Trading cryptocurrency is one of the more uncertain financial prospects in 2018. Bitcoin and its numerous alternatives are very difficult to project, and while you can take steps like learning where to look for news, following knowledgeable people, etc., the crypto market is to some extent inherently unknowable. One interesting development that’s come about in 2018 however, even if it doesn’t have a direct impact on cryptocurrency prices, is the move toward legal sports betting in the United States.

Following the latest news on gambling-related activity in the U.S., you can constantly see new stories about different states pushing legislation to legalize betting. While it’s still only allowed in a few states as of now, the Supreme Court paved the way for more to follow suit, and as many as 10 or 15 states could have legal sports betting in short time. Other states may take longer, but there will almost undoubtedly be a domino effect here, particularly if betting proves to be a steady stream of revenue for the states that do have it. Others will want to follow suit.

Rest assured, this budding industry won’t be limited just to sports either. If it’s anything like overseas betting, it will quickly grow to include speculation on various other events: reality television outcomes, award show winners, and perhaps politics most of all. There is actually already a popular platform that can be used in America and allows people to partake in a “stock market for politics,” effectively buying shares in different outcomes. And around the world, politics have become entertainment and political speculation is a popular betting activity. All of this will likely be roped into whatever form the U.S. betting business ultimately takes.

So what does this have to do with cryptocurrency? Once you get a feel for how big the industry could get, and how quickly we might reach that point, you can start to get a feel for its financial potential. And then, when you consider that cryptocurrency could well become an acceptable form of money for deposit and withdrawal at betting sites, you can come to recognize this as one of the bigger opportunities that remains for short-term, widespread crypto adoption.

As of now, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies actually aren’t very big in the betting business. They have, however, started to catch on in the closely related casino business, where a lot of different game sites are now handling bitcoin and some of its contemporaries. The appeal is clear. When playing at sites like these, gamers prefer to give out as little personal information as possible, and like the idea that the real money they’re depositing and (hopefully) winning is being transferred in a secure manner. Since cryptocurrency is largely meant to assure anonymity and security, it’s a natural fit.

The idea remains speculative for the time being. But with sports betting heading for a meteoric rise in a soon-to-be massive U.S. market, and with crypto being such a clear fit for the activity, the potential is there for a perfect match.

Fans of the cryptocurrency Monero (XMR) know you need a safe and reliable place to store your crypto coins. Whilst many Monero wallets exist, not all are equal in merit, with some being more secure than others. Fortunately, the safe XMR Wallet online application is one of the most secure Monero wallets available today. Here are five noteworthy advantages you’ll get from using the safe and secure XMR Wallet application.

1. One Hundred Per Cent Client-Side Application

Web security should be paramount when selecting a safe storage wallet for your Monero coins. XMR Wallet is designed with security at the top of mind. As a 100 per cent client-side application, XMR Wallet renders data in the browser — no data is stored on our local servers. Users of the application can access XMR Wallet from any mobile or desktop browser, giving users the flexibility to have access to their Monero coins wherever an internet connection is available.

2. Instant Account Creation — No Registration Required

Setting up an account with XMR Wallet is easy and quick. In fact, it’s so quick that you can have your personalised wallet set up in a matter of seconds. Wallet setup requires no personally identifying details to get started. Users simply choose a unique seed — that is, a series of seemingly non-related words that identify your wallet as being yours — which will then be used to activate your XMR Wallet. To access the wallet again at a later date, simply re-enter the seed and your available account details, including your overall Monero balance, will display. From there you can send, receive and store your Monero coins per usual.

3. Completely Free to Set Up and Utilise

XMR Wallet has no fee to set up or utilise. Our open source application has been developed by a team of volunteer engineers, and others are welcome to contribute freely by viewing the source code to make recommendations about future app developments. XMR Wallet remains in active development, ensuring that the end user continues to receive the best possible product for storing their Monero coins.

4. Multiple Seed Access

If you need multiple wallets, XMR Wallet allows you to freely create as many as you desire. You can even access the wallets using multiple seeds in a new tab. If you already have a seed from another Monero wallet application like MyMonero, you can utilise them via the XMR application as well. Simply type your existing seed from the login screen and your wallet details will appear.

