At Totle, we understand that it can be a time consuming task to wade through all the many altcoin projects out there looking for just the right one to invest in. With a flood of projects entering into the space on a monthly basis, finding a project that has solid long-term potential is almost like looking for a needle in a haystack.

There are a few factors that make for a good project including a solid team, having a working demo or final product, a token that has utility on the platform, and an idea that is actually viable and not just a whitepaper and a dream. Finding a blockchain based project shouldn't be like looking for a unicorn, so we decided to put the spotlight on 7 coins that we think have excellent projects with already established products and vibrant communities.

1. Steem (STEEM)
Steem review 2018 solid altcoin
The Steem blockchain makes the top of our list because out of all the projects we looked at, it had one of the most developed and use platforms. Steem is the currency and blockchain that runs the Steemit.com platform. Steemit is where a Reddit like forum meets the blockchain and contributors get paid through "upvotes" on their articles and comments. These upvotes equal out to a certain amount of rewards paid in Steem cryptocurrency. Content creators earn "reputation" on the platform by posting content that people like and therefore increases the power of their voting and posting on the site.

The platform boasts half a million users and was launched in July of 2016. One of the remarkable aspects is that transaction times are just around 3 seconds! Steem transactions are free and pretty much instant. The active engagement growth that has been seen in the last 6 months alone is impressive when compared to other projects with a similar user base. This is a real working project that has a lightning fast blockchain and is already being used by hundreds of thousands of people daily.

2. Basic Attention Token (BAT)
BAT review 2018 solid altcoin
Many of the coins in the top 10 are aimed at being a transfer of value similar to Bitcoin, but Basic Attention Token has their eyes set on another major industry; advertising. Just like in print, online publications often make the majority of their revenue from advertising. Being flooded by ads is almost a right these days and you can't read news on any major outlet without going through an ad or two with most of the page space taken by rotating adverts.

 This outdated model of advertising is behind us according to BAT which aims to put the power in users hands where they reward content creators for their work with BAT tokens therefore eliminating the need for banner ads and popups. The BAT token works in conjunction with the Brave browser which is a traditional ad blocking browser for the net. The concept here is forward-thinking with a solid game plan. It's a big job to tackle but this product already has partners with a working product and an army of users that are fed up with pesky banner ads and popups.

3. Stellar Lumens (XLM)
stellar lumens review 2018 solid altcoin
Stellar has moved up the ranks notch by notch over the last year and now sits in the top 10 coins by marketcap. While it did not see the massive price spikes that Ripple did coming into 2018, the technology is strikingly similar (Stellar is actually a fork of Ripple) and has massive long term potential. Stellar is all about cross-boarder payment systems that rely on "anchors" to work similar to traditional banks in their decentralized network.

Transaction times are around 2-3 seconds and for fractions of 1 Lumen or XLM the native token on the Stellar network. They inked a deal with IBM and KlickEx late last year which should propel their product offering to the forefront. They are also run by a non-profit organization which makes direct donations to them tax deductible. This is one solid rocket ship to the moon!

4. Monero (XMR)
Monero review 2018 solid altcoin
While most of the privacy-centric coins saw large gains going into 2018 Monero certainly has been leading the pack. Like Bitcoin, Monero is all about transfer of value, but the similarities stop there. Monero is focused on privacy so unlike Bitcoin every transaction on the Monero blockchain is 100% private. They use ring signatures to secure the privacy of their transactions and it really is a unique method for achieving this goal. Every transaction id becomes part of a ring of transactions from the network where the signer could be any of the id's so anyone looking from the outside could not identify who that actual owner is.

One of the more interesting features of this privacy coin is that you can also make your transactions public through the use of a "view key" that allows anyone with that key to see full transaction history. The Monero project has been in high demand in multiple markets for the last few years and with the increasing demand for privacy focused transactions their have a strong project that will no doubt see major growth in 2018.

