Bitcoin has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing a market value of $107.8K.

Bitcoin has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing a market value of $107.8K. This surge can be attributed to a combination of persistent disbelief among retail investors and aggressive accumulation by institutional players. Recent excitement has been further fueled by Donald Trump's pro-crypto stance. His announcement to appoint 

 has been met with enthusiasm, especially since it signals the removal of Gary Gensler, who has often been viewed as an obstacle to crypto growth. As Trump reiterated his plans for a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, the sentiment in the crypto community has grown increasingly positive, suggesting a potential shift in regulatory dynamics that may benefit the market.

Meanwhile, the number of wallets holding between 100 to 1,000 BTC has risen significantly. In the past month, there’s been a net increase of 1,289 such wallets on the Bitcoin network, representing 9% growth in a short time frame. Moreover, these wallets have collectively added approximately 214,900 BTC to their holdings, marking a 5.1% increase in total assets.

Institutional Influence and MicroStrategy's Role

The current Bitcoin rally differs from previous ones, being primarily institutional-driven rather than retail-focused. MicroStrategy’s Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, has made significant Bitcoin purchases, recently acquiring over 36,900 BTC. This has led to mixed reactions on social media: while many praise Saylor as a visionary, critics express concerns about the company's reliance on borrowed funds for these acquisitions. The market's response to MicroStrategy's buying spree underscores its influence on Bitcoin's perception as a legitimate investment. Additionally, rising metrics, such as daily active addresses and an increase in higher-tier Bitcoin wallets, indicate growing utility and institutional interest in Bitcoin, suggesting a more sustainable path for this bull market.

Chainlink has emerged as a key player in the crypto space, achieving a 51% increase in December 2024. Its advancements in the CCIP have attracted traditional financial institutions, further legitimizing its technology. The launch of Chainlink’s new staking program has not only increased user engagement, but has also reduced selling pressure. Meanwhile, the MOVE token, part of The Movement Network, experienced an impressive 84% rise shortly after its debut, driven by airdrop events and exchange listings. Despite concerns about potential sell-offs, MOVE’s innovative approach positions it well for future growth in the Ethereum scaling landscape.

Advanced

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Bitcoin Tests New ATH as Wallets Holding Bitcoin Surge to New Highs; LINK and MOVE Outperform

Learn about peaq network, a Layer 1 blockchain purposely built and optimized for dePIN and RWA.

Decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs)

 are currently among the hottest sectors in the crypto space. peaq, a 

 blockchain purposely built and optimized specifically for these markets, aims to power a global infrastructure revolution using DePIN technology.

This article introduces you to the peaq network and the PEAQ token, and explores why this L1 chain is so popular among real-world asset and 

A decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) is a network that uses blockchain technology to build and operate real-world infrastructures with decentralized governance and ownership. DePIN stands in sharp contrast to the traditional model, in which centralized entities manage their ecosystems with complete control.

DePINs take a community-driven approach and use crypto incentives to expand and maintain their infrastructures. This significantly reduces up-front investments for these networks, and empowers users with the ability to set up their own devices and earn tokens as providers. DePIN leverages this decentralized and distributed architecture to eliminate single points of failure (SPOFs) and enhance the security of the infrastructure.

Some of the most notable DePIN projects are as follows:

 is a high-performance L1 blockchain purposely built and optimized for DePINs and 

. Offering a wide range of tools for projects, over 50 decentralized DePINs in 21 industries are developing on the peaq chain. As the world's largest and fastest-growing DePIN ecosystem, peaq network hosts more than 3 million machines, vehicles, robots and devices and accounts for over $1 billion worth of total value in DePIN devices.

peaq network was co-founded by Max Thake, Leonard Dorlöchter and Till Wendler, bringing together their extensive expertise and experience in blockchain, decentralized networks and entrepreneurship.