5. Support in Over 10 Languages

No matter which language you prefer, XMR Wallet has you covered. We offer support in over 10 languages, including Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Russian and more. Simply choose your language preference from the bottom of the home screen and all application menus will be displayed according to your preference.

If you’re looking for a safe online wallet to store your Monero coins, look no further than XMR Wallet. Boasting great user features and unprecedented security, it’s no wonder so many Monero users are choosing this application. For more information or to get your own wallet, visit our website at https://www.xmrwallet.com.

Golden Bitcoins on forex chart background

2017 was indeed quite a bumper year for cryptocurrencies. You had astronomical returns for a number of different cryptocurrencies.

It was the year that the main stream community finally decided to take Bitcoin seriously. Bitcoin even got its own futures contracts on two different exchanges.

The result was mass adoption from a range of different sectors. Many retail investors decided to invest in Bitcoin and a great deal of other cryptocurrencies with growth prospects.

However, this year has started off being incredibly volatile already. You had Bitcoin that rallied past $20,000 only to come crashing down to back to $10,000. The same movements were seen in Ripple all the way up to $3.5. However, are these short term moves and will the upward trend still continue? Are we likely to see great returns over the next few months?

We will take a quick look at the growth prospects of crypto in 2018 and how you are best positioned to trade them.

Get Yourself Ready

Before you can actually start trading cryptocurrencies you need to make sure that you are set up with an account at a broker or an exchange.

These will enable you to use your Fiat money (Dollars, Euros etc) and buy the cryptocurrencies. Currently, there is a large backlog at the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Hence, you have to consider other brokers.

cryptoHeatMap

One of the most reputable brokers that you can use for cryptocurrencies is IQ option. They have numerous different cryptocurreny pairs as well as substantial leverage.

You can read more about them in this helpful IQ Option Crypto Review.

Get the Right News

Cryptocurrencies are a very news driven asset class. The investors will generally only buy the rumour and sell on the news. Hence, you need to make sure you have the right tools in order to get a sense of the rumours in the market.

One of the best tools in order to see what is trending in the markets is Twitter. This is used by any number of traders and they will generally express their views through this medium.

You could also consider getting something such as tweetdeck that collates all of the tweets with all of our followers. Here, you can monitor exactly what is being said in the marketplace.

When there are rumours that are floating around in the market about a particular coin that people are considering, you should immediately take notice. Invest in the coin if the price has not moved that much.

However, you also have to be careful when it comes to pump-and-dump groups. These exist all over the crypto markets and they generally try to burn newer investors.

Use Risk Derivative Instruments

Now that there are a range of derivative instruments that you can trade with, the strategies that you can employ are also quite vast. Firstly, you can use the futures contracts that are now listed.

These allow you to trade Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with leverage. This means that your returns can be much larger than the amount that you have initially staked. Of course, you can also lose a lot.

Derivative contracts like futures also enable you to short these contracts. That means that you can make money even if Bitcoin is falling in price. This would have been helpful in the recent fall that we have seen in Bitcoin.

You could also consider using option type instruments. These have payoffs that are assymetric which means that your upside and downside return differ.

There are a number of cryptocurrency option brokers that you can consider investing with. The most important is that you choose a broker that is regulated and that has the adequate capital to back up your positions.

Follow Influential People

It goes without saying that you can learn a lot from many people in the industry. These people often give you the information on important developments in the industry.

There are also a lot of traders in the crypto community who give out trading tips and advice. If you are able to follow these and are able to enter the positions that they recommend, then there is scope for you to make large returns.

You can consider following traders on Twitter such as WhalePanda and John McAfee. The former is a thoughtful analyst who takes the time and analysis on particular trades. The latter is usually known to be a pumper with coins that make great returns the moment he mentions them.

Always Manage Your Risk

The most important rule that you need to stick by in order to make sure that you have appropriate risk limits. Always invest with stop losses and never invest more than you can afford to lose.

There is indeed a great deal of opportunity for profit with crypto but there are also many risks with it. As a volatile asset it can wipe out your position very quickly.

If you are using futures in order to trade your positions, try to start with lower leverage. Invest based on that and move your risk tolerance up when you have better direction.

Good Luck for your crypto trading in 2018!