Ken Melendez

You're on the hunt. You either own a blockchain company or you are a team member in need of a professional to help you achieve a specific goal. You would like to hire a freelance writer who will do a good job on your website, app, whitepaper, or marketing materials, but you aren't exactly sure what to look for when making a decision.

The fact is, with hundreds, even thousands of freelance writers on the internet, it makes it tough to find one to get the job done right. It's similar to when you are looking for a contractor to do work on your home. Just as you care about the work done on your home, you want the same love and care given for your blockchain or cryptocurrency business.

Let's dive in and discuss the top 5 traits to look for in a blockchain freelance writer:

Results-driven

The first trait to look for in a blockchain freelance writer is this... are they driven by the end results? Is the person you are about to hire going to deliver the expected result(s) you are looking for? Has this freelancer delivered similar results for others that you want for your project?

If you are fond of a particular freelancer because they quoted a low-range price for the project, yet they are clearly not concerned about the end result of the project, then that is a red flag. Choose a blockchain freelance writer based on the results they can deliver to you because after all, it's your company and you are the one hiring them for your needs.

Specialized

The next trait to keep an eye out for is specialization. What is the freelancer's expertise? Are they a freelance writer but prefer to write science fiction novels? If so, they are not a good fit for you. On the other hand, if they specialize in blockchain and cryptocurrency email copy or blog articles, you are going to get exactly what you are after.

Usually blockchain freelance writers will clearly state their specialties online so potential clients can get an idea of what type of work they are both good at and enjoy participating in at the same time. Don't search for freelancers who write about anything, including underwater basket weaving, because they won't move your business forward.

Understands your needs

The third trait of a quality blockchain freelance writer is that they take the time to understand the client's needs, aka your needs. What is the point of working with someone that doesn't understand the scope of the project or of what you desire the end result to be?

A blockchain freelance writer should be prepared to not only understand your needs, but also meet and exceed your expectations. The only way the writer will exceed your expectations is by getting a clear understanding of what you want and the deadline that you want it done by.

Track record

Usually when someone is being interviewed for a job, the employer first looks at the track record, or resume, to see what experience the potential employee can bring to the table. You, the business owner or supervisor, is looking to hire a freelance writer with experience under their belt.

Hiring a freelance writer who is brand new to the industry may not be as well-versed in the blockchain space as you would hope. It's important to find one who has a proven track record, or work history, so that you know what caliber of work you can expect to receive.

Top-notch communication

Communication is an essential part of any relationship. If a husband and wife don't communicate, the marriage will soon break down. In business, communication is what fuels job efficiency while cutting down on potential headaches.

When choosing a blockchain freelance writer, pay close attention to how well they communicate. If you send a pertinent email to them and they don't respond back within 24-48 hours, that is a red flag. Quality freelance writers will make you, the client, a top priority and respond in a timely fashion.

Hope you gained value from learning about top 5 traits to look for in a blockchain freelance writer. In a subsequent article we will discuss how you should go about searching for a freelance writer. The internet is a big place, let's work on making it smaller to save you time and headache.

Thank you for reading.

Related article:

3 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Freelance Writer

A bonus trait to look for...

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February has been a slow month overall for Coil content, and just content in general. It's winter-time here in the US, causing some natives to go into hibernation mode (it's cold!). No matter what the venture is, whether it's blogging, following a diet, or fitness routines, it takes consistency over an extended period of time to see serious results. Normally, an action-lull is caused by something else taking our attention away from the goal we were originally working towards.

Today is a new day, a day to launch Wake Up and Blog, or WUB. WUB is the proverbial kick in the pants that many people need, including myself, in the middle of February when the New Years resolution hype is slowed and people are waiting impatiently for Springtime to arrive. I wouldn't consider this a challenge as much as an initiative to get back into gear and refocus attention towards content creation.

How Does WUB Work?

Each week starting now, bloggers are encouraged to compose a minimum of 3 blogs per week on a single topic or multiple topics they enjoy discussing. Here's the twist... 1 of those pieces needs to include a review of a fellow creator's article. That piece needs to sport a title such as “Review of Joe Smith's article on famous basketball stars” or “My take on Betty White's life story” or “Responding to How to Make a Delicious Pizza from Scratch”.

Rules in bullet points:

✪ 3 blogs per week

✪ 1 of the 3 is a thoughtful response to another creator's article

✪ No word-length requirement but don't publish rubbish

✪ Use hashtag #wakeupandblog in social posts this month

Who is WUB For?