Thake, a writer and entrepreneur, excels at simplifying complex technology and using this approach to solve problems. Dorlöchter, active in the blockchain space since 2015, is passionate about decentralization and self-sovereignty and is a member of the 

. Wendler has a strong background in tech startups and decentralized systems, which he leverages to navigate the complexities of the 

The trio, together with other team members, have dedicated their efforts to enable a more inclusive, transparent and equitable world through the advent of 

In March 2024, peaq raised $15 million in a round led by Borderless Capital and Generative Ventures. Additionally, the project secured $6 million and $2.5 million of funding from investors in June 2022 and June 2021, respectively, and participants contributed nearly $20 million to peaq network's public sale in May 2024, bringing the total funds raised to an impressive $43.48 million.

Besides Borderless Capital and Generative Ventures, notable investors behind peaq network include Animoca Brands, CMCC Global, The Spartan Group, DWF Labs, Fundamental Labs, Moonrock Capital, HashKey Capital and GSR.

peaq's modular DePIN functions are designed to empower developers to build next-generation decentralized physical networks. DePINs and 

 (DApps) can leverage these ready-to-use functions to equip their ecosystems with essential core functionalities. These include self-sovereign machine IDs, data verification, role-based access control, data storage, autonomous 

, machine payment processing and data indexing.

Modular DePIN functions work as building blocks for decentralized physical infrastructure networks, enabling them to explore synergies with peers and expand their demand sides. They’re available via the peaq SDK (software development kit) in JavaScript, allowing the seamless deployment of modules with approximately 15 lines of code. With peaq, developers can also enjoy increased flexibility and convenience with Wasm and 

peaq network's fast-growing ecosystem consists of over 50 DePINs in 21 industries, including energy, mobility and telecom. Some of the top DePIN and RWA projects building on peaq’s purpose-built L1 chain include :

In terms of use cases, peaq provides a wide range of utility for enterprises, ranging from mobility and connectivity to 3D printing, cloud gaming and drone delivery.

Practical examples of peaq network uses include co-creating the standards and infrastructure for the future of mobility under the 

. The project has an overall size of more than €20 million ($21 million) and includes participants like Bosch, Airbus, Continental, 

 in its car-sharing fleet to the peaq ecosystem, enabling users to invest in them via the web3 car-sharing app and earn rewards from rides they provide.

peaq network is powered by its native PEAQ token, which was launched on Nov 12, 2024 alongside the peaq blockchain's mainnet. The cryptocurrency's key utilities for users include the following:

With no cap on its maximum supply, PEAQ's total supply at genesis stood at 4.2 billion tokens, with an initial inflation rate of 3.5% that will decrease annually by 10% and stabilize once the network reaches 1% inflation. Currently, 4.212 billion PEAQ is circulating in the market. You can find out more about the token's genesis allocation 

peaq's network of DePIN and RWA projects is expanding at a rapid pace. Some key statistics and figures in this field are as follows:

With a high-performance, purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain, peaq network powers a fast-growing number of DePIN and RWA projects to power a global infrastructure revolution. Boasting more than $40 million in funding and over 50 DePINs, $25 million managed in tokenized real-world assets and 3 million devices within its ecosystem, the L1 chain already has a solid foundation to realize its vision and achieve its goals.

 via Bybit’s user-friendly and intuitive trading platform as a Perpetual contract? 

Intermediate

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Peaq Network: A Layer 1 Blockchain Purpose-Built for DePIN

Rootstock (RBTC) is an EVM- and smart contract–capable Layer 2 sidechain for Bitcoin designed for DeFi use cases.

 (DeFi) sector back in 2017 is firmly associated with the 

 (ETH) blockchain. It was Ethereum that introduced the concept of 

, and the first prominent DeFi protocols were all born on this blockchain. For a while, it seemed like 

 (BTC) stayed away from the emerging DeFi phenomenon. It’s only in the past few years that the Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem, dubbed BTCFi, seemingly started to show the first signs of life. This impression is, however, not entirely correct. As early as January 2018, the first DeFi-focused 

 solution for Bitcoin — the Rootstock (RBTC) sidechain — celebrated its mainnet debut.

