Bitcoin has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing a market value of $107.8K.

Bitcoin has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing a market value of $107.8K. This surge can be attributed to a combination of persistent disbelief among retail investors and aggressive accumulation by institutional players. Recent excitement has been further fueled by Donald Trump's pro-crypto stance. His announcement to appoint 

 has been met with enthusiasm, especially since it signals the removal of Gary Gensler, who has often been viewed as an obstacle to crypto growth. As Trump reiterated his plans for a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, the sentiment in the crypto community has grown increasingly positive, suggesting a potential shift in regulatory dynamics that may benefit the market.

Meanwhile, the number of wallets holding between 100 to 1,000 BTC has risen significantly. In the past month, there’s been a net increase of 1,289 such wallets on the Bitcoin network, representing 9% growth in a short time frame. Moreover, these wallets have collectively added approximately 214,900 BTC to their holdings, marking a 5.1% increase in total assets.

Institutional Influence and MicroStrategy's Role

The current Bitcoin rally differs from previous ones, being primarily institutional-driven rather than retail-focused. MicroStrategy’s Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, has made significant Bitcoin purchases, recently acquiring over 36,900 BTC. This has led to mixed reactions on social media: while many praise Saylor as a visionary, critics express concerns about the company's reliance on borrowed funds for these acquisitions. The market's response to MicroStrategy's buying spree underscores its influence on Bitcoin's perception as a legitimate investment. Additionally, rising metrics, such as daily active addresses and an increase in higher-tier Bitcoin wallets, indicate growing utility and institutional interest in Bitcoin, suggesting a more sustainable path for this bull market.

Chainlink has emerged as a key player in the crypto space, achieving a 51% increase in December 2024. Its advancements in the CCIP have attracted traditional financial institutions, further legitimizing its technology. The launch of Chainlink’s new staking program has not only increased user engagement, but has also reduced selling pressure. Meanwhile, the MOVE token, part of The Movement Network, experienced an impressive 84% rise shortly after its debut, driven by airdrop events and exchange listings. Despite concerns about potential sell-offs, MOVE’s innovative approach positions it well for future growth in the Ethereum scaling landscape.

Advanced

Intro to Santiment.png

Bitcoin Tests New ATH as Wallets Holding Bitcoin Surge to New Highs; LINK and MOVE Outperform

Learn about peaq network, a Layer 1 blockchain purposely built and optimized for dePIN and RWA.

Decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs)

 are currently among the hottest sectors in the crypto space. peaq, a 

 blockchain purposely built and optimized specifically for these markets, aims to power a global infrastructure revolution using DePIN technology.

This article introduces you to the peaq network and the PEAQ token, and explores why this L1 chain is so popular among real-world asset and 

A decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) is a network that uses blockchain technology to build and operate real-world infrastructures with decentralized governance and ownership. DePIN stands in sharp contrast to the traditional model, in which centralized entities manage their ecosystems with complete control.

DePINs take a community-driven approach and use crypto incentives to expand and maintain their infrastructures. This significantly reduces up-front investments for these networks, and empowers users with the ability to set up their own devices and earn tokens as providers. DePIN leverages this decentralized and distributed architecture to eliminate single points of failure (SPOFs) and enhance the security of the infrastructure.

Some of the most notable DePIN projects are as follows:

 is a high-performance L1 blockchain purposely built and optimized for DePINs and 

. Offering a wide range of tools for projects, over 50 decentralized DePINs in 21 industries are developing on the peaq chain. As the world's largest and fastest-growing DePIN ecosystem, peaq network hosts more than 3 million machines, vehicles, robots and devices and accounts for over $1 billion worth of total value in DePIN devices.

peaq network was co-founded by Max Thake, Leonard Dorlöchter and Till Wendler, bringing together their extensive expertise and experience in blockchain, decentralized networks and entrepreneurship.

Thake, a writer and entrepreneur, excels at simplifying complex technology and using this approach to solve problems. Dorlöchter, active in the blockchain space since 2015, is passionate about decentralization and self-sovereignty and is a member of the 

. Wendler has a strong background in tech startups and decentralized systems, which he leverages to navigate the complexities of the 

The trio, together with other team members, have dedicated their efforts to enable a more inclusive, transparent and equitable world through the advent of 

In March 2024, peaq raised $15 million in a round led by Borderless Capital and Generative Ventures. Additionally, the project secured $6 million and $2.5 million of funding from investors in June 2022 and June 2021, respectively, and participants contributed nearly $20 million to peaq network's public sale in May 2024, bringing the total funds raised to an impressive $43.48 million.

