There are also miners to consider. Some bussinesses in real estate for example have done things such as keeping miners in pre-built and unoccupied properties.

Bitcoin is a hot topic today in every investment circle. What with the debt-laden global financial system and the fear of an imminent meltdown, top investors are already looking for alternatives to secure their wealth. A look into the top 10 billionaires discussing Bitcoin will give us an idea as to what direction the world’s money might be leaning toward in the near future.

Nobody wants to be caught up in the crossfire of poor economic management by the government. It is an experience that a lot of people have had before and won’t want to have again in the same lifetime.

The emergence of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies has generated a lot of interest, and seems to introduce a different method of preserving wealth. For this class of people, things may not be very clear yet, in terms of understanding what the industry has to offer. Nevertheless, the fact that they are showing interest in crypto is enough to make you and I consider the options available within the system.


Among the top 10 billionaires discussing Bitcoin are the following:

10. Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt is the Executive Chairman and former CEO of Google. As at 2019, Schmidt’s net worth was calculated to be $13.3 billion. By profession, he is a software engineer and a renowned American businessman.

In May 2018, Schmidt described Bitcoin as a remarkable achievement and something that has enormous value. Here is what he said.

“Bitcoin is a remarkable cryptographic achievement and the ability to create something that is not duplicable in the digital world has enormous value”


9. Abigail Johnson

Abigail Johnson is an American businesswoman whose net worth is rated at $15.7 billion. She is the CEO of Fidelity Investments, and the Chairman of Fidelity International. The firm has nearly $2.7 trillion in managed assets, and Johnson owns 24.7% stake there.

Johnson has embraced cryptocurrencies and, in 2018, Fidelity launched a platform that allows institutional investors to trade Bitcoin and Ether.


8. Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio is popularly described as a self-made billionaire. He is currently worth a whopping $19.4 billion. Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates, which he founded, manages $160 billion in investments, making them the world’s biggest hedge fund firm.

Dalio Bridgewater entered into a partnership in 2018 and gave employees more stake in the firm. This is a move that he carried out in order to plan the life of Bridgewater after his departure.

Dalio is seen as one of the controversial figures when it comes to Bitcoin, however he’s still talking about it. He is known for calling Bitcoin a bubble while speaking on CNBC. Here’s what he said:

“It’s not an effective storehold of wealth because it has volatility to it, unlike gold, Bitcoin is a highly speculative market. Bitcoin is a bubble.”


7. Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the CEO and Chairman of Telsa which is popular for revolutionizing the transportation industry with the introduction of electric cars. Musk’s revolution in transportation transcends cars and earth. His SpaceX project also focuses on doing something unique in the area of space travels.

On the topic of Bitcoin, Musk calls the pioneer cryptocurrency a brilliant innovation. He made his belief that cryptocurrency is a better alternative to paper currencies public by describing the Bitcoin structure as “quite brilliant”.

Musk said:
“It (Bitcoin) bypasses currency controls … Paper money is going away. And crypto is a far better way to transfer values than a piece of paper, that’s for sure.”


6. Michael Dell

Michael Dell’s net worth is $33.2 billion, and he is the Chairman of Dell Technologies. This company was formed in 2016, after a merger between Dell and EMC, a computer storage giant.

Even before the merger, Dell has been a supporter of Bitcoin with his original company, Dell. In July 2014, he tweeted that his [then] company started accepting Bitcoin for payments. Nothing more describes a classic adoption of the cryptocurrency. In the tweet he said:

“Dell now accepts Bitcoin. More information about today's announcement

(link: http://www.dell.com/bitcoin)”


5. Jack Ma

Jack Ma is the cofounder and Chairman of Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest e-commerce businesses. The company raised $25 billion dollars in an IPO in New York back in 2014, setting the record as the world’s biggest public stock offering.

Ma has publicly stated that he is not necessarily a fan of Bitcoin, but is fully interested in the technology that powers it. Here are his words:

“When it comes to Bitcoin, I'm not so interested in it myself. What I want to know is, what can Bitcoin bring to society? After some thought, I myself think that the technology behind Bitcoin is tremendous, so at Alibaba and Alipay we are using it to help build our roadmap to a truly cashless society.”


4. Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg has gone beyond just discussing, but even creating a whole cryptocurrency on its own, which has become a huge subject of controversy lately.

Zuckerberg’s net worth is estimated at $72 billion which is linked to his primary company, Facebook and every other subsidiaries that are attached to it.

Facebook was taken public in 2012, however, Zuckerberg still owns 15% stake in the company. Zuckerberg has never hidden his affection for cryptocurrency. However, the proposed launch of Libra coin is the loudest statement anyone can ever make on the subject matter.