Rootstock remains the oldest and longest-running Layer 2 platform for the Bitcoin ecosystem. It’s smart contract-capable and highly compatible with the 

 (EVM). While the platform can support all kinds of 

 (DApps), it specifically focuses on the DeFi niche, with nearly all of its leading apps dedicated to crypto finance use cases. Along with smart contract functionality, Rootstock enjoys the famed security of Bitcoin, thanks to its merged mining with the world's largest chain. The sidechain also features superior scalability and lower transaction fees than Bitcoin’s 

With this combination of benefits, it’s no wonder that the Rootstock sidechain has managed to keep a leading position in the fast-developing BTCFi field all these years.

 (RBTC) is a smart contract–capable Layer 2 sidechain designed for Bitcoin DeFi applications. Rootstock's native cryptocurrency, RBTC, is an asset pegged to BTC at a 1:1 ratio.

 Users can transfer their BTC funds to the sidechain, where their coins are converted to RBTC. From then on, users are free to use the RBTC crypto to make use of Rootstock's extensive ecosystem of DeFi apps and tools. Rootstock represents a major way for Bitcoin holders to enjoy smart contract–powered DeFi applications without having to move their assets and activity to Ethereum or other smart contract chains.

Since the Bitcoin network has virtually no smart contract capabilities, many DeFi-minded BTC holders have to convert their funds to Ether or other smart contract chain coins to enjoy crypto finance opportunities on those blockchains. While Ethereum, 

 (ADA) and other prominent smart contract chains offer a diverse array of DeFi solutions, the problem with converting BTC to these coins is the loss of peg; e.g., by exchanging BTC to ETH, you’re decoupling your funds from the world's largest cryptocurrency, well regarded by many investors as the gold standard in crypto investment.

Rootstock solves this issue by offering a BTC-pegged asset, RBTC, that can be swapped back for BTC at any time and returned to the Bitcoin Layer 1 environment. The platform essentially lets you enjoy a plethora of DeFi opportunities while keeping your overall funds tightly pegged to BTC.

Rootstock features EVM compatibility through its Rootstock virtual machine (RVM). This makes porting Ethereum DApps to the sidechain a breeze. The platform also enjoys the security of Bitcoin through a merged mining procedure, whereby miners can use the hash power contributed to securing the Bitcoin network to simultaneously mine blocks on Rootstock as well.

Rootstock's block production time is just 30 seconds, twenty times as frequent as Bitcoin's 10-minute intervals. This allows for fast and efficient transaction processing. At the same time, to ensure complete security of operations, Rootstock normally requires that each transaction go through a minimum of 12 confirmations, which takes the total time for complete transaction finalization to six minutes.

 difficulty is considerably lower than Bitcoin's, and its network congestion isn't anywhere near the levels of Bitcoin or Ethereum. As a result, gas fees on the chain are notably lower than on Bitcoin and Ethereum, with an average transaction fee of around five cents.

The Rootstock sidechain was first conceptualized in 2015 by a group of Argentinian software engineers from RSK Labs. It was officially launched in January 2018, making it the oldest existing Bitcoin Layer 2 solution. In its earlier years of operation, the platform was known as the RSK blockchain, but rebranded to Rootstock in 2022. The project's co-founders are Diego Gutiérrez Zaldívar, Adriȧn Eidelman, Gabriel Kurman and Sergio Demian Lerner.

Rootstock uses an address system compatible with and similar to Ethereum's, with 40 alphanumeric characters and an account-based model. This differs from the 

 (UTXO) model employed for Bitcoin transactions. Transactions on the sidechain directly modify account balances, similar to Ethereum, rather than adjusting unspent output amounts.

