We’re excited to announce that Original Crypto Coin is now included in the popular cryptocurrency index Live Coin Watch! Live Coin Watch allows visitors to track token price, social media channel activity and trading volume all in one place. In addition to OCC, you can track over 2,000 cryptocurrencies, nearly 200 exchanges, and over 10,000 trading pairs.
Original Crypto Coin’s Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tracker on Google Sheets pulls data from Coin Market Cap’s API and Live Coin Watch’s API and refreshes as you go. Big exchanges like Binance and big indexes like Coin Market Cap don’t have every coin, but keeping track of ALL of your coins can be accomplished through this Google Sheet! It’s quick, efficient, linked to your Google account, and can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It is also compatible with Excel and can be exported for additional functions and customization, and increased privacy.
Access the Portfolio Tracker by visiting the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q7QIcfayrW1svALgOKxIpRH502FE3ibYeOJHkreCXUg/edit?usp=sharing
A unique feature this Portfolio Tracker is that it can track coins NOT listed on CoinMarketCap.com. We’ve created a function that follows Live Coin Watch market data. LiveCoinWatch has lower volume and lesser known cryptocurrencies, allowing you to track a wide range of tokens and coins in our Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tracker.
Coin Market Cap requires $100,000 worth of daily volume (the total amount of $’s traded in a day) and Original Crypto Coin (OCC) has not reached $100,000; however, don’t count OCC out because they did reach around $25,000 in trading volume on June 8, 2018! $25,000 is very impressive for a small coin such as OCC and what we are accomplishing with no ICO.
You can get live data for a coin directly from CMC by following these steps:
NOTE: Do not include the opening and closing quotation marks in your sheet.
Cryptocurrency trackers are everywhere, but we like to make it simple by using this Google Sheet. Having it all in one place makes it more convenient and accessible to track all of your cryptocurrencies.
Let us know how you like the Google Sheet and if you have any recommendations!
We’re excited to announce that Original Crypto Coin is now included in the popular cryptocurrency portfolio tracker Blockfolio. Blockfolio is available as an easy to use Android or iOS app that allows you to track actual portfolio values as well as watching coins you’re interested in.
If you’d like a little help getting started with Blockfolio, check out our article here.
Original Crypto Coin (OCC) was recently added to the popular cryptocurrency portfolio tracker Blockfolio. To get started, you’ll need to install the Blockfolio app from Google Play or the App Store. Once the app is installed, navigate through the introductory screens until you get to the coin list. Then select the “Add Coin” button indicated by the blue arrow.
On the next screen, type “original” into the search field and Original Crypto Coin will pop up.
After you click on Original Crypto Coin, you’ll be able to select either the OCC/ETH or OCC/BTC trading pair, and the exchange. From their you can enter in specific trade details, or select watch to simply track price on a specific exchange. While OCC is listed on several exchanges, only Mercatox and DDex are currently tracked on Blockfolio.
The world of cryptocurrency is always changing and thanks to the public and transparent nature of the blockchain, it’s opensource for anyone to see. The strength of cryptocurrency is that it depends upon a blockchain, or the digital ledger upon which cryptocurrency transactions are recorded.
Current blockchain transactions follow the same rules as all of the transactions before them unless a change is made. Changes to the code of a blockchain can create all kinds of issues for participants looking to trade coins and create blocks. These code changes are categorized as hard forks and soft forks.
A hard fork is a major change to the code of a blockchain that results in a permanent divergence.
Just like the word “fork” is used to describe a single path that suddenly splits into two, a fork in the blockchain creates a divergence or split in the path of the blockchain. This allows two blockchains to form from the original, essentially creating two forms of cryptocurrency.
During a hard fork, the blockchain divides to become two forms of the cryptocurrency. One of the forks is the same as the original blockchain, with no changes made. The other fork, however, incorporates the changes. There are two versions or prongs of the original that are no longer identical to each other, and the changes are not backward compatible, meaning miners working on the new chain cannot validate blocks that use the old code. These two codes can, however, coexist comfortably as different cryptocurrencies and different blockchains.
There are several potential outcomes of a hard fork. One possibility is that the new version is picked up by the community and added to, while the old chain is abandoned. The new and elongating blockchain becomes the new standard and the old one is forgotten. Another possibility is that both blockchains remain valid with two different ledgers and are both updated by their respective communities (like Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash).
