of the following months? Let’s recap a few of the issues that have been keeping many awake at night.

  • MiFID II – welcoming 2018 with a regulatory bang

The year got off to a panic-induced start with the implementation of MiFID II, which came into force on 3 January 2018. The wide-reaching and unforgiving set of rules designed to govern investment intermediaries and the trading of financial instruments in the European Union affected brokers in many ways. From increased transparency to ‘data unbundling’ which prevented brokers from sending out research for free – MiFID II had a large effect on customer handling and marketing in particular.

Sure, we’ve all had time to get used to the regulations by now but it doesn’t mean this first year will be at all easy as companies grapple with the finer details and get used to new practices.

  • Crypto, ICO related ad bans – a spanner in the works

One minute you’re using Google Adwords and posting to social media. The next, you’re staring finance-related ad bans in the face from social giants such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, Snapchat, MailChimp and more. As more and more companies jumped on the regulation bandwagon in a bid to prevent unlawful advertising from ICO scammers and such like, it’s fair to say that forex brokers were left in a bit of a muddle as they struggled to revamp their marketing plans.

  • GDPR – because you didn’t have enough to think about

Everyone knows about GDPR! Why? Well, because inboxes across the globe have been filling up with ‘data permission’ and ‘usage requests’ from companies desperate to keep their clientele on mailing lists. As a broker, you’ve probably spent the past few months contacting those who use your services to inform them of the new ‘data transparency’ rules. You’ve probably also realised that tactics such as retargeting fake email lists on Facebook are now a big no-no.

There certainly has been (and still is) a lot to think about, but as the summer months arrive, let’s turn away from any negatives and think about how the forex sector can use the summer months affectively.

  • What can be done? A whole lot!

The regulatory changes all seemed to come at once, so it’s no wonder that the finance sector is wondering how to progress. The good news is, despite the restrictions, there’s still plenty that can be done and growing your brand, improving your online reputation and avoiding the wrath of formidable regulators all comes down to generating superb content. Indeed, content is no longer King but Emperor.

  • The need for authenticity amid fake news

Having discussed this in depth on the speaker’s panel at the recent iFX EXPO in Limassol Cyprus, we can’t reinforce enough the need for authentic content amid fake news. So much of what we read is untrue, fabricated and ridiculous and the finance sector have undoubtedly contributed to this wave of falsities – think fake profiles, fake testimonials, made-up quotes, PR material that is not genuine.

Therefore, it’s more important than ever to cleanse the industry and to work hard to improve the authenticity of your brand. This can be done by:

Going Live! Live video is a great way to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at your company and to introduce key players such as CEOs, CTOs and other team leaders. The more you put a face to your brand, the more you can build trust amid an audience who may be somewhat fretful or fearful of certain financial products amidst negative stories, scams or fake news.

Focusing on video marketing. You don’t always have to go live. Video marketing is an excellent way to go back to basics and describe more complex products in a clear and concise way. Indeed, research has shown that a well-scripted video can not only increase leads by 66% and brand awareness by 54% but it can also boost sales and reduce consumer confusion. Producing high quality video can help launch your brand if you’re a start-up and ramp things up a notch if you’re established.

Marketing real USPs. Consumers are becoming more and more suspicious and rightly so. They don’t want to read a bunch of fake USPs only to discover you can’t deliver specific services or promises. For this reason, it’s crucial to focus on what you’re good at and what sets you apart from the competition.

  • And what about those ad bans?

There’s really no need to panic. Sure, you can’t go around using buzzwords like ICOs and cryptocurrencies on social sites any more, but as only ads are banned you can still use fabulous content to attract your audience. It’s all about thinking outside of the box by:

Interacting on social sites like Reddit and Telegram where large crypto and ICO communities are formed. It’s perfectly possible to build a social presence without being overly promotional.

Becoming a thought-leader and posting high-quality content to social platforms like LinkedIn.

Embracing the art of storytelling. It’s not all about sales, sales and more sales. Taking people on a journey and giving them a reason to believe in your business is a great way to strengthen your brand’s identity and to gain a loyal following.

Keeping GDPR at the forefront of your mind. Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, people are very aware that their data has been misused. Therefore, making all your policies clear will again make your content and business mission authentic.