This account-based address system ensures adherence to EVM compatibility and easy accommodation of DApps ported from EVM chains.

, known previously as the RSK virtual machine, is a processing engine used by the sidechain. It's EVM-compatible, allowing developers to easily port and adapt Ethereum smart contracts and DApps to the Rootstock environment. Additionally, developers can use Solidity, the primary programming language used within the Ethereum ecosystem, to build Rootstock-based applications.

The project's team tries to maintain compatibility between RVM and EVM carefully. Around once a year, the Ethereum developer community performs a 

 of the blockchain, upgrading it to a new version. The key goals of these upgrades are to introduce new functionality, address security concerns and improve existing features. If the new features introduced by Ethereum align with the ethos and goals of the Rootstock project, the team initiates a corresponding hard fork upgrade to the sidechain and RVM in order to maintain the snug compatibility between the processing engines of the two chains.

Rootstock's security mechanism is well protected, thanks to 

 with Bitcoin. Like Bitcoin's Layer 1, Rootstock uses the 

 (PoW) block generation procedure. Miners can merge-mine RBTC using the same 

 power they contribute to mining Bitcoin. This provides an excellent way for miners to earn additional crypto income without the need to contribute more computing capacity. Merged mining is also a key way for PoW blockchains to reduce their environmental impact.

Since the average block time on the Rootstock blockchain is only 30 seconds, miners can expect more frequent rewards from their block generation activity. In general, Rootstock's mining difficulty is lower than Bitcoin's, allowing less powerful mining machines to still generate income on the network.

Rootstock's mining rewards are paid out in RBTC, the BTC-pegged asset that we'll cover in more detail later in the article.

 is Rootstock's system to ensure a peg between BTC and RBTC and the secure transfer of assets between the sidechain and Bitcoin Layer 1. The Rootstock PowPeg allows anyone to lock BTC on the Bitcoin chain and get securely issued RBTC on the Rootstock side. PowPeg also facilitates the process of burning RBTC on Rootstock and receiving the requisite amount of BTC on Layer 1.

Rootstock PowPeg uses Bitcoin's PoW to maintain the security and integrity of the peg in conjunction with institutional nodes running specialized 

 devices. PowHSMs securely sign transactions involving the transfer of assets between Rootstock and Bitcoin. The group of nodes running PowHSMs, called the PowPeg Federation, is currently made up of nine reputable organizations in the blockchain sphere — BlockVenture, Luxor, Сollider, Сonstata, Mycointainer, pNetwork, Sovryn, Xapo and RootstockLabs.

Rootstock Smart Bitcoin (RBTC), previously known as RSK Bitcoin, is the platform's main cryptocurrency. RBTC is pegged to BTC at a ratio of 1:1 through the securely enabled PowPeg mechanism covered above. Like BTC on the Bitcoin blockchain, RBTC is used to pay transaction fees and reward miners on the Rootstock network. However, unlike BTC, RBTC can also be used within DApps for functions like collateral provision, lending, borrowing and more.

Given RBTC's peg to BTC, it’s not surprising that its tokenomics borrows some critical parameters from Bitcoin. RBTC's total supply is specified at 21 million, matching the 

The Rootstock platform also has a second token, RIF, primarily designed to support DApps that are part of the 

 (RIF) protocol, a layer built on top of the Rootstock chain for apps designed for staking, lending, payments and other DeFi use cases. There are currently several RIF DApps on Rootstock that can use the RIF token.

 within these DApps. It can also be staked on Rootstock to open up the opportunity to participate in on-platform 

. By staking RIF, you’re issued stRIF tokens, which enable you to participate in governance votes via the 

. This is the platform's primary governance entity, through which community members — users and developers — can influence the future direction and improvements to the sidechain and its ecosystem.

For instance, during the early stages of the DAO's operation, community members can vote on the allocation of ecosystem grants. In the future, decision-making on other initiatives (e.g., rewarding developers contributing to the growth of Rootstock) will be implemented.

