Blog

Top 3 Coins to Watch – Week 42

During the second full week of Q4 2020 several cryptocurrency projects are making advancements and upgrades to their protocols. As always, the increased attention usually translates to increased amplitude of the price movements due to higher trading volumes. If the testnets and the rolled-out features prove to be successful, the tokens associated with these projects should appreciate.

1. Zilliqa (ZIL)

Zilliqa is a high-performance and very secure blockchain platform which aims to solve the scaling issues that most of the popular blockchains are facing. Zilliqa supports the creation of smart contracts and dApps and incorporates sharding technology, which means nodes are broken down into groups of 600, i.e. shards. A unique consensus algorithm, a combination of Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) and the standard mining algorithm Proof of Work (PoW) is used.

Buy/Sell ZIL

Zilliua to Test ZilSwap and Release Non-Custodial Staking

The Zilliua project is set to release its decentralized exchange feature named ZilSwap on testnet this week. The decentralized trading pool, which was build by Switcheo will allow users to trade ZIL for several other tokens. In addition, ZIL non-custodial staking is set to roll-out on Zilliua mainnet on October 14. The October 14 mainnet upgrade will also readjust payment transaction fees and smart contract transaction fees to address the issue of disproportion of gas fees between both types of transactions. As described in ZIP -9, the costs for payment transactions will double, while the costs of smart contract transactions will be slashed by a factor of 4. More details regarding the mainnet upgrade and the ZilSwap feature can be found on Zilliua blog.

2. Kava (KAVA)

Developed by Kava Labs the Kava blockchain boasts with the title of the first multi-blockchain DeFi platform. For depositing various cryptocurrencies to Kava’s multi collateral CDP system users get rewarded in Kava tokens. The Kava blockchain utilizes the Tendermint consensus and is secured by 100 validators.

Buy/Sell KAVA

Kava 4 Gateway Scheduled to go Live on October 15

The Kava project recently announced the launch of the Kava 4 Gateway Testnet 11k, which is set to take place on October 12 at 14:00 UTC. The Testnet 11k is an exact replica of the Kava 4 Gateway Mainnet release which will go live on mainnet just a few days later, on October 15 14:00 UTC. The testnet will allow validators to try out their set-ups prior to mainnet launch, in order to ensure a smooth mainnet upgrade. Furthermore, Kava Labs announced that the Harvest V1 will launch alongside the Gateway mainnet upgrade on October 15. Harvest is a cross-blockchain money market that allows users to earn interest on their crypto deposits, and to borrow funds from the platform. At launch, it will only support BTC, BNB, BUSD, USDX, XRP, and HARD deposits. HARD token is a governance token for Harvest, which will also be used as incentive to attract platform users to participate in the project’s decentralized governance. Kava is a promising DeFi platform and Harvest will likely drive the further growth and usage of the Kava platform. You can read more on Harvest V1 here.

3. Elrond (EGLD)

Elrond is a highly scalable, fast and secure blockchain platform for aApps and enterprise use cases. The EGLD token, also referred to as eGold is Elrond’s native token. It represents a medium of exchange between developers, who pay to use the network, and validators who get payed in fees for the services they provide. The Elrond network currently offers services such as general staking and delegation, and various DeFi options.

Buy/Sell EGLD

EGLD Incentivized Delegation Queue Will Open Up on October 14

While the Elrond network does offer EGLD staking, the number of tokens that can be staked is very limited. The project’s team recently decided to unlock more EGLD staking slots by launching the Phase 1 of the Incentivized Delegation Queue. Starting October 14 at 14:00 UTC, new users will be able to reserve their spot in the queue, which ultimately leads to them being able to delegate and stake their EGLD tokens and consequently enjoying an amazing APR of between 6.95% and 20%. You can read more on EGLD staking in the October 6 announcement. In addition, the Elrond team recently disclosed that already 50,000 EGLD (currently worth $400,000) have been staked in the Centaur Launch Pool. The EGLD stakes and CNTR rewards will be distributed to participating users no later than October 16 at 09:00 UTC.

October 12, 2020
Cryptocurrency as a way to raise capital: ICO, IEO, STO provide an alternative to the Old-School IPO

Along with the development of blockchain technology new business model and ways to raise capital have emerged. Cryptocurrency became the novel possibility for a growing number of start-ups to fund their projects. ICO, IEO, and STO got into the big picture as an alternative to the already established and complicated IPO process. If you are confused by all these acronyms, worry not. We will explain what each of them means and which pros and cons the funding method comes with in this article.

Binance Launchpad

IPO (Initial Public Offering)

IPO is the first sale of private company shares to the stockholders. This is not a new thing since it is a commonly recognized form of external financing. In an IPO, Shares are sold through a centralized and regulated stock exchange, and due to this, the government’s strict rules should be followed. In general, the prerequisites for the company to get permission for an IPO include a good name and financially stability, meaning that this funding method is often inaccessible to early-stage start-up companies. Additionally, the firm’s financial activities must be investigated by a professional audit company. All these processes make IPOs a very complex, long (up to 6 months), and costly funding method. Thereby, even many companies that meet the requirements mentioned above do not go for IPO. Furthermore, even when the company’s stocks hit the stock exchange the company still needs to attract investors, which should be accredited. For non-accredited investors a document called the Prospectus, which defines where the founds from the sale of shares will go, is needed. Naturally, the interest of the investors is to receive dividends and/or profit from reselling the stock on the stock exchange.