WUB is for bloggers across the land who either publish on Coil.com or on their own Web-Monetized website and link it on Coil. Many creators who have spent time on this site recognize how great it is to publish pure content without the hindrance of invasive ads or data collection. The WUB initiative will help keep creators engaged with Coil and Web Monetization without them moving on to other ventures.

What Will WUB Accomplish?

Wake Up and Blog is going to eliminate the action-lull alluded to at the beginning of the article, as well as get creators engaging with other creators on a deeper level. 3 blog articles per week is not difficult to accomplish but it does take a high level of consistency and determination.

**Note: WUB is not an initiative to bring new users to Coil. The main purpose is to re-activate existing users who were more active in the past to become consistent starting now and moving into the future.

When Does WUB Begin?

Now. February 10th through February 29th, 2020.

Will you be crowned a WUB king or queen?

Creators who engage in this initiative through the end of the month will be crowned a WUB king or queen.

Do you have the desire to get back into the groove? Perhaps Wake Up and Blog is right for you. I can't wait to see all of your incredible pieces come to life while drudging through the frozen tundra and sub-zero climates. It's Feb-Revival season!

Put your boots on... time to warm up and get moving!

Sitting on the fence...

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The blockchain and cryptocurrency space is booming like never before. New companies and prominent projects are finding avenues to add value in unique and sometimes unconventional ways.

Each company has their own set of strengths, normally centered around developing a product or service they are passionate about. But, let's face it, a strong blockchain or cryptocurrency team needs to employ a wide array of talents to run a successful business.

One of the neccessary requirements for building a reputable brand in the blockchain arena is quality blog-writing and web-copy, which is where professional freelance writers come in.

Freelance bloggers and copywriters that specialize in writing for blockchain and cryptocurrency companies truly understand the needs of their clients, tailoring their content to specifically meet those needs.

The following are 3 ways blockchain and crypto companies benefit from hiring a professional freelance writer:

1. Increased brand awareness

One of the problems blockchain companies face when first opening for business is brand awareness. Awareness can even be a struggle for companies that have existed for 3-5 years. The good news is, with professional blog articles and web-copy, not only will the site and social media channels look visually appealing, but the brand will be seen as a serious contender in the industry.

2. Higher search engine ranking

Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing are where people frequent to search for information online. Blog articles and web-copy that are optimized for high search engine rankings will cause their company's website, products, and services to rise higher in the search results. The more eyeballs that land on their optimized pages, the more people will discover what their team is working on.

3. In-depth tutorials and whitepapers

One of the benefits to hiring a professional freelance writer for a company is receiving in-depth tutorials and whitepapers that describe their products and services in full detail. Let's face it, they could be working on developing the absolute best product or website in the entire blockchain space, but, if it isn't described and documented properly, it won't be taken seriously, if taken at all.

Oftentimes, with the focus of a blockchain business strictly on development, they don't have time to also focus on blog articles and copy for their site and/or marketing materials. A professional freelance writer can take those headaches and responsibilities off the team's shoulders so they can focus on what they do best.

The above benefits are a simply a few among many ways that freelance writers add value to blockchain and cryptocurrency companies. Finding and hiring a professional freelance writer doesn't have to be hard. Stay tuned for a subsequent article showcasing how to find and hire a quality freelance writer for your business. ✦

Thank you for reading.

A Bonus Benefit...

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You feel hopeless. Like you’ve hit a wall with no chance of breaking through the rigged old concrete. You’ve thrown your hat into the entrepreneurial ring only for it to get lost among the crowds and the ear-piercing noise.

You thought at the beginning, “Well, maybe I can do this”. So you begin down a path with a certain set of expectations, unusually high ones, only to have the lofty balloon shot down by a lack of results. By missing the mark you aimed to hit.

You feel empty. Like the sky is falling and you have no where to run. It’s like you’re starving but there isn’t any food to eat. You’re famished. You’re parched. You’re searching for that oasis of sustenance that your tongue and throat crave so badly.

This business idea didn’t pan out.

That opportunity went to waste.

Those people screwed me over.

That person stole the success I deserved to achieve.

All these negative thoughts that lead towards a sea of destruction enter your mind. You start to drown as the thoughts become overwhelming in your head and you can't empty them out. In addition, others start hurling judgement towards your bad decision making abilities.

