The best choice of stablecoin: Tether (USDT) vs USD (coins)

 The volatility of most cryptocurrencies brought about the deployment of stablecoins. These assets are pegged to external assets, mostly fiat currencies. Of all the stablecoins, tether and USD coin rank higher and are both tied to the USD. Similarly, they are listed on virtually every exchange, dApp, and wallet.

 USDT was the first to be created and was issued in 2014 by Tether Limited to integrate fiat into the crypto space. It has the highest market cap and is the most traded in the market. It is used to conduct trading activities and to settle transactions on the various blockchains it is compatible with. Also, other cryptocurrencies can be converted to USDT to evade volatility while earning rewards for holding it.

 USDC is the stablecoin created by Circle Internet Financial and Coinbase and was launched in 2018. Transparency and stability are managed by Centre Consortium. It was deployed using the Ethereum blockchain and as such, it can be used by various dApps. This has made it popular in the DeFi ecosystem where holders can enjoy lending and high yield savings among others.

 Both stablecoins have a central authority and maintain a slightly fluctuating price. As of today, both coins have maxed out their total supply. In May 2019, USDC peaked at $1.17 but costs $0.99 right now. USDT is exactly $1 now but reached an ATH of $1.32 in July 2018.

 As stated earlier, USDT is the most traded with a market cap of $78.2 billion while USDC follows it closely with a $31 billion difference. Although they are both available on Ethereum, Algorand, and Solana, USDT has compatibility with Tron, EOS, OMG, SLP, and Bitcoin blockchains. USDC is inspected by Grant Thornton monthly and USDT is audited by Freeh Sporkin and Sullivan LLP.

 In choosing the better USD variant, the exchange would play a part. However, of the two, USDC is the better investment as it is stable, regulated, and regularly audited. Bear in mind that crypto investment is very risky no matter how stable it seems. Do your research and deal wisely.

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Tezos (XTZ) Continues to surge upwards as the chain announces a new sponsorship deal with Manchester United

Tezos (XTZ) is starting to put the choppy days of January well behind it. The coin has been surging over the last seven days despite a somewhat slowed recovery in the broader market. Tezos (XTZ) also announced today that it is signing a new sponsorship deal with Manchester United. Here are some highlights:

At the time of writing, Tezos (XTZ) was trading at around $3.87, up about 6% over the last 24 hours alone.

The coin has also surged in the past week, gaining a whopping 32% in the process.

The new sponsorship deal with Manchester United is reported to be worth £ 20 million a year

Data Source: Tradingview

Tezos (XTZ) – price prediction and outlook

Most coins did not have a good January and a fresh new month of course brings fresh optimism. Well, it seems like Tezos (XTZ) is really taking advantage of improved sentiment in the market. 

The token has been on a massive bullish uptrend over the last 7 days gaining nearly 32%. Tezos (XTZ) is also seeing decent gains in intraday trading. The coin is up around 4%. 

We have also seen an uptick of the trading volume. It’s unclear if the Manchester United deal had anything to do with this. But it is highly unlikely since the news just broke a few hours ago.

Long term outlook for Tezos (XTZ)

As a major smart contracts platform designed to offer an alternative to Ethereum, Tezos (XTZ) has worked quite hard to build its ecosystem. The chain has also created advanced and reliable blockchain infrastructure as it looks to evolve into an efficient and dependable project. 

It is by far one of the most exciting tokens out there. Besides, the sponsorship deal with Manchester United is an indication that the platform is sparing no effort in expanding its reach. So, based on these fundamentals, Tezos (XTZ) will continue to grow in the long term.

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Best new coins to buy in February that could grow 100x this year

The thing with crypto is that fortunes can be made overnight. We saw it last year and we will see it again in 2022. The key is to however get in on these exciting projects as early as you can. That way, you get to ride the upward momentum as you smile all the way to the bank. Here is a criterion for picking promising projects:

  • Always make sure that the coin is backed by very decent fundamentals and not just hot air and hype.

  • Preferably, get coins that are yet to be listed in some of the leading exchanges in the world.

  • Finally, follow the buzz and excitement around those projects to see if they are genuine or not.

Well, after a sad January for crypto investors, there is some hope. Here are two hot projects to buy in February.

