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What Makes a Blockchain Secure?

What Makes a Blockchain Secure?

Blockchains are secured through a variety of mechanisms that include advanced cryptographic techniques and mathematical models of behavior and decision-making. Blockchain technology is the underlying structure of most cryptocurrency systems and is what prevents this kind of digital money from being duplicated or destroyed.

The use of blockchain technology is also being explored in other contexts where data immutability and security are highly valuable. A few examples include the act of recording and tracking charity donations, medical databases, and supply chain management.

However, blockchain security is far from being a simple subject. Therefore, it is important to understand the basic concepts and mechanisms that grant robust protection to these innovative systems.

The concepts of immutability and consensus

Although many features play into the security associated with blockchain, two of the most important are the concepts of consensus and immutability. Consensus refers to the ability of the nodes within a distributed blockchain network to agree on the true state of the network and on the validity of transactions. Typically, the process of achieving consensus is dependent on the so-called consensus algorithms.

Immutability, on the other hand, refers to the ability of blockchains to prevent alteration of transactions that have already been confirmed. Although these transactions are often relating to the transfer of cryptocurrencies, they may also refer to the record of other non-monetary forms of digital data.

Combined, consensus and immutability provide the framework for data security in blockchain networks. While consensus algorithms ensure that the rules of the system are being followed and that all parties involved agree on the current state of the network - immutability guarantees the integrity of data and transaction records after each new block of data is confirmed to be valid.

The role of cryptography in blockchain security

Blockchains rely heavily on cryptography to achieve their data security. In this context, the so-called cryptographic hashing functions are of fundamental importance. Hashing is a process whereby an algorithm (hash function) receives an input of data of any size and returns an output (hash) that contains a predictable and fixed size (or length).

Regardless of the input size, the output will always present the same length. But if the input changes, the output will be completely different. However, if the input doesn’t change, the resulting hash will always be the same - no matter how many times you run the hash function.

Within blockchains, these output values, known as hashes, are used as unique identifiers for data blocks. The hash of each block is generated in relation to the hash of the previous block, and that is what creates a chain of linked blocks. The block hash is dependent on the data contained within that block, meaning that any change made to the data would require a change to the block hash.

Therefore, the hash of each block is generated based on both the data contained within that block and the hash of the previous block. These hash identifiers play a major role in ensuring blockchain security and immutability.

Hashing is also leveraged in the consensus algorithms used to validate transactions. On the Bitcoin blockchain, for example, the Proof of Work (PoW) algorithm utilizes a hash function called SHA-256. As the name implies, SHA-256 takes data input and returns a hash that is 256 bits or 64 characters long.

In addition to providing protection for transaction records on ledgers, cryptography also plays a role in ensuring the security of the wallets used to store units of cryptocurrency. The paired public and private keys that respectively allow users to receive and send payments are created through the use of asymmetric or public-key cryptography. Private keys are used to generate digital signatures for transactions, making it possible to authenticate ownership of the coins that are being sent.

Though the specifics are beyond the scope of this article, the nature of asymmetric cryptography prevents anyone but the private key holder from accessing funds stored in a cryptocurrency wallet, thus keeping those funds safe until the owner decides to spend them (as long as the private key is not shared or compromised).

Cryptoeconomics

In addition to cryptography, a relatively new concept known as cryptoeconomics also plays a role in maintaining the security of blockchain networks. It is related to a field of study known as game theory, which mathematically models decision-making by rational actors in situations with predefined rules and rewards. While traditional game theory can be broadly applied to a range of cases, cryptoeconomics specifically models and describes the behavior of nodes on distributed blockchain systems.

In short, cryptoeconomics is the study of the economics within blockchain protocols and the possible outcomes that their design may present based on its participants’ behavior. Security through cryptoeconomics is based on the notion that blockchain systems provide greater incentives for nodes to act honestly than to adopt malicious or faulty behaviors. Once again, the Proof of Work consensus algorithm used in Bitcoin mining offers a good example of this incentive structure.

When Satoshi Nakamoto created the framework for Bitcoin mining, it was intentionally designed to be a costly and resource-intensive process. Owing to its complexity and computational demands, PoW mining involves a considerable investment of money and time - regardless of where and who the mining node is. Therefore, such a structure provides a strong disincentive for malicious activity and significant incentives for honest mining activity. Dishonest or inefficient nodes will be quickly expelled from the blockchain network, while the honest and efficient miners have the potential of getting substantial block rewards.

Similarly, this balance of risks and rewards also grants protection against potential attacks that could undermine consensus by placing the majority hash rate of a blockchain network into the hands of a single group or entity. Such attacks, known as 51 percent attacks, could be extremely damaging if successfully executed. Due to the competitiveness of Proof of Work mining and the magnitude of the Bitcoin network, the likelihood of a malicious actor gaining control of a majority of nodes is extremely minimal.