5. EOS (EOS)
EOS review 2018 best altcoins
Compared to the other coins on this list EOS has much less of a product (none in fact at this time!), but they have crept into the top 10 coins over the last few months with anticipation of a strong 2018. EOS aims to be a development platform very similar to Ethereum but with improvements to speed & scaleabllity. The project is spearheaded by Dan Larimer that same guy who invented the Steem blockchain and Steemit.com. EOS is his latest project and while they decided to go with a year long ICO, the project is starting to pick up some steem (pun intended!) with the release of their public test net.

The platform is looking to solve some of the problems we have seen with the Ethereum blockchain environment even though the EOS token itself is an Ethereum based ERC-20 token this is only a "placeholder" for when the EOS blockchain launches with their own native token. With such a solid team and clear direction with results to back it, EOS is going to give other decentralized development platforms a run for their money in 2018.

6. OmiseGo (OMG)
OmiseGO OMG review 2018 solid altcoins
OMG has been one of the most successful Ethereum based tokens and continues to hang around the top 20 coins by market cap. While OMG is also establishing itself as a payment and value transfer network, and while they focus on both B2B and P2P the unique aspects of their platform are geared more for providing solutions for businesses versus peer-to-peer transactions. They have a huge team including the one and only Vitalik Buterin as an adviser. Watching the progress this team has made since their ICO has been fun and they seem to have picked up quite a few partners for real-world use cases of their OmiseGo network. Here is a really good article that breaks all these partnerships down to fine grains.

7. Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX)
WAX review 2018 altcoin
Last on our list of solid cryptocurrency projects for 2018 is the Worldwide Asset eXchange or WAX for short. This is an online gaming specific token on the Ethereum network that allows you to buy and sell digital assets across a massive global network. Right now, the digital asset market is valued in the millions per year and gamers are very comfortable with online and digital focused transactions. The WAX team are the same guys behind OPSkins.com which is one of the largest current digital asset markets globally.

They have an already established business which they are essentially "upgrading" to the blockchain to improve features, speed, price, and offerings. With a solid product offering already on the table and millions of gamers worldwide looking to buy and sell digital game assets, 2018 is going to be a huge year of growth for WAX and the gaming industry as a whole.

Happy Altcoin hunting! If you find a project that you think is a really solid application with long term potential, drop us a comment here!

What Is A Decentralized Exchange, and How Does It Work?
Being new to the cryptocurrency scene can be overwhelming! We understand because we were once rookies too, in a galaxy far far away...

The learning curve can be quite daunting with so many new buzzwords being thrown around, not to mention keeping track of your favorite coins and exchanges. Totle aims to make cryptocurrency learning, as well as management of your portfolio, as easy as pie! There are always many questions out there, but one of the ones we get most is “What is a DEX (Decentralized EXchange)?”. Follow along as we break it down for you in absolute  beginner terms that you WILL understand!

Go Decentralized

To first understand what a decentralized exchange is we first have to have a basic understanding of what “decentralized” actually means. In the case of cryptocurrency, decentralized means a network of computers or “nodes”. These nodes maintain a copy of the same data and are interconnected to form a network. Instead of a traditional centralized server where all the data is kept in one location, a decentralized network keeps the data with the people who use and support it. Of course there are rules that govern how these copies of data all sync together, but typically a full consensus must be reached at all times for things to work smoothly.

DEX As The Next Step

Now that we understand what a decentralized network is all about we can dive into decentralized exchanges. A decentralized exchange, or “DEX” for short, is a way to exchange and transact cryptocurrency without the need for a third party like Coinbase or Poloniex. We tend to deal with mostly “centralized” exchanges often but the direct peer to peer transactions of a decentralized exchange have additional benefits.