Synthetix (SNX)

Synthetix (SNX) is an Ethereum based DeFi protocol designed to offer automated banking features. The platform utilizes smart contracts. However, what makes Synthetix (SNX) such a superb project is that it can issue a series of synthetic digital assets that can be traded and stored on the blockchain. 

Data Source: Tradingview.com 

These synthetic assets are more like derivatives based on real-world assets like stocks. So, you get to trade a wide range of financial markets using advanced blockchain technology. Synthetix (SNX) is one of the most interesting and innovative projects in the market right now.

Pulse X

Pulse X is a Uniswap (UNI) fork designed to give PulseChain users enough liquidity and a great trading experience. It is important to note that both Pulse X and PulseChain are all projects under development. 

The hope is to have both running at the same time but we expect the PulseChain Mainnet to begin operations either this month or in early March. Also, there is already huge interest in these projects and they seem to have the decent potential for incredible returns.

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Crypto derivatives volumes hit an all-time high in January 2022

Trading in derivatives increased 10% in  January, hitting a new high amid speculation, data highlighted by CNBC’s Kate Rooney showed.

Despite the slump in crypto prices over the last few months, data shows the trend in crypto derivatives picked up in Janaury and hit a new all-time high.

CNBC’s Kate Rooney, in an interview in which she highlighted trading volumes in the spot markets versus derivatives in January 2022, said the latter spiked as speculation increased amid a broader crypto price rout.

The action lately has been in crypto derivatives, which tend to be more risky and speculative. Those are booming and hit a new all time high in Janaury,” she noted.

Monthly trading volume on spot markets hit above $2.5 trillion in 2021 as Bitcoin price rallied to its all-time high. However, those volumes have steadily shrunk since the November peak, with current spot volumes around

Commenting on the decline in spot volumes, the CNBC analyst said these “tend to come from the more traditional exchanges with more immediate delivery.”

Coinbase and Robinhood are good examples she explained, noting here it’s basically buying and selling Bitcoin and other listed cryptocurrencies. Crypto Compare data the analyst pointed to showed spot trading was down 30% in January when compared to monthly volume over December.

The declines put the figures at their lowest level since July when a mini-slump in crypto prices gave way to a new bull run to Bitcoin’s $69,000.

Derivatives are picking up the slack, that could be futures or options,” she noted, adding that “volume on this side of the market” accounts for 61% of the total volume. In terms of percentage increase, derivative volumes have jumped 10% over December figures.

Traders looking to cash in on lucrative trades are behind the rise in derivative volumes, most of which is on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume. 

The exchange accounted for over $1.5 trillion in futures and options trades, while OKEX, FTX, Bytbit, BitMEX, and Huobi also recorded significant numbers.

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Polygon (MATIC) remains above a crucial support zone despite plunging nearly 10% in less than 24 hours

Polygon (MATIC) has seen a sharp decline over the last 24 hours. The altcoin has however managed to trade above a crucial support zone as bulls continue to push for price consolidation. But is an instant reversal of downward pressure possible in the coming days? Well, here are some highlights first.

  • At press time, Polygon (MATIC) had managed to keep the price action above the crucial; weekly support zone of $1.44.

  • This price consolidation comes even as the altcoin sees nearly 10% in daily 24-hour losses.

  • If the coin manages to maintain this resilience, it could rally back by 15% in the near term.

Data Source: Tradingview.com 

Polygon (MATIC) – Price prediction and analysis

Despite showing some decent sharp recovery after the January crypto crash, MATIC has been slowing in recent days. The coin, at press time, had lost nearly 10% of its value in 24 hours. 

But crucially, even with this bear pressure, MATIC has managed to resist any decline below its weekly resistance level of $1.44. In fact, the coin is trading well above that threshold. If indeed bulls are able to hold the bears at this price range, then we are likely to see a near-term rally. 

The coin could realistically test its overhead resistance of $1.75, something that could bring gains of nearly 15%. Eventually, the token is expected to move upwards towards $2.

MATIC – The long-term outlook

Many coins have been hit hard in January, and MATIC is not any different. But even with the recent volatility, we still see a positive long-term outlook for this token. After all, the underlying fundamentals still remain quite remarkable. 

Besides, it is likely that investor appetite for altcoins will continue to grow. As such, tokens like MATIC will see increased demand and positive price movements in the future.

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