If you’re looking to implement a marketing strategy that’s fully compliant and does wonders for your reputation, contact the Contentworks team today. Our writers are fully clued up on all the latest regulatory changes and will help you to navigate the red tape in style.

May 28, 2018, 6:31 pm UTC.

What Gives Cryptocurrency Value? – Guest Editorial

By Amie Parnaby, Leverate

People make the markets (yes, even ‘Market-makers’ are still people at the end of the day) and that is no different with cryptocurrency. The value of each coin or token derives its value from what we think it is worth.

Supply and Demand (and a bit of scarcity value too)

With 2017 seeing a Bitcoin increase in price from $1000 to $20000, it signifies a greater uptake in the cryptocurrency markets that could have been foreseen. In this sense, Bitcoin has taken the lead in playing the three primary requirements for value.

Bitcoin has already announced that there will be a maximum of 21 million Bitcoins in circulation, and there are currently 17.035 million in circulation now. They have definitely cornered the market in scarcity. Demand has exceeded supply and pushed the price higher. No one wants to be left behind if Bitcoin (or derivative) is the currency of the future.

Bitcoin has an additional benefit that has further increased its demand. It has been considered a “gatekeeper” coin for a while because for many ICOs and other altcoin exchanges you couldn’t use fiat currency, you had to already have cryptocurrency to take part. As the first and the biggest so far, Bitcoin is the one that all exchanges accepted for early on. It is beginning to change, more exchanges are including some of the major fiat currencies against smaller coins, and you don’t necessarily need Bitcoin; Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and a few others are now almost as readily usable as a primary exchange token.

Is this perhaps the reason it isn’t reaching the astronomical heights it achieved at the end of 2017?

Functionality or Utility

What use is a substitute for fiat money if it isn’t fit for purpose? This is where the fight between fiat currency and cryptocurrency begins. For fiat currency this is the simple part, they are established. Everyone accepts fiat money. It’s the only currency they have ever known.

From a crypto point of view, this is difficult. People won’t use and invest in crypto if it doesn’t meet their currency needs, vendors won’t accept cryptocurrency if enough people don’t use it. It has been likened to a “Chicken/egg” situation.

It also works the other way around, with more transactions being made over the internet (online retail is a good example) and across the world, it makes sense to have a digital currency exchange for goods. Stripping away bank charges, currency exchange charges and commissions will make the process significantly quicker and cheaper.

As more people begin to use cryptocurrency, even if it’s only online to start with, the belief in the value of the currency promotes usage. The higher utilisation of the cryptocurrency will encourage greater trust in its inherent value.

Concept Model

The concept of a cryptocurrency should be something that brings inherent value. Bitcoin began it, by creating a decentralised peer-2-peer electronic cash system (something that people had been trying for years). It was the answer to banks having all of the control and a response to the global financial crisis in 2008.

Ethereum came a few years later (2016), using opensource code to create a blockchain/decentralised ledger system that could be used by anyone and customised to fit any industry where the blockchain environment would be of benefit. Hence why there are so many of the new coins running on a derivative of the Ethereum blockchain.

Since then there have been hundreds of cryptocurrencies/tokens created (at the last count it was over 1600) all with their individually distinct branch and bringing value to something previously unconnected with finances and decentralised ledger technology (DLT).

I draw your attention to GanjaCoin MRJA (aimed at making legal marijuana dispensaries accessible for digital payment), Dentacoin DCN (a system meant to improve record keeping between dentists and patients in addition to the coin being used to pay for dental treatment) and a very Lovecraft-ian Cthulu Offerings OFF (the coins are a sacrifice to Cthulu). There is even Hussy.io. I don’t think I need to explain that one.

Infrastructure and Community

Bitcoin is still one of the biggest and (according to Bitnodes.earn.com on Friday 18th May 2018) there are 10,190 reachable nodes spread across the globe with significant concentrations in the USA and Europe. That is a major infrastructure. Over 10,000 machines, running the Bitcoin software across the world in every time zone. And every one of those nodes is mining Bitcoins. Ethereum has even more at over 16,000 (ethernodes.org).

Now, these are just the nodes that server farms and individual techie types have set up, interest and demand for only these two cryptocurrencies have spread well beyond the supply of the coins created on the nodes. Hey Presto! Community.