Furthermore, the cost in computing power needed to attain 51 percent control of a huge blockchain network would be astronomical, providing an immediate disincentive to make such a large investment for a relatively small potential reward. This fact contributes to a characteristic of blockchains known as Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT), which is essentially the ability of a distributed system to continue to work normally even if some nodes become compromised or act maliciously.

As long as the cost of establishing a majority of malicious nodes remains prohibitive and better incentives exist for honest activity, the system will be able to thrive without significant disruption. It is worth noting, however, that small blockchain networks are certainly susceptible to majority attack because the total hash rate devoted to those systems is considerably lower than the one of Bitcoin.

Closing thoughts

Through the combined use of game theory and cryptography, blockchains are able to attain high levels of security as distributed systems. As with nearly all systems, however, it is critical that these two fields of knowledge are properly applied. A careful balance between decentralization and security is vital to building a reliable and effective cryptocurrency network.

As the uses of blockchain continue to evolve, their security systems will also change in order to meet the needs of different applications. The private blockchains now being developed for business enterprises, for example, rely much more on security through access control than on the game theory mechanisms (or cryptoeconomics) that are indispensable to the safety of most public blockchains.

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What Is Fractional Reserve?

What Is Fractional Reserve?
Fractional reserve is a banking system that allows commercial banks to profit by loaning part of their customers’ deposits, while just a small fraction of these deposits are stored as real cash and available for withdrawal. Practically speaking, this banking system creates money out of nothing using a percentage of their customers’ bank deposits.
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Blockchain Oracles Explained

Blockchain Oracles Explained
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What Is Quantitative Easing (QE)?

What Is Quantitative Easing (QE)?
Quantitative Easing (QE) may present different and controversial definitions. But basically speaking, it is a market operation (performed by central banks) that increases liquidity and inflation, with the alleged intention of stimulating the economy of a nation, encouraging businesses and consumers to borrow and spend more.
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Blockchain Use Cases - Prediction Markets

Blockchain Use Cases - Prediction Markets
When you stumble across the terms blockchain and markets in the same sentence, you no doubt consider the booming ecosystem of exchanges facilitating cryptocurrency trades. Blockchain technology is incredibly versatile, however, and allows for markets of all sorts to be built on top of it. Financial assets can be either physical objects (tangible) or digital goods (intangible). But regardless of the type, where there are assets that hold value, there is a potential market. In this article, we’ll take a look at a particular kind of market that could benefit significantly from blockchain technology – prediction markets.
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What Is BNB?

What Is BNB?
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Blockchain Use Cases - Remittance

Blockchain Use Cases - Remittance
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Blockchain Use Cases - Digital Identity

Blockchain Use Cases - Digital Identity
Among the many emerging use cases of blockchain technology, digital identity management and verification is perhaps one of the most promising. In 2018 alone, billions of people were affected by personal data breaches, all around the world. There is an undeniable need for more secure methods of storing, transferring, and verifying sensitive information. In this context, blockchain systems may bring valuable solutions to some of the difficulties faced by most centralized databases.
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What Makes a Blockchain Secure?

What Makes a Blockchain Secure?
Blockchains are secured through a variety of mechanisms that include advanced cryptographic techniques and mathematical models of behavior and decision-making. Blockchain technology is the underlying structure of most cryptocurrency systems and is what prevents this kind of digital money from being duplicated or destroyed. The use of blockchain technology is also being explored in other contexts where data immutability and security are highly valuable. A few examples include the act of recording and tracking charity donations, medical databases, and supply chain management. However, blockchain security is far from being a simple subject. Therefore, it is important to understand the basic concepts and mechanisms that grant robust protection to these innovative systems.
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What Are Options Contracts?

What Are Options Contracts?
An options contract is an agreement that gives a trader the right to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price, either before or at a certain date. Although it may sound similar to futures contracts, traders that buy options contracts are not obligated to settle their positions. Options contracts are derivatives that can be based on a wide range of underlying assets, including stocks, and cryptocurrencies. These contracts may also be derived from financial indexes. Typically, options contracts are used for hedging risks on existing positions and for speculative trading.
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What Is Tokenomics and Why Does It Matter?

What Is Tokenomics and Why Does It Matter?
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What Is Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?

