• Becoming Blockchain Educated in 4 Simple Ways

    Many people hear the word ‘blockchain’ and think of it as nothing more than a buzzword. Most have heard of it, but significantly less have an idea about what blockchain is. Misuse of the word also adds to the confusion, with some start-ups unduly adding the word ‘blockchain’ into their company mission statement and to…

  • The Impact of Crypto Currencies on the Sharpe Ratio of Traditional Investment Models

    Deutsche Digital Assets commissioned an empirical study analyzing the impact a minor crypto asset allocation would have had on the risk-adjusted ROI of various portfolio types. The study concluded that all portfolio types benefited greatly, resulting in the portfolio’s Sharpe Ratio roughly doubling for all portfolio strategies with a mere 1%, rebalanced monthly, allocation to…

  • Using Blockchain Because They Care about an Equalizing Economy

    CryptoScout by Eleanor Haas   Celsius Network is a mobile app that functions like a crypto bank — receives crypto deposits, pays interest on crypto and makes loans collateralized by crypto. It became profitable in less than two years, an admirable achievement. But there’s more. Celsius set out to speed crypto adoption and then, by promising always…

  • Why Financial Institutions should be Educated about Cryptocurrencies

    In 2013, the one-time $5bn company, Blockbuster Videos, went into liquidation as it bowed to pressure from online streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu. Blockbuster did not see the threat that Netflix posed in 1997 when it launched and made the mistake of passing up the opportunity to buy Netflix in 2000. Its inability…

  • 50 Bitcoin Facts

    Over the last month or so there has been a surge of interest around Bitcoin and various other cryptocurrencies. I do not believe this is due to any single, specific reason, but it could be because many believe the perfect storm for Bitcoin is brewing in 2020. You can learn more about that on our…

  • Why now is the time to educate yourself on the blockchain and crypto-asset ecosystem before investing in cryptocurrencies

    There is a lot of misinformation in the public domain around cryptocurrencies. That, combined, with an, as yet, largely unregulated industry, makes financial institutions and savvy investors, a little nervous when investing into cryptocurrencies. Understandably so. Any prudent investor should understand and have an interest in the assets that form part of his or her…

  • Disruptor Disrupted?

    Is cryptocurrency at risk of being co-opted by the very institutions it was created to displace? CryptoScout  by Eleanor Haas, Partner of Iconic Holding, Chief Concept Navigator at The Calyx Group, Advisor to Astia Angels, and Director, Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, was launched in 2009 as a rebel with a cause —…

  • The Looming Financial Crisis And Bitcoin

      We are living in incredible times. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic over a new coronavirus which causes an illness known as COVID-19 which has spread to at least 170 countries and territories, killing more than 114,000 people and infecting more than 1,800,000, according to Worldometers. The world as we…

  • How to Assess the Value behind Cryptocurrencies

    Many of the investors and financial institutions I talk to are hesitant to invest in cryptocurrencies, often saying that they can’t determine their real value. For example, if we were looking to buy equity in a company, we could look at its fundamentals and make a prudent decision about whether to invest in it or…

  • Think Blockchain Technology is the Future? Here’s why you should also be investing in cryptocurrencies

    Most people can agree on the fact that technology innovation has accelerated in the last two decades. Technology makes all of our lives simpler and easier – we can get our food delivered, order a taxi to come to our door in minutes, hold meetings online, and access a wealth of information on any conceivable…