Besides Borderless Capital and Generative Ventures, notable investors behind peaq network include Animoca Brands, CMCC Global, The Spartan Group, DWF Labs, Fundamental Labs, Moonrock Capital, HashKey Capital and GSR.

peaq's modular DePIN functions are designed to empower developers to build next-generation decentralized physical networks. DePINs and 

 (DApps) can leverage these ready-to-use functions to equip their ecosystems with essential core functionalities. These include self-sovereign machine IDs, data verification, role-based access control, data storage, autonomous 

, machine payment processing and data indexing.

Modular DePIN functions work as building blocks for decentralized physical infrastructure networks, enabling them to explore synergies with peers and expand their demand sides. They’re available via the peaq SDK (software development kit) in JavaScript, allowing the seamless deployment of modules with approximately 15 lines of code. With peaq, developers can also enjoy increased flexibility and convenience with Wasm and 

peaq network's fast-growing ecosystem consists of over 50 DePINs in 21 industries, including energy, mobility and telecom. Some of the top DePIN and RWA projects building on peaq’s purpose-built L1 chain include :

In terms of use cases, peaq provides a wide range of utility for enterprises, ranging from mobility and connectivity to 3D printing, cloud gaming and drone delivery.

Practical examples of peaq network uses include co-creating the standards and infrastructure for the future of mobility under the 

. The project has an overall size of more than €20 million ($21 million) and includes participants like Bosch, Airbus, Continental, 

 in its car-sharing fleet to the peaq ecosystem, enabling users to invest in them via the web3 car-sharing app and earn rewards from rides they provide.

peaq network is powered by its native PEAQ token, which was launched on Nov 12, 2024 alongside the peaq blockchain's mainnet. The cryptocurrency's key utilities for users include the following:

With no cap on its maximum supply, PEAQ's total supply at genesis stood at 4.2 billion tokens, with an initial inflation rate of 3.5% that will decrease annually by 10% and stabilize once the network reaches 1% inflation. Currently, 4.212 billion PEAQ is circulating in the market. You can find out more about the token's genesis allocation 

peaq's network of DePIN and RWA projects is expanding at a rapid pace. Some key statistics and figures in this field are as follows:

With a high-performance, purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain, peaq network powers a fast-growing number of DePIN and RWA projects to power a global infrastructure revolution. Boasting more than $40 million in funding and over 50 DePINs, $25 million managed in tokenized real-world assets and 3 million devices within its ecosystem, the L1 chain already has a solid foundation to realize its vision and achieve its goals.

 via Bybit’s user-friendly and intuitive trading platform as a Perpetual contract? 

Intermediate

peaq.png

Peaq Network: A Layer 1 Blockchain Purpose-Built for DePIN

Rootstock (RBTC) is an EVM- and smart contract–capable Layer 2 sidechain for Bitcoin designed for DeFi use cases.

 (DeFi) sector back in 2017 is firmly associated with the 

 (ETH) blockchain. It was Ethereum that introduced the concept of 

, and the first prominent DeFi protocols were all born on this blockchain. For a while, it seemed like 

 (BTC) stayed away from the emerging DeFi phenomenon. It’s only in the past few years that the Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem, dubbed BTCFi, seemingly started to show the first signs of life. This impression is, however, not entirely correct. As early as January 2018, the first DeFi-focused 

 solution for Bitcoin — the Rootstock (RBTC) sidechain — celebrated its mainnet debut.

Rootstock remains the oldest and longest-running Layer 2 platform for the Bitcoin ecosystem. It’s smart contract-capable and highly compatible with the 

 (EVM). While the platform can support all kinds of 

 (DApps), it specifically focuses on the DeFi niche, with nearly all of its leading apps dedicated to crypto finance use cases. Along with smart contract functionality, Rootstock enjoys the famed security of Bitcoin, thanks to its merged mining with the world's largest chain. The sidechain also features superior scalability and lower transaction fees than Bitcoin’s 

With this combination of benefits, it’s no wonder that the Rootstock sidechain has managed to keep a leading position in the fast-developing BTCFi field all these years.

 (RBTC) is a smart contract–capable Layer 2 sidechain designed for Bitcoin DeFi applications. Rootstock's native cryptocurrency, RBTC, is an asset pegged to BTC at a 1:1 ratio.