RIF is a supply-capped token, with a total and maximum supply of 1 billion. The token's overall supply allocation shares, as outlined in the project's white paper, are as follows:

As a leading Bitcoin sidechain capable of executing smart contracts, Rootstock boasts a thriving ecosystem of DApps, primarily in the DeFi domain. As of mid-December 2024, the total number of applications, utility tools, wallets and other smart contract–enabled solutions on Rootstock stands at close to 180.

One of the leading applications on the chain is Sovryn, a decentralized Bitcoin trading and lending platform. Another popular DeFi app is 

 (AMM) built on the Ethereum blockchain. In addition to a plethora of DeFi apps, Rootstock has solutions for 

The Rootstock Runes Mock Bridge project allows developers to create Rune tokens on the sidechain. Introduced in April 2024, the 

 has opened a way to efficiently create Bitcoin-based fungible tokens by leveraging the blockchain's native UTXO transaction model. Rootstock's Runes Mock Bridge supports the process of creating these tokens by first etching Runes on a Bitcoin, and then mirroring their representations to the sidechain. The replication of Bitcoin-based Runes tokens on Rootstock is enabled via the ERC-1155 token standard. This is a standard utilized on EVM-compatible chains to transfer blockchain assets of both fungible and non-fungible varieties efficiently.

Rootstock Token Bridge is a bridging solution designed to facilitate the transfer of ERC-20 assets between the Rootstock sidechain and Ethereum. Although Rootstock and Ethereum share the same address format and model, sending assets between these chains directly via your wallet may not work. Instead, to transfer assets, you are advised to use the Rootstock Token Bridge, which will convert the transferred tokens to a requisite format.

 projects active on the Rootstock chain. One of these, NFTs2Me, allows you to create NFTs with no coding skills required. The other project, coNFT, is a comprehensive multichain platform that offers users a wide variety of NFT-focused products and services — 

 name service, analytics and more. coNFT has access to data and NFT services across over 100 blockchain platforms.

The oldest Bitcoin sidechain in existence, Rootstock continues to play a key role in the development of Bitcoin-linked DeFi — BTCFi. The platform's EVM compatibility also positions it as a major bridge between the Ethereum and Bitcoin ecosystems — the blockchain environments of the world's two leading cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Over the years, Rootstock has accumulated a comprehensive arsenal of DeFi solutions — DEXs, liquidity management apps, 

 platforms, lending and borrowing protocols, NFT utilities and more. At the same time, RBTC's peg to BTC presents a unique way for crypto users to enjoy these DeFi protocols while holding an asset tightly coupled with Bitcoin's market price.

Developers can also enjoy a familiar environment, with the Solidity programming language and an EVM-compatible account model utilized by the sidechain.

Importantly, Rootstock offers efficient transaction processing — supported by its 30-second block intervals — and lower transaction fees than either Ethereum or Bitcoin. With gas fees a major concern for users on both of these Layer 1 chains, Rootstock is a platform that deserves close attention from both DeFi users and developers.

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Rootstock (RBTC): Boosting Bitcoin DeFi With Smart Contracts

Dive into World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) project inspired by Donald Trump, and its native WLFI token.

 (DeFi) project inspired by Donald Trump, the incoming president of the United States. The project aims to provide innovative financial solutions while leveraging the Trump brand's influence. This article will explore the project’s key features, the Trump family's involvement and the utility and tokenomics of the WLFI token.

 is a DeFi project designed to revolutionize modern financial transactions. This project operates on blockchain technology and integrates advanced DeFi tools that allow users to trade, earn and borrow with efficiency. 

 has publicly promoted the launch of World Liberty Financial and its native WLFI token.

On October 16, 2024, Donald Trump posted on X announcing that the project was live. His family members are also significantly involved in this exciting project. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are at the forefront, working diligently to develop the platform and promote its goals.