What Is Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?
When politics happen to blockchains, hard forks can instigate new projects. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) was created by a group of developers, investors, entrepreneurs, and miners who were unsatisfied with Bitcoin’s development plans. Created in August 2017, Bitcoin Cash is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that focuses on increased scalability and low transaction fees. The project is also referred to as Bitcoin ABC (Adjustable Blocksize Cap).
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Blockchain Use Cases

Blockchain Use Cases
The ideas behind blockchain were first conceived as early as 1991, but it wasn't until Bitcoin was developed in 2009 that the technology started to receive more attention. Bitcoin was created by a person or group of people under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Though it's still unknown exactly who Satoshi Nakamoto is, their technological innovation has already made a huge impact on the way the world creates and uses money.
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Blockchain Use Cases - Supply Chain

Blockchain Use Cases - Supply Chain
A supply chain is a network of people and businesses involved in creating and distributing a particular product or service - all the way from the initial suppliers to the end users and customers. A basic supply chain system often involves the suppliers of food or raw materials, the manufacturers (processing stage), the logistics companies, and the final retailers.
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Blockchain Use Cases - Charity

Blockchain Use Cases - Charity
Charitable organizations often encounter barriers to success due to a lack of transparency, accountability issues, and limits to the ways they can accept donations. Crypto-philanthropy (or the use of blockchain technology to facilitate charitable contributions) offers an alternative solution, with decentralized and direct transactions that may help these organizations receive donations and raise funds more efficiently.
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Blockchain Use Cases - Healthcare

Blockchain Use Cases - Healthcare
While it is more often associated with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology has also been explored for data storage and protection in a range of different industries. Along with charity and supply chain, the healthcare sector is among the most discussed use cases. But what aspects of blockchain make it suitable for healthcare?
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What Are Smart Contracts?

What Are Smart Contracts?
Nick Szabo first described smart contracts in the 1990s. Back then, he defined a smart contract as a tool that formalizes and secures computer networks by combining protocols with user interfaces.
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What Is Ripple(XRP)?

What Is Ripple(XRP)?
Formerly known as OpenCoin, Ripple is a privately held company that is building a payment and exchange network (RippleNet) on top of a distributed ledger database (XRP Ledger). The main goal of Ripple is to connect banks, payment providers and digital asset exchanges, enabling faster and cost-efficient global payments.
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What Is BETH and How to Use It

What Is BETH and How to Use It
BETH is a tokenized version of staked ETH on Binance. It’s a simple way to participate in staking on the Beacon Chain. By holding it, you’re entitled to staking rewards earned by Binance’s ETH 2.0 staking node. But that’s not all; you can also use it in several other ways on the Binance platform and BNB Smart Chain (BSC).
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APY vs APR - What’s the Difference?

APY vs APR - What’s the Difference?
You have likely seen these two similar-sounding terms, APY and APR, when looking into decentralized finance (DeFi) products. APY, or annual percentage yield, incorporates interest compounded quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily, while APR, or annual percentage rate, doesn’t. This simple distinction can make a significant difference to the calculations for returns over a period of time. It is therefore important to understand how these two metrics are calculated and what it means for the returns that you can earn on your digital funds.
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The Merge Ethereum Upgrade - All You Need To Know

The Merge Ethereum Upgrade - All You Need To Know
The Ethereum mainnet will soon shift from a Proof of Work to a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism in an upgrade called The Merge. The Merge is part of a series of major Ethereum ecosystem upgrades, which also include The Surge, The Verge, The Purge, and The Splurge. The goal of these upgrades is to make Ethereum more scalable and energy efficient. The Merge will combine the Ethereum mainnet with the Proof of Stake Beacon Chain and is expected to happen in September 2022.
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Blockchain Use Cases - Governance

Blockchain Use Cases - Governance
Although blockchain technology was initially designed to function as the architecture of Bitcoin, it's now being used in many different fields. One of these fields is that of governance, where distributed systems have the potential to greatly change the public sector.
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Top 7 Technologies that Power the Metaverse

Top 7 Technologies that Power the Metaverse
The metaverse is a concept of a 3D digital world. It consists of virtual spaces that you can explore using an avatar you create. In the metaverse, you can play games, go shopping, hang out with friends at a virtual coffee shop, work with your colleagues in a virtual office, and much more. Some video games and work socialization tools have already implemented certain metaverse elements into their ecosystems.
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Blockchain Use Cases - The Internet of Things (IoT)

Blockchain Use Cases - The Internet of Things (IoT)
Since the early days of the Digital Revolution in the 1950s, a wide range of groundbreaking technology has been created. Despite being initially restricted to just a few individuals, the industry developed very quickly, and most of the novel technologies became increasingly widespread and accessible.
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Web2 vs. Web3 - Which Is Better?

Web2 vs. Web3 - Which Is Better?
While the current version of the Internet, Web2, is used by millions, it is not without its flaws. Issues regarding data ownership, censorship, and security continue to plague the Internet, spurring the conceptualization of a new and improved version called Web3. This future Internet seeks to include technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and augmented reality (AR). At its core, an ideal Web3 should offer benefits such as data ownership and confidentiality. Web3 is touted to be an improved version of Web2 but what exactly is it, and is it better?
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What Is an ICO (Initial Coin Offering)?

