Trend Letter Blogs
Market update July 19/21
Rising concerns about inflation and the resurgence of COVID-19 infections hammered Wall Street on Monday, with major benchmarks suffering their worst declines since May, even as quarterly earnings continue to reflect a strengthening economic rebound. Fears about broadly rising coronavirus cases drove the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to their biggest drop in nearly two months, […]
Market update – July 7/21
The S&P 500 index set another new record high today. Trading volume has exploded since the pandemic lockdowns and government handouts, and the explosion on volumes is being driven by retail investors. Note the rise in 2020, and then already in 2021, with only half the year in the books, volume is on pace to […]
Today’s charts
China crackdown and rising $US hit commodities The prices of commodities were falling sharply on Thursday, cutting into months of gains and weighing on equity markets, as China takes steps to cool off rising prices and the U.S. dollar strengthens. The decline in commodities was widespread, with futures prices for palladium and platinum falling more than 11% and 7%, […]
Market Update – June 16/21
The US Federal Reserve officials signaled that the pace of the U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic is bringing forward their expectations for how quickly they will reduce policy support. Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference Wednesday that officials had begun a discussion about scaling back bond purchases after releasing forecasts that show they […]
Market Update – May 19/21
Stocks US stocks closed mixed and Treasury yields rose as minutes showed Federal Reserve officials were cautiously optimistic about the US recovery at their April meeting, with some signaling they’d be open ‘at some point’ to discussing scaling back the central bank’s massive bond purchases. The S&P 500 fell for a third day, and 10-year […]
Headlines – May 14/21
Civil War in Israel? Read story People are panic buying houses as prices skyrocket around the world. Read story Fully vaccinated? You can ditch the mask, CDC says. Read story CN Rail is close to US$33B deal with K.C. Southern. Read story Greyhound Canada is permanently shutting down, ending almost a century of bus service. […]
Market Update – May 13/21
For the past couple of months, we have been highlighting how we do not have confirmation from all markets as to what direction they are heading. In particular, we want to look at the different action in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (blue chip stocks), and the Nasdaq (tech stocks). The Dow is testing its […]
Market Update – 05/12/21
The markets had a lot to contend with today. Inflation in April accelerated at its fastest pace in more than 12 years as the US economic recovery kicked into gear and energy prices jumped higher, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index, which measures a basket of goods as well as energy and […]
Headlines – May 12/21
Investors spooked as consumer prices rise 4.2% in April. Read story Pipeline shutdown, panic-buying, force 1,000+ gas stations to run out of fuel. Read story Loonie hits highest level since 2015 amid commodity strength. Read story Line 5 shutdown will disrupt Canada’s energy security, Ottawa says, as Michigan threatens Enbridge if it defies order. Read […]
Bill Gates says ‘No’ to sharing vaccine formulas with global poor to end pandemic
Bill Gates, one of the world’s richest men and most powerful philanthropists, was the target of criticism from social justice campaigners on Sunday after arguing that lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccine technology and sharing recipes with the world to foster a massive ramp up in manufacturing and distribution—despite a growing international call to do exactly that—is […]
Sell in May ?
