Code Exploit Cyber Security: 5 Real-World Blockchain Crypto Projects to Track in 2019 and Beyond

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, it’s almost impossible to go a single day without hearing or reading about activities in the crypto-space since the rise and fall of the disruptive crypto-currency Bitcoin.

At its high, the digital currency topped a record $19,783.86 on December 17, 2017 before plunging back down to the current value of $2,958.90 at the time of writing this on February 27, 2019. You can check live values of all cryptocurrencies on CryptoRank.io.

A boom-bust event for an emerging technology may not be a bad thing however, as observed in the DotCom boom and bust of the early 2000s. The underlying Blockchain technology of Bitcoin has inspired and spurred on rapid adoption of the framework to develop blockchain applications known as dApps, targeting real world industries such as finance, retail, supply chain, e-commerce, social media, utilities management and cybersecurity.

This article aims to explore 5 practical applications of these blockchain projects currently in development. It will also explain how to get started setting up accounts to buy, sell, send, receive and track these digital tokens in 2019 and beyond. Let’s dig in:

1.Brave Browser with Basic Attention Token (Coin: BAT)

Brave is a web browser project started on May 28, 2015 by Brendan Eich, the co-founder of Mozilla and inventor of the JavaScript programming language. Brave which is free and open-source is based on the Chromium web browser that natively blocks ads and website trackers, supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. The current version supports 20 search engines by default, including the partner DuckDuckGo.

Switching to Brave browser comes with many advantages including freeing up RAM that was required to run multiple tabs in browsers like Google Chrome, which slows your system down drastically from trackers following your online activity. Test users have reported over 70% RAM becoming available to your system just from switching and importing all your bookmarks from other browsers, Brave browser is truly that fast with support for Tor in the desktop private browsing mode.

To further enhance user experience, Brave Software have developed a feature that allows users to opt in to receiving ads sold by the company, in place of ads blocked by the browser. Content users will be paid 15% of the revenue and 70% to the publishers. Users are also able to donate their revenue share to content publishers using micropayment tokens BAT Basic Attention Token.  

The incentive payment system works by paying users for their attention when they watch a relevant ad. BAT tokens built on the Ethereum blockchain allows users to tip websites and content creators (such as YouTubers and Twitch streamers), and the tokens akin to patronage services like Patreon.  

Notable publishers who currently accept BAT tokens include Washington Post, Vimeo, The Guardian, Vice, MarketWatch and Barron’s. 

The future of Brave is to implement BAT Ads, a program designed to pay users with BAT for viewing advertisements as compensation for their attention.

BAT Tokens are currently valued at 1 BAT = £0.3007 at the time of this writing, available from many exchanges including Binance

2.Stellar (Coin: XLM)

Stellar, founded by Jed McCaleb, in 2014 is an open source, distributed, and community owned network used to facilitate cross-asset transfers of value. The project aims to become the future of banking by connecting payment systems, people and banks to move money quickly, reliably and at the cost of a fraction of a penny.

According to the white paper, transactions on the decentralized Stellar network resolve in 2-5 seconds, facilitating low-cost cross border payment services in Remittances, Mobile Branches, Mobile Money and Micropayments across the globe. Read more about their technology by visiting Stellar.org

In September 2018, IBM announced a payment system known as Blockchain World Wire, a Stellar blockchain network that can simultaneously clear and settle cross-boarder payments in near real-time.

Stellar tokens are called Lumens and currently valued at 1 XLM = £0.06327 available in selected exchanges.

3.Qtum (Coin: QTUM)

Qtum is a cryptocurrency that combines Ethereum’s smart contract functionality with Bitcoins security, to create a coin that is suitable for adoption by large organizations.

The technology uses Bitcoin core code and UTXO principles, that operates on a machine running an Ethereum Virtual Machine and the revolutionary x86 VM, using an account-based model. Qtum accomplishes communications between nodes using an Account Abstraction Layer (AAL) that hides identities of transacting parties.

Qtum is Proof-of-Stake based and boasts of a Decentralized Governance Protocol (DGP), which allows specific blockchain settings to be modified by making use of smart contracts. This ensures that the block size of Qtum can be increased without the need for a hard fork.

The project launched in 2017 and aims to become the decentralized applications platform for business and enterprise level Blockchain services. Read their white paper at Qtum.org

Qtum digital assets are available to trade on various exchanges, with the company planning a crypto hardware wallet soon to store your precious coins securely offline.

Currently the coins are valued at 1 QTUM = £1.501933 available from multiple exchanges.

4.Decentraland (Coin: MANA)

Decentraland is a blockchain technology that defines itself as a virtual reality platform running on the Ethereum blockchain. It allows users to create, experience and monetize content and applications. Just as it happens in the real world, users can purchase plots of land in virtual worlds that they can later navigate, build upon and monetize.