No one is going to buy a coin that no one else knows about. Of course, there is rarity value, and with small volumes and a low market cap, there is the definite rarity. However, if no one knows about it, no one wants to trade for it, no one wants to accept it as payment, and the investment never achieves anything. You merely end up with a stash of worthless currency that no one else wants. Like buying a beautiful antique as an investment, only to find it was made with ivory and you can’t sell it.

Is that it?

Yes. That is it. You could ask what gives fiat currency value. Fiat currency has value because the government says it has value. There is no other real value for a scrap of paper with $5 written on it. The paper itself is not worth $5, nor is it worth $100 with a change in the design.

Fiat money is accepted by the government and subsequently by its banks to store, distribute and invest– Infrastructure

Fiat money is available and accessible in digital form as well as physical, its value is not an IOU for an underlying asset (such as it was under the gold standard) and can be sent great distances without having to post a heavy gold coin or even a carved rock with a hole in it. – Concept

Fiat money is accepted for everything from buying groceries and paying taxes to charitable donations and paying for your web access – Functionality & Utility.

So what gives cryptocurrency value? The investors and traders themselves by investing in it, believing that it is fit for purpose (just like thinking your country will always honour the currency it creates), and by using it.

The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff.

May 23, 2018, 4:04 pm UTC.

Crypto Market Maker Ternion choses FX Large as Media Partner

Ternion Ltd had partnered with FX Large Limited to provide ongoing marketing, education and customer support content to support its line of Institutional Crypto-liquidity for brokers, retail trading offering, and its upcoming ICO.

Discussions had been ongoing since London Summit of 2017 and the deal was sealed at iFX Expo in Cyprus.  FX Large will be working closely with Ternion’s marketing and operational teams providing consulting services and a suite of videos and webinars.

Rudolf Medvedev, CEO of Ternion says, “We are quite excited about our offering of deep institutional liquidity to the market, our ground-breaking regulated Crypto to Fiat exchange, and our upcoming ICO. To facilitate the delivery of our message through various channels, we chose Brad and his team.”

Brad Alexander, CEO of FX Large says, “Ternion’s offering is certainly the most multi-faceted and exciting of those we have seen in the Crypto arena and we welcome the challenge.  Many of the tools, infrastructure and methods with which we have all worked over the years in FX and CFD have been ported into Crypto trading, liquidity, and marketing and we are looking forward to bringing our experience to the table.”

For more information on Ternion visit www.ternion.io and/or contact Rudolf Medvedev at [email protected]

For more information and a sneak preview of the new series of MT5 videos, visit www.fxlarge.com and/or email Brad Alexander directly at [email protected]

 

May 23, 2018, 8:04 am UTC.

Stablecoins May Help Everyday People See the Vision for the Crypto Economy – Guest Editorial

By Brigitte Luginbühl, SwissRealCoin

Every change, especially a massive one, needs a compelling vision in order for it to succeed. This is especially true in the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. The problem is that the true believer’s dream for the crypto economy, while compelling, simply presents just too much risk for many individuals.

These fears have been stoked by the wild ride that Bitcoin’s price has endured over the last several months. At the end of December, Bitcoin was trading at over $15,000, rising to almost $20,000 at times. Just 40 days later, by February 9th, it had lost over half its value and sunk down to between $6,000 – $9,000 – with major price fluctuations occurring on an hour-to-hour basis.

Many die-hard crypto enthusiasts want to see our entire economic system shaken to the core by crypto, fundamentally changing the commerce landscape and how we as a society interact with money. This is still a very difficult sell considering the steep learning curve and large fluctuations still found in many cryptocoins. Outside of the core community of believes, most people have struggled to identify a vision for the crypto economy that they can relate to. For the average citizen, cryptocurrency feels dangerous and abstract, even though they are intrigued by it at the same time.  

While the promise of a decentralized, crypto-driven economy has captivated the masses, the extreme volatility of cryptocurrencies has kept many away, and formalized rules for the game do not yet exist. There are concepts that are actively being explored, however, that look to address the public’s concern in order to foster better understanding and more participants in the crypto-economy.

Over the last year, the stablecoin concept has risen in popularity because it sends a message to ordinary people about the potential for the crypto economy that finally makes sense. Stablecoins, in short, are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to real-world assets, such as real estate, oil, fiat money like the USD, gold or something else.