Our Forecast Model has targeted the week of May 3/21 as potential high and near-term turning point for the markets, so we need to be on alert. We have been in a 12-year bull market and things are now at a point where a significant correction is not only possible, but to be expected. At […]
Gold update
Gold gave up another 17.60 on Monday, as it struggles to gain any traction here. Gold has been in a downtrend channel since August and we need to see it break out of the tight trading range it has been in this month. Based on the Relative Strength Index (RSI) gold is not oversold at […]
Potential temp high
The S&P 500 rose on Wednesday and the blue-chip Dow hit a record high after tepid consumer price data for February calmed inflation worries and Congress gave final approval to one of the largest economic stimulus measures in US history. Investors paid little attention to the Treasury Department posting the latest deficit numbers which showed […]
Market Update – March 4/21
Markets continued their decline today after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that as the national economy begins to reopen, “we will see inflation move up through base effects. That could create some upward pressure on prices.” While the Fed is expecting some inflation, Powell said he does not expect to raise interest rates this […]
Market Update
S&P 500 The S&P 500 was down 50.57 points or 1.31% today and is now testing near-term support at 3819, which is the 50-DMA (red wavy line on chart). The last two times the 50-DMA has been a strong support level, so if this level does not hold here it would be a bearish signal. […]
Some reasons for caution
Our model gave a recent warning of a potential market top coming soon and we sent subscribers a strategy to protect their portfolio. Below we show a few charts that allow investors to see some reasons for concern here. The first chart shows the daily purchase and sell transactions by corporate insiders – officers, directors, […]
Attack of the Debt Tsunami
For 10 years we have been pounding the table warning that we were heading for a credit market disaster. Governments around the globe have been spending far more than they were collecting, to the point where we warned that ‘far more debt has been created than can ever be paid off.’ And this was BEFORE […]
Market update – October 28/20
According to data compiled by LPL Financial, historically the S&P 500 averages its highest return of the entire year on October 28th. Well, that certainly was not the case today, the markets got hammered. There were many factors contributing to today’s slaughter, and leading the way were fears related to soaring coronavirus case numbers, especially […]
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the room Every so often we review the latest debt numbers as tracked on the US Debt clock site. These numbers are US based, but the story is similar all over: governments have been racking up massive debts for decades and now with COVID-19, they are accelerating this practice to unprecedented levels […]
Market update – September 23/20
Equities: Nasdaq – down 330.65 points or 3.02% The Nasdaq Index represents the tech sector and includes the world’s foremost technology and biotech giants such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon, and Intel. No surprise to subscribers, this index has blown the doors off all other indexes as these stocks have been the market leaders […]
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Trend Disruptors Blogs
WAYMO versus UBER / LYFT – How Much?
As of right now GOOGLE / WAYMO has begun monetizing some of their self driving vehicles. Development of WAYMO self driving vehicles has been ongoing for over 10 years, and includes cars and trucks, as each is seen to have commercial potential. In four suburbs of Phoenix Arizona (about a 160 km zone) self driving WAYMO ONE taxis are now in operation. Generating revenue after all these years of development and testing is a significant milestone, and puts WAYMO ahead of rivals like GM’s Cruise Automation, and Uber Technologies. All players in this field will certainly want to attract and keep customers and begin to recoup the money invested in the technology so far.
So, how does a customer use the WAYMO ONE taxi service? First, you need to download the WAYMO ONE app and provide credit card details, and then you can use the app to notify the service of your needs, providing your location and a destination. Much like UBER and LYFT, the app will provide a price quote and a time for pick-up. The service is touted to be operating 24 hours a day, however, it is available now only to a few hundred residents who signed up last year, and the exact number of taxis in operation has not been revealed by WAYMO. For cost comparison, the WAYMO charge for a 15 minute ride (about 3 miles) is $7.60, whereas the comparable LYFT charge is $7.20.
At this time WAYMO ONE taxis include a human in the driver’s seat, to intervene only in emergencies, and there is the app or in-car console to link passengers to a WAYMO ONE agent for answering questions and documenting comments. Some report that the ride is a little slow and sometimes jerky. WAYMO works with passenger feedback to help refine all aspects of the WAYMO ONE taxi experience. Only a handful of other startups have monetized driverless technology, in small ways, such as Boston’s OPTIMUS RIDE that has contracts to provide driverless vehicle services in enclosed, low speed environments, like gated business parks and seniors facilities.
There are still significant challenges to making a buck in the autonomous vehicle space. All across the USA there are many laws and regulations that fail to provide a coherent framework for designing the vehicles or the software applications needed to put them to work on their own. Estimates are that over $1 billion has been spent on driverless technology, and over 10 million miles have been traveled. Still, everyone is proceeding with great caution, wanting to ensure that the early adopters have only safe and satisfying experiences, generating enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence. Given all that, the sky seems to be the limit for this exciting, disruptive technology.
Let Trend Disruptors be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success.
Stay Tuned!
Are you ready for the Third Wave?
Market cycles tend to happen in waves, and technology companies have become a bigger and bigger part of recent market waves. Since about 1989, many tech companies have pushed their way into the top ranked firms in terms of capitalization, profits, and investment success. In the early days, it was just IBM and Microsoft. As internet developments matured there was much more success spread around, with the likes of Bing, Amazon, and Yahoo joining in. This was the First Wave, and it gave us the internet boom of the 1990’s and those wild boom and bust investments in the technology sector.
The first wave was exciting – a time of over-the-top speculation, but the innovations eventually caught on with consumers, in a very big way, and profits started to roll in, also in a very big way. This paved the way for a second wave.