In comparison to a centralized exchange, a DEX has superior security. We have seen a string of exchange “hacks” this year and this will only increase as more people adopt cryptocurrency. A DEX is virtually unhackable! This is due to the decentralized nature of the storage of data across multiple nodes in the network. Not only are they a tough nut to crack they don’t require any identification or verification. Decentralized exchanges are anonymous and work on a “trustless” format. When you transact on a DEX you are putting the money back in the user's hands instead of a 3rd party. On top of this, because a DEX works on a distributed server, there is almost no downtime! Of course there are a few downsides as well, mostly the fact that a DEX has much lower liquidity than a traditional exchange and also tends to be a little harder to use. But still worth it!

List Of Decentralized Exchanges

Here is a short list of a few of the most popular decentralized exchanges.

Kyber Network - https://kyber.network/

EtherDelta - https://etherdelta.com/

BitShares - https://bitshares.org/

Waves Platform - https://wavesplatform.com/

Open Ledger - https://openledger.io

Decentralization has always been the true cornerstone of the ethos of crypto and these decentralized exchanges are ensuring that the future becomes as it was always imagined.

What Is A Decentralized Exchange, and How Does It Work?
Being new to the cryptocurrency scene can be overwhelming! We understand because we were once rookies too, in a galaxy far far away...

The learning curve can be quite daunting with so many new buzzwords being thrown around, not to mention keeping track of your favorite coins and exchanges. Totle aims to make cryptocurrency learning, as well as management of your portfolio, as easy as pie! There are always many questions out there, but one of the ones we get most is “What is a DEX (Decentralized EXchange)?”. Follow along as we break it down for you in absolute  beginner terms that you WILL understand!

Go Decentralized

To first understand what a decentralized exchange is we first have to have a basic understanding of what “decentralized” actually means. In the case of cryptocurrency, decentralized means a network of computers or “nodes”. These nodes maintain a copy of the same data and are interconnected to form a network. Instead of a traditional centralized server where all the data is kept in one location, a decentralized network keeps the data with the people who use and support it. Of course there are rules that govern how these copies of data all sync together, but typically a full consensus must be reached at all times for things to work smoothly.

DEX As The Next Step

Now that we understand what a decentralized network is all about we can dive into decentralized exchanges. A decentralized exchange, or “DEX” for short, is a way to exchange and transact cryptocurrency without the need for a third party like Coinbase or Poloniex. We tend to deal with mostly “centralized” exchanges often but the direct peer to peer transactions of a decentralized exchange have additional benefits.

In comparison to a centralized exchange, a DEX has superior security. We have seen a string of exchange “hacks” this year and this will only increase as more people adopt cryptocurrency. A DEX is virtually unhackable! This is due to the decentralized nature of the storage of data across multiple nodes in the network. Not only are they a tough nut to crack they don’t require any identification or verification. Decentralized exchanges are anonymous and work on a “trustless” format. When you transact on a DEX you are putting the money back in the user's hands instead of a 3rd party. On top of this, because a DEX works on a distributed server, there is almost no downtime! Of course there are a few downsides as well, mostly the fact that a DEX has much lower liquidity than a traditional exchange and also tends to be a little harder to use. But still worth it!

List Of Decentralized Exchanges

Here is a short list of a few of the most popular decentralized exchanges.

Kyber Network - https://kyber.network/

EtherDelta - https://etherdelta.com/

BitShares - https://bitshares.org/

Waves Platform - https://wavesplatform.com/

Open Ledger - https://openledger.io

Decentralization has always been the true cornerstone of the ethos of crypto and these decentralized exchanges are ensuring that the future becomes as it was always imagined.

[Initial Coin Offering Breakdown]

Raising money for a new project can be a daunting task! Traditionally there are a lot of hoops, and middlemen along the way, that you would need to jump through in order to raise a significant amount of capital. In recent years we have seen the rise of “crowdfunding” which is a more direct way to raise funds from your supporters and fans versus turning to traditional investors for startup cash. Cryptocurrencies have their own type of crowdfunding called Initial Coin Offerings (ICO's), and they have helped to propel an ever-increasing stable of cryptocurrency startups. Find out exactly what an ICO is and why they are an important tool for those seeking to raise capital directly.