3. Larry Ellison

Here is the cofounder of renowned global database management company, Oracle. Ellison’s net worth is estimated at $68.2 billion. Today at Oracle he serves as the Chairman of the board and the company’s Chief Technology Officer.


Ellison is optimistic about Bitcoin and the technology behind it. His only concerns were about blockchain being used only in the context of Bitcoin and digital currencies. However, he is optimistic that companies outside of finance will implement the technology on a wider scale.


2. Warren Buffett

When it comes to investments, the name Warren Buffett is one of the loudest across the globe. He is a serial investor whose present net worth is estimated at $81.2 billion. Buffett, who is nicknamed the “Oracle of Omaha” runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns more than 60 companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen.

Buffett is not one of those who are optimistic about Bitcoin. In the past, he even described the cryptocurrency as “rat poison squared”. However, the technology upon which Bitcoin is built is something that he is excited about. Buffett believes that blockchain holds some promise. We’ll have to wait and see if he may change his mind following his infamous lunch with TRON CEO Justin Sun, and other crypto heavyweights.


1. Bill Gates

Bill Gates has a net worth of $103.9 billion. He is the co-founder of Microsoft and till date owns a little over 1% of the company’s stake. Bill and his wife Melinda chair the world’s largest charitable foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

Gates is another critic of Bitcoin who does not expect the pioneer cryptocurrency to succeed. Here is what he had to say when asked of his opinion in 2018:

“As an asset class, you're not producing anything and so you shouldn't expect it to go up. It's kind of a pure 'greater fool theory' type of investment”.

Conclusion

One way or the other, the top names in business and investments have had a look at the emerging technology of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Whether in support or against, the fact that there is a show of concern is a matter of interest.

Many people across the globe today are exploring liquidity providing platforms like Vertex.Market to gather hands-on information about the industry. Besides, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies on their own, are constantly breaking new grounds and proving naysayers wrong in several ways.

Therefore, it is only ideal that even as we consider such information like top 10 billionaires discussing Bitcoin, we take our time and engage in hands-on processes. This is the only way not to be left behind after the train has left the station in this era of emerging technologies.

https://medium.com/@official_83664/top-10-billionaires-discussing-bitcoin-4619961f2aa

Have you seen @dtapscott’s TEDtalk on what blockchain is doing for modern mankind?
Well, you should. 4mil views and counting… https://youtu.be/Pl8OlkkwRpc

Do you know how the bull became associated with rising market prices?
It’s believed to be based on the bull swinging its horns upwards when it attacks. Whether bullish or bearish, find a library of interesting crypto on Vertex.

In 2019 so far, cyber criminals have stolen $4.3 billion worth of crypto from exchanges, users and investors.
Trading on Vertex allows you to be solely in control as funds are never stored on the platform and rather handled P2P.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/cyber-criminals-netted-43b-from-crypto-related-crime-in-2019-study

Have you ever been involved in one of these dumps and what was your experience?

In 2019 so far, cyber criminals have stolen $4.3 billion worth of crypto from exchanges, users and investors.
Trading on Vertex allows you to be solely in control as funds are never stored on the platform and rather handled https://cointelegraph.com/news/cyber-criminals-netted-43b-from-crypto-related-crime-in-2019-study

Fortunately, in most cases we have to follow the rules of regulation. And although some might be more time consuming than others, the end goal is to be able to stop malicious actions (like criminal activities). Some of us wish for more streamline solutions, however unless projects focused on identity verification can provide a more impactful solution, we are stuck in between.

Yes, a decentralized network is subject to a 51% attack, and that 51% could be understood as a central authority. The difference here I believe, would be the fact  that a centralised blockchain can be forked or taken down, regardless of any miner percentage, it is the centralised authority that can make this call at a whim. You could wake up in  the morning and your coin is no longer.

China have announced that they will be launching their own state-backed cryptocurrency to their 1.4 billion population.
Do you think this will have a bullish or bearish affect on the rest of the crypto market? blockchain crypto news https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/china-cryptocurrency-launch-when-bitcoin-billionaire-invest-a9055376.html

When Bitcoin was created, one of the features celebrated by enthusiasts and early adopters is the fact that it is a decentralized network which permits a deregulated transaction system. Breaking down the complexities of the industry, we will explore various aspects in a clarified manner. Our 3 key facts about centralized cryptocurrency will first delve into what is decentralization, look into the relationship between blockchain and cryptocurrency, as well as how a cryptocurrency can be controlled by a central authority.

1. What is Decentralization?

Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin, states “by definition, a decentralized cryptocurrency must be susceptible to 51% attacks whether by hashrate, stake, and/or other permissionlessly-acquirable resources. If a crypto can’t be 51% attacked, it is permissioned and centralized.”