Because a stablecoin is tied directly to an asset that exists in the physical world, the result in stronger price stability, in contrast to the extreme volatility of untethered cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Stablecoins are global and backed by real-world assets, but they’re not tied to a central bank. It combines much of what is great about blockchain and decentralized services while being familiar enough that “regular” people can understand the concept and feel safe experimenting with it.

Real estate is one area that can be used as a basis for a stablecoin, which is why it is one of the most frequently cited industries when it comes to discussions on the disruptive potential of the blockchain. Real estate is something very concrete, something that people can see and touch in the real world. Having a stable cryptocurrency tied to the value of such concrete objects is the next solid step towards a practical adaptation of an otherwise virtual and abstract currency.

Stablecoins are one of the hottest topics in cryptocurrencies right now, because they represent both a practical breakthrough, as well as an emotional bond with people. Even back in 2014, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a blog post about the search for a stable cryptocurrency. Almost four years later, people outside of the core community can now use the concept of the stablecoin to visualize how the crypto economy can fit into their daily lives and long-term financial plans.

One reason why most of us still don’t pay for things like coffee and train tickets in cryptocurrency is because this new form of commerce is still nascent. Many businesses and institutions have been scared away from adopting cryptocurrency and using it in their day-to-day lives, due to the perceived lack of stability. The emergence of stablecoins could change that, and people can start to benefit from the advantages of decentralization without the fear of compromising their financial security.

The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff.

May 16, 2018, 11:34 am UTC.

Another giant heads to the US: eToro expands by bringing cryptocurrency exchange and digital wallet to America under Guy Hirsch

Global investment platform eToro has today announced plans to expand its cryptocurrency capabilities with the launch of an exchange and a digital wallet.  eToro will also bring its cryptocurrency offer to the United States, launching the platform to U.S. customers later this year under the leadership of the newly appointed U.S. Managing Director Guy Hirsch.

Yoni Assia, Co-founder and CEO of eToro, said: “We believe that in the future all assets will become digitised. This will help to open the markets to everyone and enable them to invest in the assets they want in a simple and transparent way.  Crypto is the first step on this journey and we are excited to share our plans to launch an exchange and wallet.”

The announcements made today at Consensus 2018 in New York, follow the news in March that eToro had completed its Series E funding round, raising $100m to accelerate its global expansion and the development of blockchain technology to support the digitisation of assets.  The platform enables people to invest in the assets they want to own from cryptocurrencies though to traditional assets such as commodities.

Yoni Assia, commented: “An exchange and wallet are important additions to our crypto offer and we know that both have been eagerly anticipated by our customers.”

eToro currently offers ten cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, XRP, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Dash, Stellar, NEO and EOS) with plans to add more coins over the coming months.  eToro’s cryptocurrency to cryptocurrency exchange will launch later this year enabling customers to trade coins.

The wallet will be launched as a phased roll out with select customers participating in beta testing to ensure that we are providing an app which best meets our customers’ needs.  The wallet app will be available to download on the App Store and Play Store and will work across multiple platforms and in multiple languages. It will enable users to hold multiple cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Since launching in 2007, eToro has built a global community of more than ten million investors across 140 countries.  Guy Hirsch has been appointed US Managing Director responsible for bringing eToro’s cryptocurrency offering to the United States.  Guy joins from Samsung where he was Director of Innovation and has extensive experience across digital transformation and unified commerce.

Guy Hirsch, USA Managing Director, eToro, said: “eToro empowers investors with a platform that gives them access to the assets they want, shared knowledge and ease of transaction.  We know that there is a strong demand in the U.S. for crypto and we are excited to be able to offer U.S. investors the opportunity to learn about and invest across multiple cryptocurrencies.”

eToro will offer U.S. investors three ways to access the crypto markets: manually invest in a coin, copy the trades of other traders on the platform, benefiting from their knowledge and investment expertise, or by using a Crypto CopyFund to access a crypto portfolio.

May 1, 2018, 11:04 am UTC.

Gold-i Partners with B2C2 to Offer Crypto CFD Trading

Gold-i has integrated its Crypto Switch with leading cryptocurrency market maker, B2C2 to enable brokers to hedge their clients’ cryptocurrency CFD trades.