Initial Coin Offering Breakdown

ICO’s are today’s most popular way for a new blockchain or cryptocurrency based project to raise money directly from their supporters. The first step for any company want to raise money this way is to create their very own cryptocurrency. This newly created coin is then sold directly to investors for the first time before the project is officially launched. This is where we get the “initial” part of Initial Coin Offering. You can think of it like a digital stock certificate, but instead of owning a piece of the actual company you are invested in the utility of the product.

Once the set limit of coins are sold, the project moves from the ICO phase into development. Typically this is when a coin is listed on a major exchange for trading. Investors love ICO’s because it allows them to speculate and get in cheap on a project before it hits “the market”, while it enables the startup to receive much needed capital to develop their product. To date, the ICO world is also very unregulated which has made them incredibly popular in the last few years.

Red Hot ICO’s

It’s no doubt that ICO’s are on fire! It seems you can’t surf your favorite websites or social media without seeing someone promoting the next “red hot ICO”. Everyone wants a piece of the action and an ICO is a low cost and easy way for people to jump on your new projects blazing bandwagon. To date, there has been well over 2 billion invested in ICO’s spread across a dynamic range of product applications. We have even seen popular ICO’s sell millions of dollars worth of tokens in just the first few hours of launching! The big hit example of 2017 was the Tezos ICO where they raised a staggering 232 million worth of ETH (now around $450 million at the time of writing this article!) making Tezos the largest ICO to date.


What About Regulation?

One of the best aspects of an ICO is that they make it easy for individuals that are not experienced traders to get involved with just about any level of investment. Because ICO’s are not currently regulated it’s like a digital gold rush of crowd-sourced funding. In 2017 we saw quite a few examples of scam ICO’s that garnered millions in funds from supporters then quickly closed up shop taking all that funding with them. Seeing such explosive growth, even the SEC had to step in and state that certain ICO's may be considered a "security" which would be regulated by US laws. The looming fear of “regulation” is a daily worry for many, but in the case of ICO’s it would be a welcomed oversight in a very unregulated financial market. Regardless of the risks, developers are still jumping on board with ICO’s along with their supporters looking for the next big coin to make a massive run up in price.

The Conclusion

Initial Coin Offerings are not going away any time soon. Despite a few drawbacks, the benefits of being able to raise funds directly from individuals without having to use a middleman is just too appealing to pass up. For the investor, an ICO gives you a direct way to support a project before it hits the masses. For the most part an ICO is a win/win for all parties. Like any investment, do your own research before investing. These ICO’s are a dime a dozen these days and many of them are just a whitepaper and a dream. If the only information you have about a new coin is a Facebook post that says “it will moon soon!!!” it’s probably high time you thought about doing your own coin homework!


Was this helpful? Let us know if you have some suggestions for this so we can improve it for the next generation of crypto traders.

We have been working on our Totle Portfolio Management platform that will be released later this year (more info here: www.totle.com), but I wanted to hear some thoughts on how you like to diversify your holdings?

Do you just hold 1-5 coins or do you push it into the 20's and 30's? If you have such a large amount of coins, how did you go about acquiring them all? Would love to hear some stories about your experiences in diversifying your portfolio!   

We have been working on our Totle Portfolio Management platform that will be released later this year (more info here: www.totle.com), but I wanted to hear some thoughts on how you like to diversify your holdings?

Do you just hold 1-5 coins or do you push it into the 20's and 30's? If you have such a large amount of coins, how did you go about acquiring them all? Would love to hear some stories about your experiences in diversifying your portfolio! 

[TOTLE: Why did you choose the coins you did?]

