It is estimated that more than 2.3 billion individuals across the globe play video games on some digital platform or another. While the gaming industry as a whole is valued at a staggering $90 billion, only a small number – around 4,000 pro gamers – profit from this blossoming market sector. DMarket is essentially a blockchain-based global marketplace that allows users to transform in-game items into real-world commodities. The platform is scalable and allows gamers to trade virtual items for any of their favorite game titles easily. It is currently quite difficult for users to trade in-game items and earn moneyPowered by WPeMatico
Who better to learn about Fintech from than NASAA President and Director of the Alabama Securities Commission Joseph Borg? I sat down with Joe for a lengthy discussion about what millennials and baby boomers need to know about the fintech space. 1. Technology Outruns Regulation, Always “The crossroads between financial services and technology, a la fintech, is the wave of the future, and it’s here now,” said Joseph Borg, Director of the Alabama Securities Commission. But the one thing to understand is that technology always outruns regulation. The Merkle: Why do you believe that regulation falls behind newer technology? Joseph Borg: Fintech, with
After decades of facing the strokes of counterfeiting and intermediary price manipulation against its palette, the art industry is ready to turn the page and enter the world of blockchain technology. Graham Goddard, the CEO of All Public Art (APA), provides a unique platform that helps address the very issues the art community has been plagued with for decades, and restores its colorful history by moving it onto the blockchain. Why Does The Art Community Need Blockchain Technology? The art market has been facing counterfeiting and fraud for decades. By providing a mechanism for validating the authenticity of artwork as well as
Even with the exponential growth that the internet has seen over the past couple of decades, the mechanisms for web monetization that exist today remain quite archaic and susceptible to manipulation. Also, the sentiment of the average person towards web advertisements is quite poor, and in the past year or so, the use of ad blockers has become quite commonplace. The Oyster Protocol, or Oyster Pearl, is an all-new platform that employs a unique approach to getting content publishers and consumers to work with one another, thereby enabling both parties to benefit monetarily. To be more specific, Oyster Pearl enables everyday
Over the years, there has been some interesting synergy between cryptocurrency, blockchains, and artwork. The SHA256art gallery houses many different types of artwork, all of which have been inspired by the cryptocurrency craze over the past nine years. The SHA256art Gallery Concept Although some people may feel differently, the cryptocurrency industry has spawned some amazing artwork. So many different feelings, opinions, and subjects come together when talking cryptocurrency. For art creators, it is evident there is a lot of inspiration to tap into. As such, the SHA256art gallery was created with a very specific vision in mind. First of all, the art gallery allows artists to
It seems there is one cryptocurrency and blockchain project which has been making a lot of waves lately. Known as Ontology, this new high-performance public blockchain will be quite interesting to keep an eye on. So far, the project is still in the early stages of development, but there will be some milestones to be achieved in the coming months. Ontology Explained When it comes to public blockchains, one of the more pressing issues these days is scaling. No public blockchain can properly scale to enterprise-grade levels in their current form. Ontology aims to address that problem by introducing a new high-performance blockchain which serves as a
The education industry as a whole has been completely disrupted with the advent of blockchain technology. According to recent statistics, the global e-education market has been growing steadily at a rate of 7.2% for the past couple of years. It is now projected that this market will touch a staggering $325 billion by 2025. EchoLink is a blockchain platform that has been designed to connect students with teachers as well as educational institutions without any intermediaries. It uses a framework that is transparent and records specific data such as: Verified educational skills Career information Personal data All of the aforementioned
Cryptocurrencies have been around for a while now, and they’re increasingly becoming of interest to tax liability regulators. But many of us are not clear as to how tax regulations are going to work. In this article, we are going to cover four facts that you must know. Most people simply don’t think they need to pay taxes while using digital currencies, but the truth is that none of us are exempt from taxes as long as we trade assets, even if they are crypto-related. To that end, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) has stated that all virtual transactions related to digital currencies are subject to tax in accordance
We already know there’s more to ICO investing than meets the eye. You don’t need an economics degree to participate (a crystal ball would be more useful). But you can make smarter investing decisions by carrying out due diligence first. What is Due Diligence? Seasoned investors use this term all the time, but if you’re new to the game, it may only sound faintly familiar. Due diligence is basically about putting in the necessary background research before backing a horse in the race. It includes checking out your ICO’s team to assess whether their idea has real commercial potential (and that
In the world of online poker, there is still plenty of potential for future improvement. Virtue Poker, a new venture with Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin as one of its advisors, aims to offer a safe, fair, and high-integrity platform which relies on smart contracts to enhance the poker experience. The Concept of Virtue Poker It is evident there is plenty of room for competition in the world of online poker. Over the years, we have seen multiple companies flock to blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Even so, it is only a matter of time until we see improvements made in this