 Users can transfer their BTC funds to the sidechain, where their coins are converted to RBTC. From then on, users are free to use the RBTC crypto to make use of Rootstock's extensive ecosystem of DeFi apps and tools. Rootstock represents a major way for Bitcoin holders to enjoy smart contract–powered DeFi applications without having to move their assets and activity to Ethereum or other smart contract chains.

Since the Bitcoin network has virtually no smart contract capabilities, many DeFi-minded BTC holders have to convert their funds to Ether or other smart contract chain coins to enjoy crypto finance opportunities on those blockchains. While Ethereum, 

 (ADA) and other prominent smart contract chains offer a diverse array of DeFi solutions, the problem with converting BTC to these coins is the loss of peg; e.g., by exchanging BTC to ETH, you’re decoupling your funds from the world's largest cryptocurrency, well regarded by many investors as the gold standard in crypto investment.

Rootstock solves this issue by offering a BTC-pegged asset, RBTC, that can be swapped back for BTC at any time and returned to the Bitcoin Layer 1 environment. The platform essentially lets you enjoy a plethora of DeFi opportunities while keeping your overall funds tightly pegged to BTC.

Rootstock features EVM compatibility through its Rootstock virtual machine (RVM). This makes porting Ethereum DApps to the sidechain a breeze. The platform also enjoys the security of Bitcoin through a merged mining procedure, whereby miners can use the hash power contributed to securing the Bitcoin network to simultaneously mine blocks on Rootstock as well.

Rootstock's block production time is just 30 seconds, twenty times as frequent as Bitcoin's 10-minute intervals. This allows for fast and efficient transaction processing. At the same time, to ensure complete security of operations, Rootstock normally requires that each transaction go through a minimum of 12 confirmations, which takes the total time for complete transaction finalization to six minutes.

 difficulty is considerably lower than Bitcoin's, and its network congestion isn't anywhere near the levels of Bitcoin or Ethereum. As a result, gas fees on the chain are notably lower than on Bitcoin and Ethereum, with an average transaction fee of around five cents.

The Rootstock sidechain was first conceptualized in 2015 by a group of Argentinian software engineers from RSK Labs. It was officially launched in January 2018, making it the oldest existing Bitcoin Layer 2 solution. In its earlier years of operation, the platform was known as the RSK blockchain, but rebranded to Rootstock in 2022. The project's co-founders are Diego Gutiérrez Zaldívar, Adriȧn Eidelman, Gabriel Kurman and Sergio Demian Lerner.

Rootstock uses an address system compatible with and similar to Ethereum's, with 40 alphanumeric characters and an account-based model. This differs from the 

 (UTXO) model employed for Bitcoin transactions. Transactions on the sidechain directly modify account balances, similar to Ethereum, rather than adjusting unspent output amounts.

This account-based address system ensures adherence to EVM compatibility and easy accommodation of DApps ported from EVM chains.

, known previously as the RSK virtual machine, is a processing engine used by the sidechain. It's EVM-compatible, allowing developers to easily port and adapt Ethereum smart contracts and DApps to the Rootstock environment. Additionally, developers can use Solidity, the primary programming language used within the Ethereum ecosystem, to build Rootstock-based applications.

The project's team tries to maintain compatibility between RVM and EVM carefully. Around once a year, the Ethereum developer community performs a 

 of the blockchain, upgrading it to a new version. The key goals of these upgrades are to introduce new functionality, address security concerns and improve existing features. If the new features introduced by Ethereum align with the ethos and goals of the Rootstock project, the team initiates a corresponding hard fork upgrade to the sidechain and RVM in order to maintain the snug compatibility between the processing engines of the two chains.

Rootstock's security mechanism is well protected, thanks to 

 with Bitcoin. Like Bitcoin's Layer 1, Rootstock uses the 

 (PoW) block generation procedure. Miners can merge-mine RBTC using the same 

 power they contribute to mining Bitcoin. This provides an excellent way for miners to earn additional crypto income without the need to contribute more computing capacity. Merged mining is also a key way for PoW blockchains to reduce their environmental impact.

Since the average block time on the Rootstock blockchain is only 30 seconds, miners can expect more frequent rewards from their block generation activity. In general, Rootstock's mining difficulty is lower than Bitcoin's, allowing less powerful mining machines to still generate income on the network.