You start to ponder if this is really for you or not. If you chose the right path after all. Maybe this really isn't for you. Maybe you should return back to that dead end job again and keep on with the 9-5 lifestyle. Maybe you shouldn't live up to your full potential because that pesky fear is holding you back.

Understand this, life can be hard. But, you have a choice... you can either choose the hard of being an entrepreneur and all the pitfalls and trials that come with it, or you can choose the hard of being broke, barely getting by each month living paycheck to paycheck. Both options have their set of challenges, but only one has a bigger payoff, and not simply in the monetary sense.

Don't allow the reasons why you started become why you quit:

I don't have enough money

My time isn't my own

I am depressed

I am stressed out

I'm constantly tired

I'm hurt and confused

All of the above are possible reasons why you started the entrepreneurial journey in the first place. You wanted the negative circumstances you are facing to go away and be replaced with new, positive ones that bring fulfillment to your life.

What you to experience are the following:

I have an abundance of money

My time is now my own

I am joy-filled

I am content

I'm full of energy

I'm confident and enthusiastic

Here's what you need to remember. 1 – You're not alone 2. No one has ever made it to the top without losing ground. 3. Going back to the status-quo lifestyle is not an option.

You are on this journey because you have something special to give to the world. You have a message, an ability, a gift, a talent that is designed to make an impact in some way, shape, or form. Believe that fact and keep on keeping on.

Don't merely look at the circumstances around you. Instead, look beyond them far into the future, a place where you see yourself ending up after this painful season passes. Your story's ending is substantial, your current reality is simply playing catch up. ✦

Before You Quit – Don’t.

Thank you for reading.

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Procrastination is the Mortal Enemy to Success

My favorite motivational speech...

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Let's start by stating this... Life doesn't comprise solely of serious discussions, decisions, and situations. There has to be a certain element of fun as well or else, well, the day-to-day can become quite dry and boring. Fun is an important element to deploy often, just like a 5 year old boy running around the house dressed as a super hero, swooping in to save the day.

Blogging in and of itself contains an element of fun or else you wouldn't be doing it. The creation process unlocks that artistic side of the brain, allowing you to unleash your inner thoughts, ideas, and passions, then share them with the world. Not only is blogging fun, but it also carries a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment along with it. Completing that article for the day and hitting the publish button is one of the best moments worth celebrating.

The sad thing is, even though blogging can be and is fun, continued efforts can get thwarted quite easily by a missing component, and that is community. Just because a particular activity is fun does not mean that you'll necessarily be motivated to perform long-term. It was for that reason that I saw an opportunity on Coil to create something meaningful that would truly impact others on a deeper level than merely surface.

Out of the need for honest encouragement, support, and real-life friendships came the birth of the Content Builders Club, or CBC. The CBC is a place where all bloggers are welcome from all over the world, to participate in a group that is passionate, caring, supportive, and fun to be around. We discuss our fears, our concerns, our wins, our ideas, and reveal sides of ourselves that we may not normally do in a larger online setting such as Twitter or Facebook.

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We have fun inside the Telegram group and keep discussions light-hearted for the most part. Once in a while some will go on rants or tangents but that is natural in any group setting. I've personally never seen so many “laughing” emoji's in one place at one time before. It's come to the point now where many of us are considering a CBC meetup in the future, especially if XRP happens to moon this year or next.

All of us inside the CBC are dedicated to the future success of Coil and to the entire Web Monetization ecosystem. We are sick and tired of all the advertisements, the data collection, the multitude of paywalls around every corner. Each of us thoroughly enjoy and are thankful for Coil which introduces a new way for creators to get paid to create what they love without old, outdated, traditional forms of monetization.

If you've never been part of an intimate, close-knit group before, or if that is something you've been a part of in the past and want to get reintroduced to that environment, then by all means we want to meet you. If you enjoy posting on Coil.com or on your own Web-Monetized, self-hosted site, you are welcome to join us and have some fun as we learn, as we grow, and as we help each other become better bloggers.

Let's end by stating this... Life doesn't comprise solely of serious discussions, decisions, and situations. There has to be a certain element of fun as well or else, well, the day-to-day can become quite dry and boring. For additional information, go here and send a private message to the good looking man you see when you go there. He'll greet you with a smile and instructions for moving forward.

Vires in Numeris

Thank you for reading.

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Learn what happens to your friends circle when you grow...