Decentraland uses two tokens: MANA which is an ER20 token that must be burned to acquire non-fungible ER721 LAND tokens. Read their white paper at Decentraland.org

The project aims to create a virtual reality world blockchain, where creators can store complex unique game assets, fully decentralized, with ability to manage their own parcels of LAND.

Currently Decentraland is valued at 1 MANA = £0.02981 and available on exchanges like Binance. 

5.Cardano (Coin: ADA)

Cardano is a decentralized platform that will allow complex programmable transfers of value in a secure and scalable fashion. Their digital token is called ADA.

The blockchain is one of the first to be built with the Haskell programming language. It aims to develop a smart contract platform which seeks to deliver more advanced features than any protocol previously developed.

This is the first blockchain platform to evolve out of a scientific philosophy and research-first driven approach. The group consists of a global collective of expert engineers and researchers.

The protocol features a layered blockchain software stack that is flexible, scalable, and is being developed with the most rigorous academic and commercial software standards in the industry.

Cardano will use a democratic governance system, and you can read the white papers at Cardano.org

Currently valued 1 ADA = £0.03126 which can be stored in their digital wallet called Daedalus. 


Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade.

 How to Set-Up Atomic All-in-One Cryptocurrency Wallet

Atomic Wallet is a desktop wallet built with complete security, anonymity and decentralization at its core.

The team is made up of Constantine Gladysh, CEO and founder of Changelly, Charlie Schrem who is one of the first evangelists for Bitcoin, Simon Dixon who develops cold storage facilities for well-known crypto exchanges and Paul Sokolov, a veteran in blockchain development. 

Together, they’ve developed what I describe as arguably the most secure and aesthetically crafted digital wallets in the crypto space.  

The Atomic Wallet has several differences from some analog cold stores in that, users can move all their crypto assets to the generated wallet. Using their private keys, they can import wallet addresses with existing assets on cryptocurrencies.

This special protective cold storage environment allows users to safely store all their private keys and manage the wallet with encrypted private addresses.

The wallet interacts with exchanges using built in ShapeShift, and Changelly that work with more than 90 altcoins, with daily users of 2 million conducting 15 thousand operations, turning over 60,000 BTC.                                                                 

                              

                                  Atomic Wallet Set-Up Prerequisites

Before getting started, it is advisable to get a few significant things ready;

·         A smart phone with an active number to which you have constant access

·         A valid e-mail address with constant access

·         A form of identity verification such as Driver’s Licence

·         A valid Visa debit card

·         A laptop or desktop computer with Notepad open to record details

Downloading the Atomic Wallet App

Begin by downloading AtomicWallet.io - the first Wallet with Atomic Swap Decentralized Exchange. Install app, sign-up for airdrop with promo code XSRD6 and get extra 25 AWC tokens! 

AWC tokens are the native Atomic Wallet coin built on the Ethereum ER20 standard. 100 million AWC will be created with 65 million in circulation now valued at 1 AWC = £0.15 at the time of print.  

-Once set up, be sure to make a note of your recovery key phrase, a random collection of 12 words called HD Mnemonic Phrase accessible from Settings > Private Keys. 

-Atomic Wallet is available on both mobile and desktops, with extended functionality like the ability to purchase Bitcoin directly using your debit card. The desktop version of the application can be configured using your mnemonic phrase.

How to Use Atomic Swap Exchange Engine

The Atomic project was created  as a reaction to the numerous security challenges that have plagued the blockchain and cryptocurrency technology — a convenient and versatile decentralized solution for the custody-free cryptocurrency trading. Atomic Wallet platform is based on a unique proprietary engine specially designed to solve its specific tasks.

It can never be stressed enough that, to be sure the token is yours, be sure it is on your own wallet and you have the private keys. Loosing your private keys means your tokens along with however much they are worth will be lost forever as unspent value.

Ensuring the keys to your wallets are stored on paper, five other storage locations and for the security enthusiast, private keys can be stored on hardware cold wallets completely away from the internet.

                                      

Atomic Swap is a decentralized exchange, designed to only exchange your locally stored private keys on your request at the point of sale. This makes your asset tokens hack-proof, since the keys do not exist on a centralized exchange that could be inaccessible for whatever reason. 

        

The technology is essentially an automated market bulletin board, where an anonymous user could initiate a trade for certain number of coins in return for a certain number of another coin, at current market value prices.

Atomic Swap represents the truly decentralized ecosystem of the future, where people are in control of their assets and secure their private keys. Software is available for Windows, macOS, Linux Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora distros.

How to Cash Out Bitcoin and Liquidate Cryptocurrencies 

Since the dawn of creation of the genesis block on 3rd January, 2009, computer scientists have been scratching their heads to figure out how to liquidate Bitcoin into cash in the real world. This conundrum has driven multitudes of developers into solving this crucial problem. 

