Fintech Wave

Ken Carabello • Content Creator • Fintech Wave • https://fintechwave.stream • Dona

Ethereum on the Rise

by Ken Carabello

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What's Up, Everybody. Hope you're well. On 17 July 2021, Ethereum was $233 USD. I remember that day because I was in #Danang , Vietnam checking the place out – with the intention of moving there. I ran into another expat, and we started talking. The topic of crypto came up, and I checked my phone to get the latest price on ETH and tell him what it was. Fast forward to today. Ethereum is currently trading at $3,289.90 per token. That's a 14X gain!!! And while this may not be the greatest ROI ever, I'll quantify it further by saying, if you had invested $10,000 USD in Ethereum last July, you'd be sitting on $140K right now. That's basically a condo. The good news is, if you're not already in crypto, it's not to late. We're at the dawn of a whole new era in Finance – Decentralized Finance (DeFi) in particular. DeFi as it turns out, is based primarily on the Ethereum platform. And with the explosive growth that has occurred in Decentralized Finance over the past year, it's no surprise that the price Ethereum has taken off. Crypto is here to stay. So it might be something that you want to investigate further – while prices are still low. Don't just jump in though. Due diligence is always a good thing. At the very least, try to bring yourself up the learning curve as best you can. Crypto is going to be a significant part of everyday life sooner than later. Good luck! Ken #crypto #defi #NFTs #ethereum #eth

by Ken Carabello

Fintech Wave is my crypto vlog on YouTube. I upload a new video every week. The channel really only kicked off at the start of 2021. So I'm still growing it. But so far, the response has been positive. And I appreciate the support and engagement from all of my subscribers. Catch you on the next vid!

Peace.

Ken

#crypto #fintech #btc #eth #xrp #bridgecurrency

by Ken Carabello

Hello, everybody. Happy Holidays! It's Dec 25 2020 here in Vietnam – Christmas Day. And it looks like Santa has brought XRP investors a nice present, in the form of a modest uptick in XRP's market price.

As anyone who follows cryptocurrency (or #fintech in general) probably knows by now, earlier this week, the SEC filed a lawsuit against the Ripple Company and its top two company officers, CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and Executive Chairman – Chris Larsen.

The suit “alleges” that Ripple operated in Violation of SEC rules by selling XRP as an unregistered security. And it is retroactive to 2013 when Ripple first entered the market. Ironically, It was filed by the SEC Chairman, Jay Clayton against Ripple and its two key agents just one day before Jay Clayton resigned from his post as SEC chairman. So the timing of the matter is curious, to say the least. Especially since Jay Clayton has been the SEC Chairman for the past 8 years. And has had ample opportunity to address the issue during his time in office.

Irrespective of the strangeness of this abrupt move by the SEC Chairman just a day before leaving office, news of the event caused the price of XRP to drop drastically. When all was said and done, XRP plummeted from $0.54 cents to around $0.21 cents in just two days (a decrease of about 43%). And to make matters worse, Bitcoin maximalists and XRP haters took to social media in full force, to bash Ripple and XRP further, while the Company and the token it utilizes (XRP) were already getting inundated with negative news from mainstream media outlets.

Nevertheless, as the trading week in the United States and Europe has finished a day early due to the Christmas holiday. XRP is still showing a positive turnaround on exchanges worldwide. Since traders have likely had a chance to digest the big news of the SEC filing suit against Ripple. And more and more people are waking up to the fact that these allegations by the SEC (namely Jay Clayton) are largely without merit. And that even if XRP were to be declared a “security”, and Ripple and its executives had to pay a huge fine, XRP is not going away. And it certainly is not going to zero, as so many XRP haters want people to believe.

As the chart above clearly shows, even in the face of the biggest SEC suit to ever be lodged against a cryptocurrency, the utility of XRP is what will always give it resilience. Through Ripple's On Demand Liquidity system, XRP is the fastest and cheapest way to send money internationally. There are also other factors that have worked to combat the barrage of negative news that followed the SEC filing.

No other G20 country besides the United States considers XRP anything but a currency. Also, Yoshitaka Kitao of SBI Holdings weighed in of the SEC suit largely in favor of Ripple. Furthermore, Stuart Alderoty, Ripple's General Counsel has expressed his confidence that Ripple will emerge from the matter victoriously. And most importantly, this SEC suit can wind up being a good thing. As it will render the Howey Test – the criteria that that the SEC uses to determine whether or not a financial instrument is a a security – obsolete, and replace it with what may come to be known as “Ripple Test” (claims Stuart Alderoty).

So this whole SEC suit (fiasco) could work out to be a blessing in disguise for Ripple and XRP. Since the end result may well be the regulatory clarity on the status of Ripple that the XRP community has long been waiting for. And that Jay Clayton couldn't successfully determine during his eight year term. Also, XRP may become the new standard against which all other cryptocurrencies are measured.