What Is an ICO (Initial Coin Offering)?
An Initial Coin Offering (or ICO) is a method for teams to raise funds for a project in the cryptocurrency space. In an ICO, teams generate blockchain-based tokens to sell to early supporters. This serves as a crowdfunding phase – users receive tokens that they can use (either immediately or in the future), and the project receives money to fund development.
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How to Build a Well-Balanced Crypto Portfolio

How to Build a Well-Balanced Crypto Portfolio
Balancing a crypto portfolio is not that different from balancing a traditional portfolio. You can easily reduce your overall risk according to your profile and investment strategy. All it takes to get started is simply diversifying your investments among different cryptocurrencies.
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General Security Principles

General Security Principles
Cryptocurrencies have brought lots of exciting possibilities, but they are also full of risks and dangers for the inexperienced. Follow the three main security principles outlined below to mitigate some risks associated with using, holding, and trading cryptocurrencies.
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What Is Social Engineering?

What Is Social Engineering?
In a broader sense, any kind of manipulation linked to behavioral psychology can be considered social engineering. However, the concept is not always related to criminal or fraudulent activities. In fact, social engineering is being widely used and studied in a variety of contexts, in fields like social sciences, psychology, and marketing.
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Market Makers and Market Takers Explained

Market Makers and Market Takers Explained
Markets are made up of makers and takers. The makers create buying or selling orders that aren’t carried out immediately (e.g., “sell BTC when the price hits $15k”). This creates liquidity, meaning it’s easier for others to instantly buy or sell BTC when the condition is met. The people that buy or sell instantly are called takers. In other words, the takers fill the orders created by the makers.
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Game Theory and Cryptocurrencies

Game Theory and Cryptocurrencies
Game theory is fundamental to the development of cryptocurrencies and is one of the reasons why Bitcoin managed to thrive for over a decade, despite numerous attempts to disrupt the network.
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What Is a Decentralized Exchange (DEX)?

What Is a Decentralized Exchange (DEX)?
You probably know the drill with cryptocurrency exchanges. Sign up with your email, come up with a strong password, verify your account, and start trading cryptocurrency. Decentralized exchanges are like that, minus the hassle of sign-ups. In most cases, there’s no depositing or withdrawing crypto. The trade happens directly between two users’ wallets, with limited (if any!) input from a third-party.
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An Introduction to Confidential Transactions

An Introduction to Confidential Transactions
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What Is Shorting in the Financial Markets?

What Is Shorting in the Financial Markets?
There are countless ways to generate profits in the financial markets. Some traders will use technical analysis, while others will invest in companies and projects using fundamental analysis. As such, you, as a trader or investor, also have many different options to create a profitable trading strategy.
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The Wyckoff Method Explained

The Wyckoff Method Explained
Данный торговый метод был разработан Ричардом Вайкоффом в начале 1930-х годов. Он состоит из ряда принципов и стратегий, изначально разработанных для трейдеров и инвесторов. Вайкофф посвятил значительную часть своего жизненного опыта для изучения поведений на рынке, и его работа до сих пор оказывает влияние на большую часть современного технического анализа (ТА). В настоящее время, метод Вайкоффа применяется ко всем видам финансовых рынков, хотя изначально он был ориентирован только на акции.
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An Introduction to The Dow Theory

An Introduction to The Dow Theory
Essentially, the Dow Theory is a framework for technical analysis, which is based on the writings of Charles Dow concerning market theory. Dow was the founder and editor of the Wall Street Journal and the co-founder of Dow Jones & Company. As part of the company, he helped create the first stock index, known as the Dow Jones Transportation Index (DJT), followed by the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).
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Об инвестировании, хаосе и аппроксимации рынка

Об инвестировании, хаосе и аппроксимации рынка
Данную статью я решил написать, потому что мне часто пишут в личных сообщениях с вопросами, насколько профессиональна ваша команда управляющих? Владеете ли вы инсайдерской информацией при торговле? Как поведет себя портфель на падающем рынке? и так далее. Ниже я постараюсь прояснить стратегии, и кратко объяснить почему они работают. На просторах Сети полным полно торговых стратегий, материалов, мануалов, готовых решений, сборок, обученных нейросетей и прочего добра, посвященного прогнозированию цен на криптовалютные и традиционные биржевые активы, пахнущего быстрыми и легкими доходами с минимумом усилий. И хоть пишут их разные люди, с разными подходами, на разных платформах и с разными парадигмами, у них всех есть один неизменный общий атрибут — они не работают. Другими словами с их помощью невозможно со стопроцентной вероятностью спрогнозировать куда пойдет график в том или ином отрезке времени в будущем.
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What Is Livepeer (LPT)?

