Forget Bitcoin: Here are The Crypto Assets To Follow

Go to original source: Benzinga

by Nikolas Joyce

Bitcoin — all the rage since first crossing the $1,000 price mark in 2017 — is the least exciting crypto asset on the market. Like many “firsts,” Bitcoin enjoys widespread brand recognition, but that recognition doesn’t accurately reflect its value as an asset, particularly in comparison to other available assets in the crypto market.

Bitcoin is to the crypto market what Netscape was to search engines in the early days of the Internet. There’s a need for a better solution, and the market is responding.

Real innovation in the crypto market now takes place in decentralized finance (DeFi) and the mainly Ethereum-based (ETH) infrastructure that underpins it. DeFi, which supports everything from decentralized exchanges to token based lending, mimics the structure of traditional financial markets in the open, transparent forum of a blockchain-based infrastructure. According to ConsenSys, more than $2 billion worth of transactions occur daily on decentralized exchanges and more than $23 billion in outstanding decentralized loans have been granted as of March 2021.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Rather than focus on Bitcoin, the following are crypto assets worth watching, as they are best positioned to capitalize on the growing popularity and practicality of decentralized finance:

UniSwap (UNI)

UniSwap is a decentralized liquidity protocol that facilitates automated trading of decentralized finance tokens. Compatible with any ERC-20 token in the ethereum ecosystem, it has a current market cap exceeding $16 billion and

continues to grow rapidly. In January of this year, it traded around $5 — it currently trades in the $30 range.

UNI is well positioned within the DeFi space, as it represents the largest decentralized exchange in the crypto market. As such, it is slated to capitalize on the onset of FinTech 2.0, of which DeFi is the key component, and the market’s expected multi-trillion dollar growth over the next several years as it converges with traditional finance.

Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin, an early alt coin dating back to 2011, took some of the best features from Bitcoin while focusing on providing a less onerous processing framework to decrease the block generation time. Litecoin can process a block every 2.5 minutes, compared to Bitcoin’s 10 minutes. It is a peer-to-peer Internet currency with a fully decentralized, open source, global payment network. LTC is a great example of the potential for peer-to-peer cryptocurrency and the importance of continuous innovation.

LTC started 2021 trading at roughly $124 and currently trades at around $262. It boasts an almost $18 billion market cap and a 24-hour transaction volume of more than $10 billion. It is relatively liquid and has great potential for further upside.

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink is a decentralized network designed to connect smart contracts with data from the non-crypto space. LINK provides reliable, tamper-proof inputs and outputs for complex smart contracts on any blockchain and will potentially be the “link” that weaves different networks together. It serves as another solid example of the strengths of DeFi, as it’s a connector and a facilitator for further innovation.

LINK’s price has risen along with the other core DeFi tokens: it increased from $0.19 in January 2018 to approximately $35, currently.

The DeFi and the general crypto infrastructure space represents one of the top opportunity sets for the next decade across all asset classes. As the crypto market continues to mature and to grow in participation, these players in the ecosystem will stand to benefit in ways that Bitcoin simply cannot. The current growth rate in this space promises to continue, with these technologies eventually evolving into the dominant players in financial markets. But only those best positioned for that future will endure.

If the crypto space is truly successful, there will be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tokenized assets trading on blockchains with smart contract components. Bitcoin will be just one of them, and certainly not the most attractive.

The Strategic Funds, LLC (“TSF” or “Firm”) is the owner of Strategic Capital Fund Advisors, LLC, an exempt reporting advisor (“SCFA”).

Alternative investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. Past performance is not necessarily indicative nor a guarantee of future results.

The information presented herein is solely for informational purposes only. It is intended for the benefit of “Accredited Investors”, as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The information contained herein does not constitute and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services or an offer to sell or a solicitation.

The information herein has not been based on a consideration of any individual investor circumstances and is not investment advice, nor should it be construed in any way as tax, accounting, legal, financial or regulatory advice. To that end, investors should seek independent legal and financial advice, including advice as to tax consequences, before making any investment decision. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will work under all market conditions, and each investor should evaluate their ability to invest.

Any views and opinions provided are those of the portfolio management team and are subject to change at any time due to market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Furthermore, the views will not be updated or otherwise revised to reflect information that subsequently becomes available or circumstances existing, or changes occurring. The views expressed do not reflect the opinions of all portfolio managers at TSF or the views of the Firm as a whole, and may not be reflected in all the strategies and products that the Firm offers. Any information herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed by TSF.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by TSF or SCFA (or any of their respective members, directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents, representatives and consultants) as to or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of information on this website.

No investment should be made without proper consideration of the risks and advice from your tax, accounting, legal or other advisors as you deem appropriate.

The trading of commodities and derivatives such as futures, options, and swaps involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Advisory services for futures and options is available through Strategic Capital Advisors, LLC (“SCA”), a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”) and registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a commodity trading advisor and commodity pool operator. SCA’s strategies are offered only for individuals or firms who qualify under CFTC rules as a “Qualified Eligible Participant” (“QEP”).

SCA does not distribute research reports, employ research analysts, or maintain a research department as defined in CFTC Regulation 1.71.

Alternative investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. The risk of trading futures and/or options can be substantial. Past performance is not necessarily indicative nor a guarantee of future results. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by TSF, SCA or SCFA (or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents, representatives and consultants) as to or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of information on this web site.

The information provided herein is current as of January 1, 2022. Team information may change from time to time.

Advisory services for alternative investments and equity strategies is available through Strategic Capital Fund Advisors, LLC (“SCFA”), an exempt reporting advisor. SCFA’s strategies are designed only for individuals or firms who qualify as “Accredited Investors” under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The information herein is a general communication which is not impartial and has been prepared solely for information and educational purposes and does not constitute an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security or to adopt any specific investment strategy. The material contained herein has not been based on a consideration of any individual client circumstances and is not investment advice, nor should it be construed in any way as tax, accounting, legal or regulatory advice. To that end, investors should seek independent legal and financial advice, including advice as to tax consequences, before making any investment decision. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will work under all market conditions, and each investor should evaluate their ability to invest for the long-term, especially during periods of downturn in the market.

Alternative investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. Past performance is not necessarily indicative nor a guarantee of future results.

Investors could lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. Alternative investments are suitable only for long-term investors willing to forego liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time. Alternative investments are typically highly illiquid – there is no secondary market for private funds, and there may be restrictions on redemptions or assigning or otherwise transferring investments into private funds. Alternative investment funds often engage in leverage and other speculative practices that may increase volatility and risk of loss. Alternative investments typically have higher fees and expenses than other investment vehicles, and such fees and expenses will lower returns achieved by investors.

Alternative investment funds are often unregulated, are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds, and are not required to provide periodic pricing or valuation information to investors. The investment strategies described in the following pages may not be suitable for your specific circumstances; accordingly, you should consult your own tax, legal or other advisors, at both the outset of any transaction and on an ongoing basis, to determine such suitability. No investment should be made without proper consideration of the risks and advice from your tax, accounting, legal or other advisors as you deem appropriate.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by TSF or SCFA (or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents, representatives and consultants) as to or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of information on this web site.

The information provided herein is current as of June 1, 2022. Team information may change from time to time.

Forget Bitcoin: Here are The Crypto Assets To Follow

Go to original source: Benzinga by Nikolas Joyce

Thank You for your Interest

Go to original source: Benzinga

by Nikolas Joyce