After a nail-biting first round of the Totle Portfolio Tournament we decided to catch up with a few of the winners from round one to get a little more insight about who they are and what their strategies are for picking their winning portfolio. Thanks to 1st place winner Kip for sitting down with us one-on-one to talk crypto portfolios and his game plan for the future.

Kip — 1st Place Weekly Winner


TOTLE: Why did you choose the coins you did?

Kip: My choice of crypto assets really comes down to long-term viability of the team and the market’s overall sentiment towards it. I think a team and project needs to have sound fundamentals and a use-case that appeals to people.

How do you usually trade?

I usually start the day off by checking out some charts using any number of charting programs, most notably www.tradingview.com. I take various opinions as well as look at the charts from my own perspective. Once I’ve looked at the technical aspect of the charts, I usually browse social media platforms to see what news, if any, is hitting the markets and plan trades or move accordingly. There are days / weeks when it’s just okay to hold instead of actually trading.

How long have you been in crypto?

I’ve been in crypto since about 2012/2013, but never actually delved into purchasing any until February 2016. I fell out of touch with the crypto scene due to real life circumstances and then ended up jumping back in and moved forward full steam ahead the past year!

Any advice for newcomers to the world of crypto?

Research. Research. Research. Also, you can never be too secure with cryptos. Get a hardware wallet, 2 FA everything you can and understand what and where your money is at all times. Be sure to double check whenever accessing or setting up transactions or accounts and NEVER risk what you are willing to lose.

We’re keen to understand your choices around portfolio composition — can you give us a rough idea of the coins you chose and why?

Each of the coins that I chose have solid fundamentals and technologies behind the teams. We are in the wild west of this industry and vetting a company and their product/team is something we have to look at constantly. Specifically tailored for this contest I viewed a winning opportunity by trying to make a market cap play, meaning, I chose a low cost coin and heavily invested in it due to the fundamentals/ team behind it. IOTA actually shot up and helped me take the lead.

What % of your winning portfolio was Bitcoin Cash?

My portfolio consisted of of 0% BCH ironically, this was due to uncertainty of that 2x fork that BTC was headed, prior to it being announced that it wasn’t actually occurring.

Give us a few details about yourself — where are you from?

I’m 29 years old and a father of 2 boys and a stepson. We actually just had a new addition join our family on the 16th of October! Our baby boy is named Malaki. I’m from the United States, specifically the state of Illinois. I’m an Account Admin for an IT company and have been interested in crypto for a while now. My hobbies include crypto (obviously), poker, golfing and gaming with my sons.

What are some of the things you think we can improve on?

I like your platform and it’s simple to use, keep up the good work because I can’t find too many flaws.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received regarding crypto investing?

The best piece of advice I ever received regarding crypto would be to KNOW what you are investing in. This includes the company, the team, the product. I’d also like to add, be SECURE and SMART with all investments, do your own due diligence in this regard. You wouldn’t hand out your bank PIN to random strangers would you sotreat crypto as you would your bank account.

Are you going to invest your winnings or go for the long term HODL?

I am indeed going to invest my winnings, most likely I’m going to invest in a few of the cheaper coins right now (Vertcoin, Stellar, Verge) as I was able to get into ETH when it was around $40!

link to our original post on this: https://medium.com/@totlecrypto/interview-with-round-1-winner-of-the-totle-portfolio-tournament-a71f8aa8b093

  Anyone else have this kind of question I think this quick explaniation we wrote will help you out!

If you are only familiar with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, then you may have never heard of an ERC-20 Token. Once you get your feet wet with cryptocurrencies you quickly realize that the landscape is comprised of so much more than just a few coins — in fact, at the time of writing there are over 1300 cryptocurrencies.

For a long time there were just a handful of coins until Ethereum entered the scene. While many are familiar with Ethereum’s native token Ether (ETH), the ERC-20 Token is completely different to ETH. So what is an ERC-20 Token? Follow along as we describe exactly what an ERC-20 token is and why they only work on the Ethereum network.