CFDs currently available through the Gold-i Crypto Switch to B2C2 are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash versus USD and JPY. The Gold-i Crypto Switch to B2C2 also offers access to physical OTC trading, focusing on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Ethereum Classic and Zcash versus multiple deliverable currencies.

The Gold-i Crypto Switch allows brokers to maximise opportunities from the increasing demand for cryptocurrency trading. It integrates pricing and direct trading from many of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges and LPs, and also gives the broker full control over pricing and execution with the choice of primary/secondary feeds or full aggregation.

B2C2 is a leading cryptocurrency market maker that provides 24/7 liquidity to the world’s largest brokerage firms, exchanges, banks and cryptocurrency funds in key international time zones. Its institutional-grade systems can handle hundreds of trades per second in sizes ranging from 0.001 BTC to millions of dollars.

Tom Higgins, CEO, Gold-i comments, “Our partnership with B2C2 is an exciting development given that demand for cryptocurrency CFD trading is unprecedented and continues to grow unabated. B2C2 is a high quality cryptocurrency CFD provider and we are delighted to be working in partnership with them.”

Emmanuel Alamu, Vice President, B2C2 adds, “We have received a lot of interest for MetaTrader integration these past several months. We’re very pleased the Gold-i Crypto Switch fulfils this need and much more. With Gold-i’s integration to us now live, this opens up opportunities for brokers worldwide to seamlessly enhance their offering with a cryptocurrency CFD product.”

To request a product demo or for further information about the Gold-i Crypto Switch to B2C2, please contact [email protected] or visit gold-i-crypto-switch.

April 6, 2018, 4:52 pm UTC.

SPECTRE Joins The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance

As a member of the EEA, Spectre.ai will collaborate with industry leaders in pursuit of ethereum-based enterprise technology best practices, open standards, and open-source reference architectures. Spectre.ai offers Decentralised liquidity solutions aimed at providing counterparty liquidity without the presence of a centralised middle-man.

“We are excited to join the EEA amognst other Fortune 500 companies who are leveraging Ethereum technology to bring decentralised applications to the market place. Our Decentralised Autonomous Liquidity Pool (DALP) that powers a range of applications where middle-man-fraud and moral hazard cause users to lose billions each year, is at the heart of our technology. Some of these applications are in the gaming, e-commerce and related industries where our technologies and smart contracts can be used to provide SAAS (software as a service) and BAAS (block chain as a service) solutions to enterprises.”.  said Oto Rem Suvari, Head of Research & Development. “The EEA offers Spectre.ai the resources needed for to learn about Ethereum and leverage this groundbreaking technology to address specific, enterprise-based industry use cases.”

With more than 400 member companies, the EEA membership base represents a wide variety of business sectors from every region of the world, including technology, banking, government, healthcare, energy, pharmaceuticals, marketing, and insurance. The EEA’s industry-focused, member-driven working groups are each tasked with creating and delivering specific advancements to the development and use of ethereum-based technologies.

March 6, 2018, 12:30 pm UTC.

ATFX Launches 3 New Cryptocurrency Trading Instruments

ATFX has launched three new trading instruments in February to better cater to the needs of its clients. Now, the leading global online trading platform also offers the ability to trade in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin CFDs. The company explained that Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are a very simple and convenient way of trading cryptocurrencies, giving traders a valuable means of speculating on price movements of these digital currencies.

With CFDs, traders can take advantage of both rising and falling cryptocurrency prices, in a hassle-free manner that ensures faster settlements. So, traders can choose to take long or short positions, based on whether the prices are expected to move up or down. And, since one does not need to own the underlying cryptocurrency, traders have the option to trader small percentages fractions of the major cryptocurrency, based on their trading budget.

The benefit of trading CFDs through ATFX is that the company offers a transparent and secure platform that offers very low spreads, along with the facility to automate trades on the leading digital currencies. Based on the most popular online forex trading platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), ATFX is also offering leverage of up to 5:1.

The company has chosen to offer CFDs in three of the most popular and the fastest growing cryptocurrencies in the world. Bitcoin is a name that, today, needs no introduction, whether to a novice in the financial markets or a veteran trader. Ethereum is the second most valuable digital currency, after Bitcoin, while Litecoin has seen rapid growth through 2017, surging a whopping 8,000%.