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Custody. A big, if not the biggest problem facing mass adoption of cryptocurrencies, is finally reaching a resolution. Just like we use banks for custody, or management, of our fiat currencies, we are also in need of industry-leading custody services for digital assets. The good news is, 2020 is when the solution we've all been waiting for is coming to fruition.

Introducing Polysign, the all-in-one custody solution for digital assets created to scale to trillions under management. The company was founded back in 2017 but has kept their operations under wraps for 3 years. It is expected that sometime during 2020, the company will unveil what they have been secretly working on and possibly start accepting institutional clients. The discovery of this news was announced by community member, StuartXRP in a recent tweet.

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Polysign Inc. is headed up by CEO, Jack McDonald, along with VP of Product, Anna Tong, and Chief Compliance Officer, Antoinette O’Gorman, among others. David Schwartz, CTO of Ripple, serves as a board member and as a blockchain architect in the project along with Arthur Britto, creator of the XRP Ledger. If you go and look up “powerhouse team” in the dictionary, you would find these incredible people listed underneath.

The Polysign team has an audacious yet highly attainable goal which is...

to build the global standard for institutional digital asset custody

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The company is not rolling with an existing wheel already in motion. To the contrary, they reside on the cutting-edge, inventing a new paradigm from the ground up, setting the global standard on how digital asset custody should look, feel, and operate. David Schwartz, when interviewed in front of a group of students at the University of Texas, was clearly excited about the progress of the project thus far (see bonus content below to view the video footage).

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What does this really mean?

With the upcoming release of Polysign custody services, it fills the gap in the digital asset ecosystem that was missing all along. The average person who is not a typical retail investor, is not going to opt for a Ledger Nano or Trezor cold wallet to hold their crypto. Instead, the average Joe will want a trusted 3rd-party to manage their holdings so that they don't have to worry about security concerns.

When you add Polysign custody to the increased regulatory clarity on digital asset usage and holding, it further matures the space unlike never before. Polysign, just like Coil and Forte, is a Xpring-backed project that received a considerable amount of funding to advance the technology forward to completion.

Over the next year or two, it is expected that additional banks and other major financial institutions throughout the world will continue diving deep into digital asset research, testing, and implementation. Facebook's Libra whitepaper announcement really grabbed the world's attention, serving as a catapult launching the curiosity this space out of the atmosphere. As banks themselves look at holding XRP, Polysign will be standing by as a strong management option.

The soon-to-be fully operational custody service is an essential piece of the internet of value puzzle. Once it is placed in the right position, there's no moving it as it will have achieved first-mover advantage, which can only mean extreme upside for XRP holders. When the entire digital asset space can expand and all boats have the opportunity to rise, we all win. Time to get excited. ✦

Polysign: The Global Standard for Digital Asset Custody

Thank you for reading.

Related articles:

✪ XRP: When Will XRP Moon?

✪ It's a Micropayments World

✪ Ripple Sets the Example for Retail Investors

CTO of Ripple visually displays excitement for Polysign...

Yep, that's me. XRP HODL T-shirt courtesy of Jim Hyatt. One of the best feelings I've experienced is taking care of my body by working out. In fact, I used to be a personal trainer for a few years at a couple different gyms near our home. It was rewarding to see people achieving the results they were after, whether that be losing weight, gaining muscle, or just general fitness.

I've always been a big believer in taking care of the physical first because everything else in life stems from that area. When you feel good physically, then naturally you have more energy while also maintaining a clear mental state. In fact, many of you might not know this, but I was a BollyX instructor last year before I started participating in the XRP community. See bonus content below for the commercial I had professionally made.

Fitness has been a big part of my life since I was 18 years old. I don't talk about it much now because my focus has been primarily on finances. Lifting weights helped to pull me out of my depressed state of mind and into a more confident person. I wasn't happy with how my life was going because I didn't have a girlfriend, I had acne all over my face, I had braces, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life as far as a career path goes.

I decided that I didn't want to feel like that anymore, so I said screw it, and I went to the store and purchased a Crossbow machine to set up in my bedroom. A Crossbow is sort of like a Bowflex but with a slightly different design.

Crossbow commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6lLjUPcyew

Not only did I have a CrossBow, but I also ordered a Body by Jake Ab Scissor to put in my bedroom. I saw it on a late night infomercial after watching them demonstrate it for at least an hour. I used these 2 machines religiously for months until I decided to buy a 3-year membership at World Gym.