The Rise Of The Token
In 2017 we saw a major explosion in the number of cryptocurrencies that made it to exchanges due, in part, to the Ethereum network. Put simply, Ethereum is a development platform for decentralized application development. It allows other developers to utilize the Ethereum network to build their applications on top of it. This makes it much easier to create decentralized applications that use “tokens” as a form of settlement or transaction within the application.

Tokens are not a full-on cryptocurrency with their own unique blockchain, they run off the Ethereum blockchain, which allows developers to focus on the application and not the coding of a new blockchain. These tokens can be used in a variety of ways within a decentralized application, but typically we see them as a necessary and fully integrated part of the application itself. Tokens are typically how you interact with the smart contracts that are created by these decentralized applications to perform certain functions within the app.

The ERC-20 Standard
Ok, so now we know that a “token” is not a standalone cryptocurrency but rather a way to interact with and utilize decentralized applications that are built on the Ethereum blockchain platform. The process of creating tokens that work efficiently on the Ethereum network has significantly evolved in the last 2 years with the creation of what is known as the “ERC-20 Standard”. This is where an ERC-20 Token gets its name from. The ERC-20 Standard outlines a set of common rules that all tokens can follow on the Ethereum network to produce expected results.

This makes it very easy for developers to quickly understand how their token will work across the Ethereum network at large. The ERC-20 standard significantly reduces the creation time of a project, because a developer does not have to continually reinvent how tokens are interacted with for basic functions like transfers or retrieving data about a token.

Since these easy-to-follow set of ERC-20 standards have been in place we have seen a huge increase in the number of tokens in the cryptocurrency space. This is the reason why an ERC-20 token will only work on the Ethereum platform, they are essentially tied to the network that they were developed upon.

The Popularity Of ERC-20 Tokens

Most of the Ethereum based tokens being created today are ERC-20 compliant even though it is a standard that is not officially enforced or adopted at this point. Some of the more popular ERC-20 tokens are OmiseGo (OMG), EOS, Salt, Power Ledger (POWR), and Basic Attention Token (BAT) just to name a few. All of these projects are built of off the Ethereum platform and incorporate their own ERC-20 token to interact with their decentralized application.

While this makes it incredibly easy to get a project off the ground, the drawback is that they can only ever live on the Ethereum platform and that may limit their utility in the future. With it being so easy to create them, we have seen some really amazing projects as well as some really bad ones, so it is always best to do your own research before supporting a particular token. Nevertheless, ERC-20 tokens are here to stay for the foreseeable future and the Ethereum platform will only grow strong with each new token created.

One of the main reasons the Totle platform exists is to make it easier for you to interact and diversify into the countless ERC-20 tokens out there without having to open up a wallet and exchange for each one. At the end of the day, the Totle platform makes it easy to manage a huge portfolio of ERC-20 tokens for the beginner or advanced crypto enthusiast.

link to our original article we posted: https://medium.com/@totlecrypto/what-is-an-erc-20-token-and-why-do-they-only-work-on-the-ethereum-network-fc126cbeea9

 

If you are only familiar with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, then you may have never heard of an ERC-20 Token. Once you get your feet wet with cryptocurrencies you quickly realize that the landscape is comprised of so much more than just a few coins — in fact, at the time of writing there are over 1300 cryptocurrencies.

For a long time there were just a handful of coins until Ethereum entered the scene. While many are familiar with Ethereum’s native token Ether (ETH), the ERC-20 Token is completely different to ETH. So what is an ERC-20 Token? Follow along as we describe exactly what an ERC-20 token is and why they only work on the Ethereum network.

The Rise Of The Token
In 2017 we saw a major explosion in the number of cryptocurrencies that made it to exchanges due, in part, to the Ethereum network. Put simply, Ethereum is a development platform for decentralized application development. It allows other developers to utilize the Ethereum network to build their applications on top of it. This makes it much easier to create decentralized applications that use “tokens” as a form of settlement or transaction within the application.