A simple definition describes decentralization as the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group.

With regards to Bitcoin and several other cryptocurrencies, this was a major factor that differentiated them from fiat currencies that were issued by central banks. This particular class of cryptocurrencies are produced, used and managed by the very users who belong to their networks.

Regular fiat currencies that are issued by central banks are operated within the rules of the said banks. The value attached to them, even though they are based on certain economic standards, are under the control or regulation of the banks. But in the case of Bitcoin and other similar cryptocurrencies, their values are determined both by normal economic forces of demand and supply and as a result of the network activity of its users. Hence power and control does not emanate from any central point. This is what we know as decentralization.

While this system was popular among cryptocurrencies, various debates on the possible cons of a decentralized and deregulated system prompted a different kind of innovation in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This innovation is not particularly new, but it became popular among establishments who cherished the benefits of the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptos, but had reservations about decentralization and deregulation. These reservations lead to the inquisition of 3 key factors about centralized cryptocurrency.

Therefore, today we can find a good number of “Closed” blockchain networks that are being used by companies to facilitate internal operations, but are not deregulated or decentralized. In other words, they are blockchains that have central control.

2. What is the Relationship Between Blockchain and Cryptocurrency?

Tokens are a fundamental aspect of blockchain technology. They are the fuel that enable participation and transactions within or across blockchain networks. In order to play any kind of role on a blockchain, whether decentralized or otherwise, you need to have the tokens of such blockchains.
Therefore, when a blockchain attracts reasonable demand, thereby creating value for its tokens based on the economic factors that we have mentioned above, and gets listed in a marketplace where they can be purchased or exchanged for fiat or other cryptocurrencies, then they can be regarded as cryptocurrencies. So, centralized cryptocurrencies can be described as the tokens of those blockchains that are controlled by a central authority. In essence, those cryptocurrencies are controlled by a central authority.

3. How Can a Cryptocurrency be Controlled by a Central Authority?

Just like the example we gave above using central banks, when the minting of a currency and the rules governing its network and community are under the control of a central body, it is centralized. This is exactly the case with centralized cryptocurrencies.

Unlike decentralized networks whose rules are set from the beginning and cannot be changed, centralized networks are subject to change. The tokens are not mined by the participants of the network, they are rather issued by the governing authorities based on agreed terms. These governing authorities are in charge of the centralized server and are responsible for its maintenance.

Although the blockchain industry would easily boast of being a decentralized ecosystem, investigation reveals that majority of the existing cryptocurrencies possess elements of centralization. This simply means that the creators of these cryptos have some level of influence over their networks. As a matter of fact, as much as over 80% of the cryptocurrencies in the market today are either fully or partially centralized. The biggest among them being Ripple’s XRP.

Centralized or not, all of these tokens can be found on https://vertex.market/home for anyone who wants to participate in the cryptocurrency marketplace. The Vertex platform provides extensive liquidity in a peer-to-peer marketplace for all levels of buyers. A subject of interest is that even tokens that are yet to be listed, but have been properly researched and certified for market viability can be purchased on Vertex. Transactions on the platform are possible using bank transfer or directly linking you to over 20 different payment gateways.

We hope you found this piece on the 3 key facts about centralized cryptocurrency insightful, for more understanding of anything and everything in the cryptocurrency space, see our Medium account here -----> https://medium.com/@official_83664/3-key-facts-about-centralized-cryptocurrency-b21ddf3c55b9

Financial analysts are hinting at an impending financialcrisis in reaction to recent market patterns.
Comforted to be involved in the crypto industry, we’ll leave you to decide for yourself https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-forecast-51565282205

Did you know that the price of Bitcoin has almost tripled since the beginning of the year?
How’s that for growth! Enjoy the advantages of P2P trading on the Vertex platform, where you can buy not only BTC, but a full range of different cryptocurrencies.

Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony Pompliano @apompliano381 presents an interesting case of why Bitcoin is likely to surge beyond expectations in 2020.
Read the full feature here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ktorpey/2019/08/04/heres-the-case-for-a-100000-bitcoin-price-by-the-end-of-2021/#28b1a08728f4

Keep your eyes out for Vertex 2.0 launching soon.
New features promise to enhance your crypto trading experience and we can’t wait to share them with you!

What are Virgin Bitcoins and Where Can I Buy Them?

You might be hearing this for the first time and may never have imagined that there is anything called a “Virgin Bitcoin”. Yes, you heard right.
First of all, one of the characteristics of Bitcoin is that it is a transparent network, and every transaction on the network can be traced. On top of that, the history of transactions can never be deleted. Another point to note is that every particular Bitcoin is unique, including the ones that are yet to be mined.
Based on the information above, you will understand that it is possible to find out how any particular Bitcoin has changed hands right from when it came into existence. For the want of an appropriate term, I would refer to older Bitcoins as “regular Bitcoins” in this post.