The advantages of trading cryptocurrency CFDs don’t end here, ATFX explained. Similar to forex trading, the company is also offering zero commission on CFDs, which makes it more profitable for traders. With the platform offering the ability to trade 24/5, with localised support from an expert team, traders can make the most of the markets to open and close positions, whenever they spot an opportunity.

Another key advantage that ATFX offers is that it is a global platform based on MT4, offering support in several languages, allowing traders from anywhere in the world to trade at their convenience, irrespective of the time or region. Traders can also access support in the language they are most comfortable with, ensuring that they have the best help they need, when they need it.

ATFX went on to state that the company was committed to easing the process of online trading for its clients, while offering wide choices in terms of trading instruments. For this, the company is looking not only to expand its services to better cater to the diverse needs of its global clientele but is also committed to consistently improve its services to maintain a competitive edge. ATFX 4th cryptocurrency trading instrument will be launched in March. Company is also committed to adding new trading instruments to its platform, so that all types of traders and investors will find something that they are interested in.

Remarks: All trading involves risk, losses can exceed your deposits.

Legal: ATFX is a trading name of AT Global Markets Limited (ATGM, registration number 224226 IBC 2017). ATGM is an International Business Company in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Registered address is: The Financial Services Centre, Stoney Ground, Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

January 17, 2018, 11:47 am UTC.

Content marketing for cryptocurrencies – 5 mistakes you’re making

Contentworks delivers smart content marketing solutions for the finance and tech sectors and specialise in cryptocurrency and ICO launches. We understand the pressures of your busy marketing team and we know that creating and managing a Rockstar content strategy takes huge time and resources. Our team of content strategists, social media marketers and creative operations geeks produce content which attracts potential readers, engages them and then drives them to take the next action. 

Over the past few months, a cryptocurrency craze has swept over the finance sector like a whirlwind, shaking up anything in its path. From Bitcoin fluctuations to brand new tokens, there’s been plenty to keep us entertained and with exciting ICO campaigns attracting the attention of investors, it seems crypto is transforming the start-up world too – so what’s the catch? Is it all too good to be true? And what do you need to know for the coming months?

In short, no one can predict the future. We can’t say for sure what the markets will look in a year’s time or which tokens will come out of the woodwork. It’s fair to say, however, that as crypto-mania grows, content marketing for cryptocurrencies is likely to get a lot more competitive. Mediocre just won’t do, so with this in mind, here are 5 mistakes you’re making that need to be ironed out.

  1. Boring/copied content

Producing boring, bland or unoriginal content? Then this must stop. As YouTube sensation Sweet Brown so aptly said during an unexpected 2012 TV rant: “ain’t nobody got time for that” – so it’s essential to devise a much more creative content marketing for cryptocurrencies strategy. One that’s not uninteresting or lazy. Sorry to sound harsh, but duplicate content is not good for SEO. It won’t help you to rank in popular search engines like Google and you may even get penalised.

What’s more, just because you’re talking about financial products – doesn’t mean you have to be as dull as dishwater. There’s still plenty of life in the industry yet with content marketing predictions for 2018 looking extremely edgy and innovative.

  1. A lack of USPs and differentiators

If you’re offering the same as everybody else, how do you expect to get noticed? Getting lost in an ever-growing crowd is relatively easy; after all, with ICOs and crypto launches cropping up left, right and centre you could just fade into the background – unless you stand up and do something different. Here are some useful tips:

  • Identify your unique selling points commonly known as USPs
  • Think of a content marketing spin that will give you the edge over competitors
  • Put yourself in the shoes of an investor; what are they looking for and how can you help?
  1. Muddled/poorly presented content

Is your content easy to understand? Is it presented in a clear, concise way and does it appeal to your target audience? If not, it’s time for a change. The world of content marketing is moving faster than a cheater chasing its prey. It’s not just about words anymore. Of course, well-written blogs and articles are a great way of explaining new concepts and ideas but it’s also crucial to think outside the box and perhaps look into things such as:

  • Engaging video and video scripts
  • Podcasts
  • eBooks
  • Infographics and other visuals like charts and graphs
  • Social media posts/quizzes/ challenges/competitions

The more creative you are, the more you’ll catch the attention of your target market be it investors, brokers or influencers within the financial industry. Being inventive and pursuing various ideas will also make marketing fun and this should hopefully set you apart from more traditional or mundane competitors who are afraid to break traditions and do something a bit different.