Rootstock's mining rewards are paid out in RBTC, the BTC-pegged asset that we'll cover in more detail later in the article.

 is Rootstock's system to ensure a peg between BTC and RBTC and the secure transfer of assets between the sidechain and Bitcoin Layer 1. The Rootstock PowPeg allows anyone to lock BTC on the Bitcoin chain and get securely issued RBTC on the Rootstock side. PowPeg also facilitates the process of burning RBTC on Rootstock and receiving the requisite amount of BTC on Layer 1.

Rootstock PowPeg uses Bitcoin's PoW to maintain the security and integrity of the peg in conjunction with institutional nodes running specialized 

 devices. PowHSMs securely sign transactions involving the transfer of assets between Rootstock and Bitcoin. The group of nodes running PowHSMs, called the PowPeg Federation, is currently made up of nine reputable organizations in the blockchain sphere — BlockVenture, Luxor, Сollider, Сonstata, Mycointainer, pNetwork, Sovryn, Xapo and RootstockLabs.

Rootstock Smart Bitcoin (RBTC), previously known as RSK Bitcoin, is the platform's main cryptocurrency. RBTC is pegged to BTC at a ratio of 1:1 through the securely enabled PowPeg mechanism covered above. Like BTC on the Bitcoin blockchain, RBTC is used to pay transaction fees and reward miners on the Rootstock network. However, unlike BTC, RBTC can also be used within DApps for functions like collateral provision, lending, borrowing and more.

Given RBTC's peg to BTC, it’s not surprising that its tokenomics borrows some critical parameters from Bitcoin. RBTC's total supply is specified at 21 million, matching the 

The Rootstock platform also has a second token, RIF, primarily designed to support DApps that are part of the 

 (RIF) protocol, a layer built on top of the Rootstock chain for apps designed for staking, lending, payments and other DeFi use cases. There are currently several RIF DApps on Rootstock that can use the RIF token.

 within these DApps. It can also be staked on Rootstock to open up the opportunity to participate in on-platform 

. By staking RIF, you’re issued stRIF tokens, which enable you to participate in governance votes via the 

. This is the platform's primary governance entity, through which community members — users and developers — can influence the future direction and improvements to the sidechain and its ecosystem.

For instance, during the early stages of the DAO's operation, community members can vote on the allocation of ecosystem grants. In the future, decision-making on other initiatives (e.g., rewarding developers contributing to the growth of Rootstock) will be implemented.

RIF is a supply-capped token, with a total and maximum supply of 1 billion. The token's overall supply allocation shares, as outlined in the project's white paper, are as follows:

As a leading Bitcoin sidechain capable of executing smart contracts, Rootstock boasts a thriving ecosystem of DApps, primarily in the DeFi domain. As of mid-December 2024, the total number of applications, utility tools, wallets and other smart contract–enabled solutions on Rootstock stands at close to 180.

One of the leading applications on the chain is Sovryn, a decentralized Bitcoin trading and lending platform. Another popular DeFi app is 

 (AMM) built on the Ethereum blockchain. In addition to a plethora of DeFi apps, Rootstock has solutions for 

The Rootstock Runes Mock Bridge project allows developers to create Rune tokens on the sidechain. Introduced in April 2024, the 

 has opened a way to efficiently create Bitcoin-based fungible tokens by leveraging the blockchain's native UTXO transaction model. Rootstock's Runes Mock Bridge supports the process of creating these tokens by first etching Runes on a Bitcoin, and then mirroring their representations to the sidechain. The replication of Bitcoin-based Runes tokens on Rootstock is enabled via the ERC-1155 token standard. This is a standard utilized on EVM-compatible chains to transfer blockchain assets of both fungible and non-fungible varieties efficiently.

Rootstock Token Bridge is a bridging solution designed to facilitate the transfer of ERC-20 assets between the Rootstock sidechain and Ethereum. Although Rootstock and Ethereum share the same address format and model, sending assets between these chains directly via your wallet may not work. Instead, to transfer assets, you are advised to use the Rootstock Token Bridge, which will convert the transferred tokens to a requisite format.

 projects active on the Rootstock chain. One of these, NFTs2Me, allows you to create NFTs with no coding skills required. The other project, coNFT, is a comprehensive multichain platform that offers users a wide variety of NFT-focused products and services — 

 name service, analytics and more. coNFT has access to data and NFT services across over 100 blockchain platforms.