The iPhone was the catalyst and poster child for the Second Wave, as tech companies are all striving to greatly improve their communication networks and the convenience of being constantly “in touch”. There are also great efforts being made for information to be more convenient, more personal, and more manageable. Making sense of all the available data is a huge challenge, as there has been a gigantic tidal wave of data produced recently. IBM estimates that 90% of the data in the world has been produced in the last 2 years, so how do we figure out what to read, what to believe, what to trust?
A part of the solution is to make the data more personal, so that systems get to know you, and vice versa. Examples include:
- NEST thermostats that learn when you are home or away, and what temperature you’re comfortable with when you are home
- Music systems like SPOTIFY and PANDORA that learn your listening preferences and help you discover new music you will probably like
- Trip planning websites that learn your travel adventure interests and devise specific trip plans just for you
- GOOGLE Home and Amazon Alexa / Echo devices that interact personally with you and make efforts to help you through your busy day
And then there are all those APPS that help us to manage our day, like UBER , LYFT, Weather Channel, or communicate with others via Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter etc. All are trying to lessen the effort and worry about everyday tasks, although there is a growing concern about the surrendering, stealing, and mismanagement of such a large amount of our personal information – advertisers, scammers, and governments want more of it every day. When technology does its job well, users benefit in that they spend less time managing tasks and chores and spend more time doing things they really like. As the Second Wave matures, innovations come along that assist and support us in decision making, critical thinking (information discernment), and time management. The Second Wave brings us a plethora of helpers that ease our everyday lives with small and useful touches.
So what about the next wave – The Third Wave? We are now seeing this wave starting to form. Each wave starts with an innovative catalyst, leading to more innovation, speculation, and investment opportunities. There will be winners and losers along the way, but when the wave breaks, huge profits will be made by those who have the best information and analysis. A possible catalyst for starting this Third Wave is Augmented Reality (AR), with innovations that could transcend the iPhone and all Smartphones, making them obsolete. AR is different than Virtual Reality (VR) in that AR overlays graphics and images on top of the real world around you, something like the Pokemon Go game that became wildly popular on Smartphones a few years ago. AR is also the technology that fighter pilots use for the Heads-Up-Displays (HUD) in the cockpit of their jet fighters. If you put advanced AR capability into a pair of glasses, with voice, gesture, or eye movement controls, then every current Smartphone capability could be accomplished with a pair of glasses. Google glasses first appeared in 2013 and the project morphed into Google Glass Enterprise in 2017. Recently, a highly valued private company, Magic Leap, released an AR headset called Magic Leap One. These are first generation devices and have yet to achieve significant consumer adoption. Much like waves One and Two, Third Wave innovations can sound like science fiction, but we tend to always underestimate the speed of progress and the depth of amazing ideas and devices that are bound to change our lives.
The Trend Disruptors team analyzes new technologies and identifies the companies that stand out in terms of investment potential. These companies may be large or small. The best and most promising generate Trend Disruptors Premium recommendations. We are watching a broad range of companies and technologies, all striving to disrupt specific market segments and/or be part of the next wave.
Let Trend Disruptors be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success. Subscribe today for just $599.95 $399.95, a $200 savings. Click Here to subscribe at this special rate.
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How shall we communicate?
There are many ways to communicate, and big improvements are underway to dramatically increase the overall volume and speed of data communications. Starting with the volume of information to be communicated, there are several technologies that will potentially process more data at higher speeds than ever thought possible. Quantum computing is a holistically new way to solve difficult problems based on the principles of quantum physics. This is where high-end computing is heading, giving us a sense of how super computers, super data centres, and super cloud networks will look and operate. The research investment already tops $10b US, being led by USA, China, Australia, the European Union, and many other countries. Google, IBM, and Intel all want to transition the technology into commercial services and products, targeting applications in data analytics, logistics, engineering, and software automation. Today’s best quantum computing systems are being developed in research laboratories; however, they have not yet succeeded in justifying long-term growth or producing commercially viable products and services. Like many new technology developments, some will be in our hands tomorrow, some next week, some next decade. And some may not ever get off the test bench – that is the nature of disruptive technology.