ICO (Initial Coin Offering)

ICO emerged as the first model of crowdfunding on the blockchain. Start-ups recognized it as a regulatory-free shortcut to the venture capital. Therefore, the ICO became a very popular funding method in 2017. What can also be called the ICO hype lasted at least until 2018 and more than 5,000 ICOs have been conducted up to now. To start ICO, you will simply need a website with the wallet address to which cryptocurrency will be sent. Often project would conduct an ICO with only a “whitepaper” describing their idea and no minimal viable product (MVP). Sometimes, even the whitepapers were missing or were written sloppily. Everything evolves in complete anonymity, and investors is not protected, which is why scams were nothing extraordinary in the space. It has to be noted that only a tiny percentage of the 2017-2018 ICOs succeeded. Many of them failed to deliver a working product, some performed an exit-scam and ran away with all the raised funds, and others such as Telegram’s TON were halted by regulators, namely the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Today, ICOs are regarded as very risky since the investors will only benefit in case the development and adoption of the project’s idea turns out to be a success. Furthermore, due to regulatory crack-down it is now much more difficult to conduct an ICO than it was in 2017. The IEO and STO concept emerged, as a more regulated and investor-protecting alternatives to the once very popular ICO.

IEO (Initial Exchange Offering)

IEO emerged as a safer and more regulated alternative of the ICO. An IEO is hosted and managed by a cryptocurrency exchange platform. Token issuers need to pay a listing fee to the exchange and a well-written White Paper to hold an IEO. IEO participants must open an account on the exchange platform where the offering is taking place and deposit funds in order to buy tokens of the fundraising company. Often, the exchange hosting the IEO would also take a percentage of tokens issued by the project as commission. Due to this, an IEO is a way more expensive funding method compared to an ICO, but in return the listed companies enjoy the endorsement and promotion from the crypto exchange. As far as investors are concerned, they are at least a bit more protected in case of an IEO, since the centralized crypto exchange will review the projects and hopefully eliminate all scams and perhaps even projects that they find unlikely to succeed. Following the IEO, the purchased tokens will be displayed in the investor’s online wallet and often trading could begin immediately, which is another major benefit for both the project and investors. The cryptocurrency exchange also deploys certain security and regulatory precautions, such as the KYC process and the AML measures.

STO (Security Token Offering)

Through an STO investors can acquire security tokens, which gives them the right to receive dividend-like payments or the right to vote on the future of the issuing company. As securities, the security tokens are, with few exemptions, obliged to follow regulations and laws that apply to issuing and trading of securities in the country where they are being issues. We can say that STO is the most similar to the IPO of all the crypto fundraising methods, except that it takes place on the blockchain. Furthermore, similarly strict rules apply and the process to receive authorization to conduct a STO can sometimes take up to 6 months. Strict rules regulate the source of money, increase corporate responsibility, and diminish the probability of fraud. Nevertheless, the strict regulation also has its upside. With the blockchain industry becoming more attractive to institutional investors, a well-regulated funding method can result in a massive influx of funds, should the project spark up interest of an institutional investor. The offered token must be registered, meet the terms of local regulations, and in the U.S. must pass the Howey Test. According to legislation, companies have to register with the local regulatory body to get featured on the list of companies issuing their shares for free sale. Thus, preparations for a STO are very complex and expensive, but the post-offering management is cheap. Nevertheless, STO still tends to be cheaper than an IPO, since most of the administrative work is done online.

Conclusion

While regulations can be a big drawback for entrepreneurs, they also provide a certain level of security for both parties involved. We can conclude that IPOs are and will likely remain an established procedure to raise funds for already-reputable companies, while the popularity of the ICOs is in decline. Most of the start-ups in the blockchain space therefore opt for the slightly less regulated IEO or the more complex STO. Nevertheless, if the issued token has no utility other than representing the share of ownership of the company and granting its owner a right to vote on proposals, this kind of asset will likely be deemed a security and consequently subjected to stricter regulations.

Invest in Binance IEO

October 6, 2020
Which cryptocurrencies can be used with online casinos?

Cryptocurrencies can be especially difficult to comprehend, particularly when it comes to understanding their fluctuating value. But the bigger question has always been, what exactly do you use them for? To this very day, society at large still finds very few uses for digital currencies, despite the best intentions of the companies and founders behind such innovations. However, in 2020, there is certainly one usage for cryptocurrency that is only going to become more prevalent – that being for online gambling purposes.

In a world where privacy is all-important, the ability to use cryptocurrency is tremendously valuable, hence its widespread usage in the arena of online gambling. But with so many to choose from, which digital dollar should you be plucking for when it comes to online casinos? The answer that most people will immediately conjure up is Bitcoin – quite possibly the world’s most well-known, and valuable cryptocurrency. As the originator, it is still a very popular and sensible choice, but the competition is closing up fast.

Another solid option when it comes to online gambling is that of EOS Crypto. Launched in 2018, it’s one of the newer sites mentioned in this article, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less reliable than its competitors. EOS is thought to have some of the safest crypto technology available today, though you should still take the opportunity to read up on it before committing. Free transactions, speedy payments and top of the range security software makes EOS a more than a dependable option.

Find some great Bitcoin Casino options on Casino Zone

Next up, we have Ethereum, which is similar to EOS in the sense that it is a blockchain-based crypto that uses smart contacts. Because of this, third parties aren’t able to encroach on any of your transactions, making it a perfectly safe option. Another safe bet is Dogecoin, a currency made famous by its name – which is an ode to the retro ‘Doge’ meme. The team behind Dogecoin have worked incredibly hard to prove that they aren’t just a joke, as their global user base demonstrates. Millions of people around the world use Dogecoin, making it one of the most popular, and most reputable cryptos in the game – despite its humorous origins.

If none of the above float your boat, there is also Litecoin, which has been dubbed Bitcoin’s slightly less popular twin. Litecoin remains an autonomous and decentralised currency, harnessing the power of AI to be able to process transactions faster than its twin rival. If speed is a priority for you, just as it is for many in the gambling community, then Litecoin may be the perfect choice.