Back to the Subject Matter. So, What is a Virgin Bitcoin?

In simple terms, Virgin Bitcoin is a term used to refer to any freshly mined Bitcoin that has not been used for any transaction at all.
This should be a normal development, at least based on the fact that every Bitcoin today was once a Virgin Bitcoin.

So why do we have to specially talk about a freshly mined Bitcoin? Of what importance is it in the industry today?
The idea of Virgin Bitcoins has generated a lot of interest, based on the premium status that is being associated with it, especially in the cryptocurrency marketplace. This class of Bitcoins are currently being traded at higher costs, with mark ups of between 10% and 30% across different platforms. The reason for this is not far-fetched, as a matter of fact, it is because of their status of “no history”, so they can be assumed as the safest kind of Bitcoins to hold.

How Safe Are My Bitcoins?

As already explained above, the history of every Bitcoin in existence today can be traced back to the point of mining. All wallets where they have been can be identified and singled out. It is true that Bitcoins are termed to be ideal for anonymous transactions. This anonymity is only to the limit of not knowing the particular identity of a wallet holder. Apart from this, we cannot categorically assume Bitcoin transactions to be anonymous. Rather, it can represent the most open way of making transactions.

Having this in mind, and putting into consideration the vices in the crypto industry, it means that some Bitcoins can actually be risky to hold as investment. The implication of this is that it is possible to buy Bitcoins from the open market that have been used for illicit transactions, or some other criminal transactions.

Imagine being caught in the crossfire of a criminal investigation that you know nothing about, and have your Bitcoins blacklisted because it was used by someone you know nothing about to commit an offense. This is exactly why people are becoming more careful around the “regular Bitcoins”, and are ready to pay even more for Virgin Bitcoins.

The identification of Bitcoins is not yet so popular in the industry, however, there are signs that for purposes of regulation and security, we may soon be seeing increased activity in this area. This is the same sentiment held by Flex Yang, CEO of Babel Finance who spoke after the recent G-20 summit. He explained what could happen as soon as the already agreed adoption of the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) kicks in.

Yang Said;
“When these standards go into effect, interexchange transactions will require transparency regarding senders and receivers of cryptocurrency. This opens doors to a wide berth of scrutiny as regulators probe different ledgers to determine what wallets participated in illicit crypto exchanges, hacks, etc. Bitcoin remains of interest to institutional investors, but their threshold for risk is much lower. With uncertainty as to how the crypto world will conform to the FATF standards, many traditional investors feel it best to air on the side of caution.”

Therefore, it is in line with airing on the side of caution that most people who can afford it are going for Virgin Bitcoins. After all, you wouldn’t want to lose your investment over something that you know nothing about. But then, it is one thing to want to buy Virgin Bitcoins, and another thing altogether to know how and where to purchase them.

Where Can I Buy Virgin Bitcoins?

Thanks to platforms like Vertex.Market, buying Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrencies has become very simplified and flexible. The platform provides all the liquidity you may need to trade effectively in the highly dynamic marketplace. Apart from that, if you want to differentiate and classify between Bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency, Vertex affords you that opportunity.

It is a peer-to-peer platform that allows customers to make purchases using bank transfer. Even tokens that are yet to be listed can be purchased on Vertex, and the coins sent directly to the users wallet.

On Vertex, everyone is treated specially and every transaction need that you may have is adequately addressed, even if it has to do with Virgin Bitcoins.

https://medium.com/@official_83664/what-are-virgin-bitcoins-and-where-can-i-buy-them-d6eab0f669e0

Do you know the advantages of trading P2P?
Not only do you trade directly with your buyer/seller, but you get to decide the rates. Sellers can earn up to 20% premiums on their offers. That’s the Vertex advantage.

The role of the United States in global money methods has been outstanding since the introduction of the civilized currency system. For every time money has evolved, the United States has one way or the other found itself around as a key influencer of the system.
It can be argued that the strength of the economy of the United States relies more on its monetary policies, in line with the global money system, rather than actual internal productivity within the country.
Read More here: https://medium.com/@official_83664/understanding-the-usas-history-with-cryptocurrency-4ade6c35199b

Looking to sell some accumulated #tokens but not sure where to head?
On Vertex you can make an offer that will be available to anyone on the Vertex network, anywhere in the world.

Vertex 2.0 is about two weeks from launching.
We can’t wait to share with you some awesome new features on our hybrid on-chain.