Tokens are not a full-on cryptocurrency with their own unique blockchain, they run off the Ethereum blockchain, which allows developers to focus on the application and not the coding of a new blockchain. These tokens can be used in a variety of ways within a decentralized application, but typically we see them as a necessary and fully integrated part of the application itself. Tokens are typically how you interact with the smart contracts that are created by these decentralized applications to perform certain functions within the app.

The ERC-20 Standard
Ok, so now we know that a “token” is not a standalone cryptocurrency but rather a way to interact with and utilize decentralized applications that are built on the Ethereum blockchain platform. The process of creating tokens that work efficiently on the Ethereum network has significantly evolved in the last 2 years with the creation of what is known as the “ERC-20 Standard”. This is where an ERC-20 Token gets its name from. The ERC-20 Standard outlines a set of common rules that all tokens can follow on the Ethereum network to produce expected results.

This makes it very easy for developers to quickly understand how their token will work across the Ethereum network at large. The ERC-20 standard significantly reduces the creation time of a project, because a developer does not have to continually reinvent how tokens are interacted with for basic functions like transfers or retrieving data about a token.

Since these easy-to-follow set of ERC-20 standards have been in place we have seen a huge increase in the number of tokens in the cryptocurrency space. This is the reason why an ERC-20 token will only work on the Ethereum platform, they are essentially tied to the network that they were developed upon.

The Popularity Of ERC-20 Tokens

Most of the Ethereum based tokens being created today are ERC-20 compliant even though it is a standard that is not officially enforced or adopted at this point. Some of the more popular ERC-20 tokens are OmiseGo (OMG), EOS, Salt, Power Ledger (POWR), and Basic Attention Token (BAT) just to name a few. All of these projects are built of off the Ethereum platform and incorporate their own ERC-20 token to interact with their decentralized application.

While this makes it incredibly easy to get a project off the ground, the drawback is that they can only ever live on the Ethereum platform and that may limit their utility in the future. With it being so easy to create them, we have seen some really amazing projects as well as some really bad ones, so it is always best to do your own research before supporting a particular token. Nevertheless, ERC-20 tokens are here to stay for the foreseeable future and the Ethereum platform will only grow strong with each new token created.

One of the main reasons the Totle platform exists is to make it easier for you to interact and diversify into the countless ERC-20 tokens out there without having to open up a wallet and exchange for each one. At the end of the day, the Totle platform makes it easy to manage a huge portfolio of ERC-20 tokens for the beginner or advanced crypto enthusiast.

link to our original article we posted: https://medium.com/@totlecrypto/what-is-an-erc-20-token-and-why-do-they-only-work-on-the-ethereum-network-fc126cbeea9

If you keep up with current crypto events it seems that every month or so there is a new hack and millions in Bitcoins are stolen. In many of these cases, hundreds of Bitcoins were left on exchanges or mining pool wallets where these coins were more vulnerable — this is because you don’t actually own your own private keys — the exchange does. This is just one of the many reasons why it’s essential to keep your digital assets in a wallet where you have full control over your own private keys.

What is a private key?

A private key is a string of random characters used to secure the coins you hold in your wallet. This is the key that allows you to spend your cryptocurrency and it should never be shared with anyone. Giving someone your private key is like giving them a full set of keys to your crypto kingdom!

This private key goes hand-in-hand with a public key or wallet “address”. The private key allows you to verify that you have ownership over the public key and the coins connected to it. For instance, when someone wants to send you some cryptocurrency to your wallet they are sending it to the address or public key of your wallet that corresponds with the private key that you hold. This allows verification that you are the owner over this private key, and the crypto attached to it. This “trustless transfer” of cryptocurrency allows for two parties to make a transaction without a 3rd party and also without having to reveal your private key to the other person.