But why would anyone want to create a hard fork? The reasons for a hard fork can vary. Sometimes the hard fork is created to test out or implement a significant change to the code’s defining parameters. Other times, it is done to create a new asset that is similar to the original cryptocurrency. In some instances, the hard fork is accidental and quickly resolved.
No matter what the reason, a hard fork in the blockchain is the way to implement change to the way a blockchain functions. Participants must upgrade their software to continue participating in the chain. If they don’t, they are separated and cannot validate any new cryptocurrency transactions. They will only be able to participate in the old chain.
A soft fork is a change to the code of a blockchain that remains compatible with older versions.
Unlike a hard fork, which creates a divergence, a soft fork in the blockchain is more of an upgrade to the cryptocurrency. Whenever the code changes within a blockchain, participants must update their software, so their transactions remain viable. With a soft fork, participants remain compatible with both old and new code as they upgrade.
One of the biggest benefits of a soft fork is the convenience for participants. A soft fork can implement upgrades and changes without splitting the community and thereby weakening the value. However, soft fork developments do need to ensure that any new rules fit well with the old rules to ensure this backwards compatibility, unlike a hard fork that doesn’t require compatibility.
The governance of different blockchain’s vary. Implementing a successful hard fork or soft fork requires a large portion of the miners and/or coin holders to agree to the specific changes and manage the updates to the code accordingly. For the changes to the blockchain to really take effect, it needs the support of participants. Without support, the changes won’t be viable and the blockchain will become an orphan.
In theory, just about any participant can create a fork in the blockchain, so what prevents everyone from creating their own version of a cryptocurrency? In reality, not much. Of course, the value of the cryptocurrency comes from the demand for the coin. If a coin does not have high demand or much usage, it doesn’t have much value. The community needs to support a coin to make it valuable, so setting up hard or soft forks without careful planning will result in abandoned segments with no worth.
It takes a big and active community to support a particular type of cryptocurrency. Like any software, updates and adjustments are necessary for optimal operations. Hard forks and soft forks are an inevitable part of keeping cryptocurrency valuable and workable, so every participant should become familiar with how they work and how they can benefit from them when they happen.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sets certain standards that individuals and entities must meet before they can become accredited investors. But what exactly is an accredited investor and how do they factor into the world of cryptocurrency?
In Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities and Exchange Commission outlines the conditions that people or entities must meet to be considered an accredited investor. These conditions exist because in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash and the resulting Great Depression, the SEC needed a method to distinguish those entities with a certain amount of risk tolerance who can protect their own interests in potentially high risk investments.
An accredited investor can include a financial institution like a bank, non-profits or private business development companies that meet the threshold of total assets. Individuals can also become accredited investors if their net worth exceeds a certain threshold. Those with a trust that contains certain assets can also meet the accredited investor criteria. By meeting these standards, accredited investors have essentially been vetted as verifiably qualified to invest in certain offering types. Definitions vary by country, with the US setting out the following qualifications for individual accredited investors:
An accredited investor, in the context of a natural person, includes anyone who:
- earned income that exceeded $200,000 (or $300,000 together with a spouse) in each of the prior two years, and reasonably expects the same for the current year, OR
- has a net worth over $1 million, either alone or together with a spouse (excluding the value of the person’s primary residence).
On the income test, the person must satisfy the thresholds for the three years consistently either alone or with a spouse, and cannot, for example, satisfy one year based on individual income and the next two years based on joint income with a spouse. The only exception is if a person is married within this period, in which case the person may satisfy the threshold on the basis of joint income for the years during which the person was married and on the basis of individual income for the other years.
In the financial world, companies can to raise money from investors by selling securities using a number of different “offering” types defined by the SEC. These offering types prescribe the registration and disclosure requirements, the maximum amount of money which can be raised, and the types of investors which are eligible to participate.
In the realm of cryptocurrency, accredited investors and offering types are important when structuring an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) or other type of token sale. At this point in time, most ICOs either limit the opportunities to invest to accredited investors, or ban US investors altogether in an attempt to comply with (or avoid being subject to) US securities regulations. While debates rage within the cryptocurrency community about these regulations, it is clear that the SEC views most ICOs and token offerings as sales of securities. Even though the rules may seem unfair or exclusionary to people who want to get involved in ICOs, failure to comply with regulations can have a negative impact on projects and their future token values if they come under investigation.
Accredited investors are willing to take financial risks to get gains, and even though cryptocurrency is unpredictable and volatile, there is the potential of extremely high returns on that investment. Another attractive feature is that the accredited investor can quickly and easily support a startup company. With just a digital currency wallet, investors have the option to get involved in as many different projects as they want. Accredited investors can also easily offload tokens and coins fairly quickly.