Barron Trump, just 18 years old and a freshman at NYU, has taken on the role of “Chief DeFi Visionary.” The Trump family has utilized social media to build interest in World Liberty Financial, asserting that it could transform personal finance management for individuals everywhere. Despite their involvement, the project claims to remain non-political and separate from any political campaign. 

Aside from Donald Trump and his family, there are other people on the team behind this DeFi initiative. The official website lists five co-founders: Chase Herro, Zak Folkman, Steven Witkoff, Zach Witkoff and Alex Witkoff. The project also features notable advisors, including Sandy Peng from Scroll and Luke Pearson from Polychain Capital.

Its primary mission is to empower users by providing them with tools for financial independence. Below are some key features.

World Liberty Financial Holdings has recently captured attention through its 

. The World Liberty Multisig wallet completed $12 million worth of transactions, demonstrating a clear strategy to build a well-rounded cryptocurrency portfolio.

 was 2,631 ETH for $10 million, purchased at $3,801 per token. Ethereum’s smart contract capabilities make it a cornerstone of many DeFi projects, solidifying this as a strategic decision for the platform. The wallet also secured 41,335 LINK for $1 million at $24.20 each. Additionally, $1 million was allocated to purchase 3,357 AAVE at $297.80 per token. AAVE is a leader in DeFi, offering seamless lending and borrowing solutions.

The WLFI token is important in the World Liberty Financial ecosystem. Built as an ERC-20 token, it powers several essential functions on the platform:

The tokenomics of WLFI include a total supply of 100 billion tokens. Below is an outline of its distribution structure:

The launch of the WLFI token has faced significant challenges and has failed to meet its initial sales targets. Investors showed less interest than anticipated, leading to sluggish sales for the World Liberty Financial project. This disappointing start raised concerns about the project's viability in the competitive decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. Despite the backing of Donald Trump, the token struggled to attract the expected level of investment during its initial offering.

In a surprising turn of events, Justin Sun, the founder of the TRON blockchain, stepped in with a substantial 

. Sun's purchase allowed him to acquire over half of all WLFI tokens sold, positioning him as the largest investor in the project.

World Liberty Financial aims to make a significant impact in the DeFi sector, which has largely underperformed throughout the current bull market. The potential of clearer regulations for the wider crypto industry under the incoming Trump administration has boosted investors’ hopes for a revival of the DeFi space. 

Furthermore, backing from the Trump family has drawn considerable attention to the World Liberty Financial project. However, it’s essential for potential investors to 

 before committing funds to avoid scams and ensure safe engagement with financial projects.

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World Liberty Financial: Trump's DeFi Project

Bybit Learn

Altcoins

Privacy coins are cryptocurrencies with extra features that enhance anonymity and confidentiality. Learn more about the best privacy coins to invest in.

For many cryptocurrency enthusiasts, the biggest benefit of crypto is its ability to offer privacy. Unlike traditional currency, you can use cryptos without necessarily being tracked by banking systems and other financial institutions. However, not all cryptos offer the same level of privacy and decentralization. If confidentiality is your priority, it might be worthwhile to look into privacy coins. Explore this guide to find the best privacy coins for stealth transactions and secure investments.

To qualify as a privacy coin, a crypto must be both anonymous and untraceable. Many cryptocurrencies are only partially anonymous. They don't link your coins to your real-world name, but cryptos like 

 have a public ledger in which users can link addresses to Bitcoin transactions. Meanwhile, real privacy coins are entirely confidential. People can’t look at a list of transactions and see that the same user address keeps receiving specific amounts of money. They also can’t look up any token to see which user owns it, or to trace its user history.

The typical privacy coin has to use a lot of underlying technology to maintain user privacy. It can be somewhat tricky to properly verify private financial transactions without revealing anything about the people performing them. Different privacy coins use different mechanics to achieve this goal.