Owning your own private keys is an important aspect of any truly decentralized platform, whether it be an exchange, wallet, or intermediary like Coinbase. When you deposit ETH into the Totle Portfolio management system you have 100% control of your private keys, and no matter how many coins you diversify across, this never changes. Leaving your crypto in a location that doesn’t let you own your private keys is like leaving your money in bags outside a bank.

Wallets we recommend

There are a ton of great wallets out there that allow you hold onto your own private keys. When it comes to digital asset portfolio management systems like Totle, having a solid Ethereum based wallet is a must. Here are a few Ethereum based wallets that offer the option of owning your own private keys.

MetaMask — This is our go-to wallet for Ethereum based tokens and allows you to hold your own private keys. Working as a Chrome based plugin, it simply overlays on top of your browser and can be accessed easily and effortlessly when needed. The interface is simple, yet powerful, and MetaMask is a popular option for integration with Ethereum based decentralized apps or “DApps”. We recommend using it to enter the Totle Portfolio Tournament to interact with our platform!

Ledger — This is one of the top hardware wallets on the market. It’s is a physical device that looks similar to a USB key. It allows you to store your coins and ERC-20 tokens offline and is considered one of the most secure solutions for managing your crypto. Plus it integrates really well with the next online wallet on our list, MyEtherWallet.

MyEtherWallet — This is one of the staple online wallets, but it is a little more tricky to use. It has a web interface as well as a chrome extension and also works with Metamask.

Exodus Wallet — A great desktop-only client that allows you to own your private keys. They have support for a wide variety of coins and the interface is absolutely beautiful. While they support a lot of coins, they don’t yet support ERC-20 Tokens. A solid wallet for everyday use nonetheless.

As you can see there are quite a few options when it comes to choosing a wallet that is right for you. No matter what wallet you choose, it is good practice to make sure the wallet lets you hold your own private keys. No one just gives out their ATM PIN number or their login for their online banking account to random strangers to hold and the same should go for your private keys. Keep them secret and guard them close, because nothing is worse than waking up to an empty wallet!

Are we missing anyone's favorite wallet??

Link to our original article we wrote: https://medium.com/@totlecrypto/why-having-a-wallet-where-you-own-your-private-keys-is-essential-519d9a374d8c

[Crypto Portfolio Competition]

Crypto Portfolio Competition

$10,000 USD in prizes - FREE entry

Daily and Weekly Winners. Round 3 begins midnight December 18th, 2017 (UTC)

About The Tournament

The Totle Portfolio Tournament brings you cryptocurrency portfolio competitions for real cash prizes. Join for free to compete against some of the best investors in crypto!

Sign up is fast and easy - visit https://www.totle.com/tournament?utm_source=BCT2&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=Round3 to get your fantasy portfolio setup.

Beta Round 3 begins December 18th and will include daily and weekly winners. You have until December 25th to create those 5 "fantasy portfolios".

Simply sign up, select your crypto assets, monitor your position in the leaderboard and collect your winnings! On December 26th we lock your portfolio so you can no longer make any changes and gains are calculated until January 1st!

$10,000 in prizes will be given out during the tournament to the daily and weekly winners with the most percentage gain.

All prizes are paid out in ETH through the Totle platform.

Only open to residents of the United States & Canada. For more information on the Totle Tournament, visit complete rules here: https://www.totle.com/tournament/betatourney-20171219?utm_source=BCT2&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=Round3&utm_content=Rules.

Good luck!

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How the Totle Portfolio Tournament Works


Step 1 - Create an account

Before you jump into the game, let us know who you are and verify your email


Step 2 - Draft your crypto portfolio

Select crypto assets you believe will perform the best


Step 3 - Keep an eye on the leaderboard

Find out who's on track to win at any time


Step 4 - Brag to your friends

Compete in the ultimate crypto portfolio competition. Are you with us?


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Talk to us on Telegram

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the competition, as well as provide you with service while you set up your first portfolio. Chat with us today visit https://t.me/totleinc.



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