All of the above would make for excellent choices if you do decide to gamble with a cryptocurrency; as they provide speedy transactions, sophisticated technology, and bulletproof security features. But if you still need some convincing over why cryptocurrencies are beneficial as a whole, allow us to explain.

Firstly, geographical location is much less of an issue when using cryptocurrencies. Some bank cards will only be usable in the issuing nation, which is a big problem if you are gambling on an offshore site. Also, crypto technology allows users to have a great deal of anonymity when betting – much more than they otherwise would have. When using conventional methods, personal ID information can be stored by the casino site and its third-party affiliates – hardly ideal for those who are hoping to keep a low profile. Finally, we come to the issue of speed, which is another area that cryptocurrencies excel in. Generally, Crypto payment methods are processed much faster than the best alternatives, all with the bonus of not imposing any additional transaction fees. That truly is a win-win!

October 5, 2020
Team3D’s VIDYA — The future of DeFi gaming has arrived
Vidya’s introductory teaser trailer

Vidya is a multipurpose DeFi gaming token built on the Ethereum network that was created as a digital transfer of value for traditional games, blockchain games, and decentralized financial experiments. We assembled as Team3D to build Vidya as a cryptocurrency at the forefront of a cascading change that’s taking place in the world of digital value transfer in the gaming industry, specifically through peer-to-peer networks made possible by the blockchain. The Uniswap liquidity pool is locked behind a liquidity controller smart contract, appropriately titled for the job as “LiquidityController3D”. This smart contract keeps the Uniswap liquidity pool decentralized, and protected, from the woes of human error. Vidya was officially launched, and began trading, on August 22nd, 2020.

If you have ever thought to earn cryptocurrency for winning in games of skill against your friends then you have already touched upon the original vision that sparked the creation of the Vidya project. Having this medium be in the form of a token on the Ethereum blockchain allows it to avail of the unique opportunity to have its own liquid, decentralized market, thereby giving it an inherent value based purely on demand, that can’t be controlled, manipulated or subverted by any entity. Just as we intend to create a player-driven market with in-game items, and Easter eggs in the form of NFTs (http://erc721.org/), we intend for the value by which these items are measured to be completely in the hands of the community of players, enthusiasts and speculators alike.

The generation of one type of NFT available in the ecosystem

Leaving consensus to those who do it best, we chose for the highly established processing power of Ethereum miners to handle Vidya token’s needs, with open ledger, blockchain based programs and protocols, transaction processing and network requirements all being handled by the most accepted provider in the world. Vidyans are therefore given the choice between an extensive and varied collection of blockchain and traditional games, as well as decentralized financial mechanisms, some examples of which being popularized in the mainstream mostly during the “Summer of DeFi” of 2020. This means, for example, that users can choose to stake their Vidya in our Generator, which will provide an even greater market liquidity for the token, whilst allowing anyone to put up their holdings for risk-free, exponential earnings over time.

In contrast to having a single, limiting sphere of functionality, the dynamic utility of Vidya gives users the freedom to interact with it in the way they like best while evolving with, and taking advantage of, the ever-progressing world of decentralized applications and finance. We make this easy for users by laying out an interactive, seamless hub through which they can interface with all Team3D and Vidya related projects, media, and information.

We call this TeamOS.

TeamOS in practice, serving as our website and gaming hub

Though seemingly complex at first, we have created a personalized crypto-gaming hub through the Team3D website that provides users with information that’s unique to them, as well as a cross-game and cross-platform system of progression through our inventory and equipment systems. When a user enters TeamOS, they have the option of connecting to it through their Ethereum public key with a Web3 provider such as Metamask. This will fetch all their wallet-specific data for use in any of our work, as well as provide them with access to their very own personalized Vidya portfolio, NFT inventory, equipment page, staking, and more. We strive for the user experience to be as familiar as it is nostalgic, staying true always to our history, our character.

Vidya’s inventory and equipment interface

Ownership is the cornerstone of Vidya. Users spend millions of dollars daily around the world on microtransactions, items, and points that are totally under the control, and at the mercy of, the companies they were bought from. Many games or developers also become irrelevant, existing now only as distant memories, revisited only for the purpose of this example. This isn’t an issue with the market we’re building. It’s totally player-driven, can be maintained by its users even if something happens to the team, and puts total freedom in the hands of the participant. Think of it like Steam, but without the market restrictions. That means you actually get value that can be used elsewhere for the items you find or trade.

One of the great benefits of having this system take advantage of blockchain technology is how easily progression can be universally tracked across multiple games, even those from independent, 3rd party developers that opt to use Vidya! The traditional method of converting players’ real, hard-earned money into completely worthless data is, to put it kindly, for noobs. We’re an extension into gaming of crypto’s mission to redefine the meaning of value, as much as we redefine the value of control.

From this one location, users have access to their entire Vidya portfolio. Be they NFTs, or Vidya itself, anything token related will be found here. Included to the right of the inventory panel is your personal blockie paper doll, a digital representation of yourself in all your glory! Along with your paper doll comes six slots; one for headgear, one for main-hand, one for off-hand, one for torso, one for pants, and one for footwear. Only certain items can be equipped, and provide their user not only with unique cosmetic options that vary between games, but also unique abilities, buffs, or prerequisites for the discovery of secrets hidden amidst our work.

Vidya’s Generator, a liquidity staking geyser that uses NFTs

Along with our traditional gaming ecosystem, Vidya’s Generator is an NFT-based liquidity staking mechanism, and one of the more recognizable elements of typical decentralized finance in our project. The Generator consumes an NFT energy source called “Dark Matter” as fuel. In order to enter the staking pool, users first must acquire Dark Matter, then provide liquidity to the Vidya pool on Uniswap in order to receive liquidity provider tokens that they may then stake in our Generator. They will receive VIDYA daily, which rewards more for larger stakes, and compounds exponentially the longer they hold their stake within it. This incentivizes Vidyans to hold as many tokens as they can, for as long as they can. Due to the nature of this particular system of staking, the liquidity pool for Vidya on Uniswap benefits from amplified support which is bolstered, and maintained, through the rake from games.