I say, we've waited long enough. Let the trial begin. As an XRP community member and supporter, I'm confident that XRP will pull through. And based on the recent market activity that the XRP chart above displays, I know that I'm not alone in that sentiment.

#xrp #crypto #sec #regs #rippletest #bridgecurrency

by Ken Carabello

Hey what's up, everybody. Hope you're well. Thanks for stopping by and checking out this blog post. I want to tell you a little about flying a two-bladed helicopter with an underslung rotor system.

The short version is, these types of rotor systems are prone to a situation called mast-bumping. That's when the mast that holds the rotor blades rocks violently in inside the cowling, and eventually, the rotor blades break away from the mast. When that happens, you're done.

So anyway, on the day that this photo was taken, I had decided to go out and fly an hour or so. Just to keep current. I only had a private rating at the time. But I had flown with lots of different instructors. So I had already acquired a pretty wide perspective on things from soaking up all of these guys' knowledge.

However, the instructor that I was flying with on this particular day was someone with whom I had never flown before. We talked some. He told me he was recently married and had a newborn baby. Really nice guy.

We flew over the beach, did some maneuvers, and then came back to the airport to practice some autorotations. An autorotation is when the engine fails and you have to trim the helicopter so that the blades keeps spinning on their own. Most of what you practice when you train is how not to die.

One of the most dangerous things that can happen in this type of two-bladed helicopter is, you see something at the last minute (like a wire), and have to make an abrupt adjustment to avoid a collision.

A lot of times, flying over the beach, kites can cause this sort of last minute reaction. Because where there's a kite, there's a wire attached.

Unfortunately, that's what happened to this really nice guy that I flew with, on the day after I flew with him. He was flying with a student, and by the time they saw the kite over the beach, it was too late. The instructor had to make a rapid adjustment to try and avoid the kite wire. And in the process, mast-bumping set in.

The mast bumped so violently that they lost the rotor system and crashed on the beach in Long Island, New York. There were no survivors. It was a really horrible story to hear about. And when I found out that I had flown with the same pilot in the very same helicopter just the day before, I was unsettled to say the least.

I did continue to fly though. And eventually finished my commercial rating in Hawaii. It was as beautiful as it sounds. I'll try to put up a post with some pics on that some other time.

These days I don't fly much. I have had some great experiences, and even taken a few friends flying in a two-seater. They're the ones who usually take the pictures that I have. But I'm not focused on flying like I used to be. Back in the days, I flew a lot. But now, my priorities are elsewhere.

I'll never regret the decision to get into flight training though. It was something I wanted to do since I was a kid. I spent my last dollar to see it through. And if I had it to do all over again, I'd do it the same way.

If you're out flying, stay safe. Catch you next time!

Get a JetPay

#flying #helicopters #robinson #R22 #flightsafety #kencarabello

by Ken Carabello

It was a wicked storm. After tearing through the Philippines last week, Typhoon Molave went straight at central Vietnam. And while Hoi An was probably hit the hardest, Danang – which is right next to Hoi An, got battered too.

Many trees were knocked by the high winds that Typhoon Molave brought. The Typhoon made landfall as a category 3 storm. And wind speeds were easily in the 120 mph range. So being outside while the storm passed through was not a sensible option.

The Vietnamese Authorities had imposed a “Stay at Home” order the night before the typhoon for this reason. The mandate stayed in place from 8mp Tuesday evening (the night before the storm), until 6pm Wednesday evening. By that time the storm had passed.

Many trees were knocked down by the storm. And unfortunately, several of those felled trees to power lines down with them. As a result, a large number of Danang residents particularly those residing near the beach, were without electricity after the storm passed. And for some, this power outage lasted as long as 48 hours.

Now that the storm has passed though, and most if not all of the power in Danang has been restored, the clean up process is underway. Residents are all pitching in; clearing downed tree branches and other debris. So that the roads and sidewalks will once again be passable.

The pics included here show some of the damage that was done in the area of Danang where I stayed. And the clean up effort that took place after the storm. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Feel free to share it if you like. Catch you next time. Ken.

#typhoon #molave #danang #central #vietnam #extreme #weather #travel #seasia #tropical #storm #season #southchinasea

by Ken Carabello

Most of the world is all too aware at the moment, of the technological showdown currently taking place between the United States and China. At the heart of this contest is blockchain technology. And the big cliff hanger is: Which of these two countries, the U.S. or China, will be the first to put a functional electronic dollar, or Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) into wide-range effect on blockchain?!