There’s no doubt that ICOs are a new and innovative method for startup companies to raise funds. The efficiency, speed and global reach are undeniably attractive to accredited investors and blockchain companies. The relationship between accredited investors and cryptocurrency is sure to evolve as improved technology, security issues, incredible returns as well as massive losses and outside regulatory requirements continue to shape the future.
The pic contest is over for now, but we’d still live to see what you find during your hunt!
The Aircoins augmented reality app is available for download NOW in the Google Play store! Get your copy so you can go hunt for OCC and other crypto in your neighborhood. Be the first to post a picture of an OCC coin you find in the app, and you’ll win 10,000 OCC. Don’t forget to tag @OrigCryptoCoin and use the hashtag #OCC so we see your tweet! If you’d like to check out the game before you download, visit our video walk-through here.
The iOS app is coming soon . . . We’ll run a second coin hunt competition when it launches.
Criminals and terrorists have long sought out ways to legitimize their money so they can apply it toward their goals. Money laundering describes the process by which these groups hide the ownership of their money and pass it through several sources until it has the appearance of legitimacy. The criminals are looking to disguise the original source and cover their tracks as they engage in transactions all over the world. Due to the mostly unregulated aspect of cryptocurrency, many are concerned that suspicious financial activities will thrive there.
Numerous countries and companies are trying to regulate cryptocurrency transactions to prevent money laundering and are applying a number of KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) laws and requirements to various entities in an attempt to be more vigilant in preventing criminal and terrorist financing.
The idea of money laundering is nothing new, as profiting from black markets, bribes, extortion, and more has always been a priority for those who wanted to remain hidden from the law, tax-collecting governments, and enemies. Money laundering is a descriptive term for taking “dirty” money from a criminal source and passing it through enough layers of financial transactions so it appears “clean.”
For the United States, many of the modern money laundering regulations and laws came into effect in the early 20th century. Countries around the world have their own laws and they work together on an international scale to prevent suspicious activities.
As criminals develop have more sophisticated methods of hiding their money, these laws have extended to all kinds of areas, such as casinos, insurance companies, and merchants. Cryptocurrency is just the latest development to come under scrutiny for anti-money laundering laws and enforcement.
If there is an exchange between fiat currencies and virtual currencies, the entities facilitating the exchange are required to comply with various KYC/AML regulations. However, there isn’t clear regulation at the moment for exchanges between different virtual currencies. That doesn’t mean cryptocurrency exchanges are a free-for-all of criminal activity. Instead, each individual company takes it upon themselves to perform their due diligence to conform with common-sense KYC/AML requirements.
Many experts believe that it’s only a matter of time before governments across the globe will implement laws and directives upon cryptocurrency exchanges that require them to comply more closely with KYC/AML checks and balances.
Know Your Customer is an identification process that requires entities to determine the true identity of their customers. In traditional financial transactions, entities like banks are required to ask about the source of income, the nature of the business and verify a customer’s identification, for example. Typical verification might include proof of citizenship, utility bill, other bank statements, and photo ID.
While this verification may cause headaches for legitimate customers, it’s an excellent way to protect the entity from liability. This in turn protects legitimate customers. Under these laws, an entity is required to report suspicious transactions to authorities, as well as any individuals or groups that they cannot verify or whose purpose is unproven.
Many digital currency exchanges are joining in to help prevent money laundering through their channels. For example, they may ask users to send a clear digital photo of them with a photo ID. Other cryptocurrency companies still do not have any methods of KYC in place.
Like KYC, Anti-Money Laundering or AML is the series of steps outlined by laws and regulations that entities must take to avoid money laundering activities. A financial or economic entity seeks to work with legitimate people and businesses instead of those who want to clean up their dirty money. They take steps to avoid these transactions as well as identify and report suspicious activities.
When it comes to virtual currency transactions, anonymity is both a benefit and a challenge. While many legitimate people and companies like the privacy benefits of crypto, this feature also increases the risk of terrorist financing and money laundering. Regulation will likely become more strict to ensure that security measures are in place to decrease illegal and unlawful exchanges.
Traditional economic and financial institutions are required to comply with various KYC/AML laws, nationally and internationally. Governments and financial institutions require compliance for participation. But the attractive thing about cryptocurrency exchanges is that there is ideally no third-party interference in the transfer of coins. The innovation of cryptocurrency appeals to many precisely because of lighter regulations. However, it stands to reason that any financial system should not facilitate illegal activities.