What Is Livepeer (LPT)?
Livepeer is a decentralized video protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain. It was designed for anyone to seamlessly integrate video content into applications in a decentralized manner and at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions. Decentralization of video processing is accomplished by distributing the transcoding process to a network of node operators. Transcoding is an essential step in ensuring smooth delivery of video content to end users. It involves taking raw video files and converting them to the optimal state for each end user, based on factors such as device screen size or internet connection.
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Что делать с долларом сегодня

Что делать с долларом сегодня
Сегодня в России для россиян доллар становится очень токсичной валютой. То есть им (долларом) тяжело владеть, если ты владеешь им, то на тебя накладывают различные комиссии, вы наверное уже в курсе, что есть комиссия за хранение валюты на брокерских счетах, на банковских счетах, блокируют swift переводы и так далее. В чём главная опасность? И почему банки сейчас так выжимают людей из доллара? Главная опасность в возможной блокировке российских банков, а точнее корреспондентских счетов российских банков в иностранных банках. Что это такое? В чём суть?
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What Are Nodes?

What Are Nodes?
The definition of a node may vary according to the context. When it comes to computer or telecommunication networks, nodes may act either as a redistribution point or as a communication endpoint. Usually, a node consists of a physical network device, but there are some cases where virtual nodes are used.
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Coin Mixing and CoinJoins Explained

Coin Mixing and CoinJoins Explained
Bitcoin is often referred to as digital cash, but this is a questionable comparison. If Alice pays Bob ten dollars in cash, Bob has no idea where the money came from. If he later goes on to give it to Carol, she will be unable to deduce that Alice was once in possession of it. Bitcoin is different because of its inherent public nature. The history of a given coin (more precisely, an unspent transaction output or UTXO) can be trivially observed by anyone. It’s a bit like writing the transaction amount and names of participants on a bill every time it’s used.
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What Is Anti-Money Laundering (AML)?

What Is Anti-Money Laundering (AML)?
AML regulations attempt to stop the illegal laundering of illicit funds. Individual governments and multinational organizations like the FATF legislate against money laundering activities. Money laundering takes “dirty” money and turns it into clean money. This can be done by disguising the origins of the funds, mixing them with legitimate transactions, or investing them into legal assets.
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What Are Crypto Cards and How Do They Work?

What Are Crypto Cards and How Do They Work?
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What Is Play-to-Earn and How to Cash Out?

What Is Play-to-Earn and How to Cash Out?
Play-to-earn games allow users to farm or collect crypto and NFTs that can be sold on the market. By playing the game regularly, each player can earn more items or tokens to sell and generate an income. Some players have even begun to supplement or replace their salaries playing these blockchain games. However, such activity involves risk, as you typically need to put up an initial investment to purchase characters and items to play the game. Blockchain helps guarantee the collectibility of these items and create working digital economies. Blockchain technology and NFTs allowed for the creation of digital items that are impossible to duplicate. This created the concept of digital scarcity.
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What Is Uniswap and How Does It Work?

What Is Uniswap and How Does It Work?
Uniswap is a set of computer programs that run on the Ethereum blockchain and allow for decentralized token swaps. It works with the help of unicorns (as illustrated by their logo). Traders can exchange Ethereum tokens on Uniswap without having to trust anyone with their funds. Meanwhile, anyone can lend their crypto to special reserves called liquidity pools. In exchange for providing money to these pools, they earn fees. How do these magical unicorns convert one token to the other? What do you need to use Uniswap? Let’s read on.
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Mining Pools Explained

Mining Pools Explained
Mining is integral to the security of Proof of Work blockchains. By computing hashes with certain properties, participants are able to secure cryptocurrency networks without the need for a central authority. When Bitcoin first launched in 2009, anyone with a regular PC could compete with other miners to guess a valid hash for the next block. That’s because the mining difficulty was low. There wasn’t much hash rate on the network. As such, you didn’t need specialized hardware to add new blocks to the blockchain.
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Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?

Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym behind the development of Bitcoin and the authorship of the original Bitcoin whitepaper. The question “who is Satoshi Nakamoto?” has led to speculation of their true identity as well as people falsely claiming they are Satoshi Nakamoto. The creator of Bitcoin has been clouded in mystery for more than a decade. However, it’s clear that Satoshi still owns bitcoins since their public keys were traced from the genesis block, which Satoshi mined.
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What Is Cryptocurrency Mining?

