The year 2018 is behind us, and it has been
a challenging year for , with growing institutional opposition and the
sector rocked by scams and technical problems. Champions of are not
downtrodden, however, and they are hopeful looking forward to the year ahead.
Here we look at some of the most exciting upcoming developments and trends that
give supporters hope for 2019.
Decentralized exchanges
This has been a long-awaited development for users, who
until now have only been able to rely on bigger centralized platforms that
essentially take control of their funds once submitted. New platforms in 2019
like those from Nex and will be simplified and give control back to the
users. What’s more, with multiple platforms vying for success in the marketplace,
it’s good news for consumers who will have more choice. Possible drawbacks include
difficulty in managing high liquidity and providing customer support to such a
large, sprawling platform.
Security Token Offerings (STOs)
enthusiasts are already starting to refer to 2019 as
“The Year of the STO,” boosted by a huge online buzz. A shift from ICO to STO
is already happening, with many stating that the latter can solve many of the
former’s existing issues. STOs will allow companies to profit share, and put
equity into the security , for example, which means in the long run that
if the company is doing well, then the will always remain profitable.
There are significant regulatory hurdles to overcome, however, not to mention a
lack of international cooperation, and immediate hostility to STOs in countries
like .
Growth in Gaming
In 2018 CryptoKitties proved a hit, showing the potential of -based gaming, but active user numbers have been in decline, with some days not even exceeding 1000 users. In 2019 we are predicting a shift in the model, away from quick cash generation back to giving users a fun-filled experience. The model’s main potential lies in efficiency and avoidance of high fees from credit cards. It will take time to mature, but 2019 will see the formulae perfected and implemented. Success will follow.
Institutional Money
CryptoKitties was backed by some serious institutional cash from Wall Street
investors. As technology continues to mature, investor confidence is growing,
now even reaching the most established funds and enticing capital injections
from them. This gives the sector greater legitimacy. This
process takes time, but what has started in 2018 will continue to grow and
develop, as institutional investment brings more order and stability.
Growth of the Lightning network, and improved scalability
Save the best for last, right? Scalability has been the
bane of the crypto blue chips, like . Running at seven transactions per
second limits growth, and even scaling up to 15 won’t make a significant dent.
The best hope for 2019 is the growth of the Lightning network, which currently
supports just under 3,000 nodes. As more people join, the network’s promise of
instantaneous and fluid transactions becomes a reality. It’s not the easiest
platform to use, but growth in 2019 will bring more user-friendly interfaces,
especially if they gain the support of the larger exchanges.
And there you have it, still a lot of work ahead, but despite everything, the future for crypto continues to look brigh. Bring on, 2019!
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Published at Sat, 05 Jan 2019 16:49:18 +0000