Increasingly, countries and governments across the world are enacting KYC/AML laws for cryptocurrency systems, like the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan and the European Union. As cryptocurrency grows in popularity, accessibility and value, it’s expected that more financial institutions and world governments will keep a close watch and take steps to enact more KYC/AML laws to avoid criminal and terrorist activities.
The Original Crypto Coin team is thrilled to announce our partnership with Aircoins – an augmented reality (AR) game that will let players find and collect cryptocurrency (including OCC!) around their neighborhoods in a virtual treasure hunt. According to the Aircoins website:
App users can login and collect coins in Augmented Reality. Users walk into a shopping center or market and can pull App to see coins available in AR… Just like collecting POKÉMONS in ‘POKÉMON GO’.
Aircoins plans to launch their free Android app in the Google Play store in July, with an iOS version to follow. We’re excited for the opportunity to spread OCC to a wider audience of crypto enthusiasts by having our tokens integrated into the Aircoins AR platform alongside other coins including Electra, Fanfare, and Action. It’s an exciting use case which helps OCC further its aims of spreading crypto to new users.
We’ll keep you posted when Aircoins goes live. In the meantime, head over to the official Aircoins Twitter to learn more about Aircoins and their other partners! While you’re there, you’ll have a chance to win 10,000 AIR. You can also find the latest Aircoins updates on Telegram.
Update: If you’d like to check out the game before you download, visit our video walk-through here.
Ever since cryptocurrencies became more mainstream, government agencies, investors and the projects themselves have debated whether they are commodities or securities. Because of the unique and evolving nature of cryptocurrency, it’s been a challenge to get real answers from any authorities on the classification. However, a series of recent statements and judicial rulings have helped to clarify whether cryptocurrency is a commodity or a security.
Traditional commodities and securities play an important role in the world economy to grow businesses and accumulate wealth. Both commodities and securities in the United States are regulated by different agencies, and are therefore subject to different laws.
Commodities and securities laws are in place for many reasons—such as investor protection, tax purposes, and discouraging illegal activity. Defining the asset class for cryptocurrencies gives guidelines for how companies and investors behave when entering into transactions. In the past, differing views on completely digital cryptocurrencies have made it harder for the different entities to comply, or even know whether they had to.
In traditional investing, a commodity is a type of good that is used in trade and commerce. Historic and current examples include shells, gems, livestock, oil, and gold. In the United States, commodities are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
A security is an investing instrument that provides the investor with ownership rights and any distributed profits. Examples include treasury bills, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. In the United States, securities are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
In several rulings and official statements by government entities recently, more clarifications make it apparent that most aspects of cryptocurrencies are not securities but commodities. As early as 2015, the CFTC has claimed cryptocurrencies as commodities and engaged in rulings as such, holding digital currency companies to the same standards as traditional companies that also deal in commodities.
In accordance with the CFTC’s claim on cryptocurrency, the leading authority at the SEC also ruled that most aspects of cryptocurrency are not securities and therefore don’t come under their securities laws.
In March 2018, a district judge ruled that cryptocurrencies were indeed commodities and therefore under regulation by the CFTC. The idea is that virtual currencies are equal to goods that are exchanged on an open market and meet the definition of a commodity. With the ruling, the position of cryptocurrencies as commodities is strengthened considerably.
There is one significant area where cryptocurrency does fall under the definition of securities and therefore under regulatory control of the SEC. This happens with Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs. The SEC has recently focused on this aspect of cryptocurrency, especially ICOs that are fraudulent. The coins offered during the initial sale of coins give purchasers the expectation of a return on the asset. In these situations, cryptocurrency transactions would fall under any relevant securities laws and regulations as controlled by the SEC.
In recent months, the SEC is also taking a closer look at any companies that are providing digital wallet services. Because these services hold or store digital assets, they may need to follow certain registration requirements that comply with security laws.
The future is not necessarily clear about whether various transactions within the cryptocurrency world are always commodities or securities. The interest that multiple entities have in cryptocurrency opportunities, from investors to companies, will certainly lead to new and unusual situations that require constant corrections to ensure that they are all subject to the same rules. Compliance is important for the health and productivity of all involved.
If you have questions or concerns, fill out the form and we’ll respond as quickly as possible. You can also find us almost 24 hours per day on our Telegram channel. which is the fastest way to have your question answered.
Find out how TUSC can help you, your business, and the entire industry.