What Is Cryptocurrency Mining?
Cryptocurrency mining refers to the process of verifying and validating blockchain transactions. It’s also the process that creates new units of cryptocurrencies. The work done by miners requires intensive computational resources, but it’s what keeps a blockchain network secure. Honest and successful miners are rewarded for their work with newly created cryptocurrencies plus transaction fees.
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A Quick Guide to Binance Dual Investment

A Quick Guide to Binance Dual Investment
We all know that to get a return on an investment, we need to buy low and sell high. Investing in cryptocurrency is no different. Binance Dual Investment provides a great way to seize Buy Low and Sell High opportunities while also providing you with additional returns. Let’s dive into how it works and exactly how you can get started.
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Hybrid PoW/PoS Consensus Explained

Hybrid PoW/PoS Consensus Explained
A blockchain’s consensus mechanism serves to ensure that there is agreement among participants on the current state of the blockchain. The consensus mechanism determines who is able to add new blocks of transactions, and one of its primary aims is to ensure that the chain is not re-written.
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Your Guide to Binance Earn

Your Guide to Binance Earn
Not interested in trading but still looking to increase your crypto holdings? Is the 0.05% interest your local bank offers on your savings account not exciting enough? Well, you’ll find alternative choices within the Binance Earn product suite. Binance Earn is your crypto savings account. Here, you’ll find a great variety of options for earning passive income with your crypto holdings.
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Delegated Proof of Stake Explained

Delegated Proof of Stake Explained
The Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus algorithm is considered by many as a more efficient and democratic version of the preceding PoS mechanism. Both PoS and DPoS are used as an alternative to the Proof of Work consensus algorithm, since a PoW system requires, by design, lots of external resources. The Proof of Work algorithm makes use of a large amount of computational work in order to secure an immutable, decentralized and transparent distributed ledger. Contrarily, PoS and DPoS require fewer resources and are, by design, more sustainable and eco-friendly. To understand how Delegated Proof of Stake works, one must first grasp the basics of the Proof of Work and Proof of Stake algorithms that preceded it.
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Proof of Burn Explained

Proof of Burn Explained
While most blockchain systems either make use of a Proof of Work (PoW) or a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, the Proof of Burn (PoB) is being tested as a possible alternative to those.
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Proof of Authority Explained

Proof of Authority Explained
The cryptocurrency space has changed a lot since the first blockchain transaction on the Bitcoin network. Along with the well-known Proof of Work and Proof of Stake algorithms, other consensus mechanisms were proposed, with alternative methods for reaching consensus within a blockchain system.
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What Is a DoS Attack?

What Is a DoS Attack?
In short, a DoS attack (or Denial-of-Service attack) is a method used to disrupt legitimate users' access to a target network or web resource. Typically, this is accomplished by overloading the target (often a web server) with a massive amount of traffic - or by sending malicious requests that cause the target resource to malfunction or crash entirely.
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What Is a 51% Attack?

What Is a 51% Attack?
Before diving into the 51% attack, it is crucial to have a good understanding of mining and blockchain-based systems. One of the key strengths of Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology is the distributed nature of building and verifying data. The decentralized work of the nodes ensures that the protocol rules are being followed and that all network participants agree on the current state of the blockchain. This means that the majority of nodes need to regularly reach consensus in regards to the process of mining, to the version of the software being used, to the validity of transactions, and so forth.
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Delayed Proof of Work Explained

Delayed Proof of Work Explained
Delayed Proof of Work (dPoW) is a security mechanism designed by the Komodo project. It is basically a modified version of the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus algorithm that makes use of Bitcoin blockchain’s hashpower as a way to enhance network security. By using dPoW, Komodo developers are able to secure not only their own network but also any third-party chain that ends up joining the Komodo ecosystem in the future. In fact, dPoW can be implemented for any project that develops an independent blockchain using a UTXO model.
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What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm?

What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm?
A consensus algorithm is a mechanism that allows users or machines to coordinate in a distributed setting. It needs to ensure that all agents in the system can agree on a single source of truth, even if some agents fail. In other words, the system must be fault-tolerant (see also - Byzantine Fault Tolerance Explained). In a centralized setup, a single entity has power over the system. In most cases, they can make changes as they please – there isn’t some complex governance system for reaching consensus amongst many administrators.
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5 BSC Metaverse Projects You Should Know

5 BSC Metaverse Projects You Should Know
The metaverse is an online, immersive space where users can work, play, and socialize in a 3D environment. The metaverse is still developing, but blockchain technology already plays a significant role. BNB Smart Chain (BSC) is the home to many metaverse projects experimenting with play-to-earn blockchain games and community sandboxes.decentral.games lets users play and run their own casino through governance mechanisms. Cyber Dragon and Alien Worlds both provide an RPG-like experience where players have their own character, missions, and loot. TopGoal is also gaming-related but focuses on the collectability of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to represent sports stars like trading cards.
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A Beginner's Guide to Earning Passive Income With Crypto

A Beginner's Guide to Earning Passive Income With Crypto
Trading or investing in projects is one way to make money in the blockchain industry. However, that typically requires detailed research and a substantial investment of time – but it still won’t guarantee a reliable source of income. Even the best investors can experience prolonged periods of loss, and one of the ways to survive them is to have alternative sources of income.
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What Is Crypto Lending and How Does It Work?