Ab Scissor demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYuT13tMC-E

Needless to say, I enjoy working out and staying in shape. Now that I have 3 sons under 6 years old, staying in shape is absolutely essential to keeping up with those little monsters. Lately I have been going to Planet Fitness, the gym where I began my training career. Staying in shape is important because it affects every other area of your life. You only have one body, take care of it and it will take care of you.

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In addition to your body, it is also crucial to develop your mind in a way that is congruent with your core values and the vision you have for your life. I started learning about personal growth and self development when I became active with a direct marketing company called ACN. It was a personal growth program with a compensation plan attached. Leadership and business training was something I truly enjoyed and still enjoy learning about.

An example of training your mind would look something like this... If you want to become a millionaire and dedicate your life to supplying clean water to people in Africa, then it would be wise to submerse yourself in books, videos, podcasts, and conferences that talk about becoming wealthy. You would also want to surround yourself with other people who are currently providing clean water to people in Africa to best prepare yourself for the future you envision.

Be mindful

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:22-23

Be mindful what you allow enter your eyes and ears on a daily basis because it shapes who you become over time. If you are constantly exposing yourself to horror films and 24/7 news, the result will be a mind and body full of fear and doubt. On the other hand, if you expose yourself to things that involve love, kindness, and generosity, then your life will reflect those aspects.

Bottom line is, what you focus on, expands. Whatever you want to attract into your life, focus will bring it to you whether your desire is positive or negative. Do you want more peace in your life? Focus on the type of peace you want and also find ways to demonstrate that peace to others. Do you want more money? Focus on why you want it and on what you will do with it once you have more.

For me, my focus is on providing an incredible life for my family, as well as pouring into others financially, giving them options and opportunities to live a purpose-driven life. I want to be abundant in resources so that I can give whenever I want, as much as I want, to whomever I want in the moment. What is your focus area or areas at this point in your life? Perhaps it's getting through school, running a marathon, or giving to your favorite charity. Whatever it is, give it your all, you won't regret it.

Stay Fit – Mind and Body

Thank you for reading.

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My BollyX Fitness Commercial...

If you have been around the XRP community for any length of time, or you've done your own research apart from the community, you've seen the smorgasbord of facts leading to the long-term success of Ripple the company, and XRP the decentralized digital asset. Partnerships, funding rounds, new remittance corridors, XRPL developer tools, and more are set in motion to help build the internet of value, where money moves as quickly and seamlessly as information does today.

The question isn't whether XRP will moon or not as it hit its ATH, or all time high, of $3.84 in January 2018 during the last crypto bull run. The question people are asking now is, “WHEN will XRP moon?”. Or “when moon” as some would say. It's a fair question to ask during this extended bear market that has retail investors on the edge of their seats waiting for a sign of some sort to help catapult the bulls into high gear.

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As Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, says in a recent interview by fortune magazine, “If I could predict the price of crypto, I wouldn't be here right now”. Brad was hinting at the fact that even he can't predict what the price of any digital asset will be in the next month, year, or 5 years from now. No one or no group has the ability to accurately assess crypto pricing as the market has a mind of it's own. For example, one day XRP could go up in the green 0.25%, but the next day it could fall 2% in the red.

Right now, speculation is the main factor driving the market. In the near future, it is expected that utility drives the pricing and that speculation has less and less a role in volatility spikes. Ripple is the most diligent team out there grinding everyday to build that utility since, let's be real, it won't get built on it's own. XRP haters complain that the coin is “centralized” because Ripple owns over 50% of the total supply. Network centralization and asset ownership are 2 different notions entirely.

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So When Moon?

The most basic answer is, no one really knows.

I think “when moon?” is the wrong question to be asking at this point in time. The question needs to experience a shift from, “when moon?” over to, “How can I best capitalize on the existing market pricing to maximize my stake in the asset?”. The reasoning for this is because neither you or I have control over price. Why focus on something that can't be controlled when there are many other, more productive matters, that CAN be controlled.

*Proactive Activities:*

Research

You can control the amount of time you spend researching factual information on the asset you're invested in. A few reputable websites that come to mind are xrparcade.com, ripple.com/insights, xrpl.org, and xpring.io. Spend time submersing yourself in what is truly happening in the IoV ecosystem without biased from “riddlers” on Twitter.

Bag filling

You can control the amount of XRP you are continually adding to your account(s) or the slang term, bags. Mature investors look at long-term potential as opposed to short-term gains. Either be diligent using fiat to buy XRP or earn it on sites such as Coil and Cinnamon.

Mindset training

You can control the information you are allowing into your mind that shapes the way you think. Picking up a book or watching videos such as Ted Talks that make you question concepts and alter your perspective are crucial to continuous growth.

Talent contribution

You can control what you contribute to the IoV in terms of your talent and abilities. Content creation, app development, community building, the options are endless. Conjure up your imagination and go to town thinking what you could do to help build the ecosystem.

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I want XRP to moon just as much as the next person. But, I also know that Ripple is literally restructuring the plumbing of the current world financial system. A feat such as this does not get accomplished overnight. Focusing on matters which can be controlled will help you to maintain a positive attitude today and a positive outlook for tomorrow. Nothing worthwhile is going to get accomplished when done in a bad mood.

It's best to replace fear with hope, and bitterness with gratitude. Remember, it's not a matter of if XRP will moon, but when. If you are a true believer in the team and the technology in place with Ripple and XRP, keep grinding. The market will go up strongly again as it has in the past, making good preparations is the key to long-term success in this game.

Thank you for reading.

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It's a Micropayments World

Hashtag XRP Goals

Ripple Pulse: Regulatory Clarity

Find out what Ken's gut is saying about XRP...

We live in a world that is dominated by money. Money drives us to get out of bed in the morning and grind out the work day. To grab a quick sip of coffee then head out into bumper to bumper traffic until we labor for hours on end. Money has the power to create fear in us, or to create that a secure sense of satisfaction. We are not here today to discuss the philosophical ramifications of money in this article. Instead, we will be focused on micropayments and how they are taking over the world.

If you are unfamiliar with micropayments, they are as the name implies. Small, incremental payments that add up to larger payments over time. PayPal considers anything less than $12 a micropayment, whereas Visa claims it as a transaction valued at less than $17. With today's current banking system, payments less than $2 are considered impractical given the costs and fees associated with those payment amounts. If you've been to a store before and were told you have to spend at least $5 to use that plastic card in your wallet, that's why.

Today, with the invention of cryptocurrency, each unit can be broken down into many smaller units compared to fiat currency. Generally, $0.01 is the smallest an average person would break down a dollar (unless they physically cut one in half with the jaws of life). XRP, a digital asset designed specifically for payments, can be broken down to individual “drops”, the smallest being 0.000001. It would take 1 million drops to equal 1 full XRP, and with that comes the ability to create the smallest and most useful type of micropayment, especially for streaming payments in real-time.

Along with the growing XRP ecosystem came Coil and the proposed Web Monetization API standard. Now, creators can be paid for content without employing advertising of any kind because consumers are paying a single monthly subscription to access ALL Web-Monetization features available across the internet. XRP micropayments are now streamed to creators in REAL TIME (which gets me crazy excited).

The reasons why XRP works well to facilitate the world's micropayments are:

Microscopic breakdown

XRP can be broken down into 1 millionth of a full unit. That is so small you'd need a high-powered microscope to see it.

Clark Kent speed

The XRP Ledger settles XRP transactions in 3-5 seconds using proof of consensus, or group of validators on the network who all agree on a particular transaction order.

Cost efficient

XRP costs fractions of a penny to send across the network. The small size of each micropayment creates the necessity of low transaction costs.

A traditional problem with facilitating micropayments has been walled gardens. In other words, the global financial system comprises of thousands of payment networks that do not interact with one another. If I have a PayPal account and wanted to send money to someone with Venmo, I couldn't do it. It's impossible. Enter stage right, the protocol to rule them all, Interledger.

Protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP are the fundamental rails of data transfer. Interledger is also a protocol, but is designed for value transfer,

transforming walled gardens into interoperable payment networks.

🎤 Consider this mic drop moment from the Chief Technology Officer at Ripple, David Schwartz...

“I think micropayments are going to take over the world just like packet data took over the world. If you can make small payments very cheaply and you can make billions of them without a problem, you don't need anything else.” Source

And there you have it. We've already seen what the internet has accomplished with packet data. Micropayments are going to take over the world in the form of digital assets being sent over ILP, or Interledger for the above reasons. Size, speed, cost, and interoperability are all significant factors in creating a world that runs on micropayments.

Will we witness a world that not only embraces, but depends on the use of micropayments to fuel a portion of the global economy? If so, it won't happen overnight. But, I believe, little by little, use case after use case, the ecosystem will be built, and the early adopters (us) will benefit the most from the wave of innovation coming down the line. With the powerhouse combination of XRP and ILP, the internet of value is coming to life right before our very eyes.

Thank you for reading.

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Former Ripple employee speaks up about David Schwartz's micropayments claim...

Source

Alright Coilers. Sit up straight and listen up. It's graphics tutorial time. Are you a new publisher on Coil and are looking for assistance in creating super awesome graphics that catch your reader's attention? Hey, no slouching, time to learn. Get out a pen and pad or your Evernote app to take notes and lets jump right in...

To skip the reading, feel free to tune into this convienient video for your viewing pleasure. The beginning does not have good sound quality but improves after about 14 seconds:

https://youtu.be/AfTcWbOnrBE

First and foremost, go to Canva.com right now and sign up for the subscription. I believe it's around $13 a month but for as much as you'll be creating, it is more than worth the money. I used the free version for a while, but the paid version saves so much time which is precious when pumping out content like a machine. The Pro version also has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don't dig it.

Canva is by far the easiest and most convienient tool that I have used in the history of being a creator and I would not want to go a day without it. I use the web version on my laptop 99% of the time and refer to the app on my phone every once in a while. People who mainly use their phones to create will enjoy the app.

Source

Now that you have a Pro subscription, you will be able to take advantage of the neat features such as image resizing, background removal, file compression, and the premium photos library. Great, let's create some graphics like a boss!

Once logged into Canva, you will be dropped on the home screen which gives you the option of viewing all your past designs, a nice feature to quickly pick up where you left off. But, if you've never used Canva before, then you will not have any graphics listed yet.

Click on that blue box on the left that says “Create a design”. Once you do, it will ask you what size you want. When creating a header image for Coil, I always stick with one size which is 3200px x 1800px. If you want you can also use 1600 x 900 which will give you the same results.

Awesome, now your screen should look something like this...

When I am looking to create a new design, I sift through the pre-existing templates that Canva supplies for you. Using these templates saves a ton of work and time. Plus, there are so many that it's hard to run out of templates to use. Normally I like to choose a template that goes well with the article I am going to write.

Let's use the header image for this article as the example. For the Coil How-To's series, I keep the template the same but can make changes to it depending on what I'm inspired to do at the time.

Time to look for the template by scrolling down the page...

Now that we have located the template, we can select it and make edits to it. Most times the image / background is the one I go with, but you can feel free to add images of your own by clicking the “Uploads” tab on the bottom left of the screen. Honestly, Canva is so easy even your grandma could do it.

Once you click on the text, it normally comes as group. As shown above, you have the option of “ungrouping” the text so that you can move each one freely. I normally do this because I don't always like being confined to the group's line height and what not. For Coil How-To's, I decided to leave the main text the same and remove the top text area. The lower text is used to describe which edition it is.

For my header image for this article, I made the bottom text larger by selecting it and then choosing size 48 text. Anytime you want to make an edit to the text, all you need to do is select it, then choose an option at the top left navigation bar. You also have a HUGE list of fonts to choose from in the pro version.

The last thing I did was edit the background color to be different from my other 2 editions in this series. This one I made pink and blue which naturally ended up looking purple...

After you are satisfied with your design, it's time to download it. With the Canva Pro version, you have the option of compressing your file to take up less space on your computer and in your article without compromising the crispness of the design.

Now that you downloaded your image, you can open up a bottle of champagne and celebrate 🤩. Oh yeah, and also upload your creation to the Coil header image area.

Additional tip: I like to place my text and select images towards the center of my header image so that it shows up nice on the small thumbnails and also the main article itself. If important aspects of the image go outside that range, they will only show when people view the article from your profile page.

The image shown here is one of many that you could choose to make. I have been using Canva for months and have yet to exhaust the creative options inside that site. The pro version provides everything you would need and more. Don't skimp out and fork up the dough.

The resources provided in this article contain no affiliate links and only lead direct to the sites. No animals were harmed in the creation of this article.

Related articles:

✪ Coil How-To's: Compose an Eye-Catching Article Even If You're a Brand-New Creator

✪ Coil How-To’s: Quickly Get Set Up to Publish

✪ What Should My Header Image Size Be On Coil?

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