Apart from our Generator, Vidya will feature many more rewards and earnings mechanisms. NFT staking in-game will allow users to not only earn Vidya, but also maintain status or cosmetic effects for the duration of their stake, or until their expiry. This helps to build value for Vidya as well as individual NFTs, inspiring you to hold onto them for dear life awaiting the next opportunity to capitalize on their use, or to sell them on for a profit.

A typical, and expected, matchmaking lobby result

Player-created lobbies are established by Web3-enabled users, who must first pick a deposit amount that must be matched by others before they can join the lobby. Upon accepting the lobby configuration, the lobby-creator is then charged for the amount specified to begin the initial pool, securing the initial wager instantly. Subsequent users who then try to join will be prompted with a transaction to meet the original wager prior to joining. Once paid, they will then be entered into the lobby with the creator, where they will either begin the match, or wait for other players, depending on the match configuration.

The non-custodial escrow contract responsible for managing the match will await the trigger of a win condition, upon which it will be notified by the game to close the pool, and distribute winnings to the appropriate user(s). In the event of a lobby closure, or failure to meet win conditions, users will be sent back to the lobby menu and refunded their initial wager minus gas. Fees are only ever deducted from the pool following successful match completion.

We gamify DeFi

Who are we? We’re Team3D. We prefer to stay anonymous, but our work is known so that we don’t have to be. We’ve helped out with a ton of projects in the scene, some being: TronGoo, TronFarms, BroFistCoin, 0x60, Uptrennd, UniPower, GemBites, and many more. We’re always active, feel free to stop by for a chat any time. Look forward to meeting you!

Exchanges:
- Uniswap
- WhiteBit
Information:
Contact:
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send us an e-mail at hello@team3d.io
October 5, 2020
CoinCheckup Joins the Blockchain.News Ecosystem!

We’re glad to announce that CoinCheckup has joined the Blockchain.News Ecosystem! The Blockchain.News Ecosystem is a community where you can follow the most relevant trends and insights from the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Joining the Blockchain.News Ecosystem gives us additional options to connect to the cryptocurrency community, and also explore exciting business opportunities.

Blockchain.News is a digital media company focused on the fintech and blockchain sectors, featuring valuable insights from the field’s leading experts.

At CoinCheckup, we’re proud that Blockchain. News has recognized our platform as one of the leading cryptocurrency data services in the industry. As always, we will continue to provide reliable cryptocurrency data and make it accessible to users from around the globe. On CoinCheckup, you can follow the prices of more than 3,000 cryptocurrencies, but our data is not limited to prices – we also feature detailed charts, investment statistics and analytics.

October 5, 2020
Top 3 Coins to Watch – Week 41

As we enter the final quarter of the year, several projects are moving ahead with continued development. This week’s selection of top three projects to keep an eye on focuses heavily on decentralization. A decentralized options trading protocol, a DEX governance token and a decentralized cloud computing protocol are featured.

1. Hedget (HGET)

Hedget is a decentralised options trading protocol that allows its users to create and trade different option series by depositing some collateral. Doing so, users can hedge the price fluctuation and the risk in their collateralised lending positions. The protocol also utilizes a Layer 2 scaling solution to enable faster, cheaper, and more complex transactions.

Buy/Sell HGET

HGET Liquidity Mine V1 to Launch on October 5

Hedget developers have recently announced the kick-off of the HGET Liquidity Mine V1 program, which aims to provide more liquidity to automated market making platforms (AMMs). Users providing liquidity to the HGET/ETH pool will be rewarded in HGET tokens with higher rewards dedicated to those who participate from early on and those who decide to deposit larger amounts of funds. Liquidity providers will enjoy a dynamic APY based on a bonding curve (260% to 110%) from the Uniswap’s liquidity mining reward pool. A reward pool of 7500 HGET with an additional 2500 HGET bonus pool was set in place to pay out the incentives. The program will start on October 5 with a 2-week locked staking period. More info about HGET Liquidity Mine V1 can be found here.

2. Uniswap (UNI)

UNI is a governance token of Uniswap, an automated liquidity protocol and currently the most popular decentralized exchange (DEX). UNI tokens are ERC-20 tokens that allow holders to decide on the future of Uniswap protocol by voting on proposals. The governance token holders also oversee the usage of funds from the community treasury, and the protocol’s fee switch.

Buy/Sell UNI

Version 3.0.0 Release and Liquidity Mining Launch

The governance token of currently the most popular DEX continues to be a hot asset as the DEX’s popularity and trading volumes continue to rise. The team, which has recently released the Version 3.0.0 of the Uniswap protocol, is now preparing everything needed for the move from HTTP to IPFS, a peer-to-peer based hypermedia protocol. In addition, Uniswap is set to launch its UNI liquidity mining service on the Coinlist platform this month. With many more updates and upgrades to come (all information is available on Uniswap’s Github page) UNI definitely remains a must-watch or should we say a must-have token.

3. Ankr Network (ANKR)

Founded in 2017, Ankr aims to build a resource and cost-efficient Distributed Cloud Computing blockchain. The project’s proprietary cloud infrastructure connects enterprise-grade datacentres from all around the world, into a network, that makes it easy to deploy Web3 applications. The project also puts a lot of effort into providing a user-friendly infrastructure for businesses that want to build on its platform.