What Is Crypto Lending and How Does It Work?
Crypto lending lets users borrow and lend cryptocurrencies for a fee or interest. You can instantly get a loan and start investing just by providing some collateral. This could be through a DeFi lending DApp or a cryptocurrency exchange. When your collateral falls below a certain value, you will need to top it up to the required level to avoid liquidation. When you return your loan plus a fee, your capital is unlocked.
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A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi lets users access crypto financial services with just no more than a wallet with some crypto. A range of DApps facilitates lending, liquidity provision, swaps, staking, and more across many blockchains. While Ethereum was DeFi's original home, most blockchains with smart contract capabilities now host DeFi DApps. Smart contracts are essential to the services DeFi offers, which include staking, investing, lending, harvesting, and more.
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5 NFT Projects You Should Know

5 NFT Projects You Should Know
The interest in NFTs has exploded. While many NFT projects had a small community of enthusiasts since their early existence, 2021 has brought forth a bit of an NFT bubble. Many thought DeFi would bring mainstream adoption to the crypto space. However, it seems like the value proposition of NFTs is much easier to grasp for people not involved with blockchain technology. As such, some NFT projects have even entered the mainstream. But which ones are they?
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Top 3 NFT Projects on Binance Smart Chain

Top 3 NFT Projects on Binance Smart Chain
The demand for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) keeps growing on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). The blockchain’s speed and low transaction fees make it very attractive for both users and developers. On BSC, Battle Pets, PancakeSwap, and BakerySwap have all pushed further the limits of what an NFT can do. Both Battle Pets and BakerySwap combine collectibles with Decentralized Finance (DeFi) staking for their tokens. PancakeSwap is also experimenting with NFTs that merge collectability, financial utility, and gamification.
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Top 7 NFT Use Cases

Top 7 NFT Use Cases
Massive interest in non-fungible tokens has led to a boom in crypto-collectibles and NFT art. These are two of the most prominent use cases in the DeFi ecosystem, but they aren’t the only applications. Scarcity and uniqueness make non-fungible tokens a good match for real-world assets, logistics, music royalties, and more. As NFTs mature, we can expect to see further adoption of more experimental use cases.
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What Are NFT Games and How Do They Work?

What Are NFT Games and How Do They Work?
NFTs are unique digital collectibles on the blockchain. This feature makes them suitable to use in games as representations as characters, consumables, and other tradeable items. NFT games have become popular in the Game-fi world as a way to earn income. You can sell your in-game NFTs to other collectors and players and even earn tokens with play-to-earn models.
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What Is the Metaverse?

What Is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is a concept of a persistent, online, 3D universe that combines multiple different virtual spaces. You can think of it as a future iteration of the internet. The metaverse will allow users to work, meet, game, and socialize together in these 3D spaces.
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What Are CryptoPunks?

What Are CryptoPunks?
CryptoPunks are collectible pieces of crypto art, represented by NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. There are 10,000 small, 8-bit-style punks, all with unique features. As one of the first famous NFT projects, they inspired a lot of crypto artists and even the development of the ERC-721 token standard for digital collectibles. The project became more popular in 2021 after some CryptoPunks were sold for millions of dollars, making them some of the most expensive NFTs.
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What Is an Automated Market Maker (AMM)?

What Is an Automated Market Maker (AMM)?
You could think of an automated market maker as a robot that’s always willing to quote you a price between two assets. Some use a simple formula like Uniswap, while Curve, Balancer and others use more complicated ones.
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A Guide to Crypto Collectibles and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)

A Guide to Crypto Collectibles and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)
The creation of Bitcoin introduced the concept of trustless, digital scarcity. Before it, the cost of digitally copying something was next to nothing. With the advent of blockchain technology, programmable digital scarcity has become possible – letting us map the digital world to the real world. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), often referred to as crypto collectibles, expand this idea. Unlike cryptocurrencies, where each token is equal, non-fungible tokens are unique and limited in quantity.
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Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Explained

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Explained
Blockchains are already radically transforming our financial system. However, properties such as trustlessness and immutability aren’t only useful in monetary applications. Another potential candidate ripe for disruption by this technology is governance. Blockchains could enable entirely new types of organizations that can run autonomously without the need for coordination by a central entity. This article will give an introduction to what these organizations might look like.
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A Beginner's Introduction to Cryptoeconomics

A Beginner's Introduction to Cryptoeconomics
In simple terms, cryptoeconomics provides a way to coordinate the behavior of network participants by combining cryptography with economics. More specifically, cryptoeconomics is an area of computer science that attempts to solve participant coordination problems in digital ecosystems through cryptography and economic incentives.
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Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes

Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes
Most individuals that invest in Bitcoin – or that participate in Initial Coin Offering (ICO) events – are usually concerned about two things. First, the Return of Investment (ROI), which represents the profits they will eventually make from the initial investment. Then, there is a second concern, which is related to the amount of risk involved with the investment. When the risks are too high, investors are more likely to lose their initial investment (in parts or completely), which would result in a negative ROI.
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What is Public Key Cryptography?

What is Public Key Cryptography?
Public key cryptography (PKC), also known as asymmetric cryptography, is a framework that uses both a private and a public key, as opposed to the single key used in symmetric cryptography. The use of key pairs gives PKC a unique set of characteristics and capabilities that can be utilized to solve challenges inherent in other cryptographic techniques. This form of cryptography has become an important element of modern computer security, as well as a critical component of the growing cryptocurrency ecosystem.
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History of Cryptography

History of Cryptography
Cryptography, the science of writing codes and ciphers for secure communication, is one of the most important elements that goes into making modern cryptocurrencies and blockchains possible. The cryptographic techniques used today, however, are the result of an incredibly long history of development. Since ancient times, people have used cryptography to transmit information in a secure manner. Following is the fascinating history of cryptography that has led up to the advanced and sophisticated methods used for modern digital encryption.
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What Is Axie Infinity (AXS)?

What Is Axie Infinity (AXS)?
It’s 2021, and that means you can earn money by playing games and breeding virtual pets. An easy way to think of Axie Infinity is to imagine a blockchain game that combines Pokémon, CryptoKitties, and card game elements.
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Is Bitcoin a Store of Value?

When you think of a safe-haven asset, precious metals like gold or silver probably come to mind. They’re investments that individuals flock to as hedges against turmoil in traditional markets. The debate over whether Bitcoin follows in the footsteps of these assets rages on. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main arguments for and against Bitcoin being a store of value.
When you think of a safe-haven asset, precious metals like gold or silver probably come to mind. They’re investments that individuals flock to as hedges against turmoil in traditional markets. The debate over whether Bitcoin follows in the footsteps of these assets rages on. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main arguments for and against Bitcoin being a store of value.
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Приготовьтесь! Биткойн будут сливать, но это не точно

Приготовьтесь! Биткойн будут сливать, но это не точно
Только что в Twitter наткнулся на пост от Jacob Canfield, якобы есть инсайдерская информация, о том что Bitcoin планируют сливать, дабы выбить некоторых конкурентов, потом обратно откупить, подняв стоимость до $70к.
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What Is Tether (USDT)?

What Is Tether (USDT)?
Tether (USDT) is one of the most popular stablecoins out there. It was designed to hold a one-to-one value with the US dollar. The coin exists on many different blockchains and has experienced rising trading volumes and improved liquidity over the past few years.
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More about the Crypto Fans club

More about the Crypto Fans club
Now I will tell you what our club is, how it works and what advantages it has. A minimum of water, a maximum of specifics. The club is a kind of trust fund, which consists of a team of Asset Managers, on the one hand, who invest in the crypto market, and Investors, on the other. I will not describe in this article what cryptocurrency is, why it is growing, and what are its advantages, this topic is worthy of a separate article. You can google all this, or go to coinmarketcap.com and see how the value of a particular cryptocurrency has grown at least this year, and doubts about investing in cryptocurrency should disappear.
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What Is VeChain (VET)?

What Is VeChain (VET)?
VeChain provides blockchain solutions for businesses around the globe. With plenty of existing industry blockchain applications from supply chain management to anti-counterfeiting and carbon credits, their systems have been proven in the real world. VET is the coin that underpins VeChain, where VTHO is the gas token that’s used for transactions on the VeChainThor blockchain (like Ethereum’s gas).
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What Is The Sandbox (SAND)?

What Is The Sandbox (SAND)?
The Sandbox is a play-to-earn game that combines blockchain technology, DeFi, and NFTs in a 3D metaverse. Its virtual world allows players to create and customize their games and digital assets with free design tools. The virtual goods created can then be monetized as NFTs and sold for SAND tokens on The Sandbox Marketplace.
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What Is Solana (SOL)?

What Is Solana (SOL)?
Solana is a blockchain network focused on fast transactions and high throughput. It uses a unique method of ordering transactions to improve its speed. Users can pay their transaction fees and interact with smart contracts with SOL, the network’s native cryptocurrency.
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What Is Polkadot (DOT)?

What Is Polkadot (DOT)?
Polkadot positions itself as the next-generation blockchain protocol, capable of connecting multiple specialized chains into one universal network. With a strong focus on building infrastructure for Web 3.0 – and founded by the Web3 Foundation – Polkadot aims to disrupt Internet monopolies and empower individual users.
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What Is Harmony (ONE)?

What Is Harmony (ONE)?
Harmony is a layer-1 blockchain using sharding and Effective Proof of Stake to achieve scalability, security, and decentralization. The network was launched in 2019 and features trustless cross-chain bridges and four shards, which process transactions in parallel. Effective Proof of Stake encourages decentralization of validators, and sharding shares the network's load among validators, delegators, and users.
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