The oldest Bitcoin sidechain in existence, Rootstock continues to play a key role in the development of Bitcoin-linked DeFi — BTCFi. The platform's EVM compatibility also positions it as a major bridge between the Ethereum and Bitcoin ecosystems — the blockchain environments of the world's two leading cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Over the years, Rootstock has accumulated a comprehensive arsenal of DeFi solutions — DEXs, liquidity management apps, 

 platforms, lending and borrowing protocols, NFT utilities and more. At the same time, RBTC's peg to BTC presents a unique way for crypto users to enjoy these DeFi protocols while holding an asset tightly coupled with Bitcoin's market price.

Developers can also enjoy a familiar environment, with the Solidity programming language and an EVM-compatible account model utilized by the sidechain.

Importantly, Rootstock offers efficient transaction processing — supported by its 30-second block intervals — and lower transaction fees than either Ethereum or Bitcoin. With gas fees a major concern for users on both of these Layer 1 chains, Rootstock is a platform that deserves close attention from both DeFi users and developers.

rootstock bitcoin.png

Rootstock (RBTC): Boosting Bitcoin DeFi With Smart Contracts

Dive into World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) project inspired by Donald Trump, and its native WLFI token.

 (DeFi) project inspired by Donald Trump, the incoming president of the United States. The project aims to provide innovative financial solutions while leveraging the Trump brand's influence. This article will explore the project’s key features, the Trump family's involvement and the utility and tokenomics of the WLFI token.

 is a DeFi project designed to revolutionize modern financial transactions. This project operates on blockchain technology and integrates advanced DeFi tools that allow users to trade, earn and borrow with efficiency. 

 has publicly promoted the launch of World Liberty Financial and its native WLFI token.

On October 16, 2024, Donald Trump posted on X announcing that the project was live. His family members are also significantly involved in this exciting project. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are at the forefront, working diligently to develop the platform and promote its goals.

Barron Trump, just 18 years old and a freshman at NYU, has taken on the role of “Chief DeFi Visionary.” The Trump family has utilized social media to build interest in World Liberty Financial, asserting that it could transform personal finance management for individuals everywhere. Despite their involvement, the project claims to remain non-political and separate from any political campaign. 

Aside from Donald Trump and his family, there are other people on the team behind this DeFi initiative. The official website lists five co-founders: Chase Herro, Zak Folkman, Steven Witkoff, Zach Witkoff and Alex Witkoff. The project also features notable advisors, including Sandy Peng from Scroll and Luke Pearson from Polychain Capital.

Its primary mission is to empower users by providing them with tools for financial independence. Below are some key features.

World Liberty Financial Holdings has recently captured attention through its 

. The World Liberty Multisig wallet completed $12 million worth of transactions, demonstrating a clear strategy to build a well-rounded cryptocurrency portfolio.

 was 2,631 ETH for $10 million, purchased at $3,801 per token. Ethereum’s smart contract capabilities make it a cornerstone of many DeFi projects, solidifying this as a strategic decision for the platform. The wallet also secured 41,335 LINK for $1 million at $24.20 each. Additionally, $1 million was allocated to purchase 3,357 AAVE at $297.80 per token. AAVE is a leader in DeFi, offering seamless lending and borrowing solutions.

The WLFI token is important in the World Liberty Financial ecosystem. Built as an ERC-20 token, it powers several essential functions on the platform:

The tokenomics of WLFI include a total supply of 100 billion tokens. Below is an outline of its distribution structure:

The launch of the WLFI token has faced significant challenges and has failed to meet its initial sales targets. Investors showed less interest than anticipated, leading to sluggish sales for the World Liberty Financial project. This disappointing start raised concerns about the project's viability in the competitive decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. Despite the backing of Donald Trump, the token struggled to attract the expected level of investment during its initial offering.

In a surprising turn of events, Justin Sun, the founder of the TRON blockchain, stepped in with a substantial 

. Sun's purchase allowed him to acquire over half of all WLFI tokens sold, positioning him as the largest investor in the project.

World Liberty Financial aims to make a significant impact in the DeFi sector, which has largely underperformed throughout the current bull market. The potential of clearer regulations for the wider crypto industry under the incoming Trump administration has boosted investors’ hopes for a revival of the DeFi space. 

