This guest post is written by Voyager, a crypto brokerage firm with a commission-free trading app.
2019 was an exciting year for the crypto industry, full of growth, maturity, and volatility. Big banks made considerable investments in crypto, Bitcoin futures took off, Facebook announced the launch of its cryptocurrency, and more. Keep reading for this year’s most important moments and trends.
Wall Street Steps In
To the world’s surprise, JP Morgan announced in February that it was launching its own stable coin, the JPM Coin. The bank-sponsored digital currency is said to settle transactions for JP Morgan’s clients across the globe, and according to reports, testing has already begun.
In September, Wells Fargo followed JP Morgan’s lead and announced Wells Fargo Digital Cash, a tokenized dollar that allows users to move money across the bank’s global network in “near real-time.”
Fidelity also jumped into crypto, setting up a New York state-chartered limited liability trust company to offer institutional customers digital asset trading. In December, the firm announced plans to expand the business to Europe.
Facebook & Twitter Invest in Crypto
In late June, Facebook announced the launch of Libra, a cryptocurrency governed by 100+ global companies, backed by a mix of stable currencies. Libra quickly faced backlash from regulators around the world who feared a company like Facebook controlling customers’ financial data and money.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Head of Calibra David Marcus went in front of Congress to defend the project and faced days of intense questioning. Despite the scrutiny from legislatures and companies like PayPal and Mastercard dropping out of the project, Facebook plans to move forward with Libra in 2020.
Twitter also made investments into crypto and blockchain. Jack Dorsey announced in December that Twitter will be funding a small independent team to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media and that ultimately, Twitter hopes to be its client. Dorsey also told his followers that he’s moving to Africa to help define the Bitcoin Future.
Regulators Crack Down
This year, U.S. Regulators finally provided additional clarity to crypto investors and businesses. In July, the IRS issued a warning to 10,000+ U.S. taxpayers with cryptocurrency holdings, advising them on how to file their taxes. On October 9, 2019, the IRS released new guidance on cryptocurrency taxation, including more clarity on hard forks, cost basis calculations, transfers, donations, and more.
In April, the SEC released its long-awaited crypto-token guidelines, detailing how the Howey Test, a decades-old legal precedent, can be used to determine whether a token is a security or not.
Futures Take Off
In September, Bakkt finally got approval to launch physically-settled bitcoin futures contracts. After a slow start, futures contracts on Bakkt hit a new high, with $4.8 million worth of Bitcoin traded on October 21.
Following their record-breaking day, Bakkt announced its plans to launch the first regulated options contract for bitcoin futures.
Bitcoin Outperforms
Bitcoin claimed the title of “Best Investment of the Decade.” According to CNN, if you invested $1 in Bitcoin in January 2010, it would now be worth roughly $90,000.
In comparison, a $1 investment in Gold would only be worth about $1.34 today. The stock market yielded slightly better results, with a $1 investment growing to $3.46 over the last decade. Still, no other investment came close to Bitcoin’s 8,999,900% ROI.
We’re looking forward to an even more successful 2020 for the crypto markets, blockchain technology, and Voyager. Thanks for a great 2019 and Happy New Year to all!
What to expect in the digital asset market in 2020
Fintech was one of the fastest growing sectors of the decade. Cryptocurrency was part of that, although that market had major ups and downs. Yahoo Finance’s Dan Roberts, Heidi Chung and Anjalee Khemlani discuss with Voyager Digital CEO Steve Ehrlich on YFi AM. Watch now.
Someone Say Bear Market? Bitcoin Sets 3 Huge New Records in 2019
Bitcoin (BTC) was, in fact, anything but bearish in 2019, as new data shows its technical strength has reached levels never seen before. Read more.
YouTube Calls Crypto Purge a Mistake But Many Videos Still Missing
YouTube erroneously purged cryptocurrency education videos from its video-sharing platform this week but claims to have reinstated them, according to a spokesperson. Content creators, however, are telling a different story. Read more.
Chinese Internet Giant Tencent to Launch Digital Currency Research Team
Tencent, the Chinese internet giant and owner of WeChat, is reportedly forming a team to explore possible new use cases for cryptocurrencies. Read more.
Ethereum co-founder Buterin proposes way to speed up Ethereum upgrade
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin yesterday proposed a way of hastening the process of transitioning from a proof of work chain to a proof of stake chain. Read more.
Rwanda Blockchain School for Blockchain to launch in 2020 for Devs, Professionals
The Africa Blockchain Institute (ABI) will open Rwanda’s ostensibly first blockchain school in 2020, offering five new courses for local developers, professionals and policymakers. Read more.
Ripple CEO Predicts Market Migration Towards “Quality Cryptocurrencies”
A recent episode of The Ripple Drop saw executives give their predictions on the state of the crypto world in 2020 and beyond. Read more.
The original Voyager post can be read here. You can earn $25 in BTC by signing up for the Voyager app and trading $100 (or use code SLUDGE25).