Buy/Sell ANKR

Ankr Released Stkr Public Testnet

With cryptocurrency staking becoming more and more popular and Ethereum 2.0 launch just around the corner, Ankr looks to expend its offering with a new service dubbed Stkr. Stkr is an Ankr-based protocol for decentralized proof-of-stake infrastructure, that will allow users to run Ethereum 2.0 staking nodes on the platform and become a hosting service provider by staking ANKR and ETH. Later on, the team plans to add support for other PoS blockchains such as Polkadot, EOS, and Binance Chain. Its micropools feature will lower the barrier to participate in staking, as also users with less than 32 ETH will be able to participate in a hosting pool. Stkr began Ankr internal testing on October 1. The testing phase, which is expected to take around 2 weeks, will be followed by a Stkr public testnet release. The team noted that we can expect the public testnet sometime in the second half of October in its ‘Countdown to Stkr’ blog post.

October 5, 2020
Top 5 Ethereum Trends for 2021

Ethereum is the second cryptocurrency platform by market capitalization, and it’s poised to become an even bigger part of the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem in the future. For anyone that’s building a decentralized application or launching a token, Ethereum is the first blockchain to consider – Ethereum already has a thriving ecosystem, the largest development community in crypto, and an unmatched set of tools and resources that savvy developers and entrepreneurs can leverage to their advantage.

The future is looking bright for Ethereum – here are the 5 most important Ethereum trends to follow in 2021.

Ethereum 2.0 will start rolling out

The Ethereum project is transitioning towards a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, which will make Ethereum much faster and cheaper to use, and make the platform more environmentally friendly. Ethereum 2.0 will not just be about proof-of-stake, but it will also introduce sharding, which will have a tremendously positive impact on Ethereum’s scalability.

In 2021, the transition will likely already be in effect on a technical level, and ETH holders will be able to actually start staking their tokens to earn a passive income on their holdings. Even though the minimum requirement for full validators is 32 ETH, even users who hold smaller amounts of ETH will be able to participate by joining staking pools.

The full deployment of Ethereum 2.0 will take several years to complete, but Ethereum 2.0 will likely be one of the most important cryptocurrency and blockchain trends of 2021.

The DeFi ecosystem will keep evolving

Decentralized finance or DeFi is currently on the minds of all cryptocurrency investors, and for good reason – DeFi application provide an unprecedented level of access to financial services such as lending and trading to everyone, regardless of their financial status or country of residence.

Users are flocking to DeFi protocols as they attempt to find promising new projects, and take advantage of yield-bearing opportunities by strategically lending and borrowing crypto assets. This trend is known as “yield farming”, and could see continued growth in 2021 and beyond.

Decentralized finance projects like Maker, Uniswap, Yearn Finance, Aave and Compound will likely continue to be major players in the cryptocurrency space, and become even more useful as developers upgrade their functionality and community members craft the best governance proposals to take these platforms to the next level.

NFTs and digital art

The unique properties of blockchain technology enable the creation of digital assets that are provably scarce – unlike computer files, where two copies of a file are indistinguishable from each other, the authenticity of non-fungible tokens or NFTs can be easily verified on the blockchain.

Ethereum is currently dominating the NFT sector, and this is unlikely to change moving forward. NFTs can be used to create scarce digital art pieces, digital collectibles, video game items, and much more.

While there’s already a flourishing movement of digital artists that’s emerging around NFT technology, major corporations are also taking notice. The NBA has approved an NFT-based game called NBA Top Shot, while the MLB is officially licensing MLB Champions, a game where players can collect their favorite pro baseball players represented as NFT tokens.

Ethereum will remain the dominant platform for tokens and stablecoins

The majority of developers and entrepreneurs who want to create their own custom blockchain-based tokens will most likely continue to use Ethereum as their primary option. Tokens launched on Ethereum can be transferred using popular cryptocurrency wallets, seamlessly traded on decentralized exchanges and integrated into decentralized finance protocols.

While we’re on the subject of Ethereum-based tokens, we shouldn’t ignore stablecoins. Stablecoins are crypto tokens that are designed to track the value of real-world assets such as fiat currencies. Ethereum is the primary choice for the most widely adopted stablecoins such as Tether, USD Coin and Paxos Standard Token.

Blockchain-powered gaming

Ethereum is being leveraged by major blockchain gaming projects such as Enjin and Gods Unchained. The Ethereum blockchain opens up unique avenues for games, for example giving gamers the ability to transfer items between different games.

Ethereum is also gaining more and more adoption on online betting platforms and crypto casinos. Casinos that accept Ethereum in 2021 will undoubtedly benefit from the increased adoption and utility of ETH. For users who are looking for an online casino that accepts ETH in 2021, newcasinoonline.com is one of the best ways to get started.

October 5, 2020
CryptoGames Casino Review: A Provably Fair Crypto Casino Offering Blackjack, Video Poker, Roulette, Dice and Many Other Games
The web is currently full of Bitcoin casinos which offer a large amount of gaming option as well as sports betting options. For somebody who is only starting or that wants just to dip his feet into this pastime, it’s then easy to feel overwhelmed with all the options that are available on the market. This is where CryptoGames comes in. You can forget about the cluttered UI’s with thousands of shoddy gaming options, because CryptoGames goes completely in the other direction. The site’s main goal is to deliver a polished experience with its 8 games, each of them very well-made and easy to get into. Does it succeed in doing so?

The site certainly offers a lot of clever solutions and ideas to the crypto casino world and to keep it short, it should be a very enjoyable experience for most visitors. Now, if you want to read more about all that the site has to offer, you can read a short overview of the features below.

The positives:
- Faucet system
- Game fairness and transparency
- Chat system that encourages interaction and helps build a sense of community
- Coinswitch integration
- Sleek design
The negatives:
- Huge list of countries which don’t allow its residents to register
- Relatively small selection of games
- No first deposit bonus
UI and different platform support

The first thing that hits you it’s that the design is quite slick and very user-friendly. The main page features all the games and each of the 8 is at the very most just two clicks away. CryptoGames offers the same experience on mobile devices which is quite remarkable, as the mobile version offers the same functionality and features as the desktop variation.