Some coins use a mathematical concept called 

 to protect users' identities. These protocols independently verify details off-chain, and then send a message to the network that something is true without providing evidence for 

 it’s true. This keeps details such as transaction amounts from being published on the network. 

Other privacy coins generate single-use stealth addresses for every transaction. Users' publicly-listed addresses change with every transaction, so no one can track financial activity. Still, other privacy cryptos even use features such as ring signatures that mix decoy addresses in with real addresses to further obscure data.

There are many advantages to working with privacy coins. The anonymity can be helpful if you want to avoid scrutiny, or if you simply prefer that no one knows how you’re handling your finances. Confidentiality can be especially useful if you’re investing a lot. When no one knows your private transactions, it's harder for people to predict what you’ll do next. You can keep your competitors guessing, and avoid catching the interest of hackers who are looking for wealthy crypto owners. 

Because privacy coins are highly fungible, individual coins cannot be tainted by past use. For example, there's no risk of accepting a Bitcoin previously used in an illegal transaction and suddenly being scrutinized by law enforcement. Ultimately, privacy coins provide peace of mind, financial security and ease of use.

However, privacy coins aren't perfect. To compensate a company for all of the extra features that protect users' identities, you usually have to pay higher-than-average transaction fees. In addition, since privacy coins are sometimes used for illegal activities, using them can make your behavior look more suspicious to law enforcement. 

Due to their controversy, there’s always the chance that privacy coins could be banned. Investors may risk sudden legal changes that might impact the value of their crypto coins. Finally, if something does go wrong with a transaction, privacy features make it harder to recover stolen or lost cryptocurrency.

When it comes to day-to-day use, privacy coins function similarly to regular coins. Both of them use the same basic methods for buying, selling, storing and exchanging coins. The other main similarity is that both of these types of coins are cryptocurrency: digital assets that exist on a blockchain network and have a value assigned to them based on user demand.

The main difference between private cryptocurrencies and regular coins is in their transparency. Most regular blockchains have public ledgers, so that you can look at transaction data and see how coins are being spent. Privacy coins obscure this transaction data. Not only can average users not see the data, but it's also obscured from law enforcement, network developers and others. Due to these features, privacy coins aren't always sold on crypto exchanges like regular coins, and their transaction fees can be higher.

There are a lot of fantastic privacy coins to choose from. However, the following coins stand out from the rest due to their ability to provide confidential transactions and helpful user features.

 is a somewhat unique private cryptocurrency because it offers different levels of privacy. Users have options, such as hiding IP addresses through 

 to hide transaction amounts. However, despite being fast and user-friendly, Verge’s security isn't the best. In 2018, hackers were able to 

Verge crypto is currently sitting at $0.0043 (as of Aug 10, 2023). Its price has been consistently low since early 2022. However, there was a spike in price at the end of June 2023 that brought Verge’s price from $0.0016 to a peak of $0.0096. There could be renewed interest in this crypto, so you might want to consider investing in it. 

 is probably the most popular private crypto right now. It uses stealth addresses and ring confidential transactions to protect users' identities. Furthermore, it's easy to mine and has no block limitations. Despite these perks, of course, Monero isn't perfect. Its fees are high and it's not highly decentralized.

If you're looking for privacy coins to invest in, Monero's popularity makes it a smart choice. Its current price is $155.65 (as of Aug 10, 2023), and it has an impressive market cap of $2.8 billion. Though its price is down from an all-time high of $542.33, Monero still performs very well.

, you can choose a normal transaction or pick the 

 option to opt in to their privacy features. In exchange for a higher fee, Dash will use a 

 to obscure where your funds came from. This can be helpful, but some beginners may find Dash tricky to work with.

Dash is currently selling for $32.57 (as of Aug 10, 2023). It has a market cap of $371 million and a 24-hour trading volume of around $32 million. Currently, Dash has been trending downward. However, it's a fairly consistent crypto, so it still might be useful to investors.

 markets its service as being a more secure version of Bitcoin transactions. This cryptocurrency focuses on simplicity, convenience and security, using zero-knowledge proofs for enhanced privacy. However, the crypto is mostly designed for Linux users and CPU miners, so it won't work for everyone.

