A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency designed to work as a medium of exchange. It uses cryptography to secure and verify transactions and to control the creation of new units. The most popular cryptocurrency today is Bitcoin, which has been around since 2009. Although the rise of cryptocurrencies has caused much controversy, their impact on society is still being sorted out. One such likely impact, however, is that they will act as a major disrupter in the remittances industry. The majority of these come from migrant workers employed in developed countries, who send money home to their families in less developed countries. This cross-border flow of wealth has many recipients in developing countries.
With the rise of cryptocurrency, experts have expressed concern that this money transfer activity could be disrupted significantly. Cryptocurrencies offer an exciting alternative for money transfers for these workers. Cryptocurrencies have built-in functionality to transmit funds directly to their recipients. This eliminates the need for traditional remittance companies, which charge a lot of money in both fees and transaction costs. Bitcoin is a hot topic these days. If you want to make some profit from bitcoins then Bitcoin Profit will be your ultimate go-to place for all things crypto!
Buying, selling, and trading crypto assets:
There are two main ways in which users can buy cryptocurrencies. They can either buy it online using existing fiat currencies such as the dollar, or they can trade for them using other cryptocurrencies. To buy using fiat currency, users must have their fiat currency linked to their accounts from cryptocurrency trading platforms or exchanges. This requires them to provide an identity check, so this option is limited to those with access to financial services and whose identity details are already verified by the firms conducting the verification procedures.
Once crypto assets have been bought, they can be stored in digital wallets. These are like normal wallets that are used for day-to-day transactions, but their operators run the risk of being hacked by cybercriminals and hackers. Nasty things often happen when users store large amounts of money in such wallets. Crypto assets can also be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges, which are websites where people can buy and sell cryptocurrencies. However, these exchanges tend to charge fees for transactions.
Transferring money:
To transfer value between the different currencies, the sending bank must first convert the sender’s fiat currency into bitcoin. This usually takes less than a day because once the receiving company has received this money, it can then be used to buy up cryptocurrencies using a cryptocurrency exchange. Once that is done, the receiving company can then transfer funds back to their home countries using traditional banking services such as e-payments systems and accounts at local banks. Although the transfers often take place within a day, they are not instantaneous, as the bank may need a few hours to make the transfer. This is because of banking regulations, which typically take days or weeks to process in Australia, New Zealand, and other developed countries.
So, which countries are likely to implement Bitcoin next?
Already, countries such as the Philippines and India are allowing the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in an effort to stimulate economic growth. It’s clear that cryptocurrencies have significant potential, but we need to consider their impact on the global financial system. For example, if Bitcoin becomes a major currency in many countries around the world, then it could destabilize central banking systems and undermine governments’ ability to conduct monetary policy at will. This could cause considerable market volatility.
It could also accelerate the movement of money globally, for instance, in transactions that take place at the local level. These often don’t go through banks but are handled by peer-to-peer exchanges that use cryptocurrencies. This makes it harder for national governments and central banks to track such financial activities, which is why they may not like it even if it boosts growth, employment, and tax revenues in their countries.
Speed of transfers hard to beat:
As we mentioned earlier, the speed at which transfers can take place has been a key criticism of cryptocurrencies. However, experts are working to make it faster. A major technology company in the USA is developing a system that would use blockchain technology to make remittances within minutes. Bitcoin’s blockchain is also being used by a start-up in Kenya to speed up the remittances process within the country. Some are even suggesting that speedy payments could be the future of international banking and finance. If major money transfers could be conducted over a few minutes, then it could have major impacts on economic growth and job creation across the world. Rather than large transfers taking months or years to complete, they would take seconds.
Conclusion:
Cryptocurrencies are an intriguing concept that may be the future of payment systems. At present, they are very volatile in value, so their potential remains to be seen. However, if they become widely used for transactions and money transfers around the world, then we will have to see how that affects the global economy and monetary policy. Just as we have seen with other disruptive technologies such as email and mobile phones, once a new platform arrives in the market, it can shake up established industries and lead to growth in productivity levels and increased tax revenues.
Other articles from mtltimes.ca – totimes.ca – otttimes.ca