After you select your preferred game you will be prompted to choose which cryptocurrency you would like to use and after that you will be ready to go. All the games offer useful features like statistics, top rankings and your bet history on the game.

Community

One of CryptoGames best features is the chat feature, which enables players to interact with opponents, make friends and communicate/interact in more ways than a normal instant messaging service would let you. Some key features that you can use:
- the option of buying lottery tickets that you can share with others
- the ability to do coin flips by using a special command in chat(!flip)
- You may share your bets with your friends by inputting !bet [game] [bet ID number]
- You have the ability to tip your opponents or your friends with your cryptocurrency of choice by inputting !tip [nickname] [amount] [coin] (as an example, !tip theRockJohnson 0.001 BTC),
Emojis are also enabled, so that you can add a bit of flair to all of your interactions. You can check the list of emojis that are included in the chat here.

The creators of the site have found an interesting way of enticing the players to use the chat feature – the more you use the chat, the more your “player level” grows and increases, which in turn means that you get to experience bigger rewards. Each single chat gets you one point, but just constantly spamming random gibberish will not make you get more points and it may in fact lead to an account ban. Your point total can always be checked in the “Rewards” tab, meanwhile to avoid being booted from the site, you can read through all the rules and possible commands here.

List of supported cryptocurrencies and different payment options

Currently CryptoGames accepts payments from the following 10 cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Monero, Ethereum Classic, Dash, Dogecoin, Stratis and Gas. No fiat options are available as of now.

The process is quite simple and for a new deposit, you only need a single confirmation. Deposits from exchanges usually clear in no time, meanwhile deposits that are sent directly from your wallet may need a bit longer.

Withdrawals are also done very quickly, with Ethereum withdrawals being the fastest (1 min), while the other coins tend take up to 5 minutes. Withdrawals have also a minimum withdrawal amount, which is currently set at 2 mBTC — milibitcon — 0.002 BTC.

There is a withdrawal fee for withdrawing your hard-earned coins. You can choose which-ever option you like, but keep in mind that the fee is connected to how quickly your transaction can be confirmed: bigger fee, quicker transaction confirmation (although keep in mind that the transaction speeds are also impacted by the coin’s network statuses). More details on the topic can be found on the “Deposit and Withdrawal” tab.

Registration

The registration process is predictably very simple, sleek and fast. You choose your new nickname, solve a Captcha and you’ll be ready to roll and explore the site and even try some games.

To experience the site to its full potential and to use all of the features though, you will have to complete also the following three steps.

1. E-mail verification. After the e-mail verification, your account will be given access to deposits, withdrawals and the chat feature.

2. Verification via SMS. This will grant you two additional faucet levels

3. Personal ID verification. This step will disable the speed limit on dice.

Until you complete these steps you are free to use the play money that is given at your disposal at the start. With the play money you will be able to experience the different type of games available to you and find the ones for which you would like to deposit your funds. There is also the interesting “faucet system” which enables you too periodically gain little amounts of your preferred cryptocurrency that can be then used on CryptoGames. You can read up on this system on the “Faucet reward system” section.

Registration Bonuses

The site does not offer a bonus for your first deposit, but they level the playing field by offering a bunch of different promotions for their player, like loyalty point deposit bonus and friend referrals. Each new player starts at the lowest loyalty level, but by staying active, playing games, making new wagers, one can quickly rise through the ranks and receive bigger and bigger rewards.

Referrals

For each new player that you invite, CryptoGames divides 15% of the house edge for them and the share is distributed to every game equally (it is calculated based on betting amounts). If you would like to arrange for a custom rate, you have the ability to do so by contacting marketing@crypto.games.

Faucet reward system

As mentioned, as players rank up their loyalty levels, the rewards that are available to them steadily grow – their faucet rewards increase. At the lowest level a player can request just 10 faucets each day and for each time he will be awarded just a small amount of free BTC, 0.00000050 BTC at rank 0 to be exact. In comparison, at the highest level attainable, level 35 (appropriately called “Brigadier General”), one is able to tap into the faucet up to 60 (!) times per day, gaining 0.00006150 BTC per faucet.

The whole system is neatly explained in the “Rewards” tab of the site, where you will be able to read up more on it.

Game variety

CryptoGames, has made available for its users a selection of 8 interesting and fun games. As CryptoGames take the fairness of their games very seriously, they made sure that their players have the option to check the inner workings of bets, house edges and other information with the help of the “Provably fair” tab. Nearby you will also find the “How to play tab”, which will show you the ropes and hopefully teach you on how to win big. Here’s the full list of available games with the house edge included next for each of them: Video poker (2.1%), Minesweeper (1%), Roulette (2.7%), Plinko (1.7%), Slot (1.97%), Dice (0.8%), Blackjack (1.253%), Lottery (0%).

Periodical wagering competitions

CryptoGames monitors numerous wagering rankings – for each cryptocurrency independently, and every month the give awards to those that have ranked near the top. As an example, one of the winners from February of this year wagered 85 BTC on the site and received a reward of 0.17 BTC! For a proper breakdown of the leaderboards, how the winnings are being split and other details you can click on this link.

Customer support

If you have any problem or you need to contact the customer support at CryptoGames, you can do so by sending them an e-mail at support@crypto.games or shoot a DM to the moderators of the CryptoGames chat. The company is also reachable and present on all the biggest social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Google+. ) as well as on the Bitcointalk forums, where there’s a CryptoGames thread in which questions can be made and answers can be had.

Company Info

CryptoGames is operated by MUCHGAMING B.V., a Curacao-based private LLC. The site holds an international eGaming license no. 1668/JAZ, which was granted by the Government of Curacao.