Furthermore, backing from the Trump family has drawn considerable attention to the World Liberty Financial project. However, it’s essential for potential investors to 

 before committing funds to avoid scams and ensure safe engagement with financial projects.

world liberty financial.png

World Liberty Financial: Trump's DeFi Project

Altcoins

Crypto

Stellar and Lumens are not the same. So, the next time you use them interchangeably again, think twice. Here's everything you must know.

What-is-Lumen-XLM.jpg

Stellar Lumens (XLM) is a decentralized protocol for transferring digital currency to fiat across borders and currency pairs. Stellar’s XLM is similar to Ripple but it is created to overcome the challenges of peer-to-peer cross-border transfers.

The year 2017 remains historic for many cryptocurrencies. While some crumbles and disappeared, some like Bitcoin and Ethereum are soaring to their all-time high. While Lumen might not be the most 

, you can’t help but wonder what’s the fuss about and how Stellar’s XLM is gaining traction in the world of crypto.

Stellar and Lumens have always been used interchangeably in the crypto market. But the truth is, they represent different meanings and frameworks.

 refers only to the network, the protocol, the system, and the community as a whole. On the other hand, Lumens (XLM) is the native digital currency of Stellar that powers the network.

The crypto is then used to send, receive, to be traded with other assets. Perhaps the confusion started when the cryptocurrency was initially known as Stellar (STR); later, it was renamed— Lumens or XLM. 

Stellar and Lumens came to light in 2014, when Jed McCaleb, founder of Mt.Gox and co-founder of Ripple, launched the network system Stellar together with the former lawyer Joyce Kim. The nonprofit Stellar Development Foundation was created in collaboration with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison for the project’s official launch in July.

After raising $3 million in seed funding from Stripe, Stellar was finally released as a decentralized payment network and protocol with a native currency— Stellar. In August 2014, Mercado Bitcoin, the first Brazilian bitcoin exchange, announced it would be using the Stellar network.

The next question you should be asking is: "How does it work?"

Stellar works just like the rest of the 

 in many similar ways. In fact, it has a close resemblance to another popular altcoin— 

. As an open-source payment technology that uses the Stellar Consensus Protocol, the technicalities are almost on par with Ripple, allowing quicker and more affordable sending and receiving funds.

Stellar is essentially a decentralized network of servers on the blockchain that run independently. That means it is distributed among all of the interconnected nodes within the Stellar network without being monitored by a centralized source. When the network syncs and reaches a consensus, thus allowing the ledger to be distributed evenly and widely.

 is anyone can just set up a verification node (server) with the Stellar Core where the verification process is done using the 

Think of SCP as Stellar’s algorithm to verify a transaction. It allows the network to scale faster and more efficiently than most PoW blockchains like Bitcoin. The highlight of the Stellar network is the transactions occur in a more decentralized manner using what we know as ‘anchors.’  

These anchors represent entities that people trust to be in charge of their deposits and hand out credits into the blockchain for those deposits. These anchors function as the bridge between different currencies and the Stellar blockchain. Thus, all money transactions executed on the Stellar network (asides XLM) are carried out in the form of a credit issued by the anchors.

Ultimately, it reduces the cost and time required for cross-border transfers.

Again, lumens (XLM) is Stellar’s native cryptocurrency. It serves several functions on the network and mainly uses to pay users for the transaction fees and act as an intermediary to enable users to trade between multiple currencies fast, easily and at the lowest cost possible. For lumens to work as intended, users must maintain a minimum balance of XLM in their accounts.

A worthy note is Stellar has a decentralized protocol that is built right into the protocol. And any payment in different currencies can be routed through its order book and comes out as the desired currency. 

Since the primary use for XLM is settling cross-border transactions for both individuals and financial institutions, Stellar has also partnered with IBM has helped lumens gain considerable adoption as a cross-border remittance within the blockchain. 

Sarah (sender) wants to send his mother (receiver), who is in China, $50 as a remittance. Suppose she goes through the traditional wire transfers. In that case, she’ll be charged with an average of 7.1% transaction fee that’ll be translated to $46.25 at the final remittance, excluding the currency exchange charges.

But, if she chooses Stellar, that converts her dollars to lumens, and then the order book converts lumens into Yuan. Sarah’s mom can receive almost the exact amount of dollars all under five seconds. 

So the concept is similar to Ripple? And the answer is, yes. Still, there are differences you might not be aware of.

Stellar vs. Ripple: What Are The Differences?

Stellar’s basic operation is similar to most decentralized payment technologies. Still, it is fundamentally different from 

, even though both Ripple and Stellar are open sources and relying on the distributed ledger technology.