Trading at $29.44 per token (as of Aug 10, 2023) and with a market cap of $243 million, Zcash is fairly popular with investors. Unlike many other privacy coins, its price has held mostly stable instead of zigzagging around drastically.

 is an innovative, community-driven privacy coin that uses the 

 protocol to algorithmically conceal user addresses and coin balances. It can process private transactions without even using wallet transactions. Keep in mind, however, that Grin is still fairly untested, and its community-led development can be slow.

Grin currently costs $0.032 per token (as of Aug 10, 2023). With a market cap of just $4.7 million, it isn't a very well-known privacy coin. Grin is still an intriguing investment, though, because of numerous small price jumps and dips that can lead to valuable trading opportunities.

 is another multi-level privacy coin. Users can choose between an 

 to get exactly the level of privacy they need. This blockchain features a huge node network that increases security and decentralization. However, users need to know that sending from a Z-address to a T-address will show the public how much money is being sent.

Though it's currently priced at $8.66 (as of Aug 10, 2023), Horizen’s price has gone through a lot of change lately. In the past month alone, its price has almost doubled. This coin's rapid movements make it a favorite with short-term investors.

’s privacy-first design uses two separate blockchain layers to keep user data confidential. Other useful features include staking, low fees and scalability. However, users need to be aware that Oasis Network is relatively new, and hasn't yet been able to fully develop all of its planned features.

Oasis Network's token, ROSE, has a current price of $0.046 (as of Aug 10, 2023). This is low as compared to its all-time high of $0.59 in early 2022, so investors may want to be cautious. Though it doesn't seem likely ROSE’s price will recover anytime soon, new launches from Oasis Network could cause unexpected price increases.

This popular crypto's been around for a while, and a few years ago, Decred began to offer users the option of enabling privacy. Their simple solution consists of jumbling up transaction data so no one can see which user is associated with which transaction. 

 is fast, affordable and effective, but its method for confidential transactions might not offer quite as much security as other privacy coin platforms.

Currently selling for $14.38 (as of Aug 10, 2023), DCR has been steadily declining in value for over a year, so it might not be the best investment right now. However, this crypto has been around long enough that most watchers believe its price will recover. In fact, there was a rise in price from mid-June to early July, from $12.40 to $19.06.

Privacy coins are somewhat controversial. Not only can they be used for illegal activities, but their systems also make it much harder for financial regulators to monitor the crypto company. Privacy coins are currently legal in the United States, but some countries, like Japan, ban people from using them. Other countries, like Australia and South Korea, try to offer a compromise by removing privacy coins from crypto exchanges but allowing private citizens to use them.

Privacy coins are in high demand, so they can be quite valuable. Especially in times of financial uncertainty when a lot of users are looking for secure ways to handle finances, privacy coin values can spike. Even if you have no need for private cryptocurrencies, purchasing some of these coins can still provide big returns. For example, over the course of a few months in 2021, Monero more than doubled in price.

However, keep in mind that their controversy makes them a little risky. In some countries, you can’t purchase privacy coins through crypto exchanges, so it's hard to use them for short-term investing. Every new announcement of a ban causes a drop in prices, so unexpected regulation may affect your portfolio. Privacy coins are harder to regulate, and some networks have crashed due to poor management or illegal behavior.

Privacy coins are a great way for people to protect their financial data, and they can also be great for savvy investors. Security features, such as zero-knowledge proofs and ring signatures, keep others from being able to see how much crypto you have or how you spend it. As long as you take the time to research coins and pick the right option, privacy coins can be useful. If you’re looking to trade privacy coins, you can 

8 Best Privacy Coins for a Secure & Confidential Investment

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