Unfortunately, at this moment, the registration is forbidden to residents of Australia, Aruba, Belgium, Bonaire, Curacao, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Italy, North Korea, Romania, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, The Netherland, United States, United States Territories, and the United Kingdom.

Final thoughts

As mentioned in the review, CryptoGames has a lot to offer and there’s a lot to enjoy. The mantra of “secure, transparent and easy to use” can be seen throughout the site and it’s not surprising that the site’s popularity is growing. Another reason for the popularity may well be the strong sense of community that is brought to the forefront by the neat chat, as other Crypto Casinos feel “dead” compared to CryptoGames and its bustling community. The faucet system is also a nice idea that compliments the chat system very well and keeps the community engaged. It’s a clever reward system that satisfies rookies and veterans alike and, more importantly, never stops being rewarding. One can say that a minus for CryptoGames is that it doesn’t offer a bigger selection of games, but each of the games that is present on the site is expertly made and a fun experience.

Unfortunately, CryptoGames does have also some negative aspects. The main one being the extensive list of restricted countries. The small line-up of games also emphasizes the lack of some other betting options, for example it lacks of a sport betting option or a live casino. All in all, the site is good, but it may not the one stop shop for all of your crypto casino needs.
October 3, 2020
CryptoSlots Casino Review: Pros and Cons Game Variety, Bonuses, Support
Rated 4.4 out of 5

CryptoSlots is a slots-focused crypto-only online casino established in 2018. While the casino’s parent company Slotland Entertainment S.A has more than 20 years of experience in the gaming industry, the relatively new CryptoSlots platform still needs to prove itself and claim its market share. With that being said, we believe that CryptoSlots is a great casino for those who primarily enjoy playing video slots.

The pros of CryptoSlots Casino:
- Specialized in video slots
- Very competitive bonus and a 3% cashback program
- Easy to navigate, due to its clean design and super-responsive website
- Incentivizes players with Jackpot Trigger, Crypto Lotto, VIP Program and other promotions
- Fast and reliable customer support
- Simple and straightforward registration process
- Affiliate program featuring up to a 50% commission
The cons of CryptoSlots Casino:
- Relatively small selection of games since the casino focuses on slots
- Only supports payments made in four different cryptocurrencies
- No native Android and iOS applications
1. CryptoSlots Casino features overview

CryptoSlots.com is an online cryptocurrency only casino. The gambling site, developed and operated by an established player in the gaming industry Slotland Entertainment S.A., heavily focuses on video slots. Nevertheless, the platform offers a limited selection of poker games and Keno alongside the wide variety of offered slots. All featured games a provably fair and the casino claims that its staff is experienced and its platform player-focused.

First-time users and registration process

Creating an account at CryptoSlots casino is easy and straightforward, as it should be on all platforms. To become a registered player simply click on ‘Play Now’ or ‘Sign up’ button. You will need to enter your email address, pick a username and password, and agree with the casino’s terms and conditions. Your account is created instantly, but to make the first deposit, you will need to verify your e-mail address.

Supported payment methods

CryptoSlots is a cryptocurrency only casino, meaning that it does not accept deposits in fiat at all. Nevertheless, once the cryptocurrency transfer arrives to CryptoSlots, the deposited amount is converted into USD, which is also the currency in which your account balance and all the bets are denominated. For the conversion, CryptoSlots uses an exchange rate that is calculated by averaging the rates from selected renowned cryptocurrency exchanges. While the casino says that the exchange rate is updated every 15 minutes, there is no easy way to know exactly how much USD you will be credited for your crypto deposit in advance. You should not forget to check your e-mail or platform inbox as you will find codes for welcome bonuses on your first three deposits there. Enter the codes prior to making a deposit, to be eligible for the bonuses!

To be fair, CryptoSlots features quite a limited selection of supported cryptocurrencies for a crypto only online casino. Nevertheless, you should be able to easily make a deposit as the four supported cryptos are among the most used ones.

The casino supports payments in:
Deposits and withdrawals

Deposits are processed instantly, and the minimum deposit amount is the equivalent of $25 in your chosen cryptocurrency. At the time of writing, this limit stands at 0.00238 BTC, 0.1122 BCH, 0.5445 LTC, and 0.2393 XMR, respectively. CryptoSlots recommends using Litecoin for its speed and lower transaction fees and Monero for its high level of privacy. The deposit amount is capped at the equivalent value of $50,000.

The minimum withdrawal amount is $25 and is paid out the following business day. There is no described maximum withdrawal amount. To request a withdrawal all deposits should be in the “Confirmed” state. CryptoSlots also notes that all deposits must be wagered at least once, and that the currency of the last deposit determines the currency of the following withdrawal.

User interface and mobile support

The website design and lay-out is clean and simple. There are no annoying jackpot notification pop-ups and the ongoing promotions are not intrusive. Perhaps also because of this the website responds very swiftly to all the clicks and scrolls and is a pleasure to use. The simplistic design makes it easy for you to find your favourite Casino game. At the same time all important info regarding deposits, withdrawals, and terms and conditions is accessible through the website’s header or footer.

While CryptoSlots does offer a mobile version of its website that is slightly more suited for the use on smaller touchscreens, the casino has no native iOS or Android app, which would make gaming on the go even easier.

2. Game variety

As the name implies, CryptoSlots focuses on video slots. The casino’s selection of games is not very wide, but those games that are there work swiftly and are easy to play. The platform features 60 different casino games, most of them from the category of video slots:
- Video slots (48), out of which:
  - 17 are Mega Matrix slots
  - 7 are High bet limit slots
- Jackpot slots (1)
- Poker games (10)
- Keno games (1)
Sportsbook and Live Casino Games

The CryptoSlots casino does not offer sports betting, nor live casino games at the moment. Furthermore, even the selection of other casino games is limited, as the site heavily focuses on online video slots. For example, there is no roulette, dice, baccarat, blackjack and other otherwise popular casino games on CryptoSlots’ platform.