The United States was well on its way toward adopting blockchain standards and enacting a CBDC. The pieces were, and are still in place. All U.S. Administrators had to do was flip the proverbial switch, and the United States would have already been financially digitized. Yet instead of taking decisive action, United States governing bodies have been dragging their heels. And while this procrastination has been going on, China – at least for the time being, has taken the lead. China began using its version of a CBDC back in April of 2020, when it launched a pilot program in four provinces. Since that time, China has already been looking to expand the breadth of their CBDC launch.

The United States however, is a different story. Since it is a voting year, economic priorities seem to be taking a back seat to the politics surrounding the upcoming Election. And all we as United States citizens can do is hope that when officials do get around to making the transition over to a digital dollar, it won't be too late to close the gap on China's significant head start.

The enactment of a United States Central Bank Digital Currency should no longer be considered a mere possibility, nor even an eventuality. It should be looked upon by all as an immediate necessity at this point.

The US dollar is being hyper-inflated to worthlessness through quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve. Couple that with the recent steep decline in the demand for oil due to economic stagnation caused by the pandemic. And you arrive at the result where, no longer able to derive any auxiliary strength from being the currency to which oil is tied, the US Dollar is in serious trouble.

The race to get a CBDC disseminated on a viable blockchain network is not only about, “Who has the most powerful or prevalent coin, the US or China?!” It is equally about who has the dominant blockchain.

As pundits have been pointing out lately, China – with its extreme policies on “Social Credit”, poses a threat to the liberties of citizens worldwide, if it is able to usurp the top blockchain position. People watching the situation closely, fear that those social credit 'scoring' and 'penalty' measures, will begin making their way West. Since the combination of a global blockchain and a dominant eCurrency would give the Chinese government sweeping control over what people can and can't do or say.

China would have this power, since an electronic dollar that they control, over a blockchain that they also control, would give them the ability to turn people's money on and off at will. And this would apply to individuals, businesses, and banks alike.

With a Chinese Head of State who has recently declared himself “King for Life”, and done away with the election in that country, the possibility of this hypothetical scenario becoming a reality if China wins the race, is hardly remote. And to reiterate the immediate worry, China is already in the lead.

Still, to the United States' credit, there have been great strides made in recent months toward the release of our own Central Bank Digital Currency. And to anyone paying close attention, it has seemed as if an “Announcement” could happen any day. What follow are a few of the reasons why.

First, back in July, the Comptroller of the Currency, Brian Brooks, announced that US Banks would be allowed to custody crypto for their customers. Second, Kraken Exchange was recently given authorization by US regulators to act as a bank. Third, there has been a recent announcement that all US bank accounts will have digital (crypto) wallets by January of 2021. And last but certainly not least, there is the Ripple Company who has led the charge in the cryptocurrency arena to shepherd the stray sheep on the US regulatory landscape toward greener pastures.

In addition, Ripple – with their uniquely capable cryptocurrency XRP, has shown time and time again that financial transfers over the RippleNet – using XRP as a settlement device, are frictionless and inexpensive. In fact, to cite a working example of how obvious the decision should be for the US to move to crypto, Ripple / XRP settlements now constitute 10% of the Mexican cross-border remittance market.

So we actually have large scale proof that cryptocurrency (and blockchain) as a solution for moving money, is fast, reliable and inexpensive. Also, to round things out, the US Government has recently indicated that the next round of stimulus payments would be digital.

Mind you, these are only some of the positive developments in the crypto field which have occurred lately. Yet taken together, they certainly coalesce to ring out a resounding “Go” for crypto! That being the case, many proponents of cryptocurrency – myself included, are asking, “What the heck is taking so long?!”

The answer can only be, that the power elite want to get a significant foothold in the crypto arena, in light of what they know is coming. And until they feel comfortable that their feet are firmly planted in the circle, you and I (the masses) simply have to wait.

However, with China already out in front, and companies like the afore mentioned Ripple recently threatening to pull up stakes and leave the United States if reasonable regulations don't come soon, perhaps the heat has now been turned up high enough on US regulators. And we may soon witness some decisive action in the days and weeks just ahead. Until that time, all I can say to the United States officials who are hesitant to make a move is, “Please hurry up!”

And to the XRP Army I say, “HODL on! Our time is at hand!”

fintechwave.stream

#xrp #ripple #cryptocurrency #blockchain #uschina #cryptorace #crypto #regulations #cbdc #ripplenet #odl #stimulus #payments #bankscustodycrypto #digitalbankwallets #ecurrency #newworldorder #nwo #uscbdc #kencarabello #fintechwave #jetpayxrp #xrpl #stablecoin

by Ken Carabello

There are companies out there that offer a free payID when you sign up for their wallet service. And while “Free” is usually a good thing, what many people don't realize is, although the payID is free, it does not offer much flexibility. Contrast this with a PayID.cloud subscription, and you will see why you might want to buy PayID.cloud. The service allows you to make 2 payID's, that you can link to any XRP wallets you choose.