  1. Expecting the wave to last

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it right? Well, that’s not always the case. Sure, your content might be performing well right now, but competition is set to get a lot tougher and therefore your content marketing must too. If you want to be the go-to company for news and information, for example, you’ve got to stay on the ball. It’s no good churning out old or irrelevant content when you’ve got companies on Twitter ready to pounce on the first breaking story.

As you know, the markets change at a rapid rate and therefore those within the finance sector have a good eye for detail. They will notice if you’re taking a more innovative and inventive approach, so go ahead and make sure your content marketing for cryptocurrencies lives up to the high expectations of your audience.

  1. Not being compliant

When it comes to marketing your crypto products, you can’t just say anything you like – of course, you know that already. With all-new MiFID II rules already being implemented across the financial world, regulators are ready to pounce on non-compliant companies like never before – so you must make sure your content is up to scratch. As a rule, your content marketing must:

  • Disclose all facts
  • Be transparent
  • Offer no recommendations
  • Never make guarantees
  • Avoid publishing any testimonials
  • Avoid being one-sided or biased
  • Avoid talking about specific investment products without including onerous disclosure statements

Of course, with so much to do on a daily basis, it can be easy to let compliance slide, but this could prove to be a disaster. Just one marketing slip up could earn you more than a slap on the wrist, so it’s really important to take the multitude of financial rules and regulations seriously. Pay particular attention to your social media accounts as these are updated quickly and on a regular basis making room for error more apparent. If needs be, monitor and edit all social content before it goes live.

If you want to nail content marketing for cryptocurrencies throughout 2018 and beyond, contact the Contentworks team today for more help and information. We’ve recently expanded our ICO offerings and have a team of talented financial writers ready and waiting to boost your efforts.

January 16, 2018, 5:20 pm UTC.

Stater advances blockchain development with letter of intent from Long Blockchain Corporation

Long Blockchain Corporation has announced that it has entered into a letter-of-intent with Stater Blockchain Limited.

Stater’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Stater Global Markets, is a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated brokerage that facilitates market access across multiple instruments including spot FX, digital currency futures and contracts for difference (CFDs).

The letter-of-intent contemplates an all-stock transaction pursuant to which the Company would form a wholly-owned subsidiary which would merge with and into Stater with Stater surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. It is anticipated that the Company would remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Markets following the closing of the transaction.

If the Company is able to reach an agreement with Stater and the transaction is consummated, it is expected to complement its recently announced agreement to acquire 1,000 Antminer S9 mining rigs and 1,000 APW3++ PSUs.

Philip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Long Blockchain, commented, “We are excited to announce this potential milestone event for the Company. Stater has been making investments to build its cryptocurrency platform and blockchain solutions, and we look forward to combining our efforts in this transformational partnership.”

“Our ultimate goal is to build a portfolio of investments that touch multiple points in the blockchain ecosystem and this transaction
would be an important step in that direction” said Mr Thomas.

Ramy Soliman, Chief Executive Officer of Stater Blockchain, added, “This merger would truly be a transformational moment for our business. Stater Blockchain brings a number of different assets to the table and our collective business will be unique in the investor space. It gives a holistic value add for shareholders through accretive blockchain expertise and plans, as well as a regulated institutional brokerage through Stater Global Markets.”

“This combination of fintech and brokerage is a really powerful value proposition and we look forward to working with Philip and his team
to achieve a leading position in a dynamic new world” concluded Mr Soliman

Terms of the letter-of-intent between the Company and Stater have not been made public at this time. Completion of the transaction is subject to the negotiation of a definitive merger agreement between the parties (the “Merger Agreement”), satisfaction of the conditions negotiated therein and approval of the transaction by the Company’s stockholders. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that a Merger Agreement will be entered into or that the proposed merger with Stater will be consummated.

Assuming the Company and Stater enter into the Merger Agreement, the parties will look to seek stockholder approval from the Company’s stockholders in the second quarter of 2018, subject to SEC review of the proxy statement to be filed by the parties for the proposed transaction, and will look to close the transaction shortly thereafter.