3. Bonuses, promotions and affiliate program

CryptoSlots casino offers a competitive welcome bonus package and a 3% cashback program. Loyal and big players are taken care off through the casino’s VIP program, while all users receive Crypto Lotto tickets and Jackpot Trigger Tokens based on their betting activity. In addition, the casino issues special time-limited promotions from time to time. Just now, there is a 100% deposit bonus promotion to celebrate the launch of Hot Hit slot machine in effect.

The Package of 3 red hot welcome bonuses

The CryptoSlots Casino offers an astounding 133% bonus on your first deposit to the platform. Once again, you should enter the bonus code prior to making your first deposit. For second and third deposit, the casino offers a 77% and a 99% percent bonus, respectively, which is still slightly above the industry’s average.

All the bonuses require that the users redeem a bonus code prior to making a deposit! Each bonus must be wagered at least 35x and is valid for 90 days. The maximum bonus amount is $500 for each bonus, capping maximum cumulative bonus at $1,500. Maximum cash out is $5,000 per bonus, which does not include wins resulting from play with Jackpot Tokens.

Weekly 3% Cashback bonus

The platform offers a fixed 3% cashback bonus on your net loss, which is calculated as the sum of your bets minus the sum of all wins and bonuses received. Players receive the Cashback bonus code via e-mail every Wednesday for their previous week’s (Monday to Sunday) net loss. While the cashback percentage is relatively low, this bonus enjoys a super low wagering requirement of only 1 roll over. The maximum amount of cashback bonus is $1,000 per week.

Jackpot Trigger

CryptoSlots gives all its customers the chance to become a millionaire with its Jackpot Trigger slot. The slot can only be played using Jackpot Tokens, which are earned at the ratio of 1 Jackpot Token for every $100 won on other games. The Jackpot Tokens never expire, but the casino encourages players to try out their luck as soon as they have a balance of one or more Jackpot Tokens. Wins on the Jackpot Trigger range from $1 to $1,000,000. It must be noted that these are real money wins that transfer to your cash balance and are excluded from bonus limitations. During the special promotion, you receive 25 free Jackpot Trigger tokens upon your first deposit.

Crypto Lotto

CryptoSlots also holds a monthly Crypto Lotto contest that features 20 winners and a progressive 1st place prize of at least $10,000. Second place and third place prizes stand at $5,000 and $1,000, respectively.

To enter the lottery, eligible users need to wager at least $100 in one day on CryptoSlots platform. For every day that they do so, they receive 1 Crypto Lotto ticket. Winners are announced at the beginning of every month.

VIP Program

For returning and loyal players, CryptoSlots has set up a special VIP Program. The perks of being in the VIP club include higher bonus reward, dedicated VIP manager and support, access to VIP-only promotions and special attention from the casino in the form of gift vouchers, gadgets, and other VIP gifts.

CryptoSlots does not disclose a spending or betting volume threshold to enter these exclusive ranks. In fact, the entry to the VIP Program is invitation only. The company simply says that the more you play in their online casino, the closer you get to receiving a VIP club invitation. Furthermore, CryptoSlots reserves a right to change or revoke users’ VIP status at any time at their own discretion.

Affiliate program

If you are interested in partnering with CryptoSlots to promote the casino on your website, or YouTube and social media accounts, the company can offer you up to a 50% share of revenue generated by your referrals. Slotland Affiliates boasts with reliable and swift payouts, dedicated affiliate management team and the fact that the commission is paid out over the whole lifetime. In addition, affiliates can enjoy the benefit of no negative carryover, meaning that their balance is reset to zero at the beginning of each month, should they decide to play with earned commission and dive into the red numbers.

The registration process consists of filling out a simple form. For additional information, you can refer to the Slotland Affiliates FAQ, Terms & Conditions, or write an e-mail to program@slotlandaffiliates.com.

4. Customer support and regulation

Customer Support

The customer support of the CryptoSlots online casino is accessible 24/7 either through the embedded live chat functionality or via e-mail support@cryptoslots.com. Judging by my personal experience, I can say that the support via live chat was swift and the staff kindly answered all my questions. Customer support via phone is not offered.

Licensing and restricted countries

CryptoSlots is operated by Slotland Entertainment S.A., which is registered at the address Suite 2100, ACS, B.P. 269, Mutsamudu – Anjouan, Union of Comoros. The Company is licensed and registered by the Government of Anjouan an autonomous island country located in the Indian Ocean. License Number is L2100. Players need to make sure that engaging in online gambling is legal under their jurisdiction on their own. CryptoSlots also supports responsible gaming and list organizations that can provide help in case of gambling addiction.

Verdict

The CryptoSlots Casino does come with some trade-offs, such as the fact that only four different cryptocurrencies are supported and that the game variety is far below average. However, if we overlook these facts, the CryptoSlots casino is a simple and friendly online casino that specializes in video slots.

Despite the small selection of games, the casino has almost everything that a slot lover could ever want. Both the platform’s website and customer support work swiftly, which makes gaming on CryptoSlots hassle-free and a real pleasure. The user experience is further bettered by the generous welcome deposit bonus package, 3% cashback bonus, and various time-limited promotions. All users receive Crypto Lotto tickets and Jackpot Tokens based on their wagered volume, while big players can get drafted into the exclusive VIP Program.

To conclude, we believe that everyone that is a fan of video slots should give CryptoSlots a try. Even in the not-so-big repertoire of slots, you should be able to find a suitable game for your gambling needs. A pleasurable gaming experience awaits.

Open CryptoSlots Account
October 3, 2020