When you receive XRP at a wallet attached to a free payID, that wallet is not tied to and exchange. The free payID is tied exclusively to the wallet app. Therefore, should you wish to liquidate all or any portion of the XRP that you receive, you would first have to perform another crypto transaction by sending the XRP to a wallet that is on an exchange (ie. Coinbase, Kraken, or Uphold). Only then will you be able to liquidate. Free payID's are tied to their apps. These apps are NOT crypto exchanges. And they automatically link the payID to your account wallet. You have no choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mchn58NOmE

This is where the value of PayID.cloud shines. With a PayID.cloud subscription, you create your own payID's, and attach them to ANY XRP wallet you choose. This is especially helpful if you want the ability to liquidate your XRP receipts quickly and easily.

You simply create a payID that you link to an exchange-based XRP wallet, check it on payidvalidator.com to make sure you wallet address and destination Tag are correct, and then send a test transaction as a final verification measure.

Once you see the test transaction goes through, your payID is useable. And you never have to worry about an incorrect entry with the wallet address or destination tag. These factors have a huge impact on speed, agility, and mobility where transacting in crypto is concerned.

A free payID requires second crypto transaction in order to liquidate. That is a hassle at best. And it also creates an opportunity for you to make a mistake and lose your crypto. Whereas, a PayID.cloud allows you to attach the payID top an exchange-based wallet, and liquidate on the fly. That is something to seriously consider when you want to be paid cryptocurrency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnVWy5lHruU&t=12s

If you want to be in control of the wallet to which your payID is attached, AND have the ability to liquidate smoothly in one step, PayID.cloud is the way to go!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nJBsI2ds7Y&t=1099s

#payid #xrp #crossborderpayments #mobilepayments #fastpayments #globalpayments #globalremittance #crypto #cryptocurrency #blockchain

by Ken Carabello

XRP I love you so

' hope you grow and grow and grow!

Reach a height beyond the moon

Baby, let it happen soon!

XRP community,

now it's up to you and me

Spread the word and make them see

We'll back the cbdc!

Don't fret! Don't say “Why oh me?!”

Just remember I-O-V!

Over hill and over dale,

XRP you will prevail!

#xrp #ripple #odl #ripplenet #mobilepayments #globalpayments #crypto #cryptocurrency #blockchain #iov #zerodoubt #moon

by Ken Carabello

Have you noticed that ever since Ripple (and their token, XRP) started cooperating with Big Banks and Governments all over the world, the establishment's view on cryptocurrency has changed?

No other company or coin has been able to sway the mood toward cryptocurrency / blockchain transactions like Ripple.

The song that the naysayers sing is all about 'Ripple basically selling out or lying down'. But think about it, no matter how loud you sing that song, NOTHING is going to happen with crypto en masse, unless “the powers that be” are comfortable that their position is not threatened.

Sure. You could argue that sans a regulatory environment, crypto users have more privacy. That may be the case. However, in such an environment, crypto will never gain mass adoption. And it will remain a platform for techies only. Big Banks (and Warren Buffet) have a loud voice. When they say “Rat Poison”, you and I may shake our heads. But the reality however, is that the vast majority of people (the masses) will take their word for it. Especially seniors and those soon to retire, who often have an old-school mindset to begin with. So by taking on the challenge of trying to help governments and banks strike an effective balance between regulation and utility (peoples willingness to use crypto), Ripple is actually doing the crypto community a huge favor.

Without a regulatory framework in place – one that can be agreed upon by governments and financial institutions worldwide, neither cryptocurrency as a whole, nor XRP in specific will see the type of adoption necessary to cause a mass adoption effect that will make cryptocurrency a ubiquitous concept. Short version: No ubiquity, no price increase.

So if you want to see the price of XRP go to the moon, then you should be in favor of regulation. And you should also know that whether you are in favor of crypto regulation or not, the simple fact of the matter is, it will happen. In fact it is already underway. And you should be making preparations to have your crypto properly situated when regulations are finally in place. Translation: Get a Nano Ledger, and transfer your crypto off of exchanges NOW!

Lastly, the part Ripple is playing to make cryptocurrency regulations equitable for both sides – the Establishment and the Masses, is more than significant. It's everything. Who else is doing what they're doing?! Shout to Ripple and especially Ripple CEO, Brad Garlinghouse. Thanks for all your hard work!

#xrp #ripple #cryptocurrency #regulations #crossborderpayments #ondemandliquidity #mobilepayments

#blockchain #comingsoon #oneworldcurrency #bridgecurrency

#kenomega #digitalproducer #helicopterpilot #op-ed