One way or another the amount of data we will have at hand is going to increase and the ongoing challenge is to manage all that data effectively. Managing it requires effective storage and communication solutions. The preferred method for data storage is the cloud, and the preferred method for global data communications is satellite transmission. New technologies that can improve on the status quo will be in high demand. In the processing and storage field there are several developments that hold promise, such as new and more efficient enterprise database designs, and new cloud networking solutions, some based entirely on satellite networks. Amazon’s Web Services (AWS) segment needs all these new solutions in order to grow their business around the globe. As partnerships form to seamlessly integrate these services, global expansion becomes more efficient and a must-do for many multi-national corporations.
The Trend Disruptors team is watching new technologies and identifying the companies that stand out in terms of investment potential. These companies may be large or small, and some of the small start-ups will make the grade and succeed, either on their own or by being acquired by larger organizations. The best and most promising will generate Trend Disruptors recommendations. We are watching a broad range of companies and technologies, all striving to disrupt specific market segments and industries.
Let Trend Disruptors be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success.
Note we will be posting a couple of new recommendations this week to subscribers of Trend Disruptors Premium. If you would like to subscribe to Trend Disruptors Premium and receive all of the recommendations we are offering a discount rate of $399.95, a discount of $200. To take advantage of this special rate Click Here
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How “autonomous” will it get?
If you have a newer car, you may already be using features like adaptive cruise control, park in/out assist, lane control assist, pilot assist etc. These features typically use cameras, radar, and lasers to determine your situation, and then invoke artificial intelligence (AI) to “manage” your situation, such as applying the brakes, accelerating, and/or turning the steering wheel. All of these features move us along the road to more and more autonomous operation of a vehicle. So how far along that road are we going?
There are several major players in the autonomous vehicle field, and here is a sampling of what they are doing lately:
TESLA – they call it “Autopilot”, but the term is a little ambitious, as the driver should always be attentive and responsive in situations where the system gets into trouble. So much depends on there being reliable road and lane markings so the cameras can always “see” where you are and make appropriate decisions. If road markings are faded or non-existent, the system cannot function effectively. The latest version of TESLA “autopilot” includes the ability to link Navigation with Autopilot, giving it the ability to select and maneuver the correct highway entrances and exits. For TESLA cars without “autopilot” built in there is an aftermarket product that owners can install themselves to provide similar capabilities – – COMMA AI’s Open Pilot, paired with the EON Dashcam DevKit.
HONDA / GM – these two giants are teaming up to bring us the next generation of autonomous vehicles. Honda plans to invest $12b over 12 years in the GM subsidiary, “CRUISE”. Putting out a fleet of self driving versions of the Chevy Bolt EV is already in the GM/CRUISE plans. Partnering with Honda, they plan to develop fully autonomous vehicles, not based on any existing car. Initially targeting USA, the fully autonomous vehicles are planned with no steering wheel or pedals, prompting a re-think of laws and regulations.
GOOGLE / WAYMO – Started by GOOGLE in 2009 and spun off as WAYMO in 2016, these guys have the most autonomous miles under their belt, stating that their vehicles have gone over 9 million miles to date, and are adding about 25,000 more each day. They have an “early rider” program underway in Phoenix, Arizona on public streets. Based on WAYMO’s Safety Report, most of those miles have been quite safe. See the Report here: https://storage.googleapis.com/sdc-prod/v1/safety-report/Safety%20Report%202018.pdf
Also have a look at the WAYMO video here: https://waymo.com/tech/
Other major carmakers have jumped aboard, offering many of the popular autonomous features. Companies like Nissan, Hyundai, Volvo, and Toyota now highlight these features in their marketing, touting them as must-have “safety” features. Also driving these developments are other transportation industry giants, such as UBER, who see a great opportunity to increase profits by eliminating their need for drivers. Some analysts have predicted that if all vehicles began operating with advanced AI autonomous capabilities tomorrow, then traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths would be immediately reduced by over 90%. Given that there have been at least 2 deaths involving autonomous vehicles, it may be a while before the masses will totally accept these vehicles on the streets of their cities, let alone in their garage, ready for their family’s daily use.
As stated previously, the Trend Disruptors team will be analyzing new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, and identifying the companies that stand out in terms of investment potential. These companies may be large or small, but much like the internet boom of the 1990’s many of them will make the grade and succeed. The best and most promising of them all will generate Trend Disruptors recommendations. We will be watching a broad range of companies and technologies, expecting that there will be everything from small start-ups to large corporations, all striving to disrupt specific market segments and industries.