What sets them apart is they are targeting 

. Unlike Ripple, which works with established banking institutions and consortiums, Stellar focuses more on individuals and on developing markets and has multiple use cases for its technology. Some of these include money remittances and bank loan distribution to the unbanked. Various partnerships with banking institutions and payment processing platforms worldwide allow people to benefit from Stellar’s network for carrying out local and international transactions at almost no cost.

 itself ‘to help’ rather than ‘to profit’ from the public. 

In terms of the organization size, Ripple tends to be a larger organization with more substantial capital. After all, Stellar is targeting a smaller pool of users when comparing to Ripple. 

When deciding if Stellar or Ripple to invest in, it’s good for you to note that 

 that might affect the prices. The removal of XRP from major crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and more. Naturally, it’ll remove its potential trading volumes. 

XLM’s price is driven by the rate of Stellar’s network adoption. While the network offers ample functionalities that may or may not reflect in the digital currency price, the more Stellar gets adopted, the higher the price Lumens. Stellar’s blockchain is one of the best and evidently boosted by its partnership with renowned tech titans like IBM, Flutterwave, and French company Tempo Money, to name a few.

. Since then, its price is oscillating around $0.03 to $0.10 without wavering. However, the coin’s stable performance and increasing adoption of the Stellar platform have led to optimistic price predictions for 2021 and beyond. 

Analysts believe the price is quite likely to trade around the $0.20 to $0.30 range. While Coinswitch sees XLM 

. However, if it should go backward, the coin could possibly take a dip to roughly $0.05 and hold there for a while before moving up. 

 since the bull run in May 2021. Currently, it’s ranked 21 by its 

How High Can Stellar Lumens XLM Go? Can It Reach $100?

Of course, Stellar is not the brightest star that shines specifically for its value over the year. Yet, it is generally performing well in crypto despite the ups and downs, which is quite typical for the crypto nature. Naturally, this left investors and crypto enthusiasts wondering how far the coin can go. 

XLM’s price prediction in the longer term

, they vary greatly. Some suggest even go as 

, which is more than a 500% growth. Still, it’s safer moderate estimates range from $1 to $3. In the end, if you intend to diversify your portfolio, XLM is still generating a considerable ROI. 

While $100 seems like an unreasonable price target, Stellar Lumens (XLM) is still a fantastic long-term investment. Nevertheless, its price is unlikely to soar over $100. After all, Stellar is here to help rather than to profit. On the contrary, as the supply of Lumens increases at a fixed rate of 1% yearly, this fights inflation and protects one’s holdings. 

A good takeaway here is XLM is an altcoin that disappears into thin air. In fact, it has gained mass adoption and is currently listed on almost every exchange out there.

The strength of XLM lies in the Stellar network and its current partnerships. The platform already has an impressive partner list and has even been integrated with Samsung Mobile.

Let’s be real, partnerships are an essential part of any crypto project as they drive adoption and are a testament to the real-world utility of the XLM coin. To name a few, here are some companies Stellar is partnered up with:

That is just one of the reasons why Stellar Lumens is in the top 10 of all altcoins. It is very well established, has a huge backing, and its technology helps solve one of the major problems in the world today – bringing financial services to the unbanked population. Even established companies like Deloitte are currently building services on the Stellar network.

In 2017, there are already 30 banks confirmed they have signed up to use Stellar’s blockchain for cross-border transfers. Payment service Stripe has also expressed 

 in on-boarding Stellar to its platform.

Stellar is a great long-term hold because it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. But it is unlikely it will dethrone Bitcoin nor Ethereum as a leading cryptocurrency. 

Even Elon Musk has faith in crypto, which means the hopes for Stellar Lumens to stay is real. Although Stellar is becoming a go-to payments token. Still, Stellar Lumens hasn’t had a lot to report in terms of development lately. Such stagnancy may have contributed to the token losing 0.12% in value in January. However, it certainly doesn’t mean anything if you have faith. It’s just a matter of time to see how this crypto can play out. 

Stellar XLM seems like a good investment for 2021, although there is still a lot of room for the platform to grow and develop. The coin has made some strong partnerships, has a strong community behind it, and this makes a strong case for some significant price appreciation.

What about the future, you ask? Nobody really knows how it’ll turn out.

What Is Stellar Lumen (XLM) & Is It Good Investment? (2022)

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards