This article written by David Pieper was originally published in the December 2013 issue of Traders' Magazine.
Some people compare the current hype with the historical tulip bubble, some people talk about a new currency age – the topic is the virtual currency called Bitcoin. This article shows the advantages of Bitcoins, how they work and what perspective Bitcoins have in the future.
One alternative might be Bitcoins. But what are Bitcoins? It is a virtual currency that consists of cryptographically coded data that is forgery-proof. Bitcoins enable the direct transfer from one user to the other and render intermediates like commercial banks and central banks redundant. Instead of a central third party – the central bank or commercial bank – you have a global P2P (Peer-to-Peer) network, where every user takes care of the control of the currency system. The decentralised structure avoids having single powerful players using the system in their favour or manipulating it. A major advantage of Bitcoins in contrast to the current monetary system is anonymity and cheap transaction costs.
- David Pieper has been busy studying the stock market since the late 90s. As early as during his business studies at university and later during a career as an investment analyst at a bank, he combined fundamental analysis with the benefits of technical analysis. Mr Pieper focuses on trading CFDs and works as a freelance writer in the field of technical analysis.
Some people compare the current hype with the historical tulip bubble, some people talk about a new currency age – the topic is the virtual currency called Bitcoin. This article shows the advantages of Bitcoins, how they work and what perspective Bitcoins have in the future.
Decentralised, Unregulated and Anonymous
The concept of Bitcoin was introduced publicly for the first time by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 – a time when the global financial world was on the edge. Since then our existing monetary system has been faced with a deepening crisis of confidence and therefore the call for an alternative has become louder.One alternative might be Bitcoins. But what are Bitcoins? It is a virtual currency that consists of cryptographically coded data that is forgery-proof. Bitcoins enable the direct transfer from one user to the other and render intermediates like commercial banks and central banks redundant. Instead of a central third party – the central bank or commercial bank – you have a global P2P (Peer-to-Peer) network, where every user takes care of the control of the currency system. The decentralised structure avoids having single powerful players using the system in their favour or manipulating it. A major advantage of Bitcoins in contrast to the current monetary system is anonymity and cheap transaction costs.
Money Creation in a Different Way
Bitcoins are not issued by a central institution but have to be created. All users within the network can take part. » Decentralised, Unregulated and Anonymous The concept of Bitcoin was introduced publicly for the first time by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 – a time when the global financial world was on the edge. Since then our existing monetary system has been faced with a deepening crisis of confidence and therefore the call for an alternative has become louder. insights 21 But it only makes sense if you have a high-performance computer because they earn Bitcoins for the resolution of a highly-complex arithmetic problem. The “Mining”, the money creation, is organised in a way that you need more performance power with time to create additional units of money – it is similar to the production of natural resources. The network creates about 25 new Bitcoins in ten minutes at the moment. In contrast to the current monetary system, where the big central banks try to out do each other by money printing, the Bitcoin money supply is limited from the beginning – to 21 million units which guarantees monetary stability Bitcoin supporters say.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD climbs to daily highs near 1.1820
EUR/USD now picks up pace and advances to the area of daily peaks north of the 1.1800 barrier at the end of the week. The pair’s decent move higher comes against the backdrop of a generalised lack of direction in the FX galaxy and the mild offered stance in the US Dollar.
GBP/USD trims losses, retests 1.3460
After briefly challenging its key 200-day SMA near 1.3440, GBP/USD now manages to regain some balance and revisit the 1.3460 zone on Friday. Cable’s pullback comes as the selling pressure on the Greenback gathers traction, reigniting some recovery in the risk-linked space.
Japanese Yen gives back half of early gains against USD ahead of US PPI data
The Japanese Yen (JPY) surrenders half of its early gains against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Friday. The USD/JPY pair rebounds to near 155.90 as the JPY falls back, but is still 0.15% down.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD: Fed calm, ECB steady, but the Dollar still leads Premium
EUR/USD is still struggling to find real traction. The pair has tried to stabilise, but momentum keeps fading, leaving the door open to further weakness.
Gold: Falling US yields, geopolitics help XAU/USD hold ground Premium
Gold (XAU/USD) gained traction and climbed above $5,200, ending the fourth consecutive week in positive territory. The next round of US-Iran talks and crucial macroeconomic data releases from the US will be watched closely by market participants in the short term.
GBP/USD: Will Pound Sterling defend key 1.3450 support ahead of US jobs data? Premium
The Pound Sterling (GBP) entered a bearish consolidation phase against the US Dollar (USD), after having tested critical support near the 1.3450 level on several occasions.
Bitcoin: Another month of losses, and it’s been five
Bitcoin (BTC) price is stabilizing around $68,000 at the time of writing on Friday, but the Crypto King is poised to close February on a fragile footing, marking its fifth consecutive month of losses since October and a rare start to the year with back-to-back monthly corrections.
US Dollar: At a crossroads; Fed steady, tariffs in flux Premium
The US Dollar’s (USD) upward momentum from the previous week seems to have encountered a tough nut to crack in the 98.00 region, as measured by the US Dollar Index (DXY).
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