Let Trend Disruptors be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success.
Stay Tuned!
Alphabet/Google becoming AI Centric to secure foothold & dominate digital user experience
High Tech corporations have invested a lot in technologies that produce large amounts of revenue, and with the increasingly rapid advancements in technology, these corporations must invest even more in order to protect their rich revenue streams. A good example of a corporation reaching further and further into the future is Alphabet, the parent company of Google. Search engine and advertising are the cornerstones of Google revenue, and they want it to keep flowing, so Google /Alphabet has identified several areas they consider to be important in securing a high revenue future for themselves and their investors. Alphabet has spread projects and initiatives throughout Google and their other entities, and many of these initiatives point to the important role of AI in their future, and by extension, our future too.
At the heart of their strategy is the idea of being AI Centric. With this approach, they anticipate maintaining a leading role with their core business (search and advertising), as well as delving into areas where they see opportunities for improvement or disruption using an AI approach. Here is a brief overview of some of the newer areas Google / Alphabet hopes to fully capitalize on in future.
- Cloud Computing Services: Google wants to grow their share of the cloud market. They currently rank third, after Amazon and Microsoft, however they have been expanding their presence through a number of strategic investments, acquisitions, and internal initiatives, to better compete with rivals in this space. Currently, Google cloud business is growing at a faster pace than the competition. Products and services to watch are G Suite, a new chip called the EDGE TPU that can carry out machine learning processes on Internet of Things devices, and they have some cloud supported Blockchain projects on the go with strategic partners. An important aspect of Cloud computing is Security, and this too is a new area of focus for Google. As of January 2018 Google spun off Chronicle, to be the cybersecurity arm and work towards a ‘digital immune system”. Businesses are generating more and more information every day and will require more complex computers, and incremental computing infrastructure. Google believes this can be handled through the AI machine learning capabilities they are developing.
- Transportation and Logistics: Google /Alphabet anticipate opportunities to continue the disruption in this sector. Investments include LIME, a scooter company, as well as UBER, LYFT, and a few other ride hailing services. This sector also includes autonomous vehicles, causing serious disruption in the trucking industry, as well as with people moving vehicles. Alphabet has their WAYMO business arm, and their autonomous vehicle miles driven are the most in the world (8 million miles). WAYMO has said that they intend to use semi-autonomous trucks to deliver freight to its data centres in Atlanta. Google’s drone delivery company, Project Wing, has become an independent company under the Alphabet umbrella, and has completed some drone deliveries in Australia. Products and services like these all make use of AI technologies that Google / Alphabet are developing rapidly.
- Emerging Markets: Google continues to expand in India and SE Asia, two regions experiencing fast growth in internet usage. Google has participated in funding for an Indonesian ride-hailing company giant called GO-JEK, which is similar to UBER, but also provides food delivery services and a mobile payment platform. In India, Google has invested in a personal concierge and delivery service platform, and TEZ, a free mobile wallet that allows users to make payments directly from their bank account. This is all a big part of Google’s attempt to become an integral part of commerce in India. Despite historic setbacks and tensions, Google is also focused on China, making more investments in that country, such as com, China’s second largest e-commerce platform, and Chushou, a China-based gaming firm.
- Healthcare: Alphabet intends to advance healthcare effectiveness through better data processing using AI. Alphabet’s life science subsidiary, VERILY, concentrates on disease detection, a crucial part of effective health care. Google is leveraging its’ abilities in AI to improve healthcare data management, and their AI focused subsidiary, DeepMind, has an app called “STREAMS” that helps to detect kidney injuries based on lab results, so doctors can be alerted quickly via the mobile app and promptly escalate urgent cases.
AI is critical to Alphabet’s long-term outlook as it is the thread that runs through search and advertising, cloud computing, autonomous driving, healthcare, and many of the company’s other endeavors. This includes the exploding market for digital assistants and Smart Home products. Consumers can already choose among big competition, like Apple (SIRI) and Amazon (Alexa). Google wants to win this market, and every other market it delves into. We see that Google/Alphabet is on the leading edge of AI technology, making more and more investments to protect and expand their revenue streams. Many other industries will be affected by AI developments, and many will be in ways we have not yet imagined. The breadth and pace of tech change will continue to increase. Let Crypto Trend be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success.
Stay Tuned!
Will Artificial Intelligence be a threat, a boon, or both?
There is a case to be made for our current crop of emerging technologies to be called the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and as Trend Disruptors readers know, this crop includes Blockchain, 5G, and quantum computing. We also need to include a few others, to broaden our scope of disruptive technologies – – things like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and potentially the most disruptive technology of all, Artificial Intelligence (AI).
There are some (Neo-Luddites) who warn of the negative consequences of AI, and want to shun all AI development. Warnings and cautions are sometimes coming from credible sources, and often raise interesting questions. AI is so all encompassing that many questions need to be asked, and answered very carefully. Consider the following from billionaire hedge fund manager, Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates:
“I got a good question about how the proliferation of AI and algorithmic decision making will affect jobs and about the possibility of universal basic incomes eventually impacting humans’ ability to continue to derive meaning and self-purpose from work. My view is that algorithmic/automated decision making is a two edged sword that is improving total productivity but is also eliminating jobs, leading to big wealth and opportunity gaps and populism, and creating a national emergency. Largely as a result of it, capitalism is not working for the majority of Americans and is in jeopardy. Yet no one is seriously examining what to do about it. I don’t believe that transferring money to people who are unproductive is good for the people or the economy, unless there are no other good alternatives. I believe that it’s both far better and it’s possible to find ways for making most of these people productive. I think that a national emergency should be declared, a special commission created, and metrics established to come up with programs and measurements to make work improvements that more than pay for themselves and measure the changes that are taking place. I know of many cost effective ways that improvements that pay for themselves can be made and I’m sure that many others know of many more ways. Productivity is good for everyone. Unfortunately, it’s not available to everyone. That has to change. We need leadership that can bring that about. Unfortunately, it is more likely that nothing along these lines will be done and, in the next economic downturn, the haves and have-nots will be at each other’s’ throats, fighting over income redistributions rather than working together to make plans to make most people productive. For that reason, I’m worried about the health of capitalism and democracy.”
The concerns raised here affect pop culture, politics, and the whole financial world. Could it be that we come to a point where human usefulness runs out? Unlike the industrial revolutions of the past, AI may not just allow machines to outperform our physical abilities, but our mental abilities as well. These are sobering thoughts that will need careful analysis, answers, and management. Humans should have infinite control in terms of how our relationship with machines will be, with the ideal that AI will exist only and entirely to serve us. And we will need to determine how to distribute needed resources amongst ourselves in a fully autonomous society. AI is going to change the structure of humanity, and in the next decade the way many of us live and work will look entirely different.
We will need to fine tune our investing and wealth management strategies, to keep pace with all the disruptive forces coming our way – FAST !!.
At Trend Disruptors, we are keeping a sharp eye on several companies that are making moves in the emerging technology sphere. We strive to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments and related investment strategies that lead to success.
Stay Tuned!
Will Crypto prices bounce back?
For the past few weeks Crypto Currencies (CC’s) have been in a downturn, and the causes of the fall are myriad, and out of synch with the overall investment market. While downturns are not immediately profitable for investors, they are an indication that CC’s are every bit as susceptible to geopolitical market forces as any other investment. June was a particularly brutal month, with the CC market cap dropping about 41% – – a very strong reaction to world events, a stronger reaction than we saw in the mainstream equity markets. So is this the time to make an investment in CC’s , buying on the dip here? The bottom may be in if geo political events do not escalate or shift into even less stable territory. Markets do not like uncertainty or instability. As with Wall Street, a bounce back for CC’s will depend on there being more well defined, well reasoned, and less contentious political moves within nations with medium to large size economies. Currently, Wall Street has shrugged off most of the trade war news, and rightly so, as the size of all the new trade tariffs, so far, is small when compared to the overall size of global GDP’s.
As well as Market Cap, another factor to carefully watch with CC’s is Market Volume. Currently, Bitcoin volume is struggling to stay above $4 billion, which is significantly below the more often seen $7 to $10 billion, when Bitcoin prices were in the $10,000 to $12,000 range. In a period of geopolitical uncertainty, all markets reflect the understandably nervous feelings of investors. Many Bitcoin investors expect prices to rise substantially in Q4, and watching daily volumes is one way that we will see this coming, and alert our readers to a great investment opportunity if one emerges. Similar to the 2014 correction, the CC market will need to experience a period of stability and recovery before surging to previous high levels, and that could take another four to five months. In the meantime, politics and regulatory gyrations will certainly continue, which makes the CC market place both exciting and challenging.
At Crypto Trend, we strive to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments and investment strategies that lead to success.
Stay Tuned!
When will Cryptos & Blockchain really explode?
Crypto Currencies
Every day there is more news about what can, may, and should happen in the world of Crypto Currencies (CC’s) and Blockchain. There has been significant investment, research, and lots of chatter, but the coins and the projects are still not mainstream. They have not yet delivered the explosive changes envisioned. Many ideas are being discussed and developed, but none have delivered big game-changing results. What may be needed is for big industry players, like IBM, Microsoft, and the large financial services corporations to continue forging ahead in developing useful Blockchain applications – ones that the whole world can NOT live without.
Financial services are a ripe target for Blockchain projects because today’s banking systems are still based on archaic ideas that have been faithfully and painfully digitized, and because these systems are archaic, they are expensive to maintain and operate. Banks almost have a good reason to charge the high service fees they do – their systems are not efficient. These systems have many layers of redundant data, as everyone involved with a transaction has to have their version of the transaction details. And then there is the business of ensuring that there is a trusted third party to clear all these transactions – requiring even more versions of the same data. Blockchain technology holds out the promise of addressing these issues, as each transaction will be captured in just ONE block on the chain, and because it is a distributed database, security and integrity is built-in and assured. It may take some time to build up trust in these new systems, given that the verifiers of Blockchain transactions are not the traditional clearing houses that banks use and trust today. Trust by the banks in a new technology will take time, and even more time will be needed for that trust to trickle down to consumers.
Another company that may soon be ready to give CC’s and Blockchain a big boost is Amazon. It looks like Amazon is getting ready to launch their very own crypto currency. This is a company with revenues the size of a good-sized country, and they are in a position to issue a digital token that would be fully convertible with other CC’s, and fiat currencies too. A move like this would enable Amazon to:
- issue (AMAZON) coins to reward and incentivize developers on any of its platforms
- issue coins to consumers to use for in-app purchases
- issue coins to game players for in-game purchase of virtual goodies
- issue coins to regular customers as part of a loyalty programme
Amazon may have the ideal ecosystem of customers and partners to make this all happen. Worldwide they have about 300 million customer accounts, roughly the population of the USA, and they have 100,000 sellers on their platforms, with millions of items for sale. There is hardly a more mainstream company than Amazon, with a massive, vibrant economy all linked in. Amazon’s imminent entry into the world of CC’s may signal the adoption of blockchain technology by mainstream institutions on a large scale. What could be just around the corner if an AMAZON coin comes into play is the likes of a DISNEY Coin, a DELTA AIRLINES coin, a CARNIVAL CRUISES coin, a HOME DEPOT coin – you get the picture.
With Trend Disruptors, we strive to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments and investment strategies that lead to success.
Trend Disruptors Premium
On Friday our BUY signal was triggered for one of our favourite 5G companies. This is not one of the ‘wild west’ crypto coins, but a solid, very recognizable company that even pays a 4.80% dividend while we wait for the 5G revenues to build up. We rate this company as a strong buy today.
Our goal for Trend Disruptors & Trend Disruptors Premium is to help our subscribers understand and potentially reap great gains by being at the forefront of the coming disruptive technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, 5G, Blochchain, and of course the ‘wild west’ crypto world
If you are not yet a subscriber to Trend Disruptors Premium but are now ready to make a speculative investment into these disruptive technologies, we are re-opening our Special Offer to give our readers the opportunity to get started at a 25% discount, meaning you pay only $525.00. To take advantage of this special offer, click here
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Coinbase to support ERC20 tokens – what it means
On March 26, Coinbase, the world’s largest crypto currency (CC) exchange, announced that they intend to support ERC20 based tokens. This announcement generated some excitement, both for technical aspects and investment prospects. Here is what COINBASE said:
“We’re excited to announce our intention to support the Ethereum ERC20 technical standard for Coinbase in the coming months. This paves the way for supporting ERC20 assets across Coinbase products in the future, though we aren’t announcing support for any specific assets or features at this time.”
Briefly, ERC20 is a technical standard used for Ethereum smart contracts, and ERC20 tokens have become a popular way for development teams to quickly build interoperable contracts/assets. An ERC20 token is one that is built to operate on top of the Ethereum blockchain, and there are hundreds of these tokens in existence. Which ones will ultimately succeed and make it on to the COINBASE exchange is a matter of speculation, however, by examining known parameters we can sharpen up the speculation quite a bit. Here are some of the known indicators:
- Coinbase has about 13 million users, making it the largest in the world, and it is clear that Coinbase believes in the Ethereum network
- Future tokens coming on to Coinbase will likely be ERC20, based on Ethereum, and this would increase market liquidity, creating a more stable environment for investors.
- Digital tokens historically increase in value when they get listed on Coinbase
- Coinbase has developed a framework for the kinds of tokens it will allow on its exchange, and the requirements include – decentralized network – open source code – be innovative and solve a problem – a working alpha or beta product – a good reputation and problem response rate – a clear road map – high market capitalization – quickly convertible to another asset.
Given all that, are there any current tokens that meet all the requirements? There are only a few that come close, loosely fitting these requirements, and there are none that meet 100% of these requirements. By carefully analyzing ERC20 tokens and owning the best of them before they hit Coinbase could easily lead to a tidy profit.
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As technology advances at a feverish pace, safety products are required
One of the many goals when crypto currency (CC) was first invented was to establish a secure digital system of transaction. The technology used was Blockchain, and still is. Blockchain systems were designed to be impervious to problems often found with online financial systems using older technology – – problems such as account hacking, counterfeit payment authentications, and web site phishing scams.
Blockchain itself runs on peer-to-peer global record-keeping networks (distributed ledgers) that are secure, cheap, and reliable. Transaction records all around the world are stored on blockchain networks, and because these records are spread out over the whole community of users, the data is inherently resistant to modification. No single piece of data can be altered without the alteration of all other blocks in the network, which would require the collusion of the majority of the entire network – – millions of watchdogs. BUT – what if a website looks like it is providing you a gateway to a legitimate crypto coin exchange or crypto wallet product, but is really a website designed to trick you into divulging information? You don’t have the security of Blockchain at all – you just have another phishing scam, and there is a need to be protected from all this.
MetaCert is a private company that says it is dedicated to keeping internet users safe, and its main security product can be used to protect enterprises from a range of malicious threats, and now they have a product designed to keep CC enthusiasts safe. This new product is called “Cryptonite” and it is designed to be installed as a browser add-on. Current browsers rely on SSL certificates that show users a small padlock in the browser address bar. Users have been told for years that SSL Certificates assure you that a website is authentic – not so fast – phishing sites use SSL Certificates too, so users can be fooled into thinking a website is legitimate when it is not. Once added to your web browser Cryptonite will show a shield next to the address bar. This shield will turn from black to green if a website is deemed to be “safe”. MetaCert says they have the world’s most advanced threat intelligence system with the world’s largest databases of classified URL’s for security.
Staying safe is always a good thing, but more safety products may be needed in future as technology marches forward, at an ever increasing pace. On the horizon is Quantum Computing (QC), which is showing great promise. QC is touted by many to be one of the biggest technological revolutions of the modern era. By harnessing the power of quantum mechanics, QC machines will be able to take on much more complex tasks, and to achieve speeds previously unattainable. Traditional computers are based on a binary model, using a system of switches that can be either on or off, represented with a 1 or a 0. QC’s are different in that their switches can be in both the on and off positions at the same time, which are called ‘superpositions.’ This ability to be in two simultaneous states is what makes QC’s so much faster. Google announced over two years ago that the quantum prototype they possess was 100 million times faster than any other computer in their lab. The development of this technology is pushing ahead at an increasingly fast rate. The first marketed quantum computer was produced in 2011 by the California based company D-Wave. D-Wave’s machine was equipped with a processor that contained 16 quantum computing units, called QUBITS. Since then, industry leaders like IBM and Microsoft have announced their own quantum programs.This trend will lead to an exponential scaling up of the number of QUBITS these new machines can handle over the next several years. While quantum computing holds the potential for significant advancements in many spheres, and for providing innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems, it will surely generate a need for improved security, as these machines will also have the power to assist hackers with their dastardly deeds. Protection and security will always be needed in the crypto currency space, same as with all other on-line spaces.
At Trend Disruptors, we will keep you up to date with new technologies, and investment strategies that lead to success.
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