Thanks to the tireless hard work of thousands of teams scattered across the globe, this seemingly pipe dream is gradually becoming reality. 

Crypterium dApp and Bitcoin Card (Token: CRPT)
On June 12, 2019, London and Estonia based fintech firm launched the Crypterium Card and dApp as the world's first global crypto bank. Former General Manager of Visa and current CEO of Crypterium Steven Parker, describes a future where flexible crypto payments take off as fast as NFC technology to become boarderless. 

Having launched since 2013, the Crypterium team have been innovating new ways of facilitating cryptocurrency liquidity, and earning recognition from KPMG and H2 ventures as one of the most promising fintech companies. 

The dApp currently holds the top coins Bitcoin BTC, Ethereum ETH, Litecoin LTC, USDC Stablecoin and their native Crypterium Token CRPT which is used to facilitate fiat to crypto transactions in its ecosystem. Further addition of 11 currencies are planned for late 2019. 

Crypterium have worked very closely with financial regulators worldwide to ensure that the Crypterium Card is complaint anywhere and wherever UnionPay cards are accepted. 

The Crypterium Card transcends geographical limitations, with holders able to use cryptocurrencies to seamlessly pay for Netflix subscriptions, order products on Amazon, pay for coffee at Starbucks, shop for weekly groceries, pay medical bills and even tuition fees for higher education. 

CRPT tokens currently trade at 1 CRPT = £0.33 at the time of writing available in app.  

Wirex Card and App (Token: WXT)
Introducing Wirex app and card blockchain application, built on the internationally acclaimed Stellar XLM protocol and a permanent partnership with IBM and Visa, Wirex now enables any cryptocurrency to interact with traditional fiat systems. 

The protocol running Wirex is so advanced, it can handle over a dozen cryptocurrencies as well as a planned 26 international fiat accounts including GBP, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, Mexico among an ever growing list of international accounts. 

Wirex supports popular currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stellar XLM, Nano, Waves and Dai Stablecoins, as well as the WXT Wirex native token which was officially launched on the July 1, 2019. 

In a recent challenge to travel the globe using only cryptocurrencies, reality TV star Alex Hobern succeeded in paying for travel, accommodation and food from UK, Ireland, Canada, US, Hong Kong, Dubai, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Finland, Belgium, and Amsterdam, primarily using BTC, ETH, LTC and Wirex card. 

WXT tokens currently trade at 1 WXT = £0.020 at the time of writing available in app.

  How to Set-Up CoinStats to Track All Cryptocurrencies

Its all well and great to have your hands on precious cryptocurrency coins in your wallet, but they are only as good as the tools you have to track their performance against other cryptocurrencies.

Remember these digital assets are real projects currently underway, so you need to know information like current coin value, global ranking, historical performance statistics and how much they square up to Bitcoin at any given time.

CoinStats represents a complete package for tracking all your cryptocurrencies and more. Let’s take a closer look;

1.Downloading the CoinStats App

Fire up Play Store or App Store, search and install the CoinStats application. Load it to see the Main interface as shown below.

At a glance, you can see the stats of the top performing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin Ethereum, Ripple, EOS, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Tether among others. A 24-hour performance metric and current value will be displayed on this page. 

Use the tab at the top right corner to toggle the price in USD, BTC or ETH depending on what you want to focus on. A total market cap of all coins is displayed at the top left corner of this page.

You can streamline your view by adding specific coins you want to track in the Favourites tab. 

2.Managing your Portfolio

This tab allows control over your assets by connecting the app to an exchange where you purchase your coins, connecting a wallet or adding manual transactions.

3.Keeping up to Date with Current Blockchain Development

Thousands of Blockchain projects have emerged since the rise and fall of Bitcoin, and with countless events happening each second in this space, its important to know which factors may be affecting the performance of your assets. 

The news tab is invaluable for reading about current developments in this fast-paced crypto space. Having current information about new acquisitions, partnerships and even hard forks can positively influence your investment decisions (Never invest more than you can afford to loose)

4.Managing your CoinStats Account

For users who like to keep records for further analysis, you can export a CSV file of coin statistics and sign in if you already have an account with CoinStats. This is not mandatory however to use the app for tracking performance information.

In the event you loose access to your account, the option to restore your purchases can also be found in this tab. The convertor calculator also comes in handy when investing in any cryptocurrency.

                                        Conclusion

We hope this article helps demystify some of the mysteries surrounding Blockchain technology, and its current rapid evolution and the sweeping changes the framework brings into our economic ecosystem.

Feel free to ask any questions and join the conversation on our Reddit group and other social media. Read more details in our